ABSTRACT

The Soviet occupation of Lithuania during the years of 1945–90 coincided with rapid industrialization of the country, and social shifts toward urbanization. During this period, Lithuania’s agrarian society, like in many other eastern European countries, was transformed into an industrial society. The architectural inheritance of buildings throughout Lithuania were thus constructed during the second half of the 20th century. For the people of Lithuania, the buildings serve as an enduring legacy of the Soviet regime. However, the cities and buildings that compose the urban environment were designed by local architects and planners, and were constructed by local builders. Furthermore, these cities and buildings are used within the contemporary society thereby slowly recasting the associative meanings. To understand the multiple relationships between the post-colonial society with built environment designed and constructed during different times we must first understand and distinguish different generations and cultural groups that share a common heritage.

In this chapter the radical transition the people of Lithuania underwent from an independent agrarian culture to an industrial society under the Soviet Union will be detailed in terms of Lithuania’s cities and the building designs that define those cities. Discussions center on the relationships between local designers and builders who functioned under the general tenets of the Soviet Union, and the evolving cultural norms derived from new generations bringing new thoughts and ideas to pass.