The exterior of St. George’s church has remained virtually unchanged – the plan, outside walls, buttresses, window openings, and entrances have all survived, although the interior of the church has changed considerably. In the reconstruction of the church after the fires of 1603, 1624 and 1668, the roof construction and shape were changed and the stepped western façade was demolished. During this reconstruction, more solid square columns were constructed and the side walls were enforced by pilasters. The entrance in the western façade, which wasn’t used because of its awkward location, was closed off. The interior decoration works started in the second half of the 17th century and the altars that have survived in the church were constructed at that time: the central altar, the side St. Anne’s altar and the 6 side altars next to the columns. In the 18th century, the interior decoration works continued, with two new wooden altars being created and installed at the sides of the Arch of Triumph, the stone organ balcony being constructed at the western wall of the church, and wooden galleries and small towers being built next to it. During and after the war of 1812, the church was ravaged and robbed and in 1953 the church was closed for the second time.
Asta Prikockienė