Temples of Kaunas

Kaunas is an ancient city in Lithuania. The settled traditions and culture which was kept from the past and it is esteemed by local residents today as well, cannot leave tourists indifferent. And a plenty of historical monuments helps us to feel an atmosphere of former times and to be transferred a pair of centuries back.

St. Peter and St. Paul's Church was founded in 1891. Its construction was prolonged for 2 years. Architects and artists have been involved in the construction of a temple from the different countries. They tried to emphasize the power and invincible force of Orthodoxy in the image of a temple. Saint Peter and Paul's cathedral is a central cathedral of Kovno fortress. Today the temple is in the center of the Nikolaevski prospectus. A building outside is brick, in the altar the images of two archangels are represented. And in a stained-glass window of the altar the acceptance of the Christ in the sky is presented. This monument of culture deserves special attention of tourists as the foundation of Saint Peter and Paul's cathedral has influenced the development of Kaunas greatly.

Saint Nickolas Church is the oldest in the city. It was founded in 1864. Earlier the temple was an enlargement to a manege and contained no more than 150 people. If to trust the ancient legend, it was sanctified in honour of Nikolay miracle-worker under the order of emperor. The history of a temple is unusual: earlier it existed as brotherly school, and then was at all closed. And only by May 1910 the building of a temple was opened again as a place for divine service. And today the church continues the existence and is glad to receive the townspeople and visitors of the city of Kaunas.

Since 1915 Church of Christ's Resurrection was a unique orthodox temple in Kaunas. And during 20 years it was considered as the center of Orthodoxy of the city. Far in the middle of 19 century the church was constructed in territory of a cemetery. People used the temple only for carrying out of funeral as it did not have a curacy. And only by the end of 19 century the church became independent.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral settles down in the place of Catholic Jesuit Church. Icons which were made in the West in the middle of 17 century are considered as the main property of the temple. After the First World War the building of the temple was transferred to Catholics and today the cathedral exists as Catholic Church which is often visited by the townspeople and tourists from the different countries.