This article is about the city. For the county (Kauno apskritis), see Kaunas County. Kaunas County (Lithuanian Kauno apskritis) is one of ten counties of Lithuania.

Kaunas
Coat of arms
Nickname: Laikinoji sostinė
Location of Kaunas
Coordinates: 54°54′N 23°56′E / 54.9, 23.933
Country	Lithuania
Ethnographic region	Aukštaitija
County	Kaunas County
Municipality	Kaunas city
Elderate
Number of elderates	11
Capital of	Kaunas County Kaunas city municipality Kaunas district municipality
First mentioned	1361
Granted city rights	1408
Population (2007)
- Total	358 107
- Rank	2nd
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Website: [1]

Kaunas (pronunciation (help·info), pronounced /ˈkoʊnəs/, simplified Lithuanian transcription [koŭnas]; known also by several alternative names) is the second largest city in Lithuania and a former temporary capital. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. A temporary capital or a provisional capital is a country or a town chosen by a Government as an interim base of operations due to some difficulty in establishing Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Lithuania can be divided into historical and cultural regions (called Ethnographic regions Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->The territory of Lithuania Kaunas County (Lithuanian Kauno apskritis) is one of ten counties of Lithuania. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below --> Municipalities of Lithuania ||} Seniūnija ( elderate or eldership in English is the smallest administrative division of Lithuania. Kaunas County (Lithuanian Kauno apskritis) is one of ten counties of Lithuania. Kaunas district municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. Magdeburg Rights (Magdeburger Recht or Magdeburg Law were a set of German town laws regulating the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages granted with In Lithuania there are 103 cities (in Lithuanian: singular – miestas Plural – miestai Eastern European Time ( EET) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time Daylight saving time ( DST Eastern European Summer Time ( EEST) is one of the names of UTC+3 Time zone, 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+3 is used in the following locations Moscow Time Eastern European Summer Time West Asian Summer Time A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the It is served by the freeways Via Baltica (E67) and Vilnius—Klaipėda (A1). European route E67 is a Highway running from Prague in the Czech Republic to Helsinki in Finland by way of Poland The A1 Highway in Lithuania connects the Capital city of Vilnius with the Port city of Klaipėda, via the second largest city Kaunas is located at the confluence of the two largest Lithuanian rivers, the Nemunas and the Neris, and near the Kaunas Reservoir, the largest body of water entirely in Lithuania. "Nieman" and "Niemen" redirects here For other uses see Neman and Nieman (disambiguation. Neris ( Ві́лія or Вя́льля Vialla) is a river arising in Belarus, flowing through Vilnius ( Lithuania) and becoming a tributary Kaunas Reservoir (Kauno marios is the largest Lithuanian artificial lake, created in 1959 by damming the Neman River near Kaunas and Rumšiškės

Contents 1 Names 2 Coat of arms 3 History 3.1 Grand Duchy of Lithuania 3.2 Russian Empire 3.3 Inter-war Lithuania 3.4 Soviet occupation 3.5 The Tragedy of Kaunas' Jews 3.6 Modern times 4 Demography 4.1 Historical population 4.2 Ethnic composition 5 Geography 5.1 Administrative divisions 5.2 Neighborhoods 6 Cityscape 6.1 Points of interest 6.2 Museums 6.3 Theatres 6.4 Public art 7 Transportation 7.1 Bridges 8 Sports 9 Education 10 Annual events 11 Notable residents 12 Trivia 13 See also 14 Footnotes and references 15 Notes 16 External links

Names

The city's name is of Lithuanian origins and most likely derives from a personal name. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. ^[1]

Before Lithuania regained independence, the city was generally known in English as Kovno, the traditional Slavic form of its name; the Polish name is Kowno. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages) a group of closely related Languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. The traditional Russian name is Ковно, although Каунас has been used since 1940. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages The Yiddish name is Kovne (קאָװנע), while its names in German include Kaunas and Kauen. Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages.

Coat of arms

In June 30, 1993 the historical coat of arms of Kaunas city was established by a special presidential decree. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people The following is a list of rulers over Lithuania — grand dukes kings and presidents — the heads of authority over historical Lithuanian territory The coat of arms features a white aurochs with a golden cross between his horns, set against a deep red background. The aurochs or urus ( Bos taurus primigenius) was a very large type of cattle that was prevalent in Europe until its Extinction in 1627 A horn is a pointed projection of the Skin on the head of various Mammals consisting of a covering of horn ( Keratin and other Proteins The aurochs is the original heraldic symbol of the city since 1400. The current emblem was the result of much study and discussion on the part of the Lithuanian Heraldry Commission, and realized by the artist Raimondas Miknevičius. An emblem is a pictorial Image, abstract or representational that epitomizes a Concept — e Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. An aurochs has replaced a wisent, depicted in the Soviet era emblem, used since 1969. The wisent (ˈviːzənt or European bison ( Bison bonasus) is a Bison Species and the heaviest surviving land animal in Europe A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia.

