The church stands in the center of the settlement, on a square formed at the intersection of roads. The main facade of the church faces the square. On the western side of the churchyard stands a wooden bell tower. This house of prayer has a rich history. At the very beginning of the 17th century, Jurgis-Samsonas Podbereskis built a wooden church in Smalva and invited monks – the Canons of Penance – to work there. They were of noble origin, lived in a manor, taught children from the area and served the church, which burned down and was looted during the war of 1812. A couple of decades later, the tsarist government expelled the monks from Smalva and secular priests took over the church. The church standing in Smalva today is not the same one built in the 17th century. In 1857, Count Pliater, together with the parishioners of Smalva, built and equipped the current Smalva church. The church is built on a stone masonry foundation. Its plan is rectangular, the interior is three-nave. The interior is decorated in folk baroque style, with many decorative elements, dominated by plant motifs. The church floor is made of wide planks, nailed to the beams with wooden dowels and blacksmith nails. The high altar is made of pine, quite richly gilded. The painting of the Mother of God Rosary was painted by Kazimieras Gorackis. The exterior is distinguished by folk carved borders surrounding the windows and doors, most likely taken from residential houses or barns, in order to give the church a "national character". The front facade of the church has a unique three-story portico. On the first floor there is an entrance, on the second - a balcony, and on the third - a pediment with a window. It is interesting that the portrait of the founder of the church, Jurgis-Samsonas Podbereskis, is still kept in the sacristy. All of the Podbereski family's property was bequeathed to the church in a 1920 will.
Translated by Google •
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