This thesis explores the role of ecclesiastical architecture in the reconstruction of post-Soviet identity within Visaginas, a Lithuanian nuclear monotown originally designed without religious infrastructure. It is focused on the three case studies—St. Paul Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist, and St. Martyr Panteleimono Orthodox Church, portraying them as tools of cultural and spiritual revival as a contradiction to Soviet-imposed atheism. The investigation in this paper attempts to answer the question: “How do the ecclesiastical Churches in Visaginas uncover the post-Soviet religious revival and identity reconstruction?”. It aims to shed light on the various approaches of the case studies to reclaim spiritual and cultural identity. Beyond the physicality of the buildings - from the adaptive reuse of Soviet infrastructure to symbolic architectural expression, the writing offers the conceptual lens of comparison based on the power dynamics included in the development processes. The study investigates the influence of the power dynamics in the formation of these case studies, following either a top-down, institutionalized model or exemplifying bottom-up community-driven adaptation.
Ultimately, both movements use different language and approach to illustrate the same action - the gradual reclamation of space and identity in the new post-Soviet context through survival and transformation, navigating the tension between visibility and acceptance.