As defined by Eurostat, the population of Kaunasfunctional urban area, is estimated at 391,153 (as of[update] 2021),[18] while according to statistics of Kaunas territorial health insurance fund, there are 447,946 permanent inhabitants (as of 2022) in Kaunas andKaunas district municipalities combined.[19][20] Moreover, thetertiary education institutions of Kaunas attract thousands of students annually.[21]
The city's name is ofLithuanian origin and most likely derives from apersonal name, however the exact person is unknown and it is believed that he was the ruler of Kaunas Castle.[22] The personal name Kaunas is derived from anadjectivekaunus which means "who likes to fight".[22] Other possible meaning of the name of the city of Kaunas is that it is derived from an old adjective which is not in use anymore and which meant "deep", "low", "located in the valley".[22]
A 16th-century legend in theBychowiec Chronicle claims that Kaunas was established by the Romans inancient times. These Romans were supposedly led by a patrician named Palemon, who had three sons: Barcus, Kunas and Sperus.[24][22] Palemon fled fromRome because he feared the mad EmperorNero. Palemon, his sons and other relatives travelled to Lithuania. After Palemon's death, his sons divided his land. Kunas got the land where Kaunas now stands. He built a fortress near the confluence of theNemunas andNeris rivers and the city that grew up there was named after him. A suburban region in the vicinity is named "Palemonas".[25]
According to historianTeodor Narbutt, the Lithuanians previously worshiped the god Kaunis, whose statue was located in the Kaunas Old Town near theNeman River.[22]
On 30 June 1993, the historicalcoat of arms of Kaunas city was re-established by a specialpresidential decree. The coat of arms features a whiteaurochs with a golden cross between itshorns, set against a deep red background. The aurochs was the original heraldic symbol of the city, established in 1400. The heraldic seal of Kaunas, introduced in the early 15th century during the reign of Grand Duke Vytautas, is the oldest city heraldic seal known in the territory of theGrand Duchy of Lithuania.[27] The currentemblem was the result of much study and discussion on the part of the LithuanianHeraldry Commission, and realized by the artistRaimondas Miknevicius. An aurochs has replaced awisent, which was depicted in theSoviet-era emblem that was used since 1969.
Blazon:Gules, anaurochs passant guardant argent ensigned with a cross Or between his horns.
Kaunas also has a greater coat of arms, which is mainly used for purposes of Kaunas city representation. The sailor, three golden balls, andLatin text"Diligite justitiam qui judicatis terram" (English: Cherish justice, you who judge the earth[2]) in the greater coat of arms refers toSaint Nicholas, patron saint of merchants and seafarers, who was regarded as a heavenly guardian of Kaunas by QueenBona Sforza.[28][29]
The Teutonic Order storms Kaunas in 1362 (19th century depiction)
A settlement was established on the site of what is now Kaunas Old Town, at the confluence of two large rivers, by at latest the 10th century AD and more settlements developed in the 11th century AD.[30] Kaunas was first mentioned in written sources in 1361 and at the end of the 13th century the brickKaunas Castle was constructed to defend the residents from attacks by theTeutonic Order.[31] At the time only two brick castles stood near the Nemunas River (in Kaunas andGrodno), which was the main front line of fights between the Crusaders andLithuanians.[32] Consequently, Kaunas Castle had a strategic importance, as it prevented the Crusaders from intruding deeper into Lithuania and its capital,Vilnius.[33]
In 1362, thecastle was captured after a siege of several weeks and destroyed by the Teutonic Order.[34][35] Lithuanian rulersKęstutis and Grand DukeAlgirdas arrived to help the castle's defenders, but the castle was already surrounded by the fortifications of the Crusaders, and they could only watch the collapse of the castle.[32] Most of the 400 defenders of the castle were killed in action; commanderVaidotas of the Kaunas Castlegarrison tried to break through with 36 men, but wastaken prisoner.[32] It was one of the largest and most important military victory of the Teutonic Knights in the 14th century against theGrand Duchy of Lithuania.[36]
The Lithuanians constructed a new wooden castle on the island of Virgalė, which stood at the confluence of the Nemunas and Nevėžio rivers; however in 1363 the Crusaders burned the castle.[38] The wooden castle was rebuilt, but in 1368 the Crusaders attacked once again, destroyed the castle and, according to the chronicles, killed 600pagan defenders, while they themselves suffered only three casualties.[38][39]
The Lithuanians attempted to rebuild the castle with masonry and higher, wider walls, fourflanking towers and amoat, but before its completion the Crusaders attacked in the summer of 1369, expelled the Lithuanians from the island of Virgalė, and with their masonry builtGotteswerder Castle.[38][40][34][39] Gotteswerder Castle was captured after a five-week siege by theGrand Ducal Lithuanian Army, led by Algirdas and Kęstutis, and two wooden castles were built close to it.[39][41] Nevertheless, the fighting between the Crusaders and the Lithuanians for the area went on until the Lithuanians eventually took control in 1404; it was an important point during the 1409Samogitian Rebellion and the1410 war with the Crusaders.[40][39]
"After leavingPoseur, I arrived in a large fortified city of Kaunas. It has a very beautiful large castle standing on a cliff of the Nemunas River. Kaunas is twelve miles from Poseur."
In 1408, the town was grantedMagdeburg rights by Vytautas the Great and in 1413 became the centre ofKaunas Powiat, inTrakai Voivodeship.[43][27] Moreover, Vytautas ceded Kaunas the right to own the scales used for weighing the goods brought to the city or packed on the site, the wax processing, and woolen cloth-trimming facilities. The power of the self-governing Kaunas was shared by three interrelated major institutions:vaitas (theMayor), theMagistrate (12lay judges and 4burgomasters), and the so-calledBenchers' Court (12 persons). Kaunas began to gain prominence, since it was at the intersection oftrade routes and ariver port.[44] At the time, Kaunas became an important port and centre of trade withWestern Europe, thus rapidly growing.[31] In 1441, Kaunas joined theHanseatic League, and Hansa merchant officeKontor was opened – the only one in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[45]
By the 16th century, Kaunas also had a public school and a hospital and was one of the most firmly established towns in the whole country.[31][27] Furthermore, in the 16th century Grand DuchessBona Sforza achieved that the Kaunas Eldership should become a property of theJagiellonian dynasty; starting in 1533, she carried out theVolok Reform.[46]
Panorama of Kaunas in 1686 and one of the first descriptions of the city
The late 16th and early 17th centuries saw the greatest period of economic growth in Kaunas, which throughout the city brought the construction of manybrick masonry buildings.[27] In the early 17th century, the city's prosperity led to the beginning of the construction of theWall of Kaunas, which, however, was not completed, due to later wars and economic reasons.[27][47] In 1665, the Russian army attacked the city several times, and in 1701 the city was occupied by theSwedish Army during theGreat Northern War.[27]Bubonic plague struck the area in 1657 and 1708, killing many residents.[27] Fires destroyed parts of the city in 1731 and 1732.[27]
In the first half of the 18th century, the northern wall and two towers of the Kaunas Castle collapsed, due to damage from river water; this led to the abandonment of the castle, and it collapsed into ruins.[40] Subsequently, a jail was established in one part of the castle, in the middle of the 18th century.[40] At the end of the 18th century, the castle was sometimes used to hold meetings ofnoble families of Kaunas Powiat.[40]
To prevent possible easy access through the city and protect the western borders of Russia, theKovno Fortress was built. It is still visible throughout the town.[48]
Kovno Governorate, with a centre in Kovno (Kaunas), was formed in 1843. In 1862, a railway connecting theRussian Empire andImperial Germany was built, making Kaunas a significant railway hub with one of the firstrailway tunnels in the Empire, completed in 1861. In 1898 the firstpower plant in Lithuania started operating.[49]
Prior to theSecond World War, Kaunas, like many cities inEastern Europe, had a significant Jewish population. According to theRussian census of 1897, Jews numbered 25,500, 35.3% of the total of 73,500. The population was recorded as 25.8% Russian, 22.7% Polish, 6.6% Lithuanian.[52] It established numerous schools and synagogues and were important for centuries to the culture and business of the city.
