One of the 5 officially recognized religions in Lithuania, is Karaism. Currently in Lithuania there are temples-the synagogue in Vilnius and Trakai. The Karaites have even cemeteries. In Vilnius operates the General cemetery, Tatar and Karaite.

In 1904 through the efforts of the priest Felix Paleckis, with the permission of the Governor established a special Committee that had the task of collecting funds for the construction of Karaite kenesa in the city of Vilnius (eng. Kenassa in Vilnius). Money was taken from anyone willing to help. Donations were given not only by local adherents of Karaite religion, but also other communities who wish to contribute to this structure.

By 1908 had collected enough funds to start construction. A Committee was formed for the construction of the synagogue. The Committee requested the architect M. Prozorov to develop the project of the future building, in addition he was able to achieve the allocation of land in žvėrynas district. The project was supposed to be here to build a stone kenesa and a small wooden house for educational purposes.

Construction began in 1911. The city Council decided to rename the street leading to the kenesa and call it street Karaite. Unfortunately, the destructive force of the first world war affected the construction of the synagogue. The construction was frozen. Many Karaites, as well as people of other faiths, who feared approaching the front line, ran away from Lithuania. They have been briefly found shelter in a Crimean Karaite belief was also widespread. In Lithuania they returned only in 1920, after the war.

In 1921 he was elected the new Committee for the construction of Karaite kenesa of Vilnius. At the head of the Committee was elected W. Brunch. Again began to gather donations and through our joint efforts, with financial support from the state, managed to complete the construction in just two years.

At the same time the adherents of the Karaites, brothers and I. R. Lopato has made every effort and have invested in the construction of a wooden house. In early September 1923, tools, construction ended and the building was consecrated. Directed the opening ceremony and consecration F. Malecki, Chairman of the Karaite community.

Karaite kenesa is a large stone building, executed in the Moorish style. The building has the shape of an elongated parallelepiped. Over the front of a building with a large dome. Overall the design has a rectangular shape, but the curves of the arched Windows and arches give it a special charm. The decor is generally used in different variations of the circle. Above the entrance door has a large window in the shape of a circle, slightly truncated at the bottom. The Windows of the second tier of the facade is made in the form of stacked in rows of circles, though framed within a common square frame.

Orthodox religion, Catholicism and Judaism and some other religions and individuals, considered Karaism separate from the religion of Judaism, the Karaites do not even consider themselves Jews. However, the Second world war spared no one and nothing, have left their imprint on the fate of Vilnius Karaites. During the war, along with other churches, the kenesa was closed.

Only 9 March 1989, after a long, hard years, the Karaites was returned to the temple and they were able to come here for prayers. During this period of kenesa was missing a lot of valuable things, including a gilded altar, made of cypress wood. Were rescued from the former decoration only two chandeliers, and hanging in the Church today. The Karaites of Galicia managed to remove and safely hide. These lamps are works of mi art and highly valued members of the community.

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

Today, adherents of karaimism in the world have very little. Modern Polish Karaites perceive themselves as an ethnic community and as a whole has lost its religious identity. There is practically no existing religious communities.