Vilnius ' onMouseout='HidePop("91557")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/City">city
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement, particularly a large urban settlement. Although there is no agreement on technical definitions distinguishing a city from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status...
and the capital of
LithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of...
, with a population of 555,613 (847,954 together with Vilnius County) as of 2008. It is the seat of the
Vilnius city municipalityThe Vilnius city municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It is in the southeastern part of country, in Vilnius County and consists of the city of Vilnius, the town of Grigiškės and some rural areas.- History :...
and of the
Vilnius district municipalityVilnius district municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It surrounds the capital on 3 sides, and the Trakai district municipality touches it on one....
. It is also the capital of
Vilnius CountyVilnius County is the largest of the 10 counties of Lithuania, located in the east of the country around the city Vilnius.-History:Until the Partitions of Poland in late 18th century the area belonged to the Vilnius Voivodship and Trakai Voivodship of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...
. Currently Vilnius is the
European Capital of Culture of 2009The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its cultural life and cultural development. A number of European cities have used the City of Culture year to transform their cultural base and,...
together with Linz, Austria. Vilnius is celebrated as having served as a major center of Torah study in Europe, where such scholars as the
Vilna GaonElijah ben Shlomo Zalman, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym Gra , , was an exceptional Talmudist, Halachist, Kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic world Jewry of the past few centuries...
and Rabbi
Chaim Ozer GrodzinskiRabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski was a world renowned pre-war Dayan, Posek and Talmudic scholar in Vilna.-Early years:Rabbi Grodzinski was born in 1863 in Iuje, Belarus, a small town near Vilna where his father served as Rabbi for forty years, preceded by his grandfather who had also been a Rabbi there...
learned and taught.
Etymology and other names
The name of the city originated from the
Vilnia RiverVilnia is a river in Lithuania. Its source is near the village Vindžiūnai, 5 km south of Šumskas, at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. Vilnia is 82 km long and its basin covers 624 sq. km...
. The city has also been known by many derivate spellings in various languages throughout its history. The most notable non-Lithuanian names for the city include: , , , , , , . An older
RussianRussian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe...
name is Вильна / Вильно (
Vilna/Vilno), although Вильнюс (
Vil'njus) is now used. The names
Wilno and
Vilna have also been used in older
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
and
French languageFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
publications. The name
Vilna is still used in Finnish, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew, and Yiddish.
The city elderates have also names in other languages.
Early history
Historian Romas Batūra identifies the city with
VorutaVoruta may have been the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Lithuania during the reign of king Mindaugas in the 13th century. The exact location of Voruta is unknown and there are many contradictory theories about it...
, one of the castles of
MindaugasMindaugas was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania and the only King of Lithuania. Little is known of his origins, early life, or rise to power; he is mentioned in a 1219 treaty as an elder duke, and in 1236 as the leader of all the Lithuanians...
, crowned in 1253 as
King of LithuaniaKing of Lithuania, the title of rulers of Lithuanian state recognised by the Pope. The first of them was King Mindaugas who founded the Christian Kingdom of Lithuania; his successors, however, were known as Grand Dukes, as Lithuania reverted to paganism until the end of 14th century...
. The city was first mentioned in written sources in 1323, when the
Letters of Grand Duke GediminasThere are 6 surviving transcripts of letters of Gediminas written in 1323–1324 by Grand Duke Gediminas. These letters are one of the first surviving documents from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Since they were sent to the Western Europe, the pope, merchants, and craftspeople, they were written in...
were sent to German cities inviting Germans and members of the Jewish community to settle in the capital city, as well as to
Pope John XXIIPope John XXII , born Jacques Duèze , was pope from 1316 to 1334. He was the second Pope of the Avignon Papacy , elected by a conclave in Lyon assembled by Philip V of France...
. These letters contain the first unambiguous reference to Vilnius as the capital;
Old Trakai CastleSenieji Trakai Castle was a castle in Senieji Trakai in Lithuania.The first enclosure type brick castle was built by Grand Duke Gediminas, who transferred the capital of Lithuania from Kernavė to Trakai before 1321...
had been the earlier base for the
Grand Duchy of LithuaniaThe Grand Duchy of Lithuania was an Eastern and Central European state from the 12th /13th century until 1795. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the pagan Baltic tribes from Aukštaitija...
. According to legend, Gediminas dreamt of an iron wolf howling on a hilltop and consulted a pagan priest for its interpretation. He was told: "What is destined for the ruler and the State of Lithuania, is thus: the Iron Wolf represents a castle and a city which will be established by you on this site. This city will be the capital of the Lithuanian lands and the dwelling of their rulers, and the glory of their deeds shall echo throughout the world". The location offered practical advantages: it lay within the Lithuanian heartland at the confluence of two navigable rivers, surrounded by forests and wetlands that were difficult to penetrate. The duchy had been subject to intrusions by the
Teutonic KnightsThe Order of the Teutonic Knights of St. Mary's Hospital in Jerusalem , or for short the Teutonic Order , is a German Roman Catholic religious order. It was formed to aid Catholics on their pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to establish hospitals to care for the sick and injured...
.
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Gediminas expanded the Grand Duchy through warfare along with strategic alliances and marriages. At its height it covered the territory of modern-day Lithuania,
BelarusBelarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel , Mahilyow and Vitebsk...
,
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
,
TransnistriaTransnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester or Transdniestria is a disputed region in Eastern Europe, located mostly in a strip between the Dniester River and Ukraine...
, and portions of modern-day
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. His grandchildren
Vytautas the GreatVytautas , c. 1350 October 27, 1430), styled "the Great" from the 15th c. onwards, was one of the most famous rulers of medieval Lithuania...
and
JogailaJogaila, later ' , was Grand Duke of Lithuania and later King of Poland. He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle, Kęstutis. In 1386, he converted to Christianity, was baptized as Władysław, married the young Queen Jadwiga of Poland, inducted into the Order of the Dragon and was...
, however, fought civil wars. During the
Lithuanian Civil War of 1389–1392The Lithuanian Civil War of 1389–1392 was the second civil conflict between Jogaila, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his cousin Vytautas the Great. At issue was control of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, then the largest state in Europe. Jogaila had been crowned King of Poland in...
, Vytautas besieged and razed the city in an attempt to wrest control from Jogaila. The two later settled their differences; after a series of treaties culminating in the 1569
Union of LublinThe Union of Lublin replaced the personal union of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a real union and an elective monarchy, since Sigismund II Augustus, the last of the Jagiellons, remained childless after three marriages...
, the
Polish-Lithuanian CommonwealthThe Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was formed by the union of the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1569. The new Commonwealth was one of the largest and most populous countries of 16th and 17th-century Europe....
was formed. The rulers of this federation held either or both of two titles: Grand Duke of Lithuania or King of Poland. In 1387, Jogaila granted
Magdeburg rightsMagdeburg Rights or Magdeburg Law were a set of German town laws regulating the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages granted with it by a local ruler. Modelled and named after the laws of Magdeburg developed during many centuries of the Holy Roman Empire, it was possibly the most...
to the city.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The city underwent a period of expansion. The
Vilnius city wallthumb|Vilnius city wall in the 16th c.The Vilnius city wall was built between 1503 and 1522. It was a key element of the defensive system of Vilnius, and was paid for by the city's landowners. The wall is built from stone and brick...
s were built for protection between 1503 and 1522, comprising nine
city gateA city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. Other terms include port.-Uses:City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a city for people, vehicles, goods and animals...
s and three towers, and
Sigismund AugustSigismund II Augustus I was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the only son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548...
moved his court there in 1544. Its growth was due in part to the establishment of
Almae Academia et Universitas Vilnensis Societatis JesuVilnius University , is one of the oldest universities in both the Baltic states and Europe...
by King
Stefan BathoryStephen Báthory was a Hungarian noble Prince of Transylvania , then King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania . He was a member of the Somlyo branch of the noble Hungarian Báthory family...
in 1579. The university soon developed into one of the most important scientific and cultural centres of the region and the most notable scientific centre of the Commonwealth. During its rapid development, the city was open to migrants from the territories of the Grand Duchy and further. A variety of languages were spoken:
LithuanianLithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
,
PolishPolish is a West Slavic language and the official language of Poland. Its written standard is the Polish alphabet which corresponds basically to the Latin alphabet with a few additions...
,
RuthenianRuthenian is a term used for the varieties of Eastern Slavonic spoken in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and later in the East Slavic territories of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth....
,
RussianRussian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe...
,
Old SlavonicOld Slavonic may refer to:*Old Church Slavonic language*Common Slavonic language...
,
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
,
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
,
YiddishYiddish is a non-territorial High German language of Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world...
,
HebrewHebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Culturally, it is considered a Jewish language. Hebrew in its modern form is spoken by more than seven million people in Israel while Classical Hebrew has been used for prayer or study in Jewish communities around the world for over...
and
TurkicThe Turkic languages constitute a language family of some thirty languages, spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to Siberia and Western China, and are considered to be part of the proposed Altaic language family.Turkic languages are spoken by some...
; the city was compared to
BabylonBabylon was a city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
. Each group made its unique contribution to the life of the city, and crafts, trade, and science prospered.
The 17th century brought a number of setbacks. The Commonwealth was involved in a series of wars, collectively known as The Deluge. During the
Russo-Polish War (1654–1667)The Russo-Polish War of 1654–1667, also called the War for Ukraine, was the last major conflict between Tsardom of Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...
