Lutheran Church of Egypt Memorialinis vieta

Located in the village of Egypt near the border checkpoint with Lithuania, on the side of a gravel road. Easily visible and accessible.

The Lutheran congregation in Egypt was founded in 1567, but the nobleman A. Ettingens began to build the church of the Lutheran congregation in Vilkumiest (the previous name of Egypt) in place of the previous wooden church in 1823. The church was destroyed in the battles of the First World War, the parish archive was lost. The Germans allegedly blew up the church tower so that it would not serve as a target for artillery and machine guns on the Russian side. The church was restored in 1930, thanks to the care of Latvian army general Andrejs Auzāns, who in the 20th century In 20 years, he bought a country house in Medumu parish and cultivated a farm. The church was repeatedly destroyed during the Second World War, closed during the Soviet years and, typical of the Soviet rule, a hay flour mill and mineral fertilizer storage were installed in the church. Since 1979 the church stands empty.

Currently, the ruins of the church and the nearby cemetery are freely available for viewing. There is a parking lot near the church, there is an information board and a scenic view of Lake Lauces (Smelīnes) and the territory of Lithuania on the opposite shore. The walls of the church are decorated with bullet marks, but the ruins can be freely entered, however, it is advisable not to do so and to exercise caution, as the ceiling structures are in a state of emergency and can be invaded. In front of the church, you can see the German burials of the wartime, where one unknown soldier of the Russian army is also buried next to the German soldiers, for whom the Germans installed the same concrete cross. Behind the church there are older pre-war burials, however, due to wars and vandalism, some monuments and crosses have been lost. Many nobles of German origin rest here - von Dunten, von Ettingen, von Münster, Weinberg, etc. On the north side of the cemetery, a line of German trenches from the First World War can be seen. A reserve line was located here during the war. Near the Egyptian Church is the so-called "Officers' Bunker", which is one of the concrete bunkers of this line.