Lithuania declared its independence in 1918, and a couple of years later, in 1922 a priest prof. Pranas Būčys shared his idea to build a church in Kaunas as a monument for resurrection and the independence of Lithuanian nation. A project for the church was designed by architect Karolis Reisonas in 1929. He imagined the church as a 82-meter tall spiral tower crowned by a 7 meter tall statue of Jesus Christ. However, this project was too pricey and not very well accepted by the people of Kaunas, therefore abandoned. A new project was inspired by modernist spirit and designed in 1932. It was believed that the new church would become a monument of XX century architecture because of its contemporary style, advanced construction and quality materials. Its size was also extraordinary and exceptional in the context of the Baltic States.

The church was to be built out of reinforced concrete frames and brick walls. The foundations were installed in a special way: about 1,200 reinforced concrete poles were put into the “floating” sandy soil at a depth of 4–5 m. The design had a flat roof what was not common for catholic churches at the time of construction. Local granite was used for the construction, and the window frames and doors were made of oak. The architecture of the church is monumental, laconic and rectangular. The church is 69 meters long and 26 meters wide, it has a a balcony for organ and choir, entrances on all sides, and two square towers – the small one above the central altar (Southwestern side) and the large one at the main entrance (Northeastern side). The height of the big tower is 70 meters, and height of the cross is 7 meters. The measurements of roof terrace are 45×13 m. The church was designed to accommodate about 5,000 worshipers (700 seats) and 2,000  people on the roof terrace. The church had to become a pantheon of the nation: the most important figures of the nation were to be buried in the crypts in the dungeon.

The construction of the church was complicated because of lack of funding. Therefore the community engaged in the collection of donations for the church. In 1938 the walls were masoned and the roof was covered in concrete. In the spring of 1940 main construction works were completed, but when Lithuania was occupied by the soviets, it stopped and the building was confiscated. During the WWII the church was used as a paper warehouse. In 1952 a decision was made to turn the church into the radio factory (Kaunas Radio Factory, which was later named “Banga”). The inside of the church was reconstructed, adapting it to the needs of the factory: three stories in the side naves and five stories in the central nave were constructed, the crosses were removed and the chapel was demolished, large industrial windows were installed.

In 1988 with the national awakening in 1988, the Lithuanian people started to lobby for the restitution of the church to the catholic community. In 1990, the LSSR Supreme Council obligated the “Banga” factory to return the building to the church in a condition it was taken in 1940. However, this requirement was ignored and the church was returned in a very bad condition. Then  reconstruction of the church was slow because of lack of funding. In 1998 the tower was restored and fixed, and in 2000 the condition of the church was finally close to the original. The monumental Christ’s Resurrection Church was reopened in the end of 2004. Since then, the building has  become the dominant landmark within the cityscape.

Text by Ugnė Marija Andrijauskaitė

Photos by L. Mykolaitis, 2018.

“Lincoln” car ran through the gates of huge house on Kęstutis Street and turned into the yard. There was a small two-storey house with a garage on the ground floor.

– This house is ours, – Kazys showed a mass of big house waving his head. There should be, five floors, I was lazy to count. On the other hand, what’s the difference for me?” (V. Sirijos Gira “Raudonmedžio rojus”, 1972 m.)

 

The benchmark for modern and luxurious construction

Over ten thousand new buildings were built in Kaunas during the twenty years of inter-war independence. Modern multi-storey residential houses – a sign of prosperity in the capital – started to germinate in the center of Kaunas. These new houses had to meet new hygiene and construction requirements – more light in the rooms, no houses were allowed, where the maid’s rooms are dark and without windows, and all four-storey and larger buildings should offer elevator. House of J. Lapėnas not only met all these requirements, he quickly became a luxury benchmark and was named one of Kaunas “skyscrapers”.

 

Self-taught merchant from Pasvalys District

The house belonged to the director of “Maistas” – the largest food processing company, which had a monopoly on export of meat products in the country – Jonas Lapėnas. Already at the age of 13, a self-taught “seller” has been selling at the Pumpėnai shop. Although he did not complete his studies, it did not prevent him from becoming a famous and active person. Being a member of an active political movement, and since 1929, as its chairman, J. Lapėnas has contributed to the establishment of the Lithuanian Nationalist Fund for providing loans and scholarships to gifted but poor young people. The energetic economist was also the chairman of the management of “Lietuvos muilas” and “Lietūkis” companies. Among the areas of interest of the entrepreneur were the press and culture – he was one of the founders of the publishing company “Pažanga” and theater “Vilkolakis”.
In 1935, J. Lapėnas was accused of financial misuse in “Maistas” company and was sued. Entrepreneur was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment in Kaunas heavy duty prison. The paradox of destiny – the prison building was under the windows of his own house – both on Kęstutis Street. Later, the Court of Appeal annulled the verdict for the entrepreneur, but J. Lapėnas did not hear the final decision – acquittal died in 1937.