History

Grand Duchy of Lithuania

On the site of the current Kaunas old town at the confluence of two large rivers, a settlement had been established by the tenth century AD. Pažaislis monastery and church (Pažaislio vienuolynas form the largest Monastery complex in Lithuania, and the most magnificent example of Italian Baroque House of Perkūnas in Kaunas is one of the most original and archaic Gothic secular buildings in Lithuania. The litas ( ISO currency code LTL symbolized as Lt plural litai or litų) is the currency of Lithuania. The Commemorative coins of Lithuania are minted by the Lithuanian mint (Lithuanian Lietuvos monetų kalykla) headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania It is believed that the town was founded in 1030, but it is first mentioned in written sources in 1361. In the thirteenth century, a stone wall was built as protection from constant raids by the Teutonic Knights. The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. In 1362, the town was captured by the Teutonic Knights, who destroyed the Kaunas Castle. Destroyed is the second studio Album by punk band Sloppy Seconds. Kaunas Castle is located in Kaunas, Lithuania. Archeological evidence suggests that it was originally built during the mid-14th century in the Gothic

In 1408 the town was granted Magdeburg Rights by Vytautas the Great and became a center of Kaunas Powiat in Trakai Voivodeship in 1413. Magdeburg Rights (Magdeburger Recht or Magdeburg Law were a set of German town laws regulating the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages granted with Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian:; Vitaŭt; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; Witold Ruthenian: Vitovt; c Trakai Voivodeship, Trakai Palatinate, or Troki Voivodeship (Trakų vaivadija Województwo Trockie was a unit of administrative division and local government The castle was rebuilt at the beginning of the 15th century. Kaunas then began to gain prominence, since it was at an intersection of trade routes and a river port. A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo In 1441 Kaunas joined the Hanseatic League, and Hansa merchant offices were opened. The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade By the 16th century, Kaunas had a public school, a hospital, and a drugstore, and was one of the best-formed towns in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje

In 1665, the Russian army attacked the city several times, and in 1701 the city was occupied by the Swedish army. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Black Death struck the area in 1657 and 1708, and fires destroyed parts of the city in 1731 and 1732. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia

Russian Empire

After the final partition of the Polish-Lithuanian state in 1795, the city was occupied by the Russian Empire and became a part of Vilna Governorate. The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic The Vilnа Governorate (1801-1840 often named Lithuania-Vilna Governorate) (Виленская губерния Vilenskaya guberniya, Vilniaus gubernija or During the French invasion of Russia in 1812, the Grand Army of Napoleon passed through Kaunas twice, devastating the city both times. The French invasion of Russia in 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe.

After the Partitions, Kaunas was one of the centres of the November Uprising (1830-1831) and the January Uprising (1863-1864). The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the The November Uprising (1830&ndash1831&mdashalso known as the Cadet Revolution &mdashwas an armed rebellion against the rule of the Russian Empire in Poland The January Uprising ( Polish: powstanie styczniowe, Lithuanian: 1863 m To suppress the local population, the Russian authorities subsequently placed a huge military garrison in the town. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Russian military fortifications from that time still survive throughout the town. Kaunas Fortress (Kauno tvirtovė Кοвенская крепость is the remains of a Fortress complex in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Kovno Governorate with a center in Kovno (Kaunas) was formed in 1843. The Kovno Governorate (Ковенская губеpния or Kovenskaja Gubernija; Kauno gubernija or Government of Kovno was a governorate ( Guberniya In 1862 a railway connecting the Russian Empire and Germany was constructed, making Kaunas a significant railway hub with one of the first railway tunnels in the Empire, completed in 1861. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A tunnel is an underground passageway The definition of what constitutes a tunnel is not universally agreed upon In 1898 the first power plant started operating. A power station (also referred to as generating station, power plant or powerhouse) is an industrial facility for the generation of

Inter-war Lithuania

Main article: Temporary capital of Lithuania

After Vilnius was occupied by the Russian Bolsheviks in 1919, the government of the Republic of Lithuania established its main base here. Temporary capital or Provisional/Interim capital ( Lithuanian "Laikinoji sostinė") was the official designation of the city of Kaunas The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Later, when Vilnius was seized by Poland, Kaunas became the interim capital of the Lithuanian government, a position it held until 1939, when Poland was partitioned between Nazi Germany and the USSR. The Second Polish Republic or interwar Poland is the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II. Temporary capital or Provisional/Interim capital ( Lithuanian "Laikinoji sostinė") was the official designation of the city of Kaunas For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Stalin returned Vilnius to Lithuania, and the process of moving the capital was initiated. Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party Before it was complete, however, the whole country was occupied by the Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

