The Nemunas and the Neris divide Kaunas into three large territories, which have undergone different developments in the course of history. Once upon a time, the boundary of the river (s) in Kaunas marked not only the city limits but also the borders of different states, as well as ethnic and cultural boundaries. The city grew, expanded, and interconnected, but the rivers continued to flow.

Today we are connected by bridges and infrastructure nodes, and we usually no longer think of the river as a historical boundary separating (or connecting) opposite banks. However, on a smaller scale, we can recognize the differences between the city’s shores: geographical circumstances, urban conglomerates, as well as individual Kaunas communities and the relationship they create with rivers testify to unique experiences in the city. What is the river in Šančiai, and what is it like in Aleksotas or Vilijampolė? How do these neighborhoods think about the river and themselves (the communities) by the river? What scenarios do the rivers and their banks undergo tomorrow, and what only in the distant future?

Photos by Rasa Chmieliauskaitė