Preserving Authenticity
Work on the barracks at the rear of the IV Fort began this June according to the prepared facade restoration project. It includes solutions for eliminating emergency threats, conservation, restoration, and repair.
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When restoring the historic building, much attention is paid to its authenticity – aiming to preserve valuable features and historical structures.
“Forts are a living history of our city. When we found them overgrown and neglected, we decided to revive them and open them to the public. It is important to us that they are not just old buildings to be viewed from afar. These are excellent places for education, activities for children and youth, events, and live history experiences,” emphasized Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijošaitis.
The project aims to stabilize the building’s condition and stop further deterioration, repair masonry, concrete, and stone surfaces, parapets, the plinth, and other facade elements.
Based on historical materials, authentic windows and doors are being restored, and new floors are being installed inside. Moisture impact and water drainage issues that could negatively affect the building’s condition are also being addressed.
Demolition Works Underway
The first preparatory and demolition works have already been completed. Old floors in the barracks have been dismantled, and the area is being prepared for new flooring. Thresholds are planned to be removed, making the rooms accessible to visitors with different needs.
The building’s exterior is also being restored.
After removing soil from the side facades, concrete water drainage channels were exposed. Their condition was assessed, revealing that some are detached from the facades and cracked.
A trench was also dug to assess the foundations – it was found that their condition is good. The foundations are built from fieldstones and covered with a thick layer of clay.
A New Space for Culture
The renovated barracks will be adapted for cultural and educational activities. Spaces are planned for exhibitions about fortifications and their development – from ancient hillforts to World War I and modern fortifications, for exhibitions, and the fort area will be used for festivals, education, and other events.
To make the historic site interesting for modern visitors, there are plans to organize augmented reality walks in the future. Such tools would help present the fort’s history interactively and provide more opportunities to explore its territory.
Overgrown by Vegetation
“Just a few years ago, the IV Fort was almost inaccessible – the area was overgrown with vegetation, the drainage system was not working, and some buildings were in emergency condition. After establishing the public institution ‘Kaunas Fortress Park,’ the fort has received consistent attention.
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Now the area is being restored, valuable elements are being recovered, and emergency threats are being removed. Surrounded by growing urban areas, the IV Fort will become a vibrant cultural space for the local community and city visitors in the future,” said Egidijus Bagdonas, director of the public institution “Kaunas Fortress Park.”
The barracks restoration work is carried out by UAB “Ekodora.” The contract value exceeds 413.8 thousand euros.
If everything goes according to plan, the contract stipulates that the work must be completed by July 2027.
Other ongoing fort restoration and maintenance works are carried out by the municipal institution VŠĮ “Kaunas Fortress Park,” funded by the “Initiative for Kaunas” program.
Part of an International Project
The restoration of the IV Fort barracks is part of the project “FORT-UNION – Integration of the Polish and Lithuanian Fortification Network for the Development of Representative Tourism Products,” implemented under the 2021–2027 INTERREG VI-A Lithuania-Poland cooperation program.
FORT-UNION aims to strengthen the joint use of Lithuanian and Polish fortification heritage for tourism by creating new visitor offers and highlighting the shared historical and cultural legacy of both countries. The project is implemented together with partners in Lithuania and Poland, and its idea is based on connecting different fortification sites, experiences, and historical resources into a common tourism network.
The border region of both countries is rich in World War I fortifications, but their tourism potential is not yet fully utilized. Therefore, the project aims not only to restore and preserve individual heritage sites but also to integrate them into a broader common tourism context, enhance their visibility, and create new visitor offers.
In this context, the IV Fort of Kaunas Fortress will become one of the new places to visit. The restored spaces will provide conditions to better present the history of fortifications, organize exhibitions, educational activities, and cultural events, thus enhancing the attractiveness of Kaunas Fortress as a cultural tourism site.
The project “FORT-UNION – Integration of the Polish and Lithuanian Fortification Network for the Development of Representative Tourism Products” (FORT-UNION No. LTPL00354) is implemented under the 2021–2027 INTERREG VI-A Lithuania-Poland cooperation program. The start date is June 1, 2025, and the end date is May 31, 2028.
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The project is implemented together with partners in Lithuania and Poland.