During theinterwar period, Kaunas was nicknamed theLittle Paris because of its rich cultural and academic life, fashion,Art Deco architecture, Lithuanian National Romanticism architectural style buildings as well as popular furniture, interior design of the time and widespreadcafé culture.[1][58] Economically the interim capital and the country itself also had aWestern standard of living with sufficiently high salaries and low prices. At the time, qualified workers there were earning very similarreal wages to workers inGermany,Italy,Switzerland andFrance, the country also had a highnatural increase in population of 9.7 and theindustrial production of Lithuania increased by 160% from 1913 to 1940.[59] The population of Kaunas increased 8,6 times during the interwar period from ~18,000 to ~154,000 residents.[58]
Between theWorld Wars, industry prospered in Kaunas, which was the largest city in Lithuania. Under the direction of MayorJonas Vileišis (1921–1931) Kaunas grew rapidly and was extensively modernised. A water and waste water system, costing more than 15 million Lithuanian litas, was put in place, the city expanded from 18 to 40 square kilometres (6.9 to 15.4 sq mi), more than 2,500 buildings were built, plus three modern bridges over the Neris and Nemunas rivers. All of the city's streets were paved, horse-drawn transportation was replaced with modern bus lines, new suburbs were planned and built (Žaliakalnis neighbourhood in particular), and new parks and squares were established.[27] The foundations of asocial security system were laid, three new schools were built, and newpublic libraries, including theVincas Kudirka library, were established. Vileišis maintained many contacts in otherEuropean cities, and as a result, Kaunas was an active participant in European urban life.[60]
At the time, Kaunas had aJewish population of 35,000–40,000, about one quarter of the city's total population.[64] Jews made up much of the city's commercial, artisan, and professional sectors. Kaunas was a centre of Jewish learning, and theyeshiva in Slobodka (Vilijampolė) was one of Europe's most prestigious institutes of higher Jewish learning. Kaunas had a rich and variedJewish culture. There were almost 100 Jewish organizations, 40 synagogues, many Yiddish schools, 4 Hebrewhigh schools, aJewish hospital, and scores of Jewish-owned businesses.[64] It was also an importantZionist centre.[65]
As a result of the local government elections in 1919, 30 Poles, 22 Jews, 12 Lithuanians, 6 Germans and 1 Russian were elected to the 71-person Kaunas City Council.[66]
At that time, Kaunas also had a large Polish minority, which by 1919 constituted a majority (42%, compared to 31% for Jews and 16% for Lithuanians). Poles had their own schools, sports clubs (Sparta Kaunas), and press. However, following the1919 Polish coup attempt and Poland's annexation ofVilnius Region in 1922, the Lithuanian authorities at the time were chauvinistic and blocked the development of both the Polish and Jewish minorities. In 1923, signs in Polish were banned, and in the following years, schools were closed and sports clubs, were banned attacks and pogroms against the Polish population occurred (including in 1926 and 1930), which ended after 1938 when the Polish authorities issued an ultimatum to Lithuania.[67][68][69]
Initially prior toWorld War II, Lithuania declaredneutrality.[70] However, on 7 October 1939, the Lithuanian delegation departed toMoscow, where it later had to sign theSoviet–Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty because of the unfavorable situation. The treaty resulted in five Soviet military bases with 20,000 troops established across Lithuania in exchange for Lithuania's historical capital Vilnius. According to the Lithuanian Minister of National DefenceKazys Musteikis, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign AffairsJuozas Urbšys initially told that Lithuanians refusedVilnius Region as well as the Russian garrisons, but the nervousJoseph Stalin replied, "No matter if you take Vilnius or not, the Russian garrisons will enter Lithuania anyway".[71] He also informed Juozas Urbšys about theSoviet–German secret protocols and showed maps of the spheres of influence.[72] Two of the military bases with thousands of Soviet soldiers were established close to Kaunas inPrienai andGaižiūnai.[73] Despite the takeover of Vilnius, the Presidency and the Government remained in Kaunas.[74]
On 14 June 1940, just before midnight, the last meeting of the Lithuanian government was held in Kaunas. During it, theultimatum presented by the Soviet Union was debated.[75] PresidentAntanas Smetona categorically declined to accept most of the ultimatum's demands, argued for military resistance and was supported by Kazys Musteikis,Konstantinas Šakenis,Kazimieras Jokantas, however the Commander of the Armed ForcesVincas Vitkauskas, Divisional GeneralStasys Raštikis,Kazys Bizauskas,Antanas Merkys and most of the Lithuanian government members decided that it would be impossible, especially the previously stationed Soviet soldiers, and accepted the ultimatum.[76] On that night before officially accepting the ultimatum, the Soviet forces executed the Lithuanian border guardAleksandras Barauskas [lt] near theByelorussian SSR border.[77] In the morning, the Lithuanian Government resigned, and the president left the country to avoid the fate of the Soviets' puppets and in the hope of forming agovernment-in-exile.[78] Soon theRed Army flooded Lithuania through theBelarus–Lithuania border with more than 200,000 soldiers and took control of the most important cities, including Kaunas where the heads of state resided. The Lithuanian Armed Forces were ordered not to resist, and theLithuanian Air Force remained on the ground.[79][80] At the time, the Lithuanian Armed Forces had 26,084 soldiers (of which 1,728 officers) and 2,031 civil servants.[81] While theLithuanian Riflemen's Union, subordinate to the army commander, had over 62,000 members, of which about 70% were farmers and agricultural workers.[82]
In June 1940, theSoviet Unionoccupied andannexed Lithuania in accordance with theMolotov–Ribbentrop Pact.[84][85]Vladimir Dekanozov, a Soviet emissary from Moscow, gained effective power in Lithuania. Shortly afterwards, on 17 June 1940 the puppetPeople's Government of Lithuania was formed, which consistently destroyed Lithuanian society and political institutions and opened the way for theCommunist Party to establish itself. To establish the legitimacy of the government and design the plans of Lithuania's "legal accession to the USSR", on 1 July, theSeimas of Lithuania was dismissed, and elections to the puppetPeople's Seimas were announced. The controlled (passports had imprints) and falsified elections to the People's Seimas were won by the Lithuanian Labour People's Union, which obeyed the occupiers' proposal to "ask" the Soviet authorities to have Lithuania admitted to the Soviet Union.[86]