, Vilnius was occupied by Russia and Saxon forces; it was pillaged and burned, and its population was massacred. During the
Great Northern WarThe Great Northern War was a war in which the so-called Northern Alliance composed of Russia, Denmark-Norway, Poland-Lithuania and Saxony engaged Sweden for the supremacy in the Baltic Sea. The war ended with a defeat for Sweden in 1721, leaving Russia as the new major power in the Baltic Sea and...
it was looted by the Swedish army. An outbreak of
bubonic plaguePlague is a deadly infectious disease caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis . Plague is a zoonotic, primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas. Plague is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death and devastation it brought...
in 1710 killed about 35,000 residents; devastating fires occurred in 1715, 1737, 1741, 1748, and 1749. The city's growth lost its momentum for many years, but the population rebounded, and by the beginning of the 19th century its population reached 20,000, making the city one of the largest in Northern Europe.
In Russian Empire
The fortunes of the Commonwealth declined during the 18th century.
Three partitionsThe Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The partitions were carried out by Prussia, Russia and Habsburg Austria dividing up the Commonwealth lands...
took place, dividing its territory among the
Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, the Habsburg Empire, and the
Kingdom of PrussiaThe Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918, until the defeat of Germany in World War I, was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising almost two-thirds of the area of the empire...
. After the
third partitionThe Third Partition of Poland or Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in 1795 as the third and last of three partitions that ended the existence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.-Background:...
of April 1795, Vilnius was annexed by the Russian Empire and became the capital of the
Vilna GovernorateThe Vilnius Governorate or Government of Vilna was a governorate of the Russian Empire created after the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795...
. During Russian rule, the city walls were destroyed, and, by 1805, only the
Gate of DawnThe Gate of Dawn was built between 1503 and 1522 as a part of defensive fortifications for the city of Vilnius, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The name-sake for the gate was the borough of Ostry Koniec to which the gate initially led. It has also been known as the Medininkai...
remained. In 1812, the city was taken by
NapoleonNapoleon Bonaparte later known as Napoleon I, and previously Napoleone di Buonaparte, was a military and political leader of France whose actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century.Born in Corsica and trained as an artillery officer in mainland France, Bonaparte rose to prominence...
on his push towards Moscow, and again during the disastrous retreat. The Grand Armee was welcomed in Vilnius, since its inhabitants expected Tsar Alexander I to grant the country autonomy in response to Napoleon's promises to restore the Commonwealth. Thousands of soldiers died in the city during the retreat; the mass graves were uncovered in 2002.
Following the
November UprisingThe November Uprising —also known as the Cadet Revolution—was an armed rebellion against the rule of the Russian Empire in Poland and Lithuania. The uprising began on November 29, 1830 in Warsaw when a group of young non-commissioned officer conspirators from the Imperial Russian Army's...
in 1831,
Vilnius UniversityVilnius University , is one of the oldest universities in both the Baltic states and Europe...
was closed and Russian repressions halted the further development of the city. During the
January UprisingThe January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
in 1863, heavy fighting occurred within the city, but was brutally
pacifiedPacification may refer to:Mass killing of civilians and the suppression of resistance*Pacification operations in German-occupied Poland, the use of German military force to suppress Polish resistance during World War II...
by
Mikhail MuravyovMikhail Nikolayevich Muravyov may refer to:*Count Mikhail Nikolayevich Muravyov-Vilensky , known for his suppression of the Polish-Lithuanian January Uprising of 1863...
, nicknamed
The Hangman by the population because of the number of executions he organized. After the uprising, all civil liberties were withdrawn, and use of the
PolishPolish is a West Slavic language and the official language of Poland. Its written standard is the Polish alphabet which corresponds basically to the Latin alphabet with a few additions...
and
LithuanianLithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
languages were banned. Vilnius had a vibrant Jewish population: according to Russian census of 1897, out of the total population of 154,500, Jews constituted 64,000 (so around 41% percent). During the early 20th century, the Lithuanian-speaking population of VIlnius constituted only a small minority, with Polish, Yiddish, and
BelarusianThe Belarusian language, or Belorussian is the language of the Belarusian people and is spoken in Belarus and abroad, chiefly in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland...
speakers comprising the majority of the city's population.
In Poland
During
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, Vilnius — as with the rest of Lithuania — was occupied by the
German EmpireThe German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871 to 1918, when it became a German republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of Wilhelm II .The term Second Reich...
from 1915 until 1918. The
Act of Independence of LithuaniaThe Act of Independence of Lithuania or Act of February 16 was signed by the Council of Lithuania on February 16, 1918, proclaiming the restoration of an independent State of Lithuania, governed by democratic principles, with Vilnius as its capital. The Act was signed by all twenty...
, declaring Lithuanian independence from any affiliation to any other nation, was issued in the city on February 16, 1918. After the withdrawal of German forces, the city came under a control of the
Polish self-defence unitsLithuanian and Belarusian Self-Defence was a voluntary military formation composed primarily of Poles that was created in the aftermath of First World War during the formation of Second Polish Republic in the Kresy Polish-Russian borderlands....
which were forced to retreat by advancing Russian forces. Vilnius changed hands again during the
Polish-Soviet WarThe Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine against the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic, four states in post-World War I Europe. The war was the result of the belligerents' desire to expand their territories and their influence...
and Lithuanian Wars of Independence: it was
retakenThe Vilna offensive was a campaign of the Polish-Soviet War of 1919–1921. The Polish army launched an offensive on April 16, 1919, to take Vilnius from the Red Army. After three days of street fighting from April 19–21, the city was captured by Polish forces, causing the Red Army to...
by the Polish Army, only to fall to the Soviet forces again. Shortly after its defeat in the
battle of WarsawThe Battle of Warsaw was the decisive battle of the Polish–Soviet War, which began soon after the end of World War I in 1918 and lasted until the Treaty of Riga .The battle was fought from August 12–25, 1920 as Red Army forces commanded by Mikhail Tukhachevsky approached the Polish...
, the retreating
Red ArmyThe Red Army The Red Army The Red Army was the Soviet government’s revolutionary militia beginning in the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the USSR. Since 1946, after the Second World War, it was called the Soviet Army.The 'Red...
, in order to delay the Polish advance, ceded the city back to officially neutral
LithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of...
after signing a peace treaty on July 12, 1920.
Poland and Lithuania both perceived the city as their own. The
League of NationsThe League of Nations was an inter-governmental organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920. At its greatest extent from 28 September 1934 to 23 February 1935, it had 58 members...
became involved in the subsequent dispute between the two countries. The League-brokered the Suwałki Agreement of October 7, 1920, while it did not specifically mention Vilnius, was widely interpreted as granting the city to Lithuania, although Polish historians have raised objections to this. On October 9, the Polish Army under General
Lucjan ŻeligowskiLucjan Żeligowski , was a Polish general, and veteran of World War I, the Polish-Soviet War and World War II. He is mostly remembered for his role in Żeligowski's Mutiny and as head of a short-lived Republic of Central Lithuania.-Biography:...
seized Vilnius in the course of a
staged "mutiny" of the Polish ArmyŻeligowski's Mutiny was a sham mutiny led by Polish General Lucjan Żeligowski in October 1920, which resulted in the creation of the short-lived Republic of Central Lithuania. Polish Chief of State Józef Piłsudski had surreptitiously ordered Żeligowski to carry out the operation, and revealed the...
. The city and its surroundings were designated as a separate state, called the
Republic of Central LithuaniaThe Republic of Central Lithuania or Middle Lithuania , or simply Central Lithuania , was a short-lived political entity which did not gain international recognition. It was created in 1920 following the staged rebellion of soldiers of the 1st Lithuanian-Belarusian Infantry Division of the Polish...
. On February 20, 1922 after the highly contested election in Central Lithuania, the entire area was annexed by Poland, with the city becoming the capital of the Wilno Voivodship (Wilno being the name of Vilnius in
PolishPolish is a West Slavic language and the official language of Poland. Its written standard is the Polish alphabet which corresponds basically to the Latin alphabet with a few additions...
).
KaunasKaunas Kaunas Kaunas and Vilnius-Klaipėda (A1)...
became the
temporary capital of LithuaniaTemporary capital or Provisional/Interim capital was the official designation of the city of Kaunas in Lithuania during the interwar period.-Vilnius:...
. The predominant languages of the city were still
PolishPolish is a West Slavic language and the official language of Poland. Its written standard is the Polish alphabet which corresponds basically to the Latin alphabet with a few additions...
and, to a lesser extent,
YiddishYiddish is a non-territorial High German language of Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world...
.
Under Polish rule, the city enjoyed a period of fast development. Vilnius University was reopened under the name Stefan Batory University and the city's
infrastructureInfrastructure can be defined as the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function....
was improved significantly. By 1931, the city had 195,000 inhabitants, making it the fifth largest city in Poland with vibrant industries, such as
ElektritElektrit Radiotechnical Society was the biggest private-run company in interwar Polish Vilnius . With over 1100 workers, the society produced approximately 50 thousand radio receivers yearly. A large part of the production was exported abroad, mostly to Sweden, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia...
, a factory of a popular make of radio receivers.
September 1939 - June 1941
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
began with the German invasion of Poland in September 1939. The secret protocols of the
Molotov-Ribbentrop PactThe Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, colloquially named after the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, was an agreement officially titled the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and signed in...
had partitioned Lithuania and Poland into German and Soviet spheres of interest. On September 19, 1939,
Vilnius was seizedBattle of Wilno was one of the major battles during the Soviet invasion of Poland that accompanied the larger German invasion. During the days of 18-19 September, the Soviet forces approached and took over the major city of Wilno...
by the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
(
which invaded Poland on 17 SeptemberThe 1939 Soviet invasion of Poland was a military operation that started without a formal declaration of war on 17 September 1939, during the early stages of World War II, sixteen days after the beginning of the Nazi German attack on Poland...
