Elektrėnai, Elektrėnai Municipality
Elektrėnai Municipality
modern parish church
Atgimimo a. 1, Elektrėnai
54.78200, 24.68100
30-45 minutes
year-round; the interior is best experienced during services or organ concerts
Elektrėnai Church
Elektrėnai Church: A Modern City Symbol
The church stands on Atgimimo Square in the centre of Elektrėnai. It is a large modern sanctuary and the main symbol of this Soviet-era energy-workers' town; its mass and two towers dominate the standard apartment-block skyline.
It is also one of the most striking examples of late twentieth-century modern Lithuanian sacred architecture, begun at the end of the Soviet period and completed in restored independent Lithuania.
Construction from Sąjūdis to 1996
The idea of building a church in Elektrėnai matured in the mid-1980s, and the Sąjūdis movement in 1988 accelerated community organization. The parish was founded on 15 January 1990, and on 30 June 1990 Bishop Juozas Matulaitis blessed the cornerstone.
The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on 31 March 1996, and the sanctuary was consecrated on 28 July 1996 by the apostolic nuncio. This is a new 1990-1996 building, not an interwar or earlier church; it belongs to Kaišiadorys Diocese and is a deanery centre.
Architecture and Symbolism
The church was designed by architect Henrikas Kęstutis Šilgalis (1944-2007). It is a massive modern reinforced-concrete building with two towers; the central cross rises to 50 m.
The main facade is shaped by a semicircular portal with crosses and openwork cross forms. The number of columns has symbolic meaning linked with centuries of Christianity in Lithuania. The structure was technically distinctive in Lithuania for its time, built by specialists used to heavy energy-sector construction. In 1997 a hurricane toppled two towers; they were rebuilt in 1998, finally completed in 2004, and the facade was renewed in 2016.
Art, Organ, and Sculpture Park
Important Lithuanian artists shaped the interior: Stanislovas Kuzma created the apse Risen Christ (1996) and Virgin Mary figures, Mindaugas Šnipas made the altar and doors, and Nijolė Vilutytė created the Stations of the Cross and stained glass. A St John Paul II chapel was installed in 2015.
A large organ by Laimis Pikutis was installed in 2007 and is regarded as the largest in Kaišiadorys Diocese. A stone sculpture park was opened by the church in 2010, including a composition for villages submerged during the creation of Elektrėnai Reservoir.
How to Visit
The church is convenient on the Vilnius-Kaunas route, because Elektrėnai lies roughly midway. For the church and sculpture park, 30-45 minutes is usually enough: look at the portal, step inside, and notice the artists' works.
It is an active parish church, so entry is generally free. Check the official parish page for current service and visiting times, especially if you hope to hear the organ.
