Christ’s Resurrection Church, Kaunas

Our Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection Basilica Prisikėlimo bazilika
Christ's Resurrection Basilica
Basic information
Location	Kaunas, Lithuania
Geographic coordinates	54.902° N, 23.917° E
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
District	Žaliakalnis
Year consecrated	2004
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Minor basilica
Website	www.prisikelimas.lt
Architectural description
Architect(s)	Karolis Reisonas
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Functionalism
Completed	2005
Construction cost	878 470 litas until 1940
Specifications
Direction of façade	Northeast
Capacity	5000 and 2000 on the rooftop
Spire height	70 m
Materials	concrete and bricks

Kaunas our Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection Basilica (Lithuanian: Kauno mūsų Viešpaties Jėzaus Kristaus Prisikėlimo bazilika) is a monumental Roman Catholic church in Kaunas, Lithuania. The church was consecrated in 2004, and in 2005 it was finally completed. It is the largest basilical church in the Baltic States.

After Lithuania regained independence in 1918, the concept of a new church that would express gratitude to God for its regained freedom arose. A committee led by president Antanas Smetona was established in 1926 to oversee its construction. The City of Kaunas was chosen as its site, since the historic capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, was part of Poland between 1920 and 1939. A design competition was held in 1928 and the proposal drawn up by Karolis Reisonas was chosen for the church as the best. Due to the technical difficulties arising from the grand scope of the design, and dramatic escalation of its cost estimates, the final design was not approved until 1933.

The first cornerstone for the church was brought from Jerusalem's Mount Olive in 1934, marking the church's first symbolic milestone. Funds for the construction were raised in Lithuania and abroad. The prominent Lithuanian parson Feliksas Kapočius was particularly involved not only in the details of the building project, but also in its funding. He traveled through the United States, where many Lithuanian émigrés were living, to enlist support. The construction underwent several setbacks, and at times was suspended for lack of funding.

According to the Prague architects' evaluations, the church represented the masterpiece of modern architecture. In 1938 the walls and roof of the church were completed, and by 1940 it was largely finished; at this point around one million litas had been spent, most of it from individual donations. Further work on the church was suspended during World War II. The Nazi occupational authorities used the church as a storeroom; during the Soviet period of Lithuanian history, the building was confiscated by the government. In 1952 Stalin decreed that it be used as a factory; the cross atop the tower was demolished, as was the chapel.