). At first, the city was incorporated into the
Byelorussian SSRThe Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union...
, as the city was a center for
BelarusBelarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel , Mahilyow and Vitebsk...
ian culture and politics for over a century. The heads of
Soviet BelarusThe Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union...
moved to the city,
Belarusian LanguageThe Belarusian language, or Belorussian is the language of the Belarusian people and is spoken in Belarus and abroad, chiefly in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland...
schools were opened, as well as a newspaper (
Вiленская праўда - The Wilno Pravda). These actions were tolerated by
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
leaders until it was decided to use Vilnius as one of the pretexts to begin interfering in Lithuanian internal affairs, by issuing an ultimatum on October 10, 1939, and the Lithuanian government accepted the presence of Soviet
military baseA military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations.- Etymology :...
s in various parts of the country. On October 28, 1939, the Red Army withdrew from the city to its suburbs (to
Naujoji VilniaNaujoji Vilnia is a neighborhood in eastern Vilnius, Lithuania situated along the banks of the Vilnia River. It has elderate status.It started as a separate town in the second half of the 19th century when the Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway was built. It grew as a narrow strip along the rails....
) and Vilnius was given over to Lithuania. A Lithuanian Army parade took place on October 29, 1939 through the city center. The Lithuanians immediately attempted to
LithuanizeLithuanization is a process of cultural assimilation - adoption, either forced or voluntary, of Lithuanian culture or language, experienced by non-Lithuanian people or groups of people.- History :...
the city, for example by Lithuanizing Polish schools. However, the whole of Lithuania was
annexedAnnexation is the legal incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities...
by the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
in June 1940. A Soviet government was installed with Vilnius as the capital of the newly created
Lithuanian SSRThe Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Lithuanian SSR, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union. It was established after the Soviet Annexation of Lithuania in 1940 and existed until 1990...
. Up to 40,000 of the city's inhabitants were subsequently arrested by the
NKVDThe People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including...
and sent to
gulagThe Gulag or GULAG was the government agency that administered the penal labor camps of the Soviet Union. The term is infamous for its association with remote places where prisoners were kept and sometimes disappeared...
s in the far eastern areas of the Soviet Union. The Soviets devastated city industries, moving the major Polish radio factory
ElektritElektrit Radiotechnical Society was the biggest private-run company in interwar Polish Vilnius . With over 1100 workers, the society produced approximately 50 thousand radio receivers yearly. A large part of the production was exported abroad, mostly to Sweden, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia...
, along with a part of its labor force, to
MinskMinsk is the capital and largest city in Belarus, situated on the Svislach and Niamiha rivers. Minsk is also a headquarters of the Commonwealth of Independent States . As the national capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is also the administrative centre of Minsk...
in
BelarusBelarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel , Mahilyow and Vitebsk...
, where it was renamed the
Vyacheslav MolotovVyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was a Soviet politician and diplomat, a leading figure in the Soviet government from the 1920s, when he rose to power as a protégé of Joseph Stalin, to 1957, when he was dismissed from Presidium of the Central Committee by Nikita Khrushchev...
Radio Factory, after Stalin's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
German Occupation
In June 1941, the Nazis launched
Operation BarbarossaOperation Barbarossa was the code name for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a 2,900 km front...
against the Soviet Union. Vilnius was captured soon afterwards. Two
ghettoOriginally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live, a ghetto is now described as a "portion of a city in which members of a minority group live; especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure." - Etymology :...
s were set up in the
old townThe Old Town of Vilnius , one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe, has an area of 3.59 square kilometres . It encompasses 74 quarters, with 70 streets and lanes numbering 1487 buildings with a total floor area of 1,497,000 square meters...
center for the large Jewish population — the smaller one of which was "liquidated" by October. The larger ghetto lasted until 1943, though its population was regularly deported in what became known as "Aktionen". A failed
ghetto uprisingGhetto uprisings were armed revolts by Jews and other groups incarcerated in German Nazi ghettos during World War II against the plans to deport the inhabitants to concentration and extermination camps....
on September 1, 1943 organized by the
Fareinigte Partizaner OrganizacjeThe Fareynikte Partizaner Organizatsye was a Jewish resistance organization based in the Vilna Ghetto that organized armed resistance against the Nazis during World War II...
(the United Partisan Organization, the first Jewish partisan unit in German-occupied Europe), was followed by the final destruction of the ghetto. During the Holocaust, about 95% of the 265,000-strong Jewish population of Lithuania was murdered by the German units and Lithuanian Nazi collaborators, many of them in
PaneriaiPaneriai is a suburb of Vilnius, situated about 10 kilometres away from the city center. It is the largest elderate in the Vilnius city municipality. It is located on low forested hills, on the Vilnius-Warsaw road...
, about 10 km west of the old town centre (see the
Ponary massacreThe Ponary massacre was the mass-murder of 100,000 people, mostly Jews, by German SD, SS and Lithuanian Nazi Sonderkommando collaborators...
).
Lithuanian SSSR - in Soviet Union
In July 1944, Vilnius was taken from the Germans by the Soviet Army and the Polish
Armia KrajowaThe Armia Krajowa , abbreviated "AK", was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
(see Operation Ostra Brama and the Vilnius Offensive). The
NKVDThe People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including...
arrested the leaders of the
Armia KrajowaThe Armia Krajowa , abbreviated "AK", was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
after requesting a meeting. Shortly afterwards, the town was once again incorporated into the Soviet Union as the capital of the
Lithuanian SSRThe Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Lithuanian SSR, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union. It was established after the Soviet Annexation of Lithuania in 1940 and existed until 1990...
.
The war has irrevocably altered the town - most of the predominantly Polish and Jewish population was either exterminated during the German occupation, or deported to Siberia during the first Soviet occupation. Many of the surviving inhabitants, particularly members of the
intelligentsiaThe intelligentsia is a social class of people engaged in complex mental and creative labor directed to the development and dissemination of culture, encompassing intellectuals and social groups close to them...
were now targeted and deported to Siberia in the beginning of the second Soviet occupation. The majority of the remaining population was compelled to relocate to Communist Poland by 1946, and
SovietizationSovietization is term that may be used with two distinct meanings:*the adoption of a political system based on the model of soviets .*the adoption of a way of life and mentality modelled after the Soviet Union....
began in earnest. Only in the 1960s Vilnius began to grow again, following an influx of rural Lithuanian and Polish population from neighbouring regions and well as from other areas of the Soviet Union (particularly Russians and Belarusians).
MicrodistrictMicrodistrict, or microraion , is a residential complex—a primary structural element of the residential area construction in the Soviet Union and in some post-Soviet states...
s were built in the elderates of
ŠeškinėŠeškinė is a fairly new suburb located in the north of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, built in 1977 as a microdistrict.Šeškinė is a largely residential suburb although it is also home to the Akropolis Supermarket, one of the largest in Eastern Europe. The largest sports facilities in Lithuania,...
,
ŽirmūnaiŽirmūnai is the most populous administrative division in Vilnius. It is also a neighbourhood in the Lithuanian capital city Vilnius, encompassing the city district of the same name, built in the 1960s....
, and
JustiniškėsJustiniškės, located in western edge of Vilnius, is one of the newest districts in the capital of Lithuania. It is also one of the 21 elderates of Vilnius city municipality. It was built mainly between in the 1980s as a microdistrict. Almost all buildings are Soviet-built human habitats.Justiniškės...
.
Independence
On March 11, 1990, the Supreme Council of the Lithuanian SSR announced its secession from the Soviet Union and intention to restore an independent Republic of Lithuania. As a result of these declarations, on January 9, 1991, the Soviet Union sent in troops. This culminated in the January 13 attack on the State Radio and Television Building and the
Vilnius TV TowerThe Vilnius TV Tower is a tower in the Karoliniškės microdistrict of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is the tallest structure in Lithuania, and is occupied by the SC Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre ....
, killing at least fourteen civilians and seriously injuring 700 more. The Soviet Union finally recognised Lithuanian independence in August 1991. The current Constitution, as did the earlier Lithuanian Constitution of 1922, mentions that ..."the capital of the State of Lithuania shall be the city of Vilnius, the long-standing historical capital of Lithuania".
Today
Vilnius has been rapidly transformed, and the town has emerged as a modern European city. Many of its older buildings have been renovated, and a business and commercial area is being developed into the
New City Center, expected to become the city's main administrative and business district on the north side of the
NerisNeris is a river arising in Belarus, flowing through Vilnius and becoming a tributary of the Neman River at Kaunas...
river. This area includes modern residential and retail space, with the
municipalityA municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. A municipality is typically governed by a mayor and a city council or municipal council.The notion of municipality...
building and the 129-metre (423')
Europa TowerThe Europa Tower is the tallest skyscraper in the Baltic States. It is located in a suburb of Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, called Šnipiškės. It rises 129 meters above ground level. It was designed by the Vilnius based, Audrius Ambrasas Architects Company...
as its most prominent buildings.
Vilnius was selected as a 2009
European Capital of CultureThe European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its cultural life and cultural development. A number of European cities have used the City of Culture year to transform their cultural base and,...
, along with
LinzLinz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately 30 km south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube...
