the old buildings of the bank of
TRANSCRIPT
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.