Between the World Wars industry prospered in Kaunas; it was at the time the largest city in Lithuania. A world war is a War affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations Under direction of the mayor Jonas Vileišis (1921-1931) Kaunas grew rapidly and was extensively modernised. Jonas Vileišis ( January 3 1872 – June 1 1942) was a Lithuanian lawyer politician and diplomat. A water and wastewater system, costing over 15 million Lithuanian litas, was put in place; the city expanded from 18 square kilometers to 40; more than 2,500 buildings were built, including three modern bridges over the Neris and Nemunas rivers. All the city streets were paved, horse-drawn transportation was replaced with modern bus lines, new suburbs were planned and built (Žaliakalnis neighborhood in particular), new parks and squares were established. Žaliakalnis (literally "the green hill" is an elderate in Lithuania 's second largest city Kaunas. The foundations for a social security system were laid, three new schools were built, and new public libraries, including the Vincas Kudirka library, were established. Vincas Kudirka Reversumjpg|thumb| Litas coin issued to commemorate Vincas Kudirka]] Vincas Kudirka ( Paežeriai, - Naumiestis,) was a Vileišis maintained many contacts in other European cities, and as a result Kaunas was an active participant in European urban life.

During the inter-war period Kaunas had a Jewish population of 35,000-40,000, about one-fourth of the city's total population ^[2]. Jews were concentrated in the city's commercial, artisan, and professional sectors. Kaunas was also a center of Jewish learning. The yeshiva in Slobodka (Vilijampolė), was one of Europe's most prestigious institutions of higher Jewish learning. Slabodka yeshiva, also known as Knesses Yisroel, and later as Hebron Yeshiva or Yeshivas Hevron, was known colloquially as the "mother of Yeshivas Vilijampolė is an elderate in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, located on the right bank of the Neris River and the Nemunas River, Kaunas had a rich and varied Jewish culture. The city had almost 100 Jewish organizations, 40 synagogues, many Yiddish schools, 4 Hebrew high schools, a Jewish hospital, and scores of Jewish-owned businesses. It was also an important Zionist center.

Soviet occupation

In 1940 Kaunas was annexed by the Soviet Union as part of the Lithuanian SSR. The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Lietuvos Tarybų Socialistinė Respublika Литовская Советская Социалистическая Республика 14 June 1941 marked the beginning of mass arrests, executions and deportations of citizens to Siberia and other parts of Russia. Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. After the outbreak of German invasion into USSR on 23 June an uprising began in Kaunas and short-lived period of independence was proclaimed in Kaunas on June 23, 1941. Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II Events 1180 - First Battle of Uji, starting the Genpei War in Japan 1305 - The Flemish The Lithuanian 1941 independence was a brief period in the history of Lithuania between the first Soviet occupation, and the chaos immediately following Nazi Events 1180 - First Battle of Uji, starting the Genpei War in Japan 1305 - The Flemish Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The Tragedy of Kaunas' Jews

Main article: Kaunas Ghetto

Jewish life in Kaunas was first disrupted when the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in June 1940. The Kaunas Ghetto (also called the Kovno Ghetto) was a Ghetto established by Nazi Germany, with approval by the Lithuanian provisional government to hold Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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 to Siberia. Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving Meanwhile, the Lithuanian Activist Front, founded by Lithuanian nationalist émigrés in Berlin, disseminated anti-semitic literature in Lithuania. Lithuanian Activist Front (Lithuanian Lietuvos Aktyvistų Frontas) commonly abbreviated as LAF was a short-lived organisation established in 1940 when Lithuania was occupied Émigré is a French term that literally refers to a person who has "migrated out" but often carries a connotation of politico-social self- Exile. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. ^[3] Among other themes, the literature blamed Jews for the Soviet occupation.

Following Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Soviet forces fled Kaunas. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Immediately before and following the German occupation of the city on June 25, the anti-Communist German organized insurgents began to attack Jews, blaming them for Soviet repressions, especially along Jurbarko and Kriščiukaičio streets. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Algirdas Klimaitis (?-? (often referred as Jonas Klimaitis in non-Lithuanian literature was a Lithuanian journalist and para-military commander The Kaunas Pogrom was the massacre of Jewish people living in Kaunas, Lithuania that took place in late June 1941 ^[4] They murdered hundreds of Jews and took dozens more Jews to the Lietūkis garage, in the city center, and killed them there.

The Nazis eventually established the Kaunas Ghetto, which by the end of the war would be nearly completely liquidated. The Kaunas Ghetto (also called the Kovno Ghetto) was a Ghetto established by Nazi Germany, with approval by the Lithuanian provisional government to hold ^[5]

Modern times

After World War II Kaunas became the main industrial city of Lithuania - it produced about a quarter of Lithuania's industrial output.

After the proclamation of Lithuanian independence in 1991, Soviet attempts to suppress the rebellion focused on the Sitkunai Radio Station, which were a critical part of the remaining free media. Sitkūnai Radio Station is a large facility for mediumwave and shortwave broadcastingat Sitkūnai, Lithuania at 23°49' E and 55°02' N They were defended by the citizenry of Kaunas.