After the occupation, theLithuanian Diplomatic Service did not recognize the new occupiers' authority and started the diplomatic liberation campaign of Lithuania.[86] In 1941,Kazys Škirpa,Leonas Prapuolenis,Juozas Ambrazevičius and their supporters, including the former Commander of the Lithuanian Army GeneralStasys Raštikis, whose whole family was deported toSiberia, began organizing an uprising.[83][87] After realizing the reality of the repressive and brutal Soviet rule, in the early morning of 22 June 1941 (the first day when theNazi Germanyattacked the Soviet Union), Lithuanians began theJune Uprising, which was organized by theLithuanian Activist Front, in Kaunas, where its main forces were concentrated. The uprising soon expanded toVilnius and other locations. Its main goal was not to fight the Soviets but to secure the city from the inside (secure organizations, institutions, enterprises) and declare independence. By the evening of 22 June, the Lithuanians had controlled thePresidential Palace, post office, telephone and telegraph, and radio station. Control of Vilnius and most of the rest of Lithuanian territory was also shortly taken over by the rebels.[88]
Multiple Red Army divisions stationed around Kaunas, including the brutal1st Motor Rifle Division NKVD responsible for theJune deportation, and the puppetLithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic regime commanders were forced to flee into theLatvian SSR through theDaugava River. The commander of the Red Army's188th Rifle Division colonel Piotr Ivanov reported to the11th Army Staff that during the retreat of his division through Kaunas "local counterrevolutionaries from the shelters deliberately fired on the Red Army, the detachments suffering heavy losses of soldiers and military equipment".[89][90] About 5,000 occupants were killed in Lithuania.[91]
On 23 June 1941 at 9:28 amTautiška giesmė, thenational anthem of Lithuania, was played on the radio in Kaunas. Many people listened to the Lithuanian national anthem with tears in their eyes.[92] From Kaunas radio broadcasts, Lithuania learned that the rebellion was taking place in the country, the insurgents took Kaunas and the Proclamation of the Independence Restoration of Lithuania and the list of theProvisional Government were announced byLeonas Prapuolenis. The message was being repeated several times in different languages. The Provisional Government hoped thatNazi Germany would re-establish Lithuanian independence or at least allow some degree of autonomy (similar to theSlovak Republic), was seeking the protection of its citizens and did not support theNazis'Holocaust policy.[88] However, the Provisional Government did little to stop the anti-Jewish violence encouraged by the Nazis and the anti-Semitic leadership of theLithuanian Activist Front.[93]
Minister of National Defence GeneralStasys Raštikis met personally with theWehrmacht generals to discuss the situation.[88] He approached the Kaunas War Field Commandant GeneralOswald Pohl and the Military Command Representative GeneralKarl von Roques by trying to plead for him to spare the Jews, but they replied that theGestapo is handling those issues and that they could not help. Furthermore, in the beginning of the occupation, the prime minister of the Provisional Government of Lithuania,Juozas Ambrazevičius, convened the meeting in which the ministers participated together with the former PresidentKazys Grinius, BishopVincentas Brizgys and others. Ministers expressed distress at the atrocities being committed against the Jews but advised only that "despite all the measures which must be taken against the Jews for their Communist activity and harm done to theGerman Army, partisans and individuals should avoid public executions of Jews".[93] According to the Lithuanian-American Holocaust historian Saulius Sužiedėlis, "none of this amounted to a public scolding which alone could have persuaded at least some of the Lithuanians who had volunteered or been co-opted into participating in the killings to rethink their behavior." Lithuanian police battalions formed by the Provisional Government were eventually enlisted by the Nazis to help carry out theHolocaust.[93]
In the first issue of the dailyĮ laisvę (Towards Freedom) newspaper, the Independence Restoration Declaration was published, which had been previously announced on the radio. It stated that "The established Provisional Government of revived Lithuania declares the restoration of the Free and Independent State of Lithuania. The young Lithuanian state enthusiastically pledges to contribute to the organization of Europe on a new basis in front of the whole world innocent conscience. The Lithuanian Nation, exhausted from the terror of the brutalBolsheviks, decided to build its future on the basis of national unity and social justice." and signatures.[88]
On 24 June 1941, tank units of the Red Army inJonava were ordered to retake Kaunas. The rebels radioed the Germans for assistance. The units were bombed by theLuftwaffe and did not reach the city. It was the first coordinated Lithuanian–German action.[94] The first German scouts, lieutenant Flohret and four privates, entered Kaunas on 24 June and found it in friendly hands.[95] A day later the main forces marched into the city without obstruction and almost as if they were on parade.[96]
On 26 June 1941 the GermanOberkommando der Wehrmacht ordered the rebel groups to disband and disarm.[97] Two days later Lithuanian guards and patrols were also relieved of their duties. In July, theTilsit NaziGestapo agentHeinz Gräfe [de] stated toStasys Raštikis that theProvisional Government was formed without German knowledge and was unacceptable to the Germans, and that the current Provisional Government should be transformed into a National Committee or Council under the German military authority.[98] TheNazi Germans did not recognize the new Provisional Government, but they did not take any action to dissolve it. The Provisional Government, not agreeing to continue to be an instrument of the German occupiers, disbanded itself on 5 August 1941 after signing a protest for the Germans action of suspending the Lithuanian Government powers. Members of the Provisional Government then went as a body to the Garden of theVytautas the Great War Museum, where they laid a wreath near theTomb of the Unknown Soldier in the presence of numerous audience. TheSicherheitsdienst confiscated the pictures of the wreath-laying ceremony, thinking that it could be dangerous for theGerman occupation policy in Lithuania.[99]
Jews began settling in Kaunas in the second half of the 17th century. They were not allowed to live in the city, so most of them stayed in theVilijampolė settlement on the right bank of theNeris river. Jewish life in Kaunas was first disrupted when the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in June 1940. The occupation was accompanied by arrests, confiscations, and the elimination of all free institutions. Jewish community organizations disappeared almost overnight. Soviet authorities confiscated the property of many Jews, while hundreds were exiled toSiberia.[64]
As theSecond World War began, there were 30,000 Jews living in Kaunas, comprising about 25% of the city's population.[102] When the Soviet Union took over Lithuania in 1940, someJewish Dutch residents in Lithuania approached the Dutch consulJan Zwartendijk to get a visa to theDutch West Indies. Zwartendijk agreed to help them and Jews who had fled from German-occupied Poland also sought his assistance. In a few days, with the help of aides, Zwartendijk produced over 2,200 visas for Jews toCuraçao.[103] Then refugees approachedChiune Sugihara, a Japanese consul, who gave them a transit visa through the USSR toJapan, against the disapproval of his government. This gave many refugees an opportunity to leave Lithuania for theRussian Far East via theTrans-Siberian Railway.[104] The fleeing Jews were refugees fromGerman-occupied Western Poland andSoviet-occupied Eastern Poland, as well as residents of Kaunas and other Lithuania territories.[105] The Sugihara House, where he was previously issuing transit visas, currently is a museum and the Centre For Asian Studies ofVytautas Magnus University.[106][107]