 

The house described in a novel

The house was distinguished by luxury, created by quality finishing materials and quality of work. There were even two elevators in the house, but only one of them still remains in our day. From 1938 to 1939 Polish Embassy rented the apartments in the second floor. The building of exclusive architecture also fell into the pages of popular literature, it is featured in the famous novel “Raudonmedžio rojus” (“The Mahogany Paradise” by V. Sirijos Gira). After the nationalization of the building in Soviet times, it housed the dormitory of the Agricultural Academy, and later the research institute. The legend of the house is still alive today – so far, local Kaunas people still call this house in the name of Lapėnas. In 2019, the reconstruction of the building was completed. Today, the building is housed by young and active businesses and the owners cherish its unique history.

Text by Žilvinas Rinkšelis

 

As Lithuania’s industry and economy grew, its new (although, it was hoped, temporary) capital – Kaunas – witnessed a construction boom on a gigantic scale. Under the influence of western lifestyle and values, architecture quickly became one of the main expressions of modernity, as every institution looked the building that was housing its offices as a real-life ad for its brand. Pictures of buildings were widely published in the press, displayed on packaging, and even printed on official documents.

The building housed various institutions, publishing houses, and editorial offices associated with the Nationalist Union (Tautininkai). Additional structures were laid out in the courtyard. The cellar had a meeting hall lit by glass block light ceilings. The top floor had a restaurant with a terrace on the roof.

L. Mykolaičio, 2018 m. ir K. Daugėlienės (Kultūros vertybių registras), 2019 m. nuotraukos.

An example of beauty revealed in simplicity, this piece of architecture earned a bronze medal and honorary diploma in a 1937 world exhibition held in Paris and called Exposition International des Arts et des Techniques. The road towards simplicity led through painstaking searches reflected in a multitude of architectural sketches before the gates were opened by constructions of reinforced concrete frames. The harmony of horizontal and vertical elements, the rhythm of details, and the flawless proportions created a laconic image whose effect is enhanced by an arching corner facade with curved windows and illuminated glass rooflet separating the first storey, with walls of black labradorite, devoted to stores and disvided by shopwindows. The building is multifunctional. In addition to the shops and administrative offices of Pienocentras, the building also housed Kaunas`s famous Muralio hair salon for women and men. The fourth and fifth stories had apartments for employees.

To counter the effect of the tzar’s interdiction to erect buildings with more than two floors in Kaunas, new legislation was passed after the country regained its independence. To purposefully destroy the flattish city’s landscape, and to model Kaunas after the examples of Europe’s capitals, it became forbidden to erect buildings with less than three floors around the Laisvės avenue and the Vytautas boulevard. Some rose even higher. When the Chaimsonai’s private residence was completed, on the Maironis street in 1930, the new building was met with sincere astonishment by the city’s residents. As the rest of the neighbourhood didn’t commit to the building’s owners race for new heights, this condo building remained unchallenged in its category in interwar Kaunas.
The building, albeit anecdotally, was immortalised in literature. The main character of Vytautas Sirija Gira’s novel “Mahogany Paradise”, Karolis Tuleikis, mentions this giant in the following terms: “One way or the other, the house where I lived was, in 1935, Kaunas’ skyscraper. The only things that were higher back then were the churches’ towers and the former town hall – the White Swan.”

 

Text by Žilvinas Rinkšelis

Custodian of savings of Lithuanians

Year 2019 marked exactly one hundred years since the first State Savings Fund was opened in 1919. During the period of independence, it was one of the most important institutions for accumulating the savings of Lithuanians. The goal was officially announced: “To accept deposits to increase percentages and give the population savings to increase.” It was centralized-type State Savings Fund for which the state was responsible. They were subordinate to and supervised by the Minister of Finance and were directly headed by a board consisting of a head administrator and 5 members.

