The Cemetery All Saints Chapel

A chapel was built in the Old Plungė Cemetery in 1858 and was funded by Count Zubovas and parishioners. The structure was built using elements from Romantic Classicism architecture. Local craftsmen were hired to build the church, three of whom, namely the bricklayer, tinsmith, and carpenter, were sent to Prussia by Count Zubovas, so that they would improve their skills.

The chapel looks like a small church with a tower. It has three altars, a pulpit, a balcony for the choir, and presbytery, where burial services used to be hosted. There used to be a bell in the chapel, which was cast in 1863 and funded by Mykolas Uznevičius. The bell was hidden during World War I, but it was moved later into the Plungė Church Belfry. However, its current location is unknown. The chapel has sepulchres, where the local noblemen were buried.

The last cult practice was performed in 1934, after which the chapel was closed and gradually abandoned. The chapel underwent repair works in the 1980s – the first since its construction in 1858. During Soviet rule, the chapel remained abandoned, not taken care of, let alone guarded. The remains that were buried in the sepulchre were vandalised, the graves were robbed, and the tombstones were tipped over.

The All Saints Chapel is currently renovated and Holy Mass services occasionally take place in this location.

Source: Plungės dekanato sakralinė architektūra ir dailė / compiled by A. Butrimas et al. – Vilnius, 2005. – p. 110-117.