FollowingHitler's invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, Soviet forces fled from Kaunas. Both before and during the German occupation starting 25 June, theanti-Communists, encouraged by the anti-Semitic leadership of the Berlin-basedLithuanian Activist Front (LAF),began to attack Jews, blaming them for the Soviet repressions, especially along Jurbarko and Kriščiukaičio streets.[64] The LAF's manifesto-type essay "What Are the Activists Fighting for?" states: "The Lithuanian Activist Front, by restoring the new Lithuania, is determined to carry out an immediate and fundamental purging of the Lithuanian nation and its land of Jews ...".[108] Nazi authorities took advantage of theLithuanian TDA Battalions and established a concentration camp at theSeventh Fort, one of the city's ten historic forts, and 4,000 Jews were rounded up and murdered there.[109] TheKaunas pogrom was a massacre of Jewish people living in Kaunas that took place on 25–29 June 1941; the first days of theOperation Barbarossa and of Nazi occupation of Lithuania. Prior to the construction of theNinth Fort museum on the site, archaeologists unearthed a mass grave and personal belongings of the Jewish victims.[110] TheNinth Fortress has been renovated into a memorial for the wars and is the site where nearly 50,000 Lithuanians were killed during Nazi occupation. Of these deaths, over 30,000 were Jews.[111]
Beginning in 1944, theRed Army began offensives that eventually led to the reconquest of all three of the Baltic states. Kaunas was captured on 1 August 1944 and this led to the continuation of Soviet repressions.[112]Kaunas again became the major centre of resistance against theSoviet Union.[112] From the very start of theLithuanian partisans war, the most important partisan districts were based around Kaunas.[27] Althoughguerrilla warfare ended by 1953, Lithuanian opposition to Soviet rule did not. In 1956 people in the Kaunas region supported theuprising in Hungary by rioting.[112]
OnAll Souls' Day in 1956, the first public anti-Soviet protest rally took place in Kaunas: citizens burned candles in the Kaunas military cemetery and sang national songs, resulting in clashes with theMilitsiya.[27]
On 14 May 1972, 19-year-oldRomas Kalanta, having proclaimed "Freedom for Lithuania!", immolated himself in the garden of theMusical Theatre, after making a speech denouncing the Soviet suppression of national and religious rights.[113] The event broke into a politically charged riot, which was forcibly dispersed by theKGB andMilitsiya. It led to new forms of resistance:passive resistance all around Lithuania. The continuous oppression of theCatholic Church and its resistance caused the appearance of theChronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania. In strict conspiracy, Catholic priestSigitas Tamkevičius (now theArchbishop Metropolitan of Kaunas) implemented this idea and its first issue was published in the Alytus district on 19 March 1972. The Kronika started a new phase of resistance in the life ofLithuania's Catholic Church and of all Lithuania fighting against the occupation by making known to the world the violation of the human rights and freedoms in Lithuania for almost two decades.[114]
Monument in the Vienybės aikštė (Unity Square) with aneternal flame, dedicated to those who died for Lithuania's freedom
On 1 November 1987, a non-sanctioned rally took place near theKaunas Cathedral Basilica, where people gathered to mark famous Lithuanian poetMaironis's 125th-birthday anniversary. On 10 June 1988, the initiating group of the Kaunas movement ofSąjūdis was formed. On 9 October 1988, theFlag of Lithuania was raised above the tower of theMilitary Museum.[27] Kaunas, along with Vilnius, became the scene of nearly constant demonstrations as the Lithuanians, embarked on a process of self-discovery. The bodies of Lithuanians who died inSiberian exile were brought back to their homeland for reburial, and the anniversaries of deportations as well as the important dates inLithuanian history began to be noted with speeches and demonstrations.
On 16 February 1989 CardinalVincentas Sladkevičius, for the first time, called for the independence of Lithuania in his sermon at the Kaunas Cathedral. After the services, 200,000 persons gathered in the centre of Kaunas to participate in the dedication of a new monument to freedom to replace the monument that had been torn down by the Soviet authorities afterWorld War II.[115]
Kaunas is famous for its basketball club,Žalgiris, which was founded in 1944 and was one of the most popular nonviolent expressions of resistance during its struggle with theCSKA Moscow. In 2011, the largest indoor arena in theBaltic states was built and was namedŽalgiris Arena. Kaunas hosted finals of theEuroBasket 2011.
On 28 September 2017, the winner of the M. K. Čiurlionis Concert Centre architectural competition was announced and the centre was planned to be completed by 2022, close to theVytautas the Great Bridge.[120]
Ąžuolynas is the largest urban stand of matureoaks in Europe (ranging in age from 100 to 320 years old), and a very popular recreational destination[121]Vienybės aikštė (Unity Square) after the 2017–2020 redevelopment, which is the first project in Lithuania to win the prestigiousiF Design Award[122]
The city covers 15,700hectares. Parks, groves, gardens,nature reserves, and agricultural areas occupy 8,329 hectares.[123] The city follows in suit of the country and is lowland. Kaunas is known for its landscape complexes of rivers and stream valleys as the city is located at the confluence ofNeris andNemunas rivers.[124]
In Kaunas there are 16urban parks (Ąžuolyno, A.Šančių ąžuolynas, Dainavos, Draugystės, Kalniečių, Santakos, Vilijos, Nepriklausomybės, Santarvės, Marvos dvaro, Girstupio, Gričiupio, Kovo 11-osios, Neries krantinės, Antakalnio g., Sargėnų dvaro) which total territory is 1080 hectares.[124] Moreover, there are threeforest parks (Panemunės, Kleboniškio, Lampėdžių), three landscape reserves (Jiesios, Veršvos, Nevėžio), one regional park (Kauno Marios Regional Park), five teriological reserves, and one ornithological reserve.[124]
In Kaunas and its surrounding area there are 43 mineral deposits that are suitable for extracting:anhydrite andgypsum, sand and gravel, freshwaterlimestone,clay,chalkmarl,peat, and mineral water.[124]
Despite its northern location, the climate in Kaunas is relatively mild compared to other locations at similar latitudes, mainly because of theBaltic Sea. Because of its latitude, Kaunas has 17 hours of daylight in midsummer but only around 7 hours in midwinter. TheKazlų Rūda Forest,[125] west of Kaunas, creates amicroclimate around the city, regulating humidity and temperature of the air, and protecting it from strong westerly winds.
Summers in Kaunas are warm and pleasant with average daytime high temperatures of 21–22 °C (70–72 °F) and lows of around 12 °C (54 °F), but temperatures could reach 30 °C (86 °F) on some days. Winters are relatively cold, and sometimes snowy with average temperatures ranging from −8 to 0 °C (18 to 32 °F), and rarely drop below −15 °C (5 °F). Spring and autumn are generally cool to mild.