, the capital of
Upper AustriaUpper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
. Its 2009 New Year's Eve celebration, marking the event, featured a light show said to be "visible from outer space". In preparation, the historical centre of the city was restored, and its main monuments were renewed. Besides the many official programs for the Cultural Capital year, there have been efforts to promote subcultural venues, such as the
Kultflux and Vilnus Triennale program, showing young arts from all over Lithuania and Europe to a general public, both in public spaces, such as on the river shore of Neris river, and in several vacant buildings within the city center.
Geography
Vilnius is situated in southeastern Lithuania at the
confluenceConfluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where a tributary joins a more major river, called the mainstem, when that major river is also the highest order stream in the drainage basin....
of the
VilniaVilnia is a river in Lithuania. Its source is near the village Vindžiūnai, 5 km south of Šumskas, at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. Vilnia is 82 km long and its basin covers 624 sq. km...
and
NerisNeris is a river arising in Belarus, flowing through Vilnius and becoming a tributary of the Neman River at Kaunas...
Rivers. It is believed that Vilnius, like many other cities, was named after a crossing river, Vilnia.
Lying close to Vilnius is a site some claim to be the Geographical Centre of Europe.
Vilnius' non-central location can be attributed to the changing shape of the nation's borders through the centuries; Vilnius was once not only culturally but also geographically at the center of the
Grand Duchy of LithuaniaThe Grand Duchy of Lithuania was an Eastern and Central European state from the 12th /13th century until 1795. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the pagan Baltic tribes from Aukštaitija...
.
Vilnius lies 312 kilometres (194 mi) from the
Baltic SeaThe Baltic Sea is a brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and the...
and
KlaipėdaKlaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Curonian Lagoon where it flows into the Baltic Sea. As Lithuania's only seaport, it has ferry terminal connections to Sweden and Germany...
, the chief Lithuanian seaport. Vilnius is connected by highways to other major Lithuanian cities, such as
KaunasKaunas Kaunas Kaunas and Vilnius-Klaipėda (A1)...
(102 km/63 mi away),
ŠiauliaiŠiauliai , is the fifth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 129,075. It is the capital of Šiauliai County. Unofficially, the city is the capital of Northern Lithuania...
(214 km/133 mi away) and
PanevėžysPanevėžys see also other names, is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2008, it occupied 50 square kilometers with 113,653 inhabitants.-History:...
(135 km/84 mi away).
The current area of Vilnius is 402 square kilometres (155 sq mi). Buildings occupy 29.1% of the city; green spaces occupy 68.8%; and waters occupy 2.1%.
Climate
The climate of Vilnius is considered
Humid Continental or HemiborealContinental climate is a climate that is characterized by winter temperatures cold enough to support a fixed period of snow cover each year, and relatively moderate precipitation occurring mostly in summer, although east coast areas may show an even distribution of precipitation.Regions containing...
by the
Köppen climate classificationThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by the Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself notably in 1918 and 1936...
. Temperature records have been kept since 1777. The average annual temperature is +6.1 °C (43 °
FFahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Today, the scale has been replaced by the Celsius scale in most countries; it is still in use for non-scientific purposes in the United States and a few other nations, such as...
); in January the average temperature is −4.9 °C (23 °F), in July it is +17.0 °C (62.6 °F). The average
precipitationIn meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that is deposited on the Earth's surface. The main forms of precipitation include rain, snow, ice pellets, and graupel...
is about 661 millimetres (26.0 in) per year.
Summers can be hot, with temperatures above thirty degrees Celsius throughout the day. Night-life in Vilnius is in full swing at this time of year, and outdoor bars, restaurants and cafés become very popular during the daytime.
Winters can be very cold, with temperatures rarely reaching above freezing — temperatures below negative 25 degrees Celsius (-13 °F) are not unheard-of in January and February. Vilnius' rivers freeze over in particularly cold winters, and the lakes surrounding the city are almost always permanently frozen during this time of year. A popular pastime is ice-fishing, whereby fishermen drill holes in the ice and fish with baited hooks.
Demographics
According to the census of 14 December 1916 by the occupying German forces at the time, there were a total of 138.794 inhabitants in Vilnius. This number was made up of the following nationalities: Poles 53.67% (74.466 inhabitants), Jews 41.45% (57.516 inhabitants), Lithuanians 2.09% (2.909 inhabitants), Russians 1.59% (2.219 inhabitants), Germans 0.63% (880 inhabitants), Belarusians 0.44% (644 inhabitants) and others at 0.13% (193 inhabitants).
A census of 9 December 1931 reveals that Poles made up 65.9% of the total Vilnius population (128.600 inhabitants), Jews 28% (54.600 inhabitants), Russians 3,8% (7.400 inhabitants), Belarusians 0.9% (1.700 inhabitants), Lithuanians 0.8% (1.579 inhabitants), Germans 0.3% (600 inhabitants), Ukrainians 0.1% (200 inhabitants), others 0.2% (approx. 400 inhabitants).
According to the 2001
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
by the Vilnius Regional Statistical Office, there were 542,287 inhabitants in the
Vilnius city municipalityThe Vilnius city municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It is in the southeastern part of country, in Vilnius County and consists of the city of Vilnius, the town of Grigiškės and some rural areas.- History :...
, of which 57.8% were
LithuaniansLithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number slightly over 3 million people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland...
, 18.7%
PolesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a Western Slavic ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Poles are sometimes defined as people who share a common Polish culture and are of Polish descent. Their religion is predominantly Roman Catholic...
, 14%
RussiansThe Russian people are an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, 4.0%
BelarusiansBelarusians are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Belarusian language...
, 1.3%
UkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly—citizens of Ukraine...
and 0.5% Jews; the remainder indicated other nationalities or refused to answer.
Evolution
Culture
Vilnius is a
cosmopolitanMulticulturalism is the acceptance of multiple ethnic cultures, for practical reasons and/or for the sake of diversity and applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g. schools, businesses, neighborhoods, cities or nations...
city with diverse
architectureFor a topical guide to this subject, see Outline of architecture. Architecture is the art and science of designing and constructing buildings and other physical structures for human shelter or use....
. There are more than 40 churches in Vilnius.
Like most
medievalThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
towns, Vilnius was developed around its
Town HallVilnius Town Hall is a historical town hall in the square of the same name in the Old Town of Vilnius, Lithuania.- Palace :The town hall in Vilnius was mentioned for the first time in 1432...
. The main artery,
Pilies StreetPilies Street is one of the main streets in the Old Town of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It is rather a short street, running from Cathedral Square to the Town Hall Square....
, links the Royal Palace with Town Hall. Other streets meander through the palaces of
feudalFeudalism is a decentralized sociopolitical structure in which a weak monarchy attempts to control the lands of the realm through reciprocal agreements with regional leaders...
lords and landlords, churches, shops and craftsmen's workrooms. Narrow, curved streets and intimate
courtyardFor alternative meanings of the word "court", see: Court .A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky...
s developed in the radial layout of medieval Vilnius.
Vilnius Old TownThe Old Town of Vilnius , one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe, has an area of 3.59 square kilometres . It encompasses 74 quarters, with 70 streets and lanes numbering 1487 buildings with a total floor area of 1,497,000 square meters...
, the historical centre of Vilnius, is one of the largest in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
(3.6 km²). The most valuable historic and cultural sites are concentrated here. The buildings in the old town — there are nearly 1,500 — were built over several centuries, creating a blend of many different architectural styles. Although Vilnius is known as a
BaroqueBaroque is an artistic style prevalent from the late 16th century to the early 18th century. The popularity and success of the Baroque style was encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church, which had decided at the time of the Council of Trent that the arts should communicate religious themes in...
city, there are examples of
GothicGothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
(e.g.
St Anne's ChurchSt. Anne's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Vilnius' Old Town, on the right bank of the Vilnia River. It is a prominent example of both Flamboyant Gothic and Brick Gothic styles. St...
),
RenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
, and other styles. Their combination is also a gateway to the historic centre of the capital. Owing to its uniqueness, the Old Town of Vilnius was inscribed on the
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945...
World Heritage List in 1994. In 1995, the world's first
bronzeBronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive, but sometimes with other elements such as phosphorus, manganese, aluminium, or silicon. It was particularly significant in antiquity, giving its name to the Bronze Age...
castSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard and/or plastic material, sound, and/or text and or light, commonly stone , metal, glass, or wood. Some sculptures are created directly by finding or carving; others are assembled, built together and fired, welded, molded,...
of
Frank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, electronic, orchestral, and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album...
was installed in the
NaujamiestisNaujamiestis can refer to:*Kudirkos Naumiestis, a city in Šakiai district municipality, Lithuania*Naujamiestis, Panevėžys, a town in Panevėžys district municipality, Lithuania...
district with the permission of the government.
The
Vilnius Castle ComplexThe Vilnius Castle Complex is a group of cultural, and historic structures on the left bank of the Neris River, near its confluence with the Vilnia River, in Vilnius, Lithuania. The complex, which evolved between the 10th and 18th centuries, was one of Lithuania's major defensive structures.The...
, a group of defensive, cultural, and religious buildings that includes
Gediminas TowerGediminas' Tower is the only remaining part of the Upper Castle in Vilnius, Lithuania.The first fortifications were built of wood by Duke of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Gediminas. Later the first brick castle was completed in 1409 by Grand Duke Vytautas the Great...
,
Cathedral SquareCathedral Square may refer to:*Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand*Cathedral Square, Glasgow, Scotland*Piazza del Duomo, Milan, Italy*Cathedral Square Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States*Cathedral Square, Mobile, Alabama, United States...
