One of the five officially recognized religions in Lithuania is Karaism. Currently in Lithuania there are temples, kenassas in Vilnius and Trakai. Karaites even have their own cemetery. In Vilnius, the general functioning cemetery, Tatar and Karaite.

In 1904, through the efforts of the priest Felix Maletskisa, with the permission of the governor set up a special committee, which had the task of collecting funds for the construction of the Karaite kenassas in Vilnius (Eng. Kenassa in Vilnius). Funds taken from all willing to help. Donations were given not only local Karaite religious adherents, but also other communities who wish to contribute to this construction.

By 1908 enough money was raised to begin construction. A committee was formed for the construction of kenassas. The Committee instructed the architect M.Prozorovu develop the project of the future building, in addition he managed to release land in the area Zhverinas. The project is expected to build a stone kenassa and a small wooden house for educational purposes.

Construction began in 1911. The city council decided to rename the street, even leading to kenassa and call it street Karaites. Unfortunately, the destructive power of the First World War affected the construction kenassas. Construction was frozen. Many Karaites, as well as people of other faiths, fearing the approaching front line, fled from Lithuania. They briefly found refuge in the Crimea, where the Karaite faith was also common. In Lithuania, they returned only in 1920, after the war.

In 1921 he was elected as a new committee for the construction of the Karaite kenassas Vilnius. At the head of the committee he was elected V. Duruncha. Again began to gather donations and together with the financial support of the state, managed to complete the construction in just two years.

At the same time, supporters of the Karaites, the brothers I. and R. Lopato every effort and have invested in the construction of a wooden house. At the beginning of September 1923 means the construction is over and the building was consecrated. Supervised opening and consecration Maletskis F., Chairman of the Karaite community.

Karaimskaya kenassa is a large stone building, full of Moorish style. The body of the building has the shape of an elongated parallelepiped. Above the front part of the building has a large dome. The whole structure has a rectangular shape, but the curves arched windows and arches give it a special charm. The decor is generally used in a range of different variations. Above the front door is set large window in the form of a circle slightly truncated at the bottom. The windows of the second tier of the facade in the form of stacked in rows of circles, though framed in the overall square frame.

Orthodox religion, Catholicism and Judaism, as well as some other religions and individuals believed Karaism separate from Judaism religion, Karaites do not see themselves as Jews. However, the Second World War not sparing no one and nothing, it has left its mark in the fate of Vilnius Karaites. During the war, along with other churches, kenassa was closed.

Only 9 March 1989 after a long, hard years, the Karaites was returned to the temple, and they were able to come back here to pray. During this period of kenassas it lost many valuable things, including the gilded altar, made of cypress wood. They were rescued from the former furnishings only two chandeliers hanging in the church today. Karaites Galic had them removed and safely hide. These fixtures are works of art and highly valued members of the community.

One feature of the Karaite faith, a fact which gives you many researchers reason to believe that Karaism closer to Islam than to Judaism, is that in kenassa women and men pray separately.

Today karaism adherents in the world there are very few. Modern Polish Karaites perceive themselves as an ethnic community and as a whole have lost their religious identity. In fact, no more existing religious communities.