The Veckalsnava Lutheran Church, located in the parish of Kalsnava in Madona County, is in ruins, but its history goes back centuries.
Location
Positioned near the P37 road (Pļaviņas-Madona) and Kalsnava Lake, this church has gone through times of destruction and rebirth.
History
According to the chronicles of the Kalsnava church, the first Lutheran church in Veckalsnava was an ancient wooden building without a bell tower. Even from the church records, its age could never be determined.
The first church in Veckalsnava was destroyed in 1643. News of the construction of the present stone church does not appear until 1774 when details of the transport of stones for the new building are recorded in the church registers. In 1830, these stones were still unused, and the church was not completed and consecrated until 1835.
Between 1908 and 1918, the pastor of the Kalsnava parish was the Latvian writer and politician Andrievs Niedra. During World War II, in 1944, the church was destroyed.
After Latvia’s return to independence, the ruins of the church and the surrounding area were cleaned up. Today, what remains is used in the summer as a venue for church services, weddings and concerts of sacred music.
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