, the
Royal Palace of LithuaniaThe Royal Palace of Lithuania was a palace in Vilnius, Lithuania, built in the 15th century for the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Royal Palace in the Lower Castle evolved over the years and prospered during the 16th and mid-17th centuries. For four centuries the Palace was the...
, and the remains of several medieval castles, is part of the
National Museum of LithuaniaThe National Museum of Lithuania , established in 1952, is a state-sponsored historical museum that encompasses several significant structures and a wide collection of written materials and artifacts. It also organizes archeological digs in Lithuania....
. Lithuania's largest art collection is housed in the
Lithuanian Art MuseumThe Lithuanian Art Museum was initially established in Vilnius in 1933 as the Vilnius City Museum. It houses Lithuania's largest art collection.-History:...
. The
House of the SignatoriesThe House of the Signatories is a Lithuanian historic landmark in Pilies Street, Vilnius, where on February 16, 1918, the Act of Independence of Lithuania was signed by twenty members of the Council of Lithuania....
, where the 1918
Act of Independence of LithuaniaThe Act of Independence of Lithuania or Act of February 16 was signed by the Council of Lithuania on February 16, 1918, proclaiming the restoration of an independent State of Lithuania, governed by democratic principles, with Vilnius as its capital. The Act was signed by all twenty...
was signed, is now a historic landmark. The
Museum of Genocide VictimsThe Museum of Genocide Victims in Vilnius, Lithuania was established in 1992 by order of the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture and the President of the Union of Political Prisoners and Deportees. In 1997 it was transferred to the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania...
is dedicated to the victims of the Soviet era.
The
Martynas Mažvydas National Library of LithuaniaThe Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania is the national library of Lithuania, situated on Gediminas Avenue in Vilnius. It was founded in 1919. NLL resources are available to Lithuanian and foreign citizens without restrictions...
, named for the author of the first book printed in the Lithuanian language, holds 6,912,266 physical items.
On 10 November 2007, the
Jonas Mekas Visual Arts CenterThe Jonas Mekas Visual Arts Center is an avant-garde arts centre in Vilnius, Lithuania.In opened on November 10 2007 by the acclaimed Lithuanian filmmaker Jonas Mekas. The premiere exhibition featured The Avant-Garde: From Futurism to Fluxus . Part of recently purchased Fluxus art collection,...
was opened by
avant-gardeAvant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English, to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
film-maker
Jonas MekasJonas Mekas is a Lithuanian filmmaker, writer, and curator who has often been called "the godfather of American avant-garde cinema." His work has been exhibited in museums and festivals across Europe and America.-Biography:In 1944 Mekas left Lithuania to attend university in Vienna...
. Its premiere exhibition was entitled
The Avant-Garde: From FuturismFuturism or Futurist may refer to:*Futurology* Futurists * Futurist architecture* Futurist meals, a gastronomic movement based on Futurism* Futurism , a movement in literature, art, and architecture* Futurism...
to FluxusFluxus—a name taken from a Latin word meaning "to flow"—is an international network of artists, composers and designers noted for blending different artistic media and disciplines in the 1960s. They have been active in Neo-Dada noise music and visual art as well as literature, urban planning,...
. The Guggenheim-Hermitage museum, designed by
Zaha HadidZaha Hadid , CBE is a notable British Iraqi deconstructivist architect.-Biography:Zaha Hadid was born in 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq. She received a degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut before moving to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London...
, is scheduled to open in 2011. The museum will host exhibitions featuring works from
Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd and Leningrad...
's
Hermitage MuseumThe State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture situated in Saint Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums of the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and open to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display,...
and the
Guggenheim MuseumThe Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum opened its doors on October 21, 1959 and is one of the best-known museums in New York City and one of the 20th century's most important architectural landmarks...
s, along with non-commercial avant-garde cinema, a library, a museum of
Lithuanian Jewish cultureLithuanian Jews are Ashkenazi Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ....
, and collections of works by Jonas Mekas and
Jurgis MačiūnasGeorge Maciunas was a Lithuanian-born American artist. He was a founding member of Fluxus, an international community of artists, architects, composers, and designers...
.
The biggest book fairVilnius book fair is the biggest annual book fair in the Baltic states, held in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania. Traditionally it taking place between February 12-15 at Litexpo exhibition center. In 2009 book fair celebrated its 10-year anniversary....
in Baltic States is annually held in Vilnius.
Economy
Vilnius is the major economic centre of Lithuania and one of the largest financial centres of the Baltic states. Even though it is home to only 15% of Lithuania's population, it generates approximately 25% of Lithuania's GDP. Its estimated
GDPThe gross domestic product or gross domestic income is a basic measure of a country's economic performance and is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year...
per capita, based on
purchasing power parityThe purchasing power parity theory uses the long-term equilibrium exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their purchasing power...
, in 2005 is approximately $33,100, above the
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 Member States, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community...
average.
Vilnius contributed over 10,015 billion
litasThe Lithuanian litas is the currency of Lithuania. It is divided into 100 centų...
to the national budget in 2008. That makes about 37% of the budget.
Education
The city has many universities. The largest and oldest is
Vilnius UniversityVilnius University , is one of the oldest universities in both the Baltic states and Europe...
in Old Town with 23,000 students. Vilnius University offers summer programs in Yiddish through its on-campus Vilnius Yiddish Institute. Other major universities include
Mykolas Romeris UniversityMykolas Romeris University is a university in the capital city of Vilnius, Lithuania, bearing the name of the Lithuanian jurist and politician Mykolas Römeris. Established in 2004, it is a state-funded institution....
(19,000 students),
Vilnius Gediminas Technical UniversityVilnius Gediminas Technical University is one of the two technical universities in Lithuania.-History:September 1, 1956 is considered to be the date of founding a higher technical school in Vilnius, after the Vilnius Evening division of the Evening faculty of Kaunas Polytechnic Institute was...
(13,500 students), and
Vilnius Pedagogical UniversityVilnius Pedagogical University is a university in Vilnius, Lithuania, which specializes in preparing school teachers and other educators. As of 2007 it had approximately 12,500 students.-History:...
(12,500 students). Specialized higher schools with university status include
General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of LithuaniaThe General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania is a state-sponsored institution of higher learning based in Vilnius, Lithuania. It was founded in 1994 by the Lithuanian Seimas, and is overseen by the Ministry of National Defense...
and
Lithuanian Academy of Music and TheatreThe Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius, Lithuania, is a state-supported conservatory that trains students in music, theatre, and multimedia arts.-History:...
. The museum associated with the Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts holds about 12,000 artworks.
The
National M. K. Čiurlionis School of ArtNational M. K. Čiurlionis School Of Art was founded in 1945 in Vilnius, Lithuania. It is named after the famous Lithuanian painter and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. It is the only such school in Lithuania, spanning the entire 12 year learning cycle...
,
European Humanities UniversityEHU, the European Humanities University is a Belarusian university in Lithuania.From 1992 to 2004 EHU was a non-state establishment of undergraduate and post-graduate education in Belarus. In 2004 EHU was forced to terminate its activities in Belarus...
,
Vilnius Academy of Business LawVilnius Academy of Business Law or VABL is a private university in Lithuania which offers courses in Master of Law. The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania licensed VABL on August 26, 2003. Teaching commenced from the year 2004.- Courses :Vilnius Academy of Business Law...
, Vilnius University International Business School, and
ISM University of Management and EconomicsISM University of Management and Economics is an institution of undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate education in business, management and economics...
offer post-secondary degrees in several areas.
Religion
Vilnius is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vilnius, with the main church institutions and Archdiocesan Cathedral located here. There are a number of other active Roman Catholic churches in the city, along with small enclosed monasteries and religion schools. Church architecture includes
GothicGothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
,
RenaissanceRenaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, in which there was a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture.The Renaissance style places...
,
BaroqueBaroque architecture, starting in the early 17th century in Italy, took the humanist Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical, theatrical, sculptural fashion, expressing the triumph of absolutist church and state. New architectural concerns for color, light and...
and
NeoclassicalNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, both as a reaction against the Rococo style of anti-tectonic naturalistic ornament, and an outgrowth of some classicizing features of Late Baroque...
styles, with important examples of each found in the
Old TownThe Old Town of Vilnius , one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe, has an area of 3.59 square kilometres . It encompasses 74 quarters, with 70 streets and lanes numbering 1487 buildings with a total floor area of 1,497,000 square meters...
. Vilnius is considered one of the main centers of the Polish Baroque movement in ecclesiastical architecture. Additionally, Eastern Rite Catholicism has maintained a presence in Vilnius since the
Union of BrestUnion of Brest or Union of Brześć refers to the 1595-1596 decision of the Church of Rus', the "Metropolia of Kiev-Halych and all Rus'", to break relations with the Patriarch of Constantinople and place themselves under the Pope of Rome, in order to avoid the domination of the newly established...
. The Baroque Basilian Gate is part of an Eastern Rite monastery.
Vilnius has been home to an Eastern Orthodox
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
presence since the 13th or even the 12th century. A famous Russian Orthodox monastery, named for the
Holy SpiritAnthony, John, and Eustathius are saints and martyrs of the Russian Orthodox Church. Their feast day is celebrated on April 14 in the horlogion....
, is located near the
Gate of DawnThe Gate of Dawn was built between 1503 and 1522 as a part of defensive fortifications for the city of Vilnius, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The name-sake for the gate was the borough of Ostry Koniec to which the gate initially led. It has also been known as the Medininkai...
