Christ's Resurrection Basilica
White modernist basilica on Žaliakalnis hill with a rooftop terrace overlooking Kaunas.
The basilica was conceived in the 1920s as a national votive church marking the restoration of Lithuanian independence, and the design competition was won by the Latvian-born architect Karolis Reisonas. Building began in 1934 on the Žaliakalnis hillside above the city centre, with contributions collected from across the country. Work was halted by the Second World War, and under Soviet rule the unfinished structure was converted into a radio factory. It was returned to the church in 1990, restored over the following decade and consecrated in 2004.
The white rendered building is a landmark of Lithuanian interwar modernism, with a plain rectangular nave, minimal ornament and a tower rising to about seventy metres. Its most unusual feature is the flat roof, laid out as a terrace roughly forty-five metres long with a small chapel at one end; the terrace is open to visitors and gives a wide view over Kaunas and the Nemunas valley. Kaunas's interwar architecture, including this church, holds the European Heritage Label.
Highlights
- Rooftop terrace with panoramic views over Kaunas
- Landmark of Lithuanian interwar modernist architecture
- Tower rising about seventy metres above Žaliakalnis
- Small chapel set on the roof of the basilica
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