Climate data for Kaunas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1901-present)
In the early 17th century the Church of Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul became the center of Kaunas Deanery of theVilnius Diocese, but the occupations of Kaunas by Muscovites (1655), Swedes (1707) and a fire in 1732 damaged the church, thus it gained nowadays interior appearance only after the restoration in the second half of the 18th century.[133] TheJesuits opened their first residence in Kaunas in 1642 and established a chapel in theHouse of Perkūnas in 1643, while theirChurch of St. Francis Xavier was constructed in 1666–1720.[137] Moreover, since 1664Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac funded the construction of thePažaislis Monastery and the Church of the Visitation, a splendid example ofItalian Baroque in Lithuania, dedicated toCamaldolese monks.[138] In the first half of the 17th century theDominican Order monks arrived in Kaunas and in 1641 Grand DukeWładysław IV Vasa granted a permission for them to build theChurch of the Blessed Sacrament and a monastery, both of which were completed in the late 17th century.[139]
After the restoration of Lithuania's statehood in 1918, the Lithuanian Ecclesiastical Province was established byPope Pius XI in 1926 with a center in Kaunas, while the Cathedral of Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul received the archcathedral status and since then has archbishop's metropolitan throne.[133][142] During the interwar period the Catholic Church had the status of anational church and its popularity was boosted due to the pro-Lithuanian stances of its priests during Tsarist times.[143] In 1930, the 500th death anniversary of Vytautas the Great was commemorated by building theKaunas Mosque, which replaced the older mosque which was built in 1906, for theLipka Tatars who were settled in Lithuania by Vytautas the Great during theMiddle Ages.[131] In 1934, the construction of theChrist's Resurrection Church was started as a monument to the Independence of Lithuania.[144]
After the outbreak of the World War II, many priests of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaunas and Kaunas Priest Seminary were repressed and killed during the Soviet and Nazis occupations of Lithuania, while since the start of the second Soviet occupation in 1944 the religious buildings in Kaunas were nationalized or abolished by the Soviets who also restricted priests and bishops rights.[145][140] Nevertheless, priests of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaunas regularly gathered secretly, transmitted information abroad, and since 1972 participated in the publishing ofChronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, which focused onSoviet repressions against Catholics and human rights in Lithuania.[145] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, following the start of theSąjūdis movement and the restoration of the independence of Lithuania, the returning of the nationalized church property began and church institutions were restored or newly created, while CardinalVincentas Sladkevičius was appointed as Archbishop of Kaunas.[145] According to 2023 statistics, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaunas had ~430,000 residents of who 334,000 were Catholics.[146]
Kaunas is a city centered around culture. TheOld Town of Kaunas is located at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris Rivers where old architectural monuments and other historical buildings are located. Located to the East of the Old Town is the city's New Town, which started developing in 1847 and got its name when it became a distinct part of the city.[62]Central Kaunas is defined by two pedestrian streets: the 1.6 km longLaisvės alėja (Liberty Avenue), a central street of the city, lined bylinden trees and decorated with flower beds.[147]
TheOld Town is the historical center of Kaunas. The streets in Old Town have been turned to pedestrian sidewalks, so it is best to tour the place by foot. Prominent features of the Old Town includeKaunas Castle, theTown Hall, and the historicalPresidential Palace. The Town Hall in Kaunas played an important role in the Medieval Times as a center for trade, festivals, and criminals were brought here for punishment. The Town Hall was originally built with wooden frames, however, after numerous fires in 1542 they began to construct buildings with stone. The stone buildings, however, also burned down, so the Town Hall that stands today was constructed in a more advanced way, which took from 1771 to 1780. The Town Hall is still a center of culture today, it holds weddings and is the home of the Museum of Ceramics.[148]
Other historical, cultural features of Kaunas include:
Kaunas Fortress, one of the largest defensive structures in Europe, occupying 65 km2 (25 sq mi), a 19th–20th century military fortress, which includes aHolocaust site of theNinth Fort
Lithuanian open-air Ethnographic Museum displaying the heritage of Lithuanian rural life in a vast collection of authentic resurrected buildings is situated east of Kaunas on the bank ofKaunas Reservoir in a town ofRumšiškės
theŽmuidzinavičius Museum (best known as theDevils' Museum), which houses a collection of more than two thousand sculptures and carvings ofdevils from all over the world, most of them of folk provenance. Of particular interest are theAdolf Hitler andJoseph Stalin devils, together doing the dance of death over a playground littered with human bones
The so-calledab undergroundprinting house was a part of thenonviolent resistance press during the Soviet times. Now it is the branch of Kaunas War Museum, located 8 km (5 mi) north of Kaunas in a small Saliu village, near the town ofDomeikava. Although theAB printing house worked regularly, it was never detected byKGB.[149] It was included into the Registry of Immovable Cultural Heritage Sites of Lithuania in 1999.[150]
Kaunas is notable for the diversity of its cultural life. Kaunas Symphony Orchestra is the main venue for classical music concerts. There is an oldcircus tradition in Kaunas. There was established static circus in the Vytautas park of Kaunas in the beginning of the 19th century. The only professional circus organisation in Lithuania, the Baltic Circus, was founded in Kaunas in 1995.[152] Kaunas theatres play an important role in Lithuanian society. There are at least seven professional theatres, many amateur theatres, ensembles and abundant groups of art and sports. Some of the best examples of cultural life in Kaunas are theatres of various styles:
Forms of classicist architecture are typical in theAukštoji Freda Manor (early 19th century), post station building complex (early 19th century; architect J. Poussier).[154] Notable buildings of theHistoricism period in Kaunas are:Kaunas State Musical Theatre (1892; architect J. Golinevičius; was expanded in the 20th century),St. Michael the Archangel Church (Neo-Byzantine style; architect K. Limarenko), brick-style Saulės Gymnasium building (1913; engineer F. Malinovskis, later E. A. Frykas),Kaunas Fortress (1889).[154]
The most notableRationalism style buildings in Kaunas are:Christ's Resurrection Church (construction began in 1933, but it was converted into a radio factory from 1952 and so it was returned to the believers only in 1990 and was reconstructed in 2005), palaces ofPienocentras (architectsVytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis, K. Reisonas),Pažangos withArt Deco decoration elements (architect F. Vizbaras),Physical Culture (architect V. Landsbergis‑Žemkalnis, now belongs to theLithuanian Sports University),Prekybos, pramonės ir amatų (1938, architect V. Landsbergis‑Žemkalnis),Taupomųjų kasų (1939; architects A. Funkas, B. Elsbergas, A. Lukošaitis; now is the primary building of Kaunas City Municipality);[154]Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (1938; architect A. Šalkauskis), Military Research Laboratory for the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense (1938; architect V. Landsbergis‑Žemkalnis; now Faculty of Chemical Technology atKaunas University of Technology),[161]Kaunas Clinics complex (1939; French architect U. Cassan),Kaunas Sports Hall (1939; engineer A. Rozenbliumas),Pasaka Cinema (1939),Romuva Cinema (1940), residential houses complex in V. Putvinskio Street (formed in 1928–1937).[154] In 2023, theUNESCO World Heritage Centre included the Kaunas modernist architecture into the List ofWorld Heritage Sites.[15]