. St. Paraskeva's Orthodox Church in the Old Town is the site of the baptism of
HannibalMajor-General Abram Petrovich Gannibal, also Hannibal or Ganibal or Ibrahim Hannibal or Abram Petrov, was an African who was brought to Russia by Peter the Great and became major-general, military engineer and governor of Reval...
, the great-grandfather of Pushkin, by
TsarTsar or czar , occasionally spelled csar or Tzar in English, is a Slavic term with Bulgarian origins used to designate certain monarchs...
Peter the Great in 1705. Many
Old BelieversIn the context of Russian Orthodox church history, the Old Believers became separated after 1666-1667 from the official Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon...
, who split from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1667, settled in Lithuania. Today a
Supreme Council of the Old Believers is based in Vilnius.
A number of Protestant and other Christian groups are represented in Vilnius, most notably the Lutheran Evangelicals and the
BaptistA Baptist is a Christian who subscribes to a theology and may belong to a church that, among other things, is committed to believer's baptism and, with respect to church polity, favors the congregational model...
s.
Once widely known as
Yerushalayim De Lita (the "Jerusalem of Lithuania"), Vilnius since the 18th century was comparable only to
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
,
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
, as a world center for the study of the
TorahThe term "Torah" , refers either to the Five Books of Moses or to the entirety of Judaism's founding legal and ethical religious texts...
, and for its large Jewish population. That is why one part of Vilnius was named
Jeruzalė. At the end of the 19th century, the number of synagogues in Vilnius exceeded one hundred. A major scholar of
JudaismJudaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts...
and
KabbalahKabbalah is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the mystical aspect of Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings that is meant to explain the relationship between an infinite, eternal and essentially unknowable Creator with the finite and mortal universe of His creation...
centered in Vilnius was the famous Rabbi Eliyahu Kremer, also known as the
Vilna GaonElijah ben Shlomo Zalman, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym Gra , , was an exceptional Talmudist, Halachist, Kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic world Jewry of the past few centuries...
. His students have significant influence among Orthodox Jews in Israel and around the globe. Jewish life in Vilnius was destroyed during the Holocaust; there is a memorial stone dedicated to victims of Nazi genocide located in the center of the former
Jewish GhettoThe Vilna Ghetto, Wilno Ghetto or Vilnius Ghetto a Jewish ghetto established by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius, during the Holocaust in World War II...
— now Mėsinių Street. The
Vilna Gaon Jewish State MuseumThe Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum in Vilnius, Lithuania is dedicated to the historical and cultural heritage of Lithuanian Jewry.The museum was established in 1989 by the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture. Over the course of the following years, its exhibition items, many from earlier Jewish museums...
is dedicated to the history of Lithuanian Jewish life.
The
KaraimKaraim, from the Hebrew word קראים, meaning "readers", refers in the literal sense generally to practitioners of the Karaite sect of Judaism....
are a Jewish sect who migrated to Lithuania from the Crimea to serve as a military elite unit in the 14th century. Although their numbers are very small, the Karaim are becoming more prominent since Lithuanian independence, and have restored their
kenesaKenesa is the term for a Karaite or Persian synagogue. The word derives from the Aramaic word for "assembly" .-Layout:...
.
IslamIn Lithuania, unlike many other northern and western European countries, Islam came long ago. It was so because the medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, stretching from Baltic to Black seas, included some Muslim lands in the south, inhabited by Crimean Tatars...
came to Lithuania in the 14th century from
CrimeaCrimea or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the only autonomous republic of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name.The territory of Crimea was conquered and controlled many times throughout its history...
and
KazanKazan is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and one of Russia's largest cities. It is a major industrial, commercial and cultural center, and remains the most important center of Tatar culture. Since April 2009 Kazan has the legal right to brand itself as the "Third Capital" of...
, through the
TatarsTatars , sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic ethnic group mainly inhabiting Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. They numbered 10 million in the late 20th Century, which includes all subgroups of Tatar people, such as...
. Tatars in Lithuania have maintained their religious practices: currently, about 3,000 Tatar Muslims live in Lithuania. The
LukiškėsLukiškės can refer to several things:* Lukiškės neighborhood, a historic neighborhood of Vilnius known for its Tatar community* Lukiškės Square, a large square in Vilnius known formerly as Lenin Square...
mosque of the Lithuanian Tatars was a prominent 19th century feature of suburban Vilnius, but was destroyed during the Soviet era.
The pre-ChristianLithuanian mythology is an example of pagan mythology containing archaic elements, developed by Lithuanians throughout the centuries.-History of scholarship:The information about Baltic paganism in general is very sketchy and incomplete...
religion of Lithuania, centered around the forces of nature as personified by deities such as
PerkūnasPerkūnas was the common Baltic god of thunder, one of the most important deities in the Baltic pantheon. In both Lithuanian and Latvian mythology, he is documented as the god of thunder, rain, mountains, oak trees and the sky.-Etymology:The name continues PIE *, cognate to *, a word for "oak",...
(the Thunder God), is experiencing some increased interest.
RomuvaRomuva is a Baltic pagan organization, reviving the religious practices of the Lithuanian people before their Christianization. Romuva is a folk religion community that claims to continue living Baltic pagan traditions which survived in folklore and customs....
established a Vilnius branch in 1991.
Parks, squares, and cemeteries
Vingis ParkVingis Park is the largest park in Vilnius, Lithuania. Located at a curve in the Neris River, it covers . It is used as a venue for various events, especially concerts and sports competitions....
, the city's largest, hosted several major rallies during Lithuania's drive towards independence in the 1980s. Concerts, festivals, and exhibitions are held at
Sereikiškės ParkSereikiškės Park is a public park the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is located on the right bank of the Vilnia River between the Gediminas Tower and Bernardine Monastery. Most of its territory is parkland, including a children's amusement park...
, near
Gediminas TowerGediminas' Tower is the only remaining part of the Upper Castle in Vilnius, Lithuania.The first fortifications were built of wood by Duke of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Gediminas. Later the first brick castle was completed in 1409 by Grand Duke Vytautas the Great...
. Sections of the annual
Vilnius MarathonThe Vilnius International Marathon is an annual road marathon, held in Vilnius, Lithuania. The main sponsor of the marathon is Lietuvos Rytas. It was introduced in 2001 as 10k race and grew to a classic marathon in 2004. Half marathon was introduced in 2006....
pass along the public walkways on the banks of the Neris River.
Cathedral SquareCathedral Square may refer to:*Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand*Cathedral Square, Glasgow, Scotland*Piazza del Duomo, Milan, Italy*Cathedral Square Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States*Cathedral Square, Mobile, Alabama, United States...
in Old Town is surrounded by a number of the city's most historically significant sites.
Lukiškės SquareLukiškės Square is the largest square in Vilnius, Lithuania, located in the center of the city. A major street in Vilnius, Gediminas Avenue, passes by the southern border of the square...
is the largest, bordered by several municipal buildings. An oversized statue of Lenin in its center was removed in 1991.
Town Hall SquareVilnius Town Hall is a historical town hall in the square of the same name in the Old Town of Vilnius, Lithuania.- Palace :The town hall in Vilnius was mentioned for the first time in 1432...
has long been a centre of trade fairs, celebrations, and events in Vilnius, including the Kaziukas Fair. The city Christmas tree is decorated there. State ceremonies are often held in
Daukantas SquareDaukanto Square in Vilnius, Lithuania is located in Old Town in front of the Presidential Palace. Its name commemorates a progenitor of the 19th-century Lithuanian national revival, Simonas Daukantas. In the late 19th century it had a monument of Mikhail Nikolayevich Muravyov-Vilensky.The square...
, facing the
Presidential PalaceThe Presidential Palace , located in Vilnius Old Town, is the official residence of the President of Lithuania. The palace dates back to the 14th century and during its history it has undergone various reconstructions, supervised by prominent architects, including Laurynas Gucevičius and Vasily...
.
Rasos CemeteryRasos Cemetery is the oldest and most famous cemetery in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is named after the Rasos district where it is located. It is separated into two parts, the old and the new cemeteries, by a narrow Sukilėliai Street. The total area is 10.8 ha...
, consecrated in 1801, is the burial site of
Jonas BasanavičiusJonas Basanavičius was an activist and proponent of Lithuania's National Revival and founder of the first Lithuanian language newspaper Aušra. He was one of the initiators and the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 1905 Congress of Lithuanians, the Great Seimas of Vilnius...
and other
signatories of the 1918 Act of IndependenceThe signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania were the twenty Lithuanian men who signed the Act of Independence of Lithuania on February 16, 1918. The signatories were elected to the Council of Lithuania by the Vilnius Conference in September 1917 and entrusted with the mission of...
, along with the heart of Polish leader Józef Piłsudski. Two of the three
Jewish cemeteries in VilniusThe Jewish cemeteries of Vinius are the three Jewish cemeteries of the Lithuanian Jews living in Vilnius, known to them as Vilna, Lithuania...
were destroyed during the Soviet era; the remains of the
Vilna GaonElijah ben Shlomo Zalman, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym Gra , , was an exceptional Talmudist, Halachist, Kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic world Jewry of the past few centuries...
were moved to the remaining one. About 18,000 burials have been made in the
Bernardine CemeteryThe Bernardine Cemetery is one of the three oldest cemeteries in Vilnius, Lithuania. It covers about 38,000 square metres and has estimated 14,000 burials. It was established in 1810 by Bernardine monks of the Church of St. Francis of Asisi and is situated on an embankment on the Vilnia river,...
, established in 1810; it was closed during the 1970s and is now being restored.