Demography

Historical population

Year	Inhabitants
1796	8,500
1813	3,000
1825	5,000
1840	8,500
1860	23,300
1897	71,000
1923	92,000
1940	154,000
1959	214,000
1966	275,000
1989	418,087
2001	378,943
2004	366,652
2005	361,274

Ethnic composition

With almost 93 percent of its citizens being ethnic Lithuanians, Kaunas is one of the most Lithuanian cities in the country. Confluence, in Geography, describes the meeting of two or more Bodies of water. "Nieman" and "Niemen" redirects here For other uses see Neman and Nieman (disambiguation. Neris ( Ві́лія or Вя́льля Vialla) is a river arising in Belarus, flowing through Vilnius ( Lithuania) and becoming a tributary A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger Lithuanians are the Baltic Ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million Kaunas has a higher proportion of ethnic Lithuanians than Vilnius, and more ethnic Lithuanians than Riga has ethnic Latvians or Tallinn has ethnic Estonians. Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Latvians or Letts (latvieši the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia, occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Estonians ( Estonian: eestlased, previously maarahvas) are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting primarily the country

Ethnic composition in 2001, out of a total of 378,943:^[6]

1. Lithuanians 352,051
2. Russians 16,622
3. Ukrainians 1,906
4. Poles 1,600
5. Other 6,764

Geography

Administrative divisions

Kaunas is divided into 11 elderates

Aleksotas Centras Dainava (Kaunas) Eiguliai Gričiupis Panemunė

Petrašiūnai Šančiai Šilainiai Vilijampolė Žaliakalnis

Neighborhoods

Main article: Neighborhoods of Kaunas

Cityscape

Points of interest

Central Kaunas is defined by two pedestrian streets: the 2-km-long Laisvės alėja (Liberty Avenue), a central street of the city, lined by linden trees, and its continuation, Vilnius Street, leading to the oldest part of Kaunas. Lithuanians are the Baltic Ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. ||} Seniūnija ( elderate or eldership in English is the smallest administrative division of Lithuania. Aleksotas is an elderate in the southern section of the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, bordering the left bank of the Neman River (Lithuanian Centras (English City Centre) is an elderate in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, based on two neighbourhoods of Kaunas - the Old City and the Dainava is a fairly new neighbourhood (built from 1963 initially as a Microdistrict) located in the north of center of Kaunas, the second largest city of Lithuania Eiguliai is an elderate in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, originally a village where a residential Microdistrict was built in 1979 Gričiupis is a neighborhood of the Lithuanian city of Kaunas, located on the right bank of the Nemunas River. Panemunė ( Übermemel is the smallest city in Lithuania. It is situated on the banks of the Neman River opposite Sovetsk, south from Petrašiūnai is a neighborhood in the eastern part of the Lithuanian city of Kaunas, with elderate status Šančiai is an elderate in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas. It is located on the right bank of the Nemunas River, and is divided into Higher and Lower Šilainiai is an elderate in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas, built as a Microdistrict in the 1980s Vilijampolė is an elderate in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, located on the right bank of the Neris River and the Nemunas River, Žaliakalnis (literally "the green hill" is an elderate in Lithuania 's second largest city Kaunas. Neighborhoods of Kaunas, Lithuania Akademija Aleksotas Amaliai Armaniškiai St Michael the Archangel's Church or the Garrison Church (Įgulos bažnyčia is a Roman Catholic church in Kaunas, Lithuania, closing the perspective Christ's Resurrection Church (Prisikėlimo bažnyčia is a monumental Roman Catholic church in Kaunas, Lithuania. Laisvės Alėja (literary Liberty Boulevard or Liberty Avenue) is a prominent Pedestrian street in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania. Tilia cordata ( Small-leaved Lime, occasionally Small-leaved Linden is a species of Tilia native to much of Europe and western Some of the most prominent features in Kaunas include:

• the Kaunas Castle, a 14th century fortification;
• the Vytautas' Church, one of the oldest churches in Lithuania and the oldest in Kaunas;
• the Kaunas Cathedral Basilica, the largest Gothic building in Lithuania, with a late Baroque interior;
• the St. Kaunas Castle is located in Kaunas, Lithuania. Archeological evidence suggests that it was originally built during the mid-14th century in the Gothic Vytautas' the Great Church of the Accession of The Holy Virgin Mary (Vytauto Didžiojo bažnyčia is a Roman Catholic church in Kaunas, Lithuania, and Kaunas Cathedral Basilica (Kauno Šv apaštalų Petro ir Povilo arkikatedra bazilika is a Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica in Kaunas, See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc George's Church, which was rumoured to have been turned into a dance studio during the Soviet Occupation;
• the Pažaislis abbey, an impressive complex in Baroque style;
• the massive Neo-Byzantine church of St. Michael the Archangel;
• the Christ’s Resurrection Church with an unfolding panoramic view of the city;
• Kaunas Zoo, the only state-operated zoo in Lithuania;
• Kaunas Fortress, a 19-20th century military fortress, which includes a Holocaust site of the Ninth Fort;
• Kaunas Botanical Garden;
• Napoleon`s Hill;
• House of Perkūnas;
• Town Hall and the square;
• Interbellum functionalism architecture complexes;
• The Žaliakalnis Funicular Railway. Pažaislis monastery and church (Pažaislio vienuolynas form the largest Monastery complex in Lithuania, and the most magnificent example of Italian Baroque Baroque architecture, starting in the early 17th century in Italy, took the humanist Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical Neo-Byzantine architecture is an architectural revival style, most frequently seen in religious institutional and public Buildings It emerged in 1840s in Western St Michael the Archangel's Church or the Garrison Church (Įgulos bažnyčia is a Roman Catholic church in Kaunas, Lithuania, closing the perspective Christ's Resurrection Church (Prisikėlimo bažnyčia is a monumental Roman Catholic church in Kaunas, Lithuania. Kaunas Zoo is the only Zoo -park in Lithuania. It is located in an oak grove in the south-western part of Kaunas, Dainava where over 2800 individuals A zoological garden, shortened to zoo, is an institution in which living animals are exhibited in captivity Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Kaunas Fortress (Kauno tvirtovė Кοвенская крепость is the remains of a Fortress complex in Kaunas, Lithuania. The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as The Ninth Fort is a stronghold in the northern Šilainiai elderate of the Lithuanian city of Kaunas, making a part of the Kaunas Fortress The Kaunas Botanical Garden was founded in 1923 in Kaunas, Lithuania, in conjunction with the University of Lithuania (later renamed Vytautas Magnus University Napoleon's hill, actually Jiesia Hill fort mound is located in Kaunas, Lithuania, on the left bank of Nemunas, in between Panemunė House of Perkūnas in Kaunas is one of the most original and archaic Gothic secular buildings in Lithuania. The Town Hall of Kaunas (Kauno rotušė stands in the middle of the Town Hall Square at the heart of the Old Town, Kaunas, Lithuania. Žaliakalnis Funicular Railway is an electric (by overhead power cable funicular railway in Kaunas, Lithuania.
• Ąžuolynas Park and the valley of Girstupis River named after Adam Mickiewicz

Museums

Kaunas is often called a city of museums, because of the abundance and variety of them. Ąžuolynas (literally "Oak Grove" is a Public park in Lithuania 's second largest city Kaunas, in the Žaliakalnis neighbourhood Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (pronounced ] in Belarusian, Адам Міцкевіч; in Lithuanian, Adomas Bernardas Mickevičius; December The museums in Kaunas include:

• the War Museum of Vytautas the Great;
• the M. K. Čiurlionis State Art Museum, commemorating the work of the early 20th century avant-garde artist who sought to combine painting and music into a single artistic medium;
• a gallery of works collected by Mykolas Žilinskas at the Kaunas Art Gallery;
• the Žmuidzinavičius Museum (best known as the Devils' Museum), which houses a collection of more than two thousand sculptures and carvings of devils from all over the world, most of them of folk provenance. Vytautas the Great War Museum (Vytauto Didžiojo karo muziejus is a museum in Kaunas, Lithuania. Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis ( in Old Varėna &mdash in Pustelnik near Warsaw) was a Lithuanian painter and Composer Avant-garde (avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard Žmuidzinavičius Museum in Kaunas, Lithuania, commonly known as the Devils' Museum (Velnių muziejus houses a collection of about three thousand sculptures Of particular interest are the Hitler and Stalin devils, together doing the dance of death over a playground littered with human bones;

• Aviation Museum;
• Ceramics Museum in the Town Hall of Kaunas;
• Communications History Museum;
• Kaunas Picture Gallery, with a little exhibition about George Maciunas, founding member of the Fluxus-movement, born in Kaunas;
• Lithuanian Sports Museum;
• Medicine and Pharmacy Museum;
• Historical Presidential Palace, displaying exhibits from the interwar period
• Museum For The Blind;
• Museum of Exiles and Political Prisoners;
• Museum of Folk Music and Instruments;
• Tadas Ivanauskas Zoological Museum. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party Vytautas the Great War Museum (Vytauto Didžiojo karo muziejus is a museum in Kaunas, Lithuania. The Historical Presidential Palace (Istorinė Prezidentūra is a Neo-baroque building in Kaunas, Lithuania that served as the Presidential Palace George Maciunas ( Jurgis Mačiūnas, pronounced ma-chew-nas; born Kaunas, Lithuania, November 8, 1931; died May 9 Fluxus —a name taken from a Latin word meaning "to flow"—is an international network of artists composers and designers noted for blending different artistic media The Historical Presidential Palace (Istorinė Prezidentūra is a Neo-baroque building in Kaunas, Lithuania that served as the Presidential Palace Tadas Ivanauskas ( December 16 1882 – June 1 1971) was a famous Lithuanian Zoologist and Biologist, and one The Tadas Ivanauskas Zoological Museum was established in Kaunas, Lithuania, in 1918 after Tadas Ivanauskas moved his collection of hunting trophies to

Theatres

• Kaunas State Drama Theatre
• Kaunas State Musical Theatre
• Kaunas Youth Chamber Theatre
• Kaunas State Puppet Theatre
• Kaunas Little Teatre

