The old buildings of the Bank of

Lithuania in Kaunas form an

important part of the inception of

central banking in Lithuania. As

soon as one enters these buildings

at the intersection of Maironis and

Donelaitis streets one can feel the

magnificent spirit of the old banking

of Lithuania.

The main entrance to the

building with six-half

columns and four bronze

lanterns

The old lift

manufactured by

OTIS (USA) in 1936

is still in use

The Bank of Lithuania started

operating on 2 October 1922 in

Kaunas, the-then provisional capital

of Lithuania. As the Government was

reluctant to transfer or sell the

former building of the State Bank of

Russia Kaunas Branch equipped in

a modern manner of the time,

arrangements for the construction of

a new building were commenced.

The main lobby is

decorated with black

marble columns and

impressive cut-glass

chandeliers

Participants of the competition for

the construction of the Bank of

Lithuania buildings announced by

the Bank of Lithuania in 1924

included Lithuanian, German and

French architects who presented a

number of interesting and original

designs. The winners in the

competition were French architects

who proposed a design for an

extremely lavish and modern

building. Unfortunately, it did not

correspond to the conception of

representativeness of the time and,

therefore, the design by Mykolas

Songaila, the only professor of

architecture in Lithuania at that

time, was approved, which contained

some details of the French design.

The operations hall

and an authentic desk

for visitor with six

seats on both sides

The cornerstone for the building

was laid in early 1925, and already

in late 1928 Prelate Jonas Maèiulis-

Maironis consecrated the completed

building of the Bank of Lithuania.

The building of neoclassical

architecture with the space of 6,000

square metres was erected in less

than four years. To furnish the

interior, furniture and lamps were

brought from various West

European cities, and part of the

furniture was produced in

Lithuania.

A safe door to the

vaults with a

drawbridge

manufactured by

MILNERS (England)

was locked with three

different keys

A fragment of the

staircase leading from

the vaults to the

operations hall

The construction of the Bank of

Lithuania buildings was marked by

quality; a reliable security system

manufactured in England was

installed. It was one of the most

beautiful, luxurious and significant

buildings of the time in Lithuania.

The buildings consisted of an almost

square main block (with a round

north-eastern corner), which housed

the banking operations hall, a block

of garages and residential premises

extending in parallel in the yard, as

well as staff offices connecting them.

One of the decorative

elements of the

interior with the

monogram LB

The gallery on the first

floor is fenced by a

railing of white marble.

The glass ceiling of the

operations hall is

surrounded by caissons

that are painted in

historic and

mythological motifs

The façade plinth was covered with

natural granite, other parts of the

walls with artificial granite. All the

windows were made of oak, with

bronze fittings, the ground floor

windows were of cut crystal glass,

the roof was covered with copper tin.

The gable above the attic from the

side of Maironis Street was

decorated with a sculptural group by

Kajetonas Sklërius, which depicted

the allegories of Agriculture,

Industry and Warfare.

The meeting hall with

an extant set of

authentic furniture

(meeting table, two

large and twelve

smaller armchairs).

The ceiling decorated

with motifs of

Oriental

ornamentation is

embellished with a

massive metal twenty-

branch chandelier

Shore

of Èiaunos Lake by

Justinas Vienoþinskis

(1926), oil on canvas

For the interior decoration, natural

and artificial marble was used, the

floor was covered with tiles and

parquet, the halls and rooms had

many ornate lamps and chandeliers.

The painted decoration of the

interior was created by Petras

Kalpokas, Vladas Didþiokas and

Olga Dubeneckienë-Kalpokienë.

An extant set of

authentic built-in

bookcases in the

library When the property of the Bank of

Lithuania was nationalised in 1940,

the buildings were used by the

USSR State Bank Lithuania Branch.

In 1970, the buildings were put on

the list of architectural monuments.

In 1991, they were handed over to

the Bank of Lithuania established

on 1 March 1990. In 2003, the

buildings were announced a cultural

monument.

Sculptural group

(two peasant women,

a worker, and a

soldier) by Kajetonas

Sklërius (around

1926). Plaster,

modelling

Lithuanian School. 1864–1904

by Petras Rimša (1921).

Plaster, moulding

Boy with a Dove

by Juozas Mikënas (1935).

Plaster, moulding

An illusory panel on the

ceiling of the former avant-hall

on the second floor depicting a

fragment of the sky. The

decorative panel above the door

features the Acropolis. The hall

is embellished with a forty

electric-candle chandelier

A console mirror with a

marble tabletop in the

shape of one-third of the

circle decorates the avant-

hall on the second floor

A pendulum clock

with weights

On the re-establishment of

Lithuania’s independence the

historic buildings were restored and

reconstructed, the authentic interior

and original colours were re-created

(the prevailing colour in the Bank is

blue).

Across the spacious lobby one enters

an impressive banking operations

hall, which is surrounded by a

Corinthian colonnade with galleries

on the first floor. The hall occupying

the largest area of the main building

is divided into customer service

cabins and administrative offices.

A door to the former

official reception area

is decorated with

plaster ornamentation

The former office of

Augustinas

Voldemaras with

an 8 m dome

decorated with

flowers and a

chandelier hanging

on a long chain

In addition, there is a small exotic

resting room with a little cascade

fountain. The ground floor premises

are linked by a corridor; on the first

floor, they have external walls only –

here, an open gallery serves as a

corridor.

