Lighting the historic Church of St. Michael the Archangel, Kaunas

Starting on June 28th at 11:00 PM, the residents and visitors of Kaunas will be delighted by the new, permanent illumination system for Kaunas St. Michael the Archangel Church. The project was initiated and funded by the charity foundation Devbridge Foundation and implemented by the partner Energy Green.

"Over the last five years, Kaunas has illuminated most of the city's churches. They have become visible from afar and during the night. We are pleased that this city initiative has been continued by private business, investing in a more beautiful and welcoming environment. The municipality took care of the Sobor's facade restoration, and now it will be beautifully illuminated," said Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijošaitis.

The IT services company Devbridge was acquired by Cognizant in 2021. The eight founders of the company established Devbridge Foundation in 2023 wishing to continue their mission, donating 8 million EUR to the organization's starting capital. The illumination of Kaunas St. Michael the Archangel Church is the first project of the charity foundation.

"One of the goals of our foundation is to preserve and promote Lithuanian culture and unite Lithuanians worldwide, so it is no coincidence that we chose the start of this project – we want to give the Dainu Svente guests an opportunity to see Kaunas in a different light. We believe that only by knowing our origins can we create a brighter future," said Aurimas Adomavičius, president of the Devbridge Foundation charity foundation.

The Devbridge Foundation aims to help foster and inspire the next generation of leaders through its activities, focusing on promoting entrepreneurship, increasing knowledge accessibility, and economic growth. One of the foundation's goals is to bring together the Lithuanian community worldwide and help companies and entrepreneurial networks meet future leaders.

One of the symbols of Kaunas – Kaunas St. Michael the Archangel (Garrison) Church – still called the Sobor by Kaunas residents, began construction in June 1891 and was completed in 1895. The project author of the sanctuary was military engineer Lieutenant Colonel Konstantin Limarenko, with revisions by academician D. Grimas. During the Soviet era, the church was closed and ravaged in 1962. On September 17, 1991, the sanctuary was returned, the crosses were raised again on its domes, and in 1996 it was designated for the needs of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Kaunas Garrison and became the Kaunas Garrison Church. The illumination of Kaunas St. Michael the Archangel Church will be turned on every evening along with the city lighting.