Greetings from Kosovo

I was very sad to depart Estonia last July after three years in that beautiful country (and not coming close to finishing my goal with this blog of photographing all the churches there. It just means I need to go back!).

After one year at FSI studying the Albanian language, I have begun my next tour as Public Affairs Officer in Pristina, Kosovo.

As with Estonia, I plan to photograph churches (and sometimes mosques) and blog about them. So, I invite you to check out my new blog for Kosovo, Finding Churches in Kosovo.

Lutheran Church of Jesus in Reigi

Visited June 14, 2014

Reigi Church was originally begun in the 1600s to serve the Swedish community in the area. In fact, the name Reigi comes from Swedish for smoke or fire. When the Swedes there were deported in 1781, those living around the church were allowed to stay and the community is incorporated as Rootsi in their honor.

The current building was consecrated in 1802, having been build by Lord Ungern-Sternberg in honor of his son, who committed suicide. The inside of the church has a boat-like feel to it, and even the candle holder is wrought iron in the shape of a Viking ship.

 

Lutheran Chapel in Paluküla

Visited: June 14, 2014

Lutheran Chapel in Paluküla is a pretty interesting church in ruins.

The church was built in 1802, as a burial chapel for the Ungern-Sternberg family, and it is awaiting renovation.

The church is built on the edge of the Kärdla meteor crater. The crater is mostly filled in, but you can still see the ridge created in the area by the impact.

 

Edge of the meteor crater

Mänspe Lutheran Chapel

Visited: June 14, 2014

Mänspe Lutheran Chapel was built in 1908. It used to belong to the parrish of Emmaste.

 

Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Theotokos

Visited: June 14, 2014

Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Theotokos in Kuriste was built in 1890, perhaps the first orthodox church on the island. The building stones were brought from Riga.

 

Kassari Lutheran Chapel

Visited: June 14, 2014

We almost missed this church, but the second time we passed the sign after returning from dinner at Lest ja Lammas, we decided to drive down the little road it was on the check it out.

The congregation at Kassari Lutheran Chapel dates to the 1600s, and this building was built in the 1700s and renovated in 1801.

Check out the thatched roof!

St Martin’s Lutheran Church in Käina

Visited: June 14, 2014

St Martin’s Lutheran Church in Käina is just ruins now.

The church was built around 1500 to replace the wooded church built in the 1200s. You can see from the picture from the sign though that it was once beautiful. Even the ruins are beautiful.

The church was built on unstable clay, and so the arches on the side are to shore up the walls. The building  was burned in 1941 by German tracer bullets. It is being conserved in ruins by the congregation, which still meets.