Public art

A great deal of sculptuary is on display in the public areas of Kaunas. The Kaunas State Drama Theatre is the biggest theatre in Kaunas, and one of the oldest functioning theatres in Lithuania. Kaunas State Musical Theatre is musical theatre in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Sculptures in Vienybė Square

Sculptures in Vienybė Square

Vytautas the Great statue near city municipality

Transportation

Kaunas has 16 trolleybus routes, 49 bus routes (Map), a wide shared taxi carrier network — see Kaunas Public Transport —, and it is also one of the major river ports in the Baltic States. Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian:; Vitaŭt; Latin: Alexander Vitoldus; Witold Ruthenian: Vitovt; c Types of vehicle Share taxis come in various Vehicle types including Minibuses Midibuses covered Pickup trucks Station wagons The Baltic states (Balti riigid Baltijas valstis Baltijos valstybės or Baltic countries are three countries in Northern Europe, all members of the The city is located in the centre of Lithuania, making it highly significant from a logistical point of view. Logistics is the management of the flow of Goods, Information and other resources including Energy and people between the point of origin and the point Kaunas International Airport (KUN) is capable of handling 300,000 passengers and 100,000 tonnes of cargo per year. Kaunas International Airport (Kauno tarptautinis Oro Uostas that serves Kaunas, Lithuania is the second busiest civil airport in Lithuania after There is also the smaller S. Darius and S. Girėnas Airport south of town. S Darius and S Girėnas Airport ( S Dariaus ir S Girėno aerodromas), also known as Aleksotas Airport ( Aleksoto aerodromas) is a small Airport Many of the buses in Kaunas are old SL buses that Stockholm decided to donate to Kaunas when replacing their old buses with new ones. Storstockholms Lokaltrafik AB, (Stockholm Public Transport literally Greater Stockholm Local Transit Company commonly referred to as SL, is the organisation running all ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the

Bridges

Since Kaunas is located on confluence of two rivers in the city are 34 bridges.

• Vytautas the Great Bridge connecting Old Town with Aleksotas across Nemunas,
• M. K. Čiurlionis Bridge for car transport across Nemunas,
• Vilijampolė Bridge connecting Old Town with Vilijampolė across Neris River,
• The Green railway bridge. Vytautas the Great Bridge, also known as Aleksotas Bridge before 1930 and from 1940 until 23 February 2008, crosses Nemunas River to connect Centras (English City Centre) is an elderate in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, based on two neighbourhoods of Kaunas - the Old City and the Aleksotas is an elderate in the southern section of the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, bordering the left bank of the Neman River (Lithuanian "Nieman" and "Niemen" redirects here For other uses see Neman and Nieman (disambiguation. M K Čiurlionis Bridge is a bridge in Kaunas, Lithuania. It crosses the Nemunas River to connect Freda and Kaunas City center "Nieman" and "Niemen" redirects here For other uses see Neman and Nieman (disambiguation. Vilijampolė Bridge - a bridge connecting Kaunas Old Town and Vilijampolė. Centras (English City Centre) is an elderate in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, based on two neighbourhoods of Kaunas - the Old City and the Vilijampolė is an elderate in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, located on the right bank of the Neris River and the Nemunas River, Neris ( Ві́лія or Вя́льля Vialla) is a river arising in Belarus, flowing through Vilnius ( Lithuania) and becoming a tributary Railway Bridge in Kaunas cross Nemunas river to connect lower Freda

Sports

Kaunas is home to the Žalgiris basketball club, one of Europe's strongest, which plays home matches in Kaunas Sports Hall. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Sporto hale 2007-07-15JPG|thumb|150px|Memorial to the architect of Kaunas Sports Hall The city is also the birthplace or childhood home of many of the country's top basketball stars, among them Arvydas Sabonis, Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas, Linas Kleiza and Šarūnas Jasikevičius. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Arvydas Romas Sabonis (born on December 19th, 1964 in Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR) is a retired Raimondas Šarūnas Marčiulionis ( (born June 13, 1964 in Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR) is a retired Žydrūnas Ilgauskas ( ZHEE-drew-nus ill-GAUS-kus and he weighs 260 pounds Linas Kleiza (pronounced as ˈlinɐs ˈklæizɐ (born January 3 1985) is a Lithuanian professional Basketball player in the NBA for Šarūnas Jasikevičius ( born on March 5, 1976 in Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR) is a Lithuanian The main stadium of the city is S.Dariaus ir S.Girėno Sporto Centras (total capacity 9,000), which is also the Lithuanian soccer club FBK Kaunas's and Lithuanian national football team home stadium. S Darius and S Girėnas Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Žaliakalnis district of Kaunas, Lithuania. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Kauno futbolo beisbolo klubas is a Lithuanian football club from the city of Kaunas, that currently plays in the A Lyga. The national football team of Lithuania is controlled by the Lithuanian Football Federation.

