A man living in the Kaunas district has built a church out of snow and ice in his backyard in less than a week, saying the unusual project is good for both body and mind.
Vytis Lasys said the church is not his first snow structure. In previous winters, he has created a mythical creature and even a teapot with a hotel made of snow. This winter, as snowfall began, he said he felt it was time to build a church.
“There was a very interesting moment with the cross – when I raised it, it immediately started snowing,” Lasys said. “It was such a beautiful coincidence, as if I were doing everything right.”
Inside the church, visitors can warm up with hot tea in a small priest’s room, ring a bell and sit quietly on animal skins – provided they are dressed warmly.
“This is the main place for services. You can come here to meditate and simply be,” Lasys said.
Construction took less than a week. Lasys said that when he works with snow, he loses track of time, sometimes building for up to nine hours straight while experimenting with new techniques.
“At the same time, it’s also exercise,” he said. “I bought a gym membership, but I haven’t gone even once, because I get my workout here, and coming back home afterward feels so good.”
Lasys said the church is his way of giving thanks for the past year – for the help he has received raising his son with a disability, as well as for his health, work and travels. He said concern over the situation in Lithuania and the wider region also inspired the project.
“Ukraine has been at war for years. Everywhere you look, the world is living in a wartime mood, and it feels like you have to do what you can yourself,” Lasys said, adding that he joined the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union this year.
Weather forecasts are currently favourable for the builder, with plenty of snow and freezing temperatures. Lasys said he is already considering building another snow structure in his yard.
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