AfterWorld War II buildings of pseudoclassical forms were built (e.g.Kaunas railway station, built in 1953), complex engineering structures (Kaunas Hydroelectric Power Plant, built in 1960). From the 7th decade of the 20th century Modernism style buildings were further developed. New residential areas were built (e.g.Kalniečiai, completed in 1985), public buildings (e.g. Industrial Construction Design Institute, 1966,[162] House for Political Education (now part ofVytautas Magnus University), 1976),[163] shopping malls (e.g. Girstupis, 1975, Vitebskas, 1980, Kalniečių, 1986), shops (Viešnagė, 1982, Merkurijus, 1983), galleries (e.g.Kaunas Picture Gallery, 1978,Mykolas Žilinskas Art Gallery, 1989), educational institutions (e.g. Faculty of Light Industry at Kaunas University of Technology, 1983).[154]
Business centre decorated with a 1000Lithuanian litas banknote design
In the late 20th century and early 21st century, buildings were built in Kaunas based on the projects of architects V. Adomavičius (e.g. Ąžuolynas Sports Center Complex, 2003), G. Jurevičius (e.g. Peugeot, Toyota, Lexus, Honda car showrooms), A. Kančas (e.g. Aleksotas Church of St. Casimir, 1997, company Kraft Foods Lietuva administrative and laboratory buildings complex, 2001, shopping and entertainment center Akropolis, 2007), A. Karalius (building materials salon Iris, 2002, block of flatsAušros namai, 2005), D. Paulauskienė (e.g. Catherine's Monastery, 2000) E. Miliūnas (e.g.Žalgiris Arena, 2001), G. Janulytė‑Bernotienė (e.g. Library and Health Sciences Information Center ofLithuanian University of Health Sciences, 2007, Center for Science Studies and Business of Kaunas University of Technology Santakos Valley, 2013), G. Balčytis (e.g. Kaunas Bus Station reconstruction, 2017), G. Natkevičius (e.g. Moxy Kaunas Center Hotel),A. Kaušpėdas, V. Klimavičius, D. Laurinaitienė.[154]
Kaunas Maironis University Gymnasium, the oldest operational school in Kaunas, which was moved to this then newly built building in 1863Building where since 1919 the Ministry of Education of Lithuania operated, later since 1921 the entire Cabinet of Ministers until 1940[164]
At the time of paganism Lithuanian children were educated at home schools nearmanors, however following theChristianization of Lithuania in 1387 schools began to be established near churches and the firstparochial school in Kaunas was established in 1473.[27][165] The ability to write was essential for Kaunas's merchants, craftsmen and employees of the offices of city self-government institutions work.[166]
In 1648, KaunasJesuit College (Latin:Collegium Caunense) was established and until 1702 its status ascollegium inchoatum settled down, which meant ahigh school with a shortenedphilosophy course.[167] Therefore, in the 16th–18th centuries Kaunas had education with levels from primary to secondary school and the studies met demands not only of Kaunas but also of the surrounding area.[166]
School notebook cover with Vytautas the Great, an example of patriotic education in interwar-period Lithuania[175]
Following the adoption of theAct of Independence of Lithuania in 1918, theGovernment of Lithuania was soon forced to retreat fromVilnius to Kaunas in January 1919, and from 1919 theMinistry of Education of Lithuania operated in Kaunas.[164] This resulted in an influx into Kaunas of Lithuanian intellectuals (e.g.Jonas Jablonskis,Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas) and teachers who began educational activities.[176] During the interwar period the Lithuanianeducational system was transformed based on Western countries examples and theConstituent Assembly of Lithuania adopted the Primary Schools Act which required 7-11-year-old children to attend free primary education for four years (the primary education was prolonged to six years in 1936) and many new schools for various ages pupils were established.[177] Moreover, children were taughtpatriotism from an early age, later children joinedAteitis andLietuvos Skautija organizations, while school notebooks covers for pupils were printed with famous Lithuanian personalities portraits (e.g.Vytautas,Birutė,Jonas Basanavičius, etc.).[175] In 1922, theKaunas Art School was established in Kaunas and it was the only publicart school in interwar Lithuania.[178] In 1931, Jonas Laužikas established aspecial education school in Kaunas which was the first such type school in Lithuania and it still operates.[179] The overall improvement of education system during the interwar period resulted in 92% of literacy rate of the population in Lithuania in 1939 (mostly only part of the older age inhabitants were still illiterate).[174]
TheSoviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940 and in 1944 resulted in theSovietization of Lithuanian education system which also affected education in Kaunas until 1990, while many students, teachers, and lecturers departed to the Western Europe or facedSoviet deportations.[181]
Following the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania in 1990, the Lithuanian education system was once again significantly reformed.[182] Currently, Kaunas has a network of state-funded schools: 6 primary schools, 17progymnasiums, 20 gymnasiums, and 43 private pre-school and general education institutions.[183] TheKaunas University of Technology Gymnasium is one of the best ranked gymnasiums in Lithuania (2nd in 2024).[184] Most of pupils in Kaunas later studies in the universities or colleges as Lithuania is one of the world's leading countries inOECD's statistics of population with tertiary education (58.15% of 25–34-year-olds in 2022).[185]
Until the 20th century Kaunas had no tertiary education institutions as theVilnius University (est. 1579) for centuries was the onlyuniversity in theGrand Duchy of Lithuania, but it was closed in 1832 by thetsarist authorities and theCouncil of Lithuania desired to revive it in the 20th century.[187] However, during theconflict for the Vilnius Region the Lithuanians were unable to maintain control in the since 1918 declared capitalVilnius with the remnants of the Vilnius University which was firstlycaptured by the Bolsheviks in January 1919, then by thePolish forces in November 1920 and was eventually annexed by Poland in 1922 which left a newly restored Lithuania without any tertiary education institutions, therefore Lithuanian intellectuals sought to promptly establish it.[188]
Already in the fall of 1919 a memorandum of Lithuanian cultural workers to establish a tertiary education institution in Kaunas was handed to the Government of Lithuania, however it was rejected due to difficult political and financial situation.[188] Nevertheless, on 27 January 1920 the Lithuanian intellectuals who initiated the memorandum decided to establish (without the permission and financial support of the Government) the Higher Courses with six divisions which was the first higher education institution of a restored Lithuania.[188][189] On 16 February 1922, the Higher Courses were reorganized to theUniversity of Lithuania and in March an autonomy was granted, while in 1930 it was renamed afterVytautas the Great commemorating his 500th death anniversary.[190] The status of the university diminished during theSoviet and Nazi periods and on 31 October 1950 it was even reorganized to twoinstitutes.[190] In 1988, the issue of re-establishment of the university was raised, while in March 1989 the Re-establishment Council was elected and in April 1989 re-established Vytautas Magnus University.[190] Currently, VMU is among three percent of the best ranked universities worldwide perQS World University Rankings (741–750) and is the second largest Lithuanian university according to the number of enrolments.[191][192]
TheKaunas University of Technology also traces its origins to the interwar VMU as a part of it was reorganized in 1950 by the Soviets to the Kaunas Polytechnic Institute, however in 1990 its university status was restored.[193] Currently, the KTU is ranked 751-760 worldwide per QS World University Rankings and has over 1,000 academicians along with over 7,000 students.[193] Moreover, KTU is a member of theEuropean Consortium of Innovative Universities.
