St. Michael the Archangel Church, Kaunas
| Church of Saint Michael the Archangel (Garrison Church) |
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|---|---|
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| Basic information | |
| Geographic coordinates | 54°53′49″N 23°55′16″E / 54.89694°N 23.92111°ECoordinates: 54°53′49″N 23°55′16″E / 54.89694°N 23.92111°E |
| Affiliation |
Roman Catholicism (present day) Russian Orthodox (as built) |
| Municipality | Kaunas |
| State | Lithuania |
| Country | Lithuania |
| Year consecrated | 1895 |
| Status | Operational |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | K. H. Lymarenko |
| Architectural style | Roman-Byzantine |
| Groundbreaking | 1891 |
| Completed | 1895 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 2,000 worshippers |
| Height (max) | 50.0 m |
| Dome(s) | Five |
St. Michael the Archangel's Church or the Garrison Church (Russian: Церковь Святого Михаила Архангела (Lithuanian: Įgulos bažnyčia) is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, closing the perspective of the Laisvės alėja, the main pedestrian street. It was built between 1891 and 1895 when Kaunas was part of the Russian empire, in Neo-Byzantine style largely for the use of the Russian Orthodox garrison of Kaunas Fortress.
The construction of "military" or "garrison" Orthodox churches by the Russian government in former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth lands had started after the suppression of the January Uprising of 1831, and peaked during the reign of emperor Alexander III of Russia. Initially the site of this church had been intended to be used for a Catholic church, but these plans had been abandoned after the Uprising.
The church was designed as an Orthodox cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in 1890 by K. H. Lymarenko; it was authorized for construction on November 10 that year. Official groundbreaking was celebrated on 29 June 1891. The cathedral was completed in four years (unusually quickly for its size), and was inaugurated on 17 September 1895. Later Lymarenko's plan was modified by David Grimm from St. Petersburg. The church's decorative scheme was outlined by Griaznov and implemented by craftsman from Vilnius. Most of the construction was carried out by workers from Chernigov Governorate, and its art-work was implemented by craftsmen from St. Petersburg.
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