The St. Mary’s Church in Rõuge was originally built in 1550, but it was damaged badly in the Great Northern War. The present church was reconstructed in 1730’s. In 1854 the church obtained its organ and the altar picture of 'Christ on the cross' by R. von Mühlen.
In 1860 the building was completely renovated, with the walls being made higher and a mirrored arch installed. The Kriisa brothers donated a 31-register organ they had built to the church in 1930. The first Estonian pastor in Rõuge was Rudolf Gottfried Kallas.
References:The first written record of church in Danmark locality date back to the year 1291. Close to the church are several stones with a Christian text and cross inscribed. The oldest parts of the present red-brick church are from the 1300s. In the late 1400s the church was enlarged to the appearance it has today. The church has been modified both internally and externally several times, among other things after the fires in 1699 and 1889. There are lot of well-preserved mural paintings in the walls.