TheLithuanian University of Health Sciences is yet another university which traces its origins to the interwar VMU as a part of it was reorganized in 1950 by the Soviets to the Kaunas Medical Institute, but in 1998 its university status was restored as the Kaunas Medical University which in 2010 was merged with the Lithuanian Veterinary Academy to form a single university and currently is the largest Lithuanian university in the field ofbiomedical sciences.[194]
TheLithuanian Sports University (est. in 1934, granted university status in 2012) is a unique tertiary education institution in Lithuania which specializes in the training of physical education, sports and wellness specialists of which it has already prepared 15,000.[195]
Non-university tertiary education in Kaunas is provided by Kaunas College, Kaunas Technical College, Kolpingo College, Kaunas College of Forestry and Environmental Engineering, SMK College of Applied Sciences, St. Ignatius of Loyola College, V. A. Graičiūnas School of Management, Vilnius Cooperative College Kaunas Branch.[196]
The Santaka Valley is an integrated Science, Studies and Business Centre (Valley) which is one of the largest and most modern inBaltic states.[197]
The network of tertiary education institutions which attracts a high number of students (e.g. 40,000 in 2023) resulted in Kaunas being nicknamed the "student city" for decades and in 2024 Kaunas was included in the worldwide list of the QS Best Student Cities Rankings 2025.[21]
The city of Kaunas has a number of parks and public open spaces. It devotes 7.3% of its total land acreage to parkland.[200]Ąžuolynas (literally, "Oak Grove") park is a main public park in the heart of Kaunas. It covers about 63 hectares and is the largest urban stand of mature oaks in Europe. To protect the unique lower landscape ofKaunas Reservoir, its natural ecosystem, and cultural heritageKaunas Reservoir Regional Park was established in the eastern edge of Kaunas in 1992.
By the initiative of a prominent Lithuanian zoologistTadas Ivanauskas and biologistConstantin von Regel theBotanical Garden was founded in 1923.[201] It serves not only as a recreational area for public, but also serves as a showcase for local plant life, and houses various research facilities.[201] In addition, Kaunas is home toKaunas Zoo, the only state-operatedzoo in all of Lithuania.[202]
Lithuania's premiere last resting place formally designated for graves of people influential in national history, politics, and arts isPetrašiūnai Cemetery in Kaunas. It is also the burial site of somesignatories of the 1918 Act of Independence. There are four oldJewish cemeteries within city limits. Furthermore, since 1959 there is theRamybė Park which is apublic park located in the territory of the Kaunas City Old Cemetery, which was established in 1847.
TheKaunas Mint produced coins of theGrand Duchy of Lithuania from 17 October 1665 to 15 January 1667 during the reign of Grand DukeJohn II Casimir Vasa.[205] During the interwar period, the Kaunas Mint was reestablished in 1936 and produced coins of the Republic of Lithuania.[206]
Kaunas is a large center ofindustry, trade, andservices in Lithuania. The most developed industries in Kaunas are amongst the food and beverage industries, textile and light industries, chemical industry, publishing and processing, pharmaceuticals, metal industry, wood processing and furniture industry. Recentlyinformation technology andelectronics have become part of the business activities taking place in Kaunas. In addition, the city also has largeconstruction industry which includes, but is not limited to commercial, housing and road construction.[207]
Primary foreign investors in Kaunas are companies from the Sweden, United States, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, and Russia.[208]Head offices of several major International and Lithuanian companies are located in Kaunas, including largestGeneric Pharmaceuticals producer in Lithuania "Sanitas", producer of sportswear AB "Audimas", one of the largest construction companies "YIT Kausta", JSC "Senukai", largest producer in Lithuania of strong alcoholic drinks JSC "Stumbras", Finnish capital brewery JSC "Ragutis", JSC "Fazer Gardesis", JSC "Stora Enso Packaging",[209] producer of pharmaceuticals, and the only producer ofhomoeopathic medicines in Lithuania JSC "Aconitum".[210] Its geographic location causes Kaunas to be considered one of the largest logistics centres in Lithuania. The largest wholesale, distribution and logistics company in Lithuania and Latvia JSC "Sanitex",[211] as well as a subsidiary of material handling and logistics companyDematic in the Baltics[212] have been operated in Kaunas. Currently, Kaunas Public Logistics Centre is being built by the demand of national state-ownedrailway companyLithuanian Railways.[213]The "Margasmiltė" company currently has been working on a project that concerns exploitation of Pagiriaianhydrite deposit. The project includes mining of anhydrite, a mine with underground warehouses, building the overground transport terminal, as well as an administrative building. The Pagiriai anhydrite deposit is located 10.5 km (6.5 mi) south from the downtown of Kaunas, at a 2.2 km (1.4 mi) distance to the southwest from theGarliava town. The resources of thoroughly explored anhydrite in the Pagiriai deposit amount to 81.5 million tons.[214]
The Lithuanian Central Credit Union—nationalcooperative federation forcredit unions established in 2001, is located in Kaunas. At present the Lithuanian Central Credit Union has 61 members.[215]
There are also some innovative companies located in Kaunas, such as leading wholesaler of computer components, data storage media "ACME group", internet and TV provider, communications JSC "Mikrovisata group", developer and producer original products for TV and embedded technologies JSC "Selteka". Joint Lithuanian-German company "Net Frequency", based in Kaunas, is a multimedia and technology service provider. Kaunas is also home to R&D department ofDassault Systèmes producing world-leading modeling tools softwareCATIA. ALED lighting assembly plant was opened in Kaunas by South Korean company LK Technology in February 2011.[216] JSC "Baltic car equipment" is one of the leaders in Baltic countries, in the field of manufacturing electronic equipment for automobiles. It also specialises in development of newtelemetry, data base creation,mobile payment projects.[217]Kaunas Free Economic Zone[218] established in 1996 has also attracted some investors from abroad, including the development of the new 200 MWCogeneration Power Plant project, proposed by the Finnish capital companyFortum Heat Lithuania.[219] Before its disestablishment,Air Lithuania had its head office in Kaunas.[220]Kaunas Hydroelectric Power Plant is the largest one in Lithuania.
Some notable changes are under construction and in the stage of disputes.[citation needed] The construction of a new landmark of Kaunas—theŽalgiris Arena—began in the autumn of 2008.[221] It was completed in August 2011. Currently discussions are underway about the further development of theVilijampolė district on the right bank of theNeris River and theNemunas River, near their confluence.[222]
In October 2017, an automotive parts and technologies manufacturerContinental AG decided to invest over 95 millioneuros to build a new factory in Kaunas, which is the largest direct investment from a foreign country.[223]
Kaunas is also known for itsprogrammers, as they developed asoftware for the American billionaireRobert Pera'sUbiquiti Networks product NanoStation, therefore the company established aR&D division Ubiquiti Networks Europe in Kaunas.[224]
According to the official census of 1923, there were 92,446 inhabitants in Kaunas:[228]
The Neviazh Kloyz is one of the remaining former synagogues located in the Kaunas Old Town.[229] The complex was built in the 19th century and also served as a community house and school.[230]
Kaunas City Municipality main building, where the city council and mayor convenes
Kaunas city municipality council is the governing body of the Kaunas city municipality and is responsible for municipality laws.[233][234] The council is composed of 41 members (40 councillors and a mayor) all directly elected for four-year terms.[235]
Kaunas bus station went through a major renovation and reopened in 2017.[239][240] The bus station services domestic and international bus lines. After reconstruction, the bus station has multiple shops and cafes. The total indoor floor area is 13 thousand m2. More than half of the total floor area is underground, mostly for vehicle and bicycle parking. It is Lithuania's largest and busiest bus station with more than 20 bus gates.[241][242][243]
Kaunas is served by a number of major motorways.European route E67 is ahighway running fromPrague in the Czech Republic toHelsinki in Finland by way of Poland, Kaunas,Riga (Latvia), andTallinn (Estonia). It is known as theVia Baltica betweenWarsaw and Tallinn, a distance of 670 km (416 mi). It is the most important road connection between theBaltic states. Kaunas also is linked toVilnius to its east andKlaipėda, on theBaltic Sea, via theA1 motorway andDaugavpils (Latvia), viaE262(A6) highway.
