Architectural Diversity in Lithuanian post-Soviet Catholic Churches (1988–91)

Abstract

This paper examines the architectural diversity in Catholic churches in Lithuania during the postSoviet transition period following five decades of occupations that disrupted the church-building tradition: the first Soviet occupation (1940-41), the Nazi German occupation (1941-44), and the second Soviet occupation (1944-90). For five decades, the construction of Catholic churches was forbidden under the totalitarian regime, and the attempts by the faithful to organise were impossible until Perestroika. Changing political dynamics after 1988 facilitated the emergence of new churches (including chapels and monasteries), with over one hundred constructed in the subsequent three decades of Lithuania’s independence. This research, based on different types of sources — archival material from the Archive of the Curia of the Vilnius Archdiocese and Soviet governmental agencies, empirical data, and oral histories with architects and priests — delves into the efforts to establish new churches within religious communities and the development of new ecclesiastical architecture during the transitional period in post-Soviet Lithuania. Key areas of investigation include the origins of innovative architectural styles, the diverse inspirations of architects, and preferences in architectural language. Through analysing three case studies, the paper sheds light on the specific challenges and provides valuable insights into Lithuanian ecclesiastical architecture.