Kaunas Modernism

Kaunas Modernism is the product of a particularly fruitful and dynamic period in modern Lithuanian history - the twenty years, between 1919 and 1940, when, with the loss of Vilnius, Kaunas became the capital of an independent Lithuania. It was, where, galvanized by a mission to integrate this new state into the political, social and cultural context of interwar Europe, a group of architects and visionaries gathered together to change the face of the city. Inspired by the studies abroad and the innovations of leading architects and ideologues of the day, such as Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, and Mies van der Rohe, architects such as Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis began redefining the city. Now famous buildings such as the Central Post Office, the headquarters of the Milk Processing Company “Pieno centras”, the Officers’ Palace, the Vytautas Magnus War Museum, and the Office of the Bank of Lithuania are sterling examples of the style and period. Mixing characteristic gray exteriors with stylistic variations, these buildings, whose purposes ran the spectrum from institutional, to commercial, to public, and even spiritual, combined across the city to evoke the voice of a new and proud nation. Most spectacular and distinctive of all the buildings is undoubtedly Christ’s Resurrection Church, with its radiator-like external walls. So impressive is this architectural heritage that in 2023 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.