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“Many generations of Kaunas residents consider Crew Church to be one of the symbols of the city. Independence Square has become a popular meeting place, with a picturesque outlook on the revamped Freedom Avenue, and the pace of city life feels perfect. The city’s guest cameras also point to a unique architectural building in the central part of the square.
Over the years, the Cathedral lost its representative appearance, it was still “battered”, but it was time to recover its true beauty to continue adorning the city. The church, visible from many points, will undoubtedly become one more accent in the complex reconstruction of Laisvės Alley and its entrances. After the restoration works, the building will be more accessible to everyone – Kaunas residents and tourists. Finally, people with mobility disabilities will be able to visit it in its entirety, ”said the Mayor of Kaunas, Visvaldas Matijošaitis.
The work started from above
At the end of last year, Sobore was in a phase of intensive work, during which the main dome that crowns the church was renovated. Currently, four corner dome bell constructions and vaulted ceilings are being maintained. Worn sheet metal sheets are also replaced. It is not a coincidence that the work started from the top of the building – the roof in some places was leaking water.
“A perforated roof and cracks in the cladding were our priority, as the wooden and metal structures of the building could be damaged by the damping of humidity and the probability of fire was increased by the possible contact of water with the electrical installation. We can rejoice that there were no delays in the works, the state of the Cathedral is stable and the most worrying part is already coming to an end ”, explained Saulius Rimas, head of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the municipality of Kaunas.
Inside the church, the builders also reinforced the roof and the supporting structures of the dome and installed ventilation. The wood-beamed ceilings, beams, and vaulted ceiling structure were impregnated to protect against pests, rot and moisture and to strengthen their fire resistance.
City of Kaunas photo of the municipality / Restoration of sculptural facades
More spaces for art
This year, the 125th anniversary of the Church of St. Archangel Michael is receiving another revival: the building’s facade is being restored. The works will touch not only the walls, columns and relief elements of the decoration: external windows, metal bars will be replaced, doors in the southern part will be restored, and long-lasting cast iron gutters will be installed. Kaunas residents will be greeted by renovated exterior stairs and an elevator adapted for the disabled to access the main spaces of the building.
Currently, the north facade has been cleaned of dirt and plaque, damaged and severely crushed plaster areas have been filled in and other cracks have been opened. After washing and cleaning the peeled exterior parts of the building, they are repainted. The window and parapet installation processes are already underway here.
Very soon these works will continue in the southeast and south of the house of prayer. All of the above works. The Church of Archangel Michael is scheduled for completion in November of this year.
“After the planned works, the valuable characteristics of the unique cultural heritage object will be preserved and revealed, and at the same time the spaces will be more attractive not only for the faithful. We strive to make one of Kaunas’ most recognizable architectural symbols more open to cultural, tourist and social activities.
The museum for the blind, located in the basement 15 years ago – the “Catacombs of the XXI century” – became the first bridge between the church and culture, inviting you to discover the environment through sensory experiences and art, but you will not want stay half. Here there can be spaces for excursions on the rich history of the building, concerts and exhibitions, to organize various educational activities ”, said Renata Bagdonienė, director of the public institution Soboro projektai, responsible for the restoration of Sobor.
Solid financial deposits
At the last meeting this summer, the Kaunas City Council approved the decision on the contract works. allocate an additional 383 thousand in the Church of San Miguel Arcángel. euros. The capital stock of the public institution Soboro projektai has been increased by this amount.
Soboro projektai is implementing a project funded by the European Union and the municipality of the city of Kaunas, The Church of the Archangel Michael (Crew) is being restored and adapted for cultural, tourist, social and educational activities, and spaces are being opened to the public usually.
The value of the contract to restore the facade of the building is 1.97 million. EUR. More than half of this amount – more than one million euros – consists of the structural funds of the European Union, and the rest of the restoration of the church is covered by the Kaunas City Council.
More than 300 thousand. The Department of Cultural Heritage provided funding for the project in a separate project. These funds are used to restore the domes and the roof that covers the Cathedral.
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