Education

Kaunas is often called a city of students; there are about 50,000 students enrolled in its universities. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects

• ISM University of Management and Economics
• Vytautas Magnus University
• Kaunas Business College
• Kaunas College
• Kaunas University of Medicine
• Kaunas University of Technology
• Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education
• Lithuanian University of Agriculture
• Lithuanian Veterinary Academy
• Vilnius University Kaunas Faculty of Humanities
• Kaunas Art Institute

Annual events

• Kaziukas Fair Kaunas fork (beginning of March). Academics Currently there are two undergraduate and graduate programmes Vytautas Magnus University (VMU (Vytauto Didžiojo Universitetas(VDU is a public university in Kaunas, Lithuania. Kaunas University of Medicine (Kauno medicinos universitetas (KMU is a Medical school in Kaunas, Lithuania. Kaunas University of Technology (Kauno Technologijos Universitetas (KTU is the largest technical university in the Baltic States and the second largest University The Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education (Lietuvos kūno kultūros ir sporto akademija LKKA is the only state-supported institution of tertiary Physical education in Lithuanian University of Agriculture is a university in Lithuania, located in Noreikiškės near Kaunas. The Lithuanian Veterinary Academy (Lietuvos veterinarijos akademija located in Vilijampolė neighbourhood of Kaunas, Lithuania is a state-owned autonomous Vilnius University (Vilniaus Universitetas formerly known as Vilnius State University, earlier - Stefan Batory University and before that Almae Kaziuko mugė (Kaziuk Kaziuk Fair is a large annual Polish and Lithuanian folk arts and crafts Fair dating to the beginning of the 17th century
• International open-air "Kaunas Jazz Festival" (April-May). Kaunas Jazz is an annual international Jazz festival in Kaunas, Lithuania.
• International dance competition "Amber Couple" (beginning of May). Competition is a rivalry between individuals groups nations or animals for territory or resources
• Day of Kaunas city (middle of May).
• International poetry festival "Spring of poetry" (end of May). A literary festival, also known as a book festival or writers' festival, is a regular gathering of Writers and readers typically on an annual basis in a
• Pažaislis music festival (June-August). Pažaislis monastery and church (Pažaislio vienuolynas form the largest Monastery complex in Lithuania, and the most magnificent example of Italian Baroque
• Traditional folk music competition "Play, Jurgelis" (November). Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Competition is a rivalry between individuals groups nations or animals for territory or resources
• Christmas tree lighting (end of November). A Christmas tree, Yule tree, holiday tree or Tannenbaum (fir tree is one of the most popular Traditions associated with the celebration
• Kaunas Textile Art Biennial (next from November 2007 until March 2008)

Notable residents

• Valdas Adamkus ^[7],Aharon Amir, Donatas Banionis (*1924), Aharon Barak, Antanas Baranauskas, Marija Gimbutas, Emma Goldman, Juozas Grušas, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas, Tadas Ivanauskas, Valdas Ivanauskas, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Romas Kalanta, Linas Kleiza, Vytautas Landsbergis, Emmanuel Levinas (philosopher), George Maciunas, Maironis, Abraham Mapu, Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Adam Mickiewicz, Hermann Minkowski, Oscar Minkowski, Vlado Perlemuter (pianist), Michał Pius Römer (lawyer, judge), Arvydas Sabonis, Mykolas Sleževičius, Jonas Vileišis, Vytautas Šliumba (Former Soaring Champion), Vytautas Žalakevičius, L. L. Zamenhof (inventor of Esperanto language)