However, at the beginning this fund was not very popular among the population. Such a situation lasted until 1931, after the global economic crisis and the improvement of the statutes of association, the number of their customers began to grow rapidly. In 1939, the number of deposits reached a record high – the total amount was almost 70 million Litas. In terms of the amount of deposits, only the Bank of Lithuania and commercial banks outperformed the National Savings Bank, but the lag behind them was constantly decreasing. The Bank became one of the main custodians of savings, and the deposits and capital were used to lend for various clients: for municipalities to build schools and hospitals, to improve infrastructure, for other credit companies, for private companies and residents, and to reward artists and works of art.

 

Building visualization. Source: Laikinosios sostinės architektai. Kauno apskrities viešosios bibliotekos virtuali paroda, 2015 m. 

 

Vivid architectural accent

Given the importance of the representation and solidity of state-owned banks and other financial institutions in the eyes of the public, it is not surprising that special attention was also paid to the construction of this bank building on a representative city street. In 1940, just before the state occupation, the “skyscraper” of Laisvės Avenue became the one of the last bright architectural accents the street, marking the guidelines for further urban development of the city. For the convenience of the staff in the six-storey building, even two elevators were placed, but it was no longer surprising at the time. But the pneumatic post, which accelerated correspondence “trips” in the building, was a truly modern attribute of the institution, unfortunately, this tool has not survived to this day. A safe was also placed in the basement of the building. As in the case of many public buildings in Kaunas, it was shared by several institutions. In addition to the savings banks, it housed the Department of Commerce, the Statistical Office and various other state institutions. The building consists of 6- and 5-storey buildings, forming a semi-enclosed courtyard. The building is characterized by strict geometric shapes, laconic planar and compositional structure. A revolving door is installed at the main entrance to the place.

 

 

Witness to the struggle for freedom

Historical circumstances have made this building a witness to the struggle for freedom on several occasions. Only a short press release of the time testifies the first occasion today. Without it this event would probably have been completely forgotten. On the eve of World War II, after a year-long Soviet occupation, Inspector of State Savings Bank V. Rudminas decided to raise a flag of independent Lithuania on one of the tallest buildings on Laisvės Alley, but he was shot and soon died in hospital.

After the Second World War, Kaunas Executive and Communist Party committees were placed in this building and operated here until 1990. After Lithuania regained its independence, Kaunas City Municipality was established in the building. It became one of the buildings to be defended during the events of January 1991, as the aftermath of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania. In 2015 according to the decision of the European Commission, 44 objects of Kaunas interwar modernism architecture were included in the list of the European Heritage Label, including the State Savings Bank.

Text by Žilvinas Rinkšelis

Photos by L. Mykolaitis, 2018 and M. Plepys (“Ekskursas”), 2015.

Almost a full century stands between us, and the First Lithuanian Republic. It may seem like a very long time, and every monument that reminds us of that period is often seen as an outdated relic. The Central Post Office building, however, still stands as a perfect example for understanding the backstory of Lithuanian modernism.
Most of us understand the post office as a place where one goes to post or retrieve letters and parcels, a part of everyday life. But the building that opened its doors in the centre of Kaunas back in 1931, was designed and built to tell its visitors a much more complex and meaningful story. It epitomises the strive to connect traditional Lithuanian symbolism with modernist architecture standards. Its architect, Feliksas Vizbaras, is still considered as one of the grandmasters of this very peculiar style. The expression of national cultural heritage are still visible in the window frames or finishing materials of Lithuanian origin, easily recognisable in the patterns of tile floors in the entrance and the main hall, which remind of a hand-made traditional linen towel.
The modern aesthetics of the building – a flat roof, an unusual general shape with large windows – weren’t of everyone’s liking back at the time when it was inaugurated. However, no one dared to question the building’s status, as a standard for all modern institutional buildings. Its floors were connected by an elevator for visitors and for mail, the main hall was wide and equipped according to the latest standards, an electric clock hung proudly on its forefront, while its employees’ working conditions would still be envied by many of today’s civil servants: employee showers, wide offices, an employee restaurant and hairdresser’s salon, and a rooftop terrace for breaks.
Although its importance has nowadays slowly diminished, this building still stands as a prime landmark in the Laisvės avenue and a meeting place for the city’s inhabitants, who still keep saying: “let’s meet in front of the post office!”

 

Text by Žilvinas Rinkšelis