Currency vaults were constructed

under the operations hall. The

entrance to the vaults is through a

massive door manufactured in

England which has survived to this

day and weighs more than 3 tons.

The gallery on the first floor is

fenced by a railing of white marble.

The glass ceiling of the operations

hall is framed; the frame is divided

into caissons that are painted in

historic and mythological motifs.

The surviving authentic ceiling of

the board meeting hall is decorated

with motifs of Oriental

ornamentation.

Two Pines by Antanas

Þmuidzinavièius (1931),

oil on canvas

In the corner part of the second

floor in the attic from the side of

Maironis Street, an apartment for

the-then Prime Minister Augustinas

Voldemaras was furnished consisting

of 8 rooms with an entrance hall, a

library, rooms for official receptions,

a separate main entrance with a lift

and a staircase.

Homestead of an

Orphan by

Jonas Šileika (1927),

oil on canvas

Hut by

Adomas Galdikas

(1927), oil on canvas

Alley by

Jonas Mackevièius

(Isle of Capri in Italy,

1924), oil on canvas

The area for official receptions

consists of a two-room banquet hall

with a little balcony for the

orchestra. On the plafond of the

former avant-hall a panel was

painted depicting a fragment of the

sky. The office of Augustinas

Voldemaras is ellipse-shaped with a

dome 8 metres high decorated with

caissons and rosettes.

The former reception

hall with an

decorated plafond

and a pane with a

painted view of

Gediminas Castle. The

hall is decorated with

a framed mirror and a

console table. The

painting Hunting

Scene (author

unknown, around

1930) hangs above a

three-piece cabinet

with a marble

tabletop placed near

the back wall of the

hall

On the second floor of the buildings

from the side of Donelaitis Street,

the Bank of Lithuania Governor’s

apartment was furnished. On the

ground floor of the extension to the

buildings there were 6 garages, and

laundries and a bathroom were in

the basement. On the roof terrace

surrounding the large triangular

skylight of the operations room a

garden was laid out.

Boats by

Kajetonas Skërius

(1929), watercolour

on paper

Inside the buildings of the Bank of

Lithuania, many cultural valuables

and antiques included in the list of

cultural valuables have survived.

The buildings contain 137 movable

cultural valuables and 33 antiques.

At present, Bank walls are adorned

with 20 valuable pictures by the

outstanding Lithuanian artists of

the time, such as Antanas

Þmuidzinavièius, Petras Kalpokas,

Justinas Vienoþinskis, Jonas

Mackevièius, etc. The Bank of

Lithuania also has three sculptures

by three Lithuanian artists Petras

Rimða, Juozas Mikënas and

Kajetonas Sklërius.

Old Woman from

Palanga by

Petras Kalpokas

(1924), oil on canvas

St Nicholas Church

by Kazys Šimonis

(1935), watercolour

on cardboard

The resting room with

an exotic fountain

(the former dining

room of bank

directors)

A bell-shaped flower

stand

A two-piece cabinet

with drawers is

decorated with carved

leaves of acanthus

and an oval rosette

with palmettes and

the legs of the cabinet

are stylised clawed

feet of animals

A cabinet with turned

legs is decorated with

a relief of ornamental

plants and a cornice

of an elaborate profile

A furniture set

including a walnut

veneer table, a

cabinet, two leather

armchairs and a sofa

decorated with

stylired lion paws

A three-door cabinet and

awriting desk with

carved bas-relief eagles

on the front

(manufactured at the

furniture factory of

Kostas Petrikas)

Most of the antiques in the Bank

are ancient furniture; of these, 73

units have survived. Almost all the

representative furniture of the Bank

of Lithuania that has survived was

manufactured under a special order

at the furniture factory of Kostas

Petrikas in Kaunas. This factory

manufactured for the Bank of

Lithuania writing tables,

documentation boxes and chairs

that have been kept in a perfect

state of preservation until now. The

massive furniture is adorned with

abundant carvings, some of it with

carved haut-relief eagles – the

symbols of power, the legs of the

tables and boxes are adorned with

the clawed animal feet characteristic

of the Renaissance style. The

furniture of the meeting hall,

including the table and chairs, was

manufactured in Klaipëda. Most of

the furniture has already been

restored. 34 original lamps now

adorning the Bank have survived.

A hexagonal table

(mahogany veneers)

with a polished

marble tabletop and

six gilded armchairs

with stylised front

legs – the head of an

Egyptian goddess

with wings at the top

and animal feet at

the bottom

A three-piece cabinet and

an oak writing desk

(Karelian birch veneers)

and with inlaid bronze

monograms LB on the

front. The legs of the

cabinet are six stylized

lion feet

The history of the buildings is

unique in that since its construction

it has served its proper function of

providing premises for banks all the

time. Today, the registered office of

the Bank of Lithuania – the central

bank of the Republic of Lithuania –

is in the capital city Vilnius. In

Kaunas, the Bank of Lithuania

Kaunas Branch was established with

part of the buildings devoted to

commercial activities. Exhibitions

and other social events are also

organised in these buildings. Upon

visiting this place, Lithuanian

citizens and foreign guests are

fascinated with the impressive

architectural monument. It is a

wealth which will be appreciated by

the future generations as well.