Trivia

• Two of the country's three funiculars are located in Kaunas. Valdas Adamkus, born Voldemaras Adamkavičius on November 3 1926 is the current President of the Republic of Lithuania. Aharon Amir (אהרן אמיר January 5, 1923 in Kaunas, Lithuania - February 28, 2008 in Tzrifin) was an Donatas Banionis (born April 28, 1924 in Kaunas, Lithuania) is a Lithuanian actor popular in the Soviet Union. Aharon Barak (אהרֹן ברק birth name Arik Brick, born September 16, 1936) is a professor of law at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya and a lecturer Antanas Baranauskas (Antonius Baranovski Antoni Baranowski () ( January 17, 1835, Anykščiai - Marija Gimbutas ( Marija Gimbutienė) ( Vilnius, January 23, 1921 – Los Angeles, United States February 2 Emma Goldman (June 27 1869 – May 14 1940 was an anarchist known for her political activism writing and speeches Juozas Grušas ( November 16, 1901 in Žadžiūnai-Kalniškiai (near Šiauliai) - May 21, 1986 in Kaunas) was a Lithuanian Žydrūnas Ilgauskas ( ZHEE-drew-nus ill-GAUS-kus and he weighs 260 pounds Tadas Ivanauskas ( December 16 1882 – June 1 1971) was a famous Lithuanian Zoologist and Biologist, and one Valdas Ivanauskas (born July 31, 1966 in Kaunas) is the former Head Coach of Hearts football club and a former football Šarūnas Jasikevičius ( born on March 5, 1976 in Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR) is a Lithuanian Romas Kalanta ( February 22 1953 - May 14, 1972) was a Lithuanian political victim known for his Linas Kleiza (pronounced as ˈlinɐs ˈklæizɐ (born January 3 1985) is a Lithuanian professional Basketball player in the NBA for Professor Vytautas Landsbergis (born October 18, 1932) is a Lithuanian conservative Politician and Member of the George Maciunas ( Jurgis Mačiūnas, pronounced ma-chew-nas; born Kaunas, Lithuania, November 8, 1931; died May 9 Maironis (born Jonas Mačiulis November 2, 1862 &ndash June 28, 1932) is one of the most famous Lithuanian romantic Abraham Mapu (1808 Slobodka, Kaunas – 1867 Königsberg, Prussia was a Lithuanian born Hebrew Novelist of the Haskalah Raimondas Šarūnas Marčiulionis ( (born June 13, 1964 in Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR) is a retired Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (pronounced ] in Belarusian, Адам Міцкевіч; in Lithuanian, Adomas Bernardas Mickevičius; December Hermann Minkowski ( June 22 1864 – January 12 1909) was a Russian born German Mathematician, of Jewish Oskar Minkowski ( January 13 1858, Kaunas, Lithuania - July 18 1931, Sanatorium Fürstenburg an der Havel Mecklenburg-Strelitz Vlado Perlemuter ( May 26, 1904 &ndash September 4, 2002) was a French pianist from a Polish Jewish family born in Mykolas Romeris plaque in Vilniusjpg|thumb|280px|Plaque in memory of Mykolas Romeris on the house in Vilnius where he lived]] Michał Pius Römer, later used the Lithuanian form Mykolas Arvydas Romas Sabonis (born on December 19th, 1964 in Kaunas, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR) is a retired Mykolas Sleževičius (born February 21, 1882 in Drembliai near Raseiniai; died November 11, 1939 in Kaunas) was a Jonas Vileišis ( January 3 1872 – June 1 1942) was a Lithuanian lawyer politician and diplomat. Vytautas Žalakevičius (born on April 14 1930 in Kaunas, Lithuania; died on November 12 1996 in Vilnius, Lithuania Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof (ˈzɑːmɨnhɒf in English born Eliezer Samenhof December 15 1859 &ndash April 14 1917 was an ophthalmologist, Philologist is by far the most widely spoken constructed International auxiliary language in the world A funicular, also known as a funicular railway, incline, inclined railway, inclined plane, or cliff railway, is a type of self-contained
• The main pedestrian street in the city, Laisvės alėja (Liberty Avenue), is one of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe. Car-free zones (also known as auto-free zones and pedestrian zones) are areas of a city or town in which automobile traffic is prohibited Laisvės Alėja (literary Liberty Boulevard or Liberty Avenue) is a prominent Pedestrian street in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania.
• National hero Romas Kalanta committed self-immolation in Kaunas in protest against the Soviet occupation of Lithuania. A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and Romas Kalanta ( February 22 1953 - May 14, 1972) was a Lithuanian political victim known for his This is an article on the ritualistic suicide practice For the record company see Self Immolation. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. Belligerent military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army.
• Emma Goldman, the celebrated proponent of anarchism, was born in Kaunas. Emma Goldman (June 27 1869 – May 14 1940 was an anarchist known for her political activism writing and speeches Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i
• It is a sister city of Los Angeles. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West
• Sugihara Street commemorates the Japanese consul who issued thousands of exit visas to Lithuanian and Polish Jews during his World War II service in Kaunas. Early life Chiune Sugihara was born January 1, 1900, in Yaotsu, a rural area in Gifu Prefecture of the Chūbu region in For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. His home in Kaunas is now a museum.
• Is the hometown of fictional serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Origin and development Thomas Harris has given few interviews and has never explained where he got inspiration for Hannibal Lecter but in a documentary for Hannibal Rising

See also

• Temporary capital of Lithuania
• Kaunas Ghetto

Footnotes and references

Notes

This article incorporates text from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and has been released under the GFDL. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a national institution located adjacent to The National Mall in Washington D The GNU Free Documentation License ( GNU FDL or simply GFDL) is a Copyleft License for free documentation designed by the Free Software

External links

• Website of Kaunas city
• Kaunas Web Page by Jose Gutstein
• Kaunas tour overview
• Kaunas In Your Pocket City Guide (also a downloadable PDF guide)
• The city of Kaunas
• A short description of Kaunas
• Historic images of Kaunas
• Kaunas International Airport
• Kovno site and Kovno stories links by Eilat Gordin Levitan
• Museums in Kaunas
• The Kaunas Jazz festival
• Kaunas Textile Art Biennial
• Kauno mozaika - the project of urban photography
• Public transportation in Kaunas (omnibuses, trolleybuses)
• Tourist Information Centre of Kaunas region
• Satellite picture by Google Maps
• Kaunas Travel Guide (tips about Kaunas)
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Kovno

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