The ruins of Suntaži Orthodox Church
The church is an important Orthodox center of the Vidzeme highlands. It had apparently been forgotten, but in 2020 it was reported that the management of the Ogre municipality plans to restore it!
The place is accessible from the outside for a large number of visitors.
In 1847, a large part of the people of the Suntaži area converted to Orthodoxy, and then a congregation was also founded. In 1864, a church was built. It was a two-story brick building with outbuildings. The Orthodox congregation built its parish school in Viršņukalns and arranged a cemetery. Augustīns Pētersons was appointed to the Suntaži parish school as a teacher. Later he became the first metropolitan of Riga and Latvia. Those days the Orthodox congregation of Suntaži had more than 2,000 members.
Contrary to the school rules of the time, he taught children to respect their country and taught the history of Latvia in Latvian. Already while studying at the Riga Theological Seminary, he had published a philosophical-religious-literary magazine, organized a Latvian library there and collected Latvian folk songs. In 1904, Pētersons was consecrated as a priest in the Suntaži Orthodox congregation and the new church was built under his care. Suntaži Orthodox Church carried out active social and educational activities in the parish long after he was transferred to other positions.
In 1864, the first church was built - a two-story brick building with outbuildings. It was quite modest, so in 1909 a new brick church was built in an eclectic style. The house made of red bricks with bulbous domes was the ornament of the parish for several decades. The church was no longer used after World War II and gradually fell into disrepair.
The place is available at any time of the year.
Working time
This place is always available.