The construction of the Kaunas Railway Tunnel and Railway Bridge across the Nemunas river helped move goods from the eastern part ofRussian Empire west to theGerman Empire and Kaunas grew rapidly in the second part of the 19th century. The oldest part of Kaunas was connected withŽaliakalnis neighbourhood in 1889. The city increased once more when it was connected by bridges withAleksotas andVilijampolė districts in the 1920s.[2]
Since Kaunas is located at the confluence of two rivers, there were 34 bridges and viaducts built in the city at the end of 2007, including:
Kaunas is an important railway hub in Lithuania. First railway connection passing through Kaunas was constructed in 1859–1861 and opened in 1862.[244] It consisted ofKaunas Railway Tunnel and theRailway Bridge across the Nemunas river.Kaunas Railway Station is an important hub serving direct passenger connections to Vilnius and Warsaw as well as being a transit point ofPan-European corridors I and IX. Some trains run fromVilnius toŠeštokai, and, Poland, through Kaunas. International route connectingKaliningrad, Russia andKharkiv, Ukraine, also crosses Kaunas. The first phase of theStandard gaugeRail Baltica railway section fromŠeštokai to Kaunas was completed in 2015.
There used to be ahydrofoil route servingthe Port of Nida through Nemunas and across theCuronian Lagoon. It has been repeatedly discontinued and reopened, so the most current status is unclear. The company still exists and has its boats in working condition.[245][better source needed]
Solaris Trollino 12S trolleybus with the distinctive lime green color in Kaunas
The public transportation system is managed byKauno viešasis transportas (KVT).[246] There are 14trolleybus routes, 43bus routes.[247] In 2007 new electronic monthly tickets began to be introduced for public transport in Kaunas. The monthlyE-ticket cards may be bought once and might be credited with an appropriate amount of money in various ways including the Internet.[248] Previous paper monthly tickets were in use until August 2009.[249]Kaunas is also one of the major river ports in theBaltic States and has twopiers designated for tourism purposes and located on the banks ofNemunas river andKaunas Reservoir—the largest Lithuanianartificial lake, created in 1959 by damming theNemunas near Kaunas andRumšiškės.[250]
In 2015,Kauno autobusai bought fourVan Hool AGG300 to serve the mostly populated 37th route. These are the longest buses used in theBaltic states.[251] The bus station in Kaunas underwent reconstruction for six months and reopened on 23 January 2017. It is the largest and most modern bus station in Lithuania.[252] In 2017,Kauno autobusai began planning to cardinally upgrade the trolleybuses and buses park till the end of 2019.[253] The new Mercedes-Benz minibuses were introduced on 2 September 2019.[254] The first new trolleybuses Škoda 26Tr Solaris were publicly introduced on 30 September 2019.[255] In November 2019,Kauno autobusai signed a contract for 100 new model units ofMAN Lion's City 12hybrid electric buses, which replaced over half of city's old buses.[256]
Kaunas public transport has amobile appŽiogas (English:Grasshopper) which allow to purchase and activate digital tickets using asmartphone.[257] After reaching the E-ticket card's monthly fee (28 Eur), the remaining trips are free of charge until the end of the month.[257]
Sports in Kaunas have a long and distinguished history. Team and individual sports like football, baseball, ice hockey, rugby, track and field, orienteering are all considered popular in the city, although basketball is considered the most popular. The city is home to a few historic clubs such as:LFLS Kaunas football club (est. 1920), LFLS Kaunas baseball club (est. 1922),Granitas Kaunas (handball club,EHF Cup champions in 1987), Žalgiris basketball club (est. 1944,EuroLeague champions in 1999).
TheKaunas Marathon is an international marathon with thousands of Lithuanian and foreign participants every year.[261]
In July 1938 Kaunas, together withKlaipėda (where sailing and rowing competitions were held), hosted theLithuanian National Olympiad that gathered the Lithuanian athletes from all around the world.[262]
Kaunas is home to some historic venues such as: the main stadium of the city—Darius and Girėnas Stadium (total capacity after renovation 15,315), which is also the home stadium for the Žalgiris Kaunas football team (as the recently formed branch of the bigger basketball club - BC Žalgiris) andLithuanian national football team established in 1923 and the Kaunas Sports Hall, opened in 1923, which is considered one of the legendary basketball courts in Europe (that hosted some of the first European basketball tournaments).
The city is home to handball club HC Granitas-Karys that won the EHF Cup in 1987.
The firstgolf club "Elnias" in Lithuania was opened in Kaunas in 2000.
A round of theUIM F2 World Championship is held by the site of the old Kaunas Lagoon pier every year. The powerboat race is organised by Edgaras Riabko who also competes in the event.[264]
Kaunas is best known for theKaunas Jazz Festival, International Operetta Festival, Photo Art Festival "Kaunas photo" orPažaislis Music Festival, which usually run from early June until late August each year.[266][267][268] The open-air concerts of the historical 49-bellKaunas Carillon are held on weekends. Probably the longest established festival is the International Modern Dance Festival, which first ran in 1989.[269]
Aminor planet73059 Kaunas, discovered by Lithuanian astronomers Kazimieras Černis and Justas Zdanavičius, in 2002, is named after the city of Kaunas.[276]
^Eidintas, Alfonsas; Vytautas Žalys; Alfred Erich Senn (1999). Ed. Edvardas Tuskenis (ed.).Lithuania in European Politics: The Years of the First Republic, 1918–1940 (Paperback ed.). New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 67–70.ISBN0-312-22458-3.
^abcSužiedėlis, Saulius. "The Burden of 1941Archived 15 September 2012 atarchive.today".Lituanus Lithuanian Quarterly Journal of Arts and Sciences, Volume 47, No. 4 (Winter 2001).
^Gerutis, Albertas, ed. (1984).Lithuania: 700 Years. translated by Algirdas Budreckis (6th ed.). New York: Manyland Books. pp. 325–326.ISBN0-87141-028-1.LCCN75-80057.
^Bubnys, Arūnas (1998).Vokiečių okupuota Lietuva (1941–1944) (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Lietuvos tautinis kultūros fondas. p. 40.ISBN9986-757-12-6.
^Kay, Alex J. (2006)Exploitation, Resettlement, Mass Murder: Political and Economic Planning for German Occupation Policy in the Soviet Union, 1940–1941, p. 129. Berghahn Books.
^Nikzentaitis, Alvydas; Nikžentaitis, Alvydas; Schreiner, Stefan; Staliūnas, Darius (2004). "The Murder of the Jews in German-Occupied Lithuania (Paper by Yitzhak Arad delivered at the international conferences in Nida (1997) and Telsiai (2001)".The Vanished World of Lithuanian Jews. Rodopi. p. 191.ISBN9042008504.
^"Pilnas aprašas". Archived fromthe original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved29 April 2011. The Registry of Immovable Cultural Heritage Sites: Unique object code: 24807. Retrieved on 29 April 2011.
^Первая Всеобщая перепись населения Российской Империи 1897 г. Таблица XIII. Распределение населения по родному языку. Т.Т.1–50. С.-Петербург: 1903–1905
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