Antakalnis CemeteryAntakalnis Cemetery , sometimes referred as Antakalnis Military Cemetery, is the cemetery in the Antakalnis district of Vilnius in Lithuania. It was established in 1809....
, established in 1809, contains various memorials to Polish, Lithuanian, German and Russian soldiers, along with the graves of those who were killed during the
January EventsThe January Events were a series of events that occurred from January 11–13, 1991, in Vilnius, Lithuania. As a result of Soviet military actions, at least 14 civilians were killed and more than 600 injured.- Background :...
.
Sport
Several teams are based in the city. The largest is the
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
club
BC Lietuvos RytasBC Lietuvos Rytas is a professional basketball club based in Vilnius, Lithuania playing in the Lithuanian Basketball League, the Baltic Basketball League, and the Euroleague...
, which participates in European competitions such as the
EuroleagueThe Euroleague , also known as Euroleague Basketball is the highest level and most important professional basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different European countries. The competition is operated by ULEB, a Europe-wide consortium of leading professional basketball leagues...
and Eurocup, the domestic
Lithuanian Basketball LeagueThe Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga is Lithuania's premier professional men's basketball league, composed of 13 teams.- History :...
, and the
Baltic Basketball LeagueBaltic Basketball League - Baltic states basketball league founded in 2004.Currently, the league is divided into two: the Elite division and the Challenge Cup division. The 10 strongest Baltic basketball clubs participate in the Elite division. The rest of the teams compete in the Challenge Cup...
, winning the ULEB Cup (predecessor to the Eurocup) in 2005 and the Eurocup in 2009. Its home arena is the 1,700-seat
Lietuvos Rytas ArenaLietuvos Rytas Arena is a 1,700-seat basketball arena in Vilnius, Lithuania, built close to Siemens Arena. BC Lietuvos Rytas plays Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga and Baltic Basketball League home matches in the Lietuvos Rytas Arena....
; all European matches and important domestic and Baltic matches are played in the 11,000-seat
Siemens ArenaSiemens Arena, located in Šeškinė elderate of Vilnius, is the largest arena in Lithuania . It generally hosts basketball games as well as concerts. The arena opened on October 30, 2004...
. Another team participating in
LKLThe Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga is Lithuania's premier professional men's basketball league, composed of 13 teams.- History :...
is
BC SakalaiBC Sakalai is a professional basketball club based in Vilnius, Lithuania playing in the Lithuanian Basketball League and the Baltic Basketball League. They play their home games at the 1,000-seat Ekinstos laisvalaikio centras....
. The major football teams in Vilnius are
FK Žalgiris VilniusFK Žalgiris is a Lithuanian football club, playing in the capital, Vilnius. They have won the Lithuanian Championship three times: 1991, 1992, and 1999. The team's colours are green and white. The club plays at the Žalgiris stadium...
and
FK VėtraFK Vėtra is a Lithuanian football team from the capital city of Vilnius. The team plays in the Lithuanian Premier division A Lyga. The club was founded in 1996 and was initially based in Rūdiškės, a settlement in Vilnius district, and moved in 2003 to Vilnius city with the purchase of its own...
, all of the
A LygaThe A Lyga is the top division of professional football in Lithuania. It is organized by NFKA . There are 8 teams in the competition...
. Only Žalgiris Vilnius has won the A Lyga, doing so on three occasions - in 1991, 1992, and 1999.
Transport
The river
NerisNeris is a river arising in Belarus, flowing through Vilnius and becoming a tributary of the Neman River at Kaunas...
is navigable, but no regular water routes exist.
Vilnius International AirportVilnius International Airport is the largest civil airport in Lithuania. It is located south of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It began operations in 1944. The old terminal was built in 1954.- History:...
serves most Lithuanian international flights to many major European destinations.
The Vilnius
railwayRail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles running along railways or railroads. Rail transport is part of the logistics chain, which facilitates international trade and economic growth...
station is an important hub serving direct passenger connections to
MoscowMoscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a...
and Saint-Petersburg as well as being a transit point of
Pan-European corridorThe ten Pan-European transport corridors were defined at the second Pan-European transport Conference in Crete, March 1994, as routes in Central and Eastern Europe that required major investment over the next ten to fifteen years. Additions were made at the third conference in Helsinki in 1997...
IX.
Motorways
Vilnius is the starting point of the Vilnius-
KaunasKaunas Kaunas Kaunas and Vilnius-Klaipėda (A1)...
-
KlaipėdaKlaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Curonian Lagoon where it flows into the Baltic Sea. As Lithuania's only seaport, it has ferry terminal connections to Sweden and Germany...
motorwayThe OECD has defined a motorway as:Motorways are identical to freeways as a road type, and comparable to the United States's Interstate Highways as a classification....
that runs across Lithuania and connects the three major cities as well as is the part of
European route E85The E 85 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 85 starts from Klaipėda runs south through Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria to Greece, ending at Alexandroupolis....
. The Vilnius-
PanevėžysPanevėžys see also other names, is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2008, it occupied 50 square kilometers with 113,653 inhabitants.-History:...
motorway is a branch of the
Via-BalticaEuropean route E 67 is a highway running from Prague in the Czech Republic to Helsinki in Finland by way of Poland, Kaunas , Riga , and Tallinn ....
.
Public transport
Vilnius has a well-developed
public transportPublic transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire.Public transport services are usually funded by fares charged to each passenger, with varying levels of subsidy...
ation system; 45% of the population take public transport to work. There are over 60 bus and 20
trolleybusA trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles...
routes, the trolleybus network is one of the most extensive in Europe. Over 250 buses and 260 trolleybuses transport about 500,000 passengers every workday. Students, elderly, and the disabled receive large discounts (up to 80%) on the tickets. The first regular bus routes were established in 1926, and the first trolleybus was introduced in 1956.
At the end of 2007, a new electronic monthly ticket system was introduced. It is possible to buy an electronic card in shops and newspaper stands and have it credited with an appropriate amount of money. The monthly e-ticket cards are bought once and might be credited with an appropriate amount of money in various ways including the Internet. Previous paper monthly tickets were in use until August 2008.
The public transportation system is dominated by the low-floor
VolvoVolvo Bus Corporation is a subsidiary and a business area of Volvo which became an independent division in 1968.It is the world's second largest bus manufacturer, with a complete range of heavy buses for passenger transportation...
and
Mercedes-Benz busesMercedes-Benz has been making buses since 1895 in Mannheim in Germany. Since 1995, the brand of Mercedes-Benz buses and coaches is under the umbrella of EvoBus GmbH, belonging 100 % to the Daimler AG.-Heritage:...
as well as
SolarisSolaris Bus & Coach S.A. is a bus, coach and trolleybus manufacturer based in Bolechowo and Środa Wielkopolska, near Poznań, Poland.It is a family-owned business, with Krzysztof Olszewski as chairman and his wife Solange as deputy chairman responsible for contacts with clients...
trolleybuses. The new Solaris vehicles (built in Poland) are 15 m long, three-axle vehicles. There are also plenty of the traditional Skoda vehicles built in the Czech Republic still in service, and many of these have been extensively refurbished internally. All is a result of major improvements that started in 2003 when the first brand-new Mercedes-Benz buses were bought. In 2004, a contract was signed with
Volvo BusesVolvo Bus Corporation is a subsidiary and a business area of Volvo which became an independent division in 1968.It is the world's second largest bus manufacturer, with a complete range of heavy buses for passenger transportation...
to buy 90 brand-new
7700 buses over the next 3 years.
Along with the official public transportation, there are also a number of private bus companies. They charge about the same as the municipal buses and sometimes follow the same routes. There are also a number of different routes, for example from various neighborhoods to the Gariūnai market. In addition, there are about 400
share taxiA share taxi is a mode of transport that falls between private transport and conventional bus transport, often with a fixed or semi-fixed route, but with the added convenience of stopping anywhere to pick up or drop off passengers and not having fixed time schedules...
s that are usually faster but less comfortable and more expensive than regular buses.
An electric
tramA tram, tramcar, trolley, trolleycar, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a conventional train, designed for the transport of passengers within, close to, or between villages, towns and/or cities, on tracks running primarily on streets...
system through the city (Vilnius Tram Project) was proposed in the 2000s; its future remains uncertain.
Twin towns - Sister cities
Vilnius has 14
twin towns and sister citiesSister cities, also known as town twinning, is an agreement between towns, cities and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties...
. In addition, agreements on cooperation have been signed with 16 other cities.
AkhisarAkhisar is a county district and its town center in Manisa Province in the Aegean region of Western Turkey...
, TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
AalborgAalborg , sometimes written as Ålborg, is a city in Denmark. Its population, as of 2009, is 122,461, making it the fourth largest in the country after Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense. The earliest settlements date back to around 700 AD. Its location by the Limfjord made it an important harbour...
, DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
AlmatyAlmaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of 1,348,500 , which represents 9% of the population of the country....
, KazakhstanKazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country situated in Eurasia that is ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also the world's largest landlocked country. Its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western Europe...
AstanaAstana , is the capital and second largest city of Kazakhstan, with an officially estimated population of 750,700 as of November 2008....
, KazakhstanKazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country situated in Eurasia that is ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also the world's largest landlocked country. Its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western Europe...
BrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium...
, BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
BudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it serves as the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation center and is considered an important hub in Central Europe. In 2009, Budapest had 1,712,210 inhabitants, down from a mid-1980s...
, HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
, IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
, United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
DnipropetrovskDnipropetrovsk is Ukraine's third largest city with 1.1 million inhabitants. There is also another name for the city - Sicheslav...
, UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
DonetskDonetsk , is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river...
, UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
|
DuisburgDuisburg is a German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an independent metropolitan borough within Regierungsbezirk Düsseldorf...
, GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
(since 1985) EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the second largest Scottish city, after Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas....
, United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
ErfurtErfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and is the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nürnberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
GdańskGdańsk, also known by its German name Danzig , is a city on the Baltic coast in northern Poland, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area....
, PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(since 1998) GuangzhouGuangzhou , in English formerly known as Canton and also known as Kwangchow, is a sub-provincial city and the capital of Guangdong Province in the southern part of the People's Republic of China.It is a port on the Pearl River,...
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Governance
The city is governed by the
Vilnius City MunicipalityThe Vilnius city municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It is in the southeastern part of country, in Vilnius County and consists of the city of Vilnius, the town of Grigiškės and some rural areas.- History :...
, which includes the nearby town of Grigiškės, three villages, and some rural areas. A 51-member council is elected to four-year terms; the candidates are nominated by registered political parties. As of the 2011 elections, independent candidates will also be permitted. The Council elects a mayor, four deputy mayors, and a city clerk at its first meeting.
As of February 2009, the mayor of Vilnius is Vilius Navickas from the Conservative Party.
EldershipEldership may refer to:* Eldership , the governance of a local congregation by elders* Elderships of Lithuania, the smallest Lithuanian administrative divisions* Starostwo , a medieval Polish office granted by the king...
s, a state-wide administrative division, function as municipal districts.
The 21 elderships are based on neighbourhoods:
- Verkiai
Verkiai, is a name of an elderate in Vilnius, Lithuania and also the name of a settlement, historically situated north of Vilnius but today a part of Vilnius city municipality and a capital of Verkiai elderate....
— includes Baltupiai, Jeruzalė, Santariškės, Balsiai, Visoriai
- Antakalnis
Antakalnis is an elderate in the Vilnius city municipality. Antakalnis Antakalnis is an elderate in the Vilnius city municipality. Antakalnis Antakalnis is an elderate in the Vilnius city municipality. Antakalnis (literally 'the place on hills', is one of the oldest historical suburbs of Vilnius...
— includes Valakampiai, Turniškės, Dvarčionys
- Pašilaičiai — includes Tarandė
- Fabijoniškės
Fabijoniškės, located in the northern part of Vilnius, is one of the newest districts of Vilnius municipality, built in the late 1980s to early 1990s....
— includes Bajorai
- Pilaitė
- Justiniškės
Justiniškės, located in western edge of Vilnius, is one of the newest districts in the capital of Lithuania. It is also one of the 21 elderates of Vilnius city municipality. It was built mainly between in the 1980s as a microdistrict. Almost all buildings are Soviet-built human habitats.Justiniškės...
- Viršuliškės
- Šeškinė
Šeškinė is a fairly new suburb located in the north of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, built in 1977 as a microdistrict.Šeškinė is a largely residential suburb although it is also home to the Akropolis Supermarket, one of the largest in Eastern Europe. The largest sports facilities in Lithuania,...
- Šnipiškės
Šnipiškės is a neighbourhood in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Located on the north bank of the river Neris, it is the site of Vilnius' new business district. Several skyscrapers and the new Europa Tower business center have been erected since the turn of the millennium...
- Žirmūnai
Žirmūnai is the most populous administrative division in Vilnius. It is also a neighbourhood in the Lithuanian capital city Vilnius, encompassing the city district of the same name, built in the 1960s....
— includes Šiaurės miestelis
- Karoliniškės
Karoliniškės is a microdistrict and elderate of Vilnius, Lithuania. The district was started to be built in year 1971, and because of its geographical location, became an important part of Vilnius city.Karoliniškės covers about 4 km² area...
- Žvėrynas
Žvėrynas, literally the menagerie is one of the older neighborhoods in Vilnius, Lithuania. It lies on the banks of the Neris River, and is situated to the west of the Lithuanian Parliament building. The river surrounds it from three sides and isolates it from the city...
- Grigiškės
Grigiškės Grigiškės Grigiškės ( is a city in the Vilnius city municipality, Lithuania, about 17 km from Vilnius. It is an industrial city with AB Grigiškės, a major paper factory built in 1923....
— a separate town included in the Vilnius city municipalityThe Vilnius city municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It is in the southeastern part of country, in Vilnius County and consists of the city of Vilnius, the town of Grigiškės and some rural areas.- History :...
- Lazdynai
Lazdynai is an elderate in Vilnius, Lithuania, situated on the right bank of the Neris River. It covers area of and has population of approximately 32,000 .-History:...
- Vilkpėdė — includes Vingis Park
Vingis Park is the largest park in Vilnius, Lithuania. Located at a curve in the Neris River, it covers . It is used as a venue for various events, especially concerts and sports competitions....
- Naujamiestis — includes bus and train stations
- Senamiestis (Old Town)
The Old Town of Vilnius , one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe, has an area of 3.59 square kilometres . It encompasses 74 quarters, with 70 streets and lanes numbering 1487 buildings with a total floor area of 1,497,000 square meters...
— includes UžupisUžupis is a district of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, partially located in the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its name means "on the other side of a river"; that river is the Vilnia River which gave Vilnius its name. The region has been popular with artists for some time, and is...
- Naujoji Vilnia
Naujoji Vilnia is a neighborhood in eastern Vilnius, Lithuania situated along the banks of the Vilnia River. It has elderate status.It started as a separate town in the second half of the 19th century when the Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway was built. It grew as a narrow strip along the rails....
— includes Pavilnys, Pūčkoriai
- Paneriai
Paneriai is a suburb of Vilnius, situated about 10 kilometres away from the city center. It is the largest elderate in the Vilnius city municipality. It is located on low forested hills, on the Vilnius-Warsaw road...
— includes Trakų Vokė, Gariūnai
- Naujininkai
Naujininkai is one of the Vilnius' neighbourhoods that is situated in the south-west of the city and lies between the Vilnius Airport and the railway station. It has an elderate status. There are an Old Believers' cemetery and a church....
— includes Kirtimai, Salininkai, Vilnius International AirportVilnius International Airport is the largest civil airport in Lithuania. It is located south of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It began operations in 1944. The old terminal was built in 1954.- History:...
- Rasos — includes Belmontas, Markučiai
Significant depictions in popular culture
- Vilnius is one of the locations featured in the video game Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon is a tactical shooter video game created by Tom Clancy. The game was developed by Red Storm Entertainment, a Ubisoft subsidiary, and published by Ubisoft in 2001 for the PC; it was later ported to the Mac, PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2002 and to the GameCube in 2003...
(photographs comparing the game's locations with their real-life counterparts can be found here http://www.ghostrecon.net/html/real-locations.htm). However, although some of the architecture is relatively well-represented, it has to be said that most of the map is fictional, and it does not feel like a particularly accurate representation of the city of Vilnius.
- Robert Ludlum's "The Bourne Conspiracy", a video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, features an assassination mission in Vilnius.
- Vilnius is mentioned in the closing scene of the movie "The Hunt For Red October" as being the boyhood home of the sub commander Marco Ramius, and as being where his grandfather taught him to fish. Ramius is played by Sean Connery.
Honors
A
minor planetAn asteroid group or minor planet group is a population of minor planets that have a share broadly similar orbits. Members are generally unrelated to each other, unlike in an asteroid family, which often results from the break-up of a single asteroid...
3072 Vilnius' is a main belt asteroid with an orbital period of 1223.7406502 days . The asteroid was discovered on September 5, 1978....
discovered by
SovietThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
astronomer
Nikolai Stepanovich ChernykhNikolay Stepanovich Chernykh was a Soviet, Lithuanian and Russian astronomer.Chernykh was born in the city of Usman' in Voronezh Oblast...
in 1978 is named after the city.
Other towns named for Vilnius
- The rural town of Wilno
The community of Wilno, Ontario is geopolitically placed in the township of Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards in Renfrew County, Ontario. Geographically Wilno is nestled in the rolling, picturesque terrain of the Madawaska valley which was largely shaped during the demise of the Laurentide ice...
, OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
, CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
was named after the Polish name for Vilnius in the 1860s. The village of Vilna, AlbertaVilna is a historic village in central Alberta, Canada.Vilna is located in Smoky Lake County, on Highway 28, northeast of the city of Edmonton...
was also named for Vilnius.
See also
- History of Lithuania
The history of Lithuania dates back to at least 1009, the first recorded written use of the term. Lithuanians later conquered neighboring lands, finally establishing the Kingdom of Lithuania in the 13th century. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania remained fiercely independent and was notably one of the...
- History of Poland
Settled agricultural people have lived in the area that is now Poland for the last 7500 years, the Slavic people have been in this territory for over 1500 years, and the history of Poland as a state spans well over a millennium. The territory ruled by Poland has shifted and varied greatly...
- Archdiocese of Vilnius
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Vilnius is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Lithuania. Established as the Diocese of Vilnius in the 14th century, it was elevated to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Pius XI on October 28, 1925...
- Coat of arms of Vilnius
The coat of arms of Vilnius is the coat of arms of the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is also used as coat of arms of Vilnius city municipality. The modern version was created in 1991 by Arvydas Každailis, the same artist who drew the modern coat of arms of Lithuania...
- List of Vilnians
- Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto, Wilno Ghetto or Vilnius Ghetto a Jewish ghetto established by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius, during the Holocaust in World War II...
- List of monuments in Vilnius
- List of Vilnius Elderships in other languages
External links
Wilno in the Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland (1893)