St Michael Old Believers Church

Built of wood in 1991 in Russian traditional style. From 1652 the Russian orthodox church re-aligned its liturgy and rites with the Greek orthodox. There was a furious reaction and schism, and those who wouldn't accept the changes were persecuted. These "Old Believers" scattered across the Tsarist domains, decrying the Antichrists who'd taken over, and insisting on making the Sign of the Cross the traditional way so not the ungodly new way so. In Utena an Old Believer congregation coalesced from the 1950s as they abandoned farming for town life, and by Independence they numbered 1000 and had enough money for their own church.