Vilnius is notable for the architecture of itsOld Town, considered one ofEurope's largest and best-preserved old towns. The city was declared aUNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.[13][14][15][16] The architectural style known asVilnian Baroque is named after the city, which is farthest to the east amongBaroque cities and the largest such city north of theAlps.[17][18]
The city was noted for itsmulticultural population during thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, with contemporary sources comparing it toBabylon. BeforeWorld War II andthe Holocaust, Vilnius was one of Europe's most important Jewish centers. Its Jewish influence has led to its being called "the Jerusalem of Lithuania", andNapoleon called it "the Jerusalem of the North"[19] when he passed through in 1812.
Vilnius' name originates from the riverVilnia, the Lithuanian word forripple.[28] Its name has had a number of derivative spellings in various languages throughout its history;Vilna was once common in English. The most notable non-Lithuanian names for the city includeLatin:Vilna,Polish:Wilno,Belarusian:Вiльня (Vilnia),German:Wilna,Latvian:Viļņa,Ukrainian:Вільно (Vilno),Yiddish:ווילנע (Vilne). A Russian name dating to theRussian Empire was Вильна (Vilna),[29][30] although Вильнюс (Vilnyus) is now used. The namesWilno,Wilna, andVilna were used in English-, German-, French-, and Italian-language publications when the city was a capital of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and an important city in theSecond Polish Republic. The nameVilna is still used in Finnish, Portuguese, Spanish, andHebrew:וילנה.Wilna is still used in German alongsideVilnius.
1835 painting byAleksander Lesser of Gediminas' dream about an Iron Wolf
What is destined for the ruler and the State of Lithuania, is thus: the Iron Wolfrepresents 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 oftheir rulers, and the glory of their deeds shall echo throughout the world.
Gediminas, obeyingthe gods, built two castles: the Lower Castle in the valley, and the Crooked Castle onBald Hill. He moved his court there, declared it his permanent seat and capital, and developed the surrounding area into a city he named Vilnius.[31][better source needed][32]
Initially aBaltic settlement, Vilnius became significant in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[33] The city was first mentioned in letters by Grand DukeGediminas, who invited Jews and Germans to settle and built a wooden castle on a hill.[33] Vilnius became a city in 1387, after theChristianization of Lithuania, and was settled by craftsmen and merchants of a variety of nationalities.[33] It was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (until 1795) within thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.[33] Vilnius flourished under the Commonwealth, especially after the 1579 establishment ofVilnius University by the Lithuanian Grand DukeStephen Báthory.[33] The city became a cultural and scientific center, attracting migrants from east and west.[33] It had diverse communities, with Jewish, Orthodox, and German populations.[33] The city experienced a number of invasions and occupations, including by theTeutonic Knights, Russia and, later, Germany.[33]
Underimperial Russian rule, Vilnius became the capital ofVilna Governorate and had a number of cultural revivals during the 19th and early 20th centuries by Jews, Poles, Lithuanians, and Belarusians.[33]After World War I, the city experienced conflict between Poland and Lithuania which led to its occupation by Poland before its annexation by the Soviet Union during World War II.[33] After that war, Vilnius became the capital of theLithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.[33]
The New City Centre seen fromKaroliniškės, with most of itshigh-rise buildings constructed within two decades of independence
On 11 March 1990, theSupreme Council of the Lithuanian SSR announced itssecession from the Soviet Union and intention to restore an independent Lithuania.[34] On 9 January 1991, the Soviet Union sent in troops; this culminated in the 13 Januaryattack on the State Radio and Television Building andVilnius TV Tower which killed 14 civilians.[35] The Soviet Union recognised Lithuanian independence in September 1991.[36] According to theConstitution of Lithuania, "the capital of the State of Lithuania shall be the city of Vilnius, the long-standing historical capital of Lithuania".
Post-independence construction inŽirmūnai on the Neris river's right bank
Vilnius has become a modern European city. Its territory has been expanded withthree acts since 1990, incorporating urban areas, villages, hamlets, and the city ofGrigiškės.[37][38] Most historic buildings have been renovated and a business and commercial area became theNew City Centre, the main administrative and business district on the north side of the river Neris. The area includes modern residential and retail space, with the municipal building and the 148.3 m (487 ft)Europa Tower its most prominent buildings. The construction ofSwedbank's headquarters indicates the importance ofScandinavian banks in Vilnius. TheVilnius Business Harbour complex was built and expanded. Over 75,000 flats were built from 1995 to 2018, making the city a Baltic construction leader.
Vilnius is 312 km (194 mi) from theBaltic Sea andKlaipėda, the main Lithuanianseaport. It is connected by road to other major Lithuanian cities, such as Kaunas (102 km or 63 mi away),Šiauliai (214 km or 133 mi away) andPanevėžys (135 km or 84 mi away).
Vilnius has an area of 402 km2 (155 sq mi). Buildings cover 29.1 percent of the city; green space covers 68.8 percent, and water covers 2.1 percent.[50] The city has eightnature reserves: Vokės Senslėnio Slopes Geomorphological Reserve, Aukštagiris Geomorphological Reserve, Valakupių Klonio Geomorphological Reserve, Veržuva Hydrographic Reserve, Vokė Hydrographic Reserve, Cedronas Upstream Landscape Reserve, Tapeliai Landscape Reserve, and Šeškinė Slopes Geomorphological Reserve.[51]
Several lakes, includingBalžis, are located on the north-eastern outskirts of Vilnius.
Summer days are warm to hot, especially in July and August, with daytime temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) during periodic heat waves. Outdoor bars, restaurants and cafés are frequented during the day.
Winters can be very cold, although temperatures above 0 °C (32 °F); still occasionally occur. Temperatures below −25 °C (−13 °F) are recorded every other year. Vilnius's rivers freeze in particularly cold winters, and the lakes surrounding the city are almost always frozen from December to March, and even April, in the most extreme years. The Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service, headquartered in Vilnius, monitors the country's climate.[55]
Climate data for Vilnius (1991–2020 normals, sun 1961–1990, extremes 1777–present)
Renaissance sculpture appeared during the early 16th century, primarily by theItalian sculptors Bernardinus Zanobi da Gianotti, Giovani Cini, and Giovanni Maria Padovano. During the Renaissance, portrait tombstones and medals were valued; examples are the marble tombs ofAlbertas Goštautas (1548) andPaweł Holszański (1555) byBernardino de Gianotis in Vilnius Cathedral. Italian sculpture is characterized by its naturalistic treatment of forms and precise proportions. Local sculptors adopted the iconographic scheme of Renaissance tombs; their works, such the tomb ofLew Sapieha (c. 1633) in theChurch of St. Michael, are stylized.[62] During this period, local andWestern European painters created religious and mythological compositions and portraits with late Gothic and Baroque features; illustrated prayerbooks, illustrations, and miniatures have survived.[61]
During the late-16th-centuryBaroque, wall painting developed. Most palaces and churches were decorated in frescoes with bright colors, sophisticated angles, and drama. Secular painting – representational, imaginative, epitaph portraits, scenes of battles and politically important events in a detailed, realistic style – also spread at this time.[61] Baroque sculptures dominatedsacred architecture: tombstones with sculpted portraits and decorative sculptures in wood, marble, andstucco. Italian sculptors such as G. P. Perti, G. M. Galli, and A. S. Capone, key figures in the development of sculpture in the 17th-century grand duchy, were commissioned byLithuanian nobility. Their works exemplify the mature Baroque, with expressive forms and sensuality. Local sculptors emphasized Baroque decorative features, with less expression and emotion.[62]
TheUžupis district near the Old Town, a run-down district during the Soviet era, hosts bohemian artists who operate a number of art galleries and workshops.[66] In its main square, a statue of an angel blowing a trumpet symbolises artistic freedom.
The world's first bronze memorial toFrank Zappa[67] was installed in theNaujamiestis district in 1995. In 2015, the Vilnius Talking Statues project was introduced. Eighteen statues around the city interact by smartphone with visitors in several languages.[68]
The National Museum of Lithuania is in the New Arsenal of the Vilnius Castle Complex.
Vilnius has a variety of museums.[69] TheNational Museum of Lithuania, in the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Gediminas' Tower and the arsenals of the Vilnius Castle Complex, has exhibits about the history of Lithuania and Lithuanian culture.[70][71][72] The Museum of Applied Arts and Design displays Lithuanian folk and religious art, objects from the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, and 18th- to 20th-century clothing.[73] Other museums are the Vilnius Museum, the House of Histories, Church Heritage Museum,Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, Fight for Freedom Museum in theVilnius TV Tower, M. K. Čiurlionis House, Samuel Bak Museum, Centre for Civil Education, Toy Museum, Vilnil (Museum of Illusions), Energy and Technology Museum, House of Signatories, Tolerance Center, Railway Museum, Money Museum, Kazys Varnelis House-Museum, Liubavas Manor Watermill-Museum, Museum of Vladislovas Sirokomlė, Amber Museum-Gallery, and the Paneriai Memorial visitor information centre.[69][74]
Vilnius has a number of art galleries. Lithuania's largest art collection is housed in theLithuanian National Museum of Art.[75] The Vilnius Picture Gallery, in the city's Old Town, houses a collection of Lithuanian art from the 16th to the early 20th centuries.[76] Across the Neris, the National Art Gallery has a number of exhibitions of 20th-century Lithuanian art.[77] TheContemporary Art Centre, the largest contemporary-art venue in the Baltic States, has an exhibition space of 2,400 square metres (26,000 sq ft). The centre develops international and Lithuanian exhibitions and presents a range of public programs which include lectures, seminars, performances, film and video screenings, and live music.[78] On 10 November 2007, theJonas Mekas Visual Arts Center was opened by avant-garde filmmakerJonas Mekas; its premiere exhibition wasThe Avant-Garde: FromFuturism toFluxus.[79] In 2018, theMO Museum opened as an initiative of Lithuanian scientists and philanthropists Danguolė and Viktoras Butkus. Its collection of 5,000 modern pieces includes major Lithuanian artworks from the 1950s to the present.[80]
The Zawadzki bookstore, on present-dayPilies Street. Its signs are in Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, French, and German.
Around 1520,Francysk Skaryna (author of the first RuthenianBible) establishedeastern Europe's firstprinting house in Vilnius. Skaryna prepared and published theLittle Traveller's Book (Ruthenian:Малая подорожная книжка), the first printed book of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, in 1522. Three years later, he printed theActs and Epistles of the Apostles (theApostle).[81]
Mikalojus Daukša translated and published acatechism by Spanish Jesuit theologianJacobo Ledesma in 1595, the first printed Lithuanian-language book in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He also translated and publishedJakub Wujek'sPostilla Catholica in 1599.[85]
The Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore inVileišis Palace
Since the 16th century, theLithuanian Metrica has been kept at theLower Castle and safeguarded by the StateChancellor. Due to the deterioration of the books, Grand Chancellor Lew Sapieha ordered the Metrica recopied in 1594; the recopying continued until 1607. The recopied books were inventoried, rechecked, and transferred to a separate building in Vilnius; the older books remained in the Castle of Vilnius. According to 1983 data, 665 books remain onmicrofilm at the Lithuanian State Historical Archives in Vilnius.[89]
Billboard above the Botanical Garden main gate of the first film screening in Vilnius (1896)
The first publicfilm session in Vilnius was held in the Botanical Garden (now theBernardinai Garden) in July 1896. It was held after 1895 film sessions byAuguste and Louis Lumière in Paris. The session in Vilnius showed the Lumière brothers'documentary films. The first films shown were educational, filmed outside Vilnius (in India and Africa), and introduced other cultures.Georges Méliès' film,A Trip to the Moon, was first shown at theLukiškės Square movie theater in 1902; it was the firstfeature film shown in Vilnius.[94]
The firstmovie theater in Vilnius, Iliuzija (Illusion), opened in 1905 at 60Didžioji Street.[95] The first movie theaters, similar to theatres, hadboxes with more-expensive seats. Because early films were silent, showings were accompanied by orchestral performances. Cinema screenings were sometimes combined with theatrical performances and illusion shows.[94]
On 4 June 1924, the Vilniusmagistrate established a 1,200-seat movie theater in the city hall (Polish:Miejski kinematograf, City Movie Theater) to provide cultural education for students and adults. In 1926, 502,261 tickets were sold; 24,242 tickets were given to boarding children, 778 to tourists, and 8,385 to soldiers. In 1939, Lithuanian authorities renamed it Milda. The last city government gave it to the People's Commissariat of Education, which established the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, the following year.[95]
In 1965, Lithuania's most modern movie theater (Lietuva) opened in Vilnius; it had over 1.84 million visitors per year, and an annual profit of over 1 million roubles. After reconstruction, it had one of Europe's largest screens: 200 square metres (2,200 sq ft).[95] Closed in 2002, it was demolished in 2017 and replaced by MO Museum.[96] Kino Pavasaris is the city's largest film festival.[97] The Lithuanian Film Centre (Lithuanian:Lietuvos kino centras), tasked with promoting the development and competitiveness of the Lithuanian film industry, is in Vilnius.[98]
The Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, the country's largest and oldest state-owned concert organization, produces live concerts and tours in Lithuania and abroad.[104] TheLithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, founded byGintaras Rinkevičius, performs in Vilnius.[105]
The Lithuanian Song and Dance Festival in Vingis Park
Thejazz scene is active in Vilnius; in 1970–71, the Ganelin/Tarasov/Chekasin trio founded the Vilnius Jazz School.[109] TheVilnius Jazz Festival is held annually.
Andrius Mamontovas, leader ofFoje and founder of the annualGatvės muzikos diena (Street Music Day)
1687Latin page of a theatre program dedicated toAlgirdas, which was performed in Vilnius
The Lithuanian Grand Dukes' entertainment at the castle, rulers' visits abroad and guests' meetings had theatrical elements. DuringSigismund III Vasa's residence in Vilnius in the early 17th century, English actors performed at the palace. Władysław IV Vasa established a professional opera theatre in the Lower Castle in 1635, wheredrammas per musica were performed by the Italian Virgilio Puccitelli. The performances had basic, luxurious scenography.[112]
A Jesuit School Theatre existed between the 16th and 18th centuries, with its first performance (Hercules by S. Tucci) in 1570 in Vilnius. Baroque aesthetics prevailed at the theatre, which also hadmedieval retrospectives, Renaissance elements,Rococo motifs, and an educational function. Performances were in Latin, but elements of the Lithuanian language were included and some of the works had Lithuanian themes (plays dedicated toAlgirdas, Mindaugas, Vytautas and other Lithuanian rulers).[113][114]
Wojciech Bogusławski established Vilnius City Theatre, the city's first public theatre, in 1785. The theatre, initially in the Oskierka Palace, moved to theRadziwiłł Palace andVilnius Town Hall. Plays were performed in Polish until 1845, from 1845 to 1864 in Polish and Russian, and after 1864 in Russian. After the Lithuanian-language ban was lifted, plays were also performed in Lithuanian. The theatre closed in 1914.[115]
During the interwar period (when the city was part of Poland), Vilnius was known for the modern, experimental Reduta troupe and institute led byJuliusz Osterwa.[116] The Vilnius Lithuanian Stage Amateur Company (Lithuanian:Vilniaus lietuvių scenos mėgėjų kuopa), established in 1930 and renamed Vilnius's Lithuanian Theatre, performed in the region. In 1945, it was merged with theLithuanian National Drama Theatre.[114]
After the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940, theatre became a means of disseminating Soviet ideology. Performances incorporated socialist realism, and a number ofrevolutionary plays by Russian authors were staged. A Repertory Commission was established under the Ministry of Culture to direct theatres, control repertoire, and permit (or ban) performances.[114]
Theatre changed after Lithuanian independence.[114] The independent Vilnius City Opera blends classical and contemporary art. The Lithuanian National Drama Theatre, State Small Theatre of Vilnius, State Youth Theatre and a number of private theatre companies (including OKT/Vilnius City Theatre and the Anželika Cholina Dance Theatre) present classical, modern and Lithuanian plays directed by noted Lithuanian and foreign directors. There is also a Russian-languageOld Theatre of Vilnius.[117]
According to the memoirs of architect Bolesław Podczaszyński, published in January 1853 in theGazeta Warszawska, Lithuanianphotography began with thedaguerreotyping in the summer of 1839 of the reconstructedVerkiai Palace by François Marcillac (governor of the children of DukeLudwig Wittgenstein).[118] The country's unfavorable political situation hampered the development of new technology and cultural activities. The first known daguerreotype-portraitatelier in Vilnius was opened in 1843 by C. Ziegler, and ateliers operated in Lithuania until 1859. One of the best-known photographers was K. Neupert, fromNorway.[118]
In the 1860s, with the spread of thecollodion process,glass negatives andalbumen paper were used instead of daguerreotype plates. Photo portraits in standard formats became widespread, and commercial photography ateliers were established in Vilnius and other Lithuanian cities. The first landscape and architectural photographs were made by Vilnius photographersAbdonas Korzonas and Albert Swieykowski, who compiled the 32-imageVilnius Album (Lithuania's first set of photographs). In 1862, Provisional Censorship Regulations governing the activities of photographic institutions were adopted in 1862, supervised by the Central Press Board of the Ministry of the Interior. Those who photographed the rebels in theJanuary Uprising were punished; A. Korzonas was deported toSiberia. Other prominent 19th-century photographers wereStanisław Filibert Fleury (astereoscopic-photography pioneer),[119] Aleksander Władysław Strauss, andJózef Czechowicz.[118]
The world's secondphotoheliograph was installed in 1865 at theVilnius University Astronomical Observatory, and photographedsunspots.[118] An unprecedented system of photographing solar dynamics began in 1868 in Vilnius.[120]Jan Bułhak founded the country's first photography club in Vilnius in 1927.[121] In 1952,Švyturys magazine organized the city's first photography exhibition.[118]
Iron tools, weapons,brass,glass andsilver jewelry have been produced in present-day Lithuania since the first century.[123]Pottery wood products, andweaving became widespread in the second and fourth centuries. During thefeudal era, homecrafts were components of asubsistence economy. During the 13th and 14th centuries, crafts became a branch of the economy separate from agriculture. The Grand Dukes of Lithuania promoted the development of crafts in cities, and weaving, shoemaking, fur-making and other crafts predominated. With the early-14th-century introduction of foreign artisans, the development of crafts accelerated; crafts and trade stimulated the growth of Vilnius and other Lithuanian cities. In the 14th and 15th centuries, crafts were specialized (especially the production of tools, household items, fabrics, clothing, weapons, and jewelry);workshops were established which trained and defended the interests of craftspeople. Production of fineglassware began,goldsmithing was developed, and the level of pottery and weaving rose during the 16th century, and the 1529 and 1588 Statutes of Lithuania identify 25 crafts.[123] European goldsmiths worked in theVilnius Goldsmiths' Workshop (established in 1495), which controlled trade inprecious metals andgemstones and served theDaugava andDnieper regions, theCatholic Church, the Grand Duke, thenobility, and townspeople.[124] TheVilnius Mint, the mainmint of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, minted the Lithuaniandenarius,shillings,groschen,thalers,ducats, and other coins from 1387 to 1666.[125]
Crafting declined in the second half of the 17th century due to theRusso-Polish War, and most goods were imported and sold by Lithuanian and Polish nobles. It revived from the second half of the 18th century to the first half of the 19th century, with Vilnius the largest Lithuanian craft center. After the abolition ofserfdom, craft schools were established in Lithuanian cities; crafts have prevailed inclothing manufacturing, goldsmithing, woodworking, food processing, and other fields. Under Soviet occupation, craftspeople worked inartels until 1960 and then incombines. After independence, crafts were produced by small and medium-sized businesses.[123]
Ruthenian was used after the incorporation ofKievan Rus', forming the basis of 19th-century Ukrainian andBelarusian. Written Ruthenian stemmed from the interaction ofOld East Slavic with Ruthenian dialects, becoming the main language of thechancery of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 14th and 15th centuries and maintained its dominance until the mid-17th century.[127][133]
Latin andPolish were also widely used in the chancery; Polish replaced Ruthenian in written sources and Lithuanian in public use during the second half of the 17th century. The first state documents in Lithuanian appeared in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the end of its existence.[127]
At the Vilnius court ofSigismund II Augustus, the last Grand Duke of Lithuania before theUnion of Lublin, Polish and Lithuanian were spoken.[134] In 1552, Sigismund ordered that orders from the Magistrate of Vilnius be announced in Lithuanian, Polish, and Ruthenian.[135] Minorities such asJews,Lipka Tatars, andCrimean Karaites were ruled by the Grand