The Catholic Church of St. Michael the Archangel is the dominant architecture feature of the city center, and its towers have become the symbol of Ašmiany long time ago.

The Catholic Church of St. Michael the Archangel has operated in Ašmiany since 1391. It was a wooden temple built at the expense of the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Uladzislaŭ Jahajla. The wooden temple was seriously damaged during the uprising of 1830-1831. It took a very long time to collect funds for the restoration of this ancient Catholic church. The temple was reopened after the completion of the repair work.

However, at the end of the 19th century the temple couldn’t accommodate all believers anymore. Therefore, a new brick and stone Catholic church was built on its site according to the project of Vaclaŭ Michnievič. The construction began in 1899 and was completed in 1906. The Catholic church survived two world wars. However, it was closed in 1948 in line with the anti-religious policy of the Soviet regime. The branch of the Viĺnia radio engineering plant was located in the temple for a long time. In 1989, the Catholic church was returned to the believers. It was renovated, and the divine services were resumed.

The Catholic Church of St. Michael the Archangel is a neo-baroque architectural monument. The main facade is flanked by high five-tiered hipped-roof towers with an onion shield and side scrolls between them. The side aisles on the main façade are also completed with figured shields with scrolls and corner pinnacles. The facades are plastered. The naves are covered with cylindrical vaults inside.

Publication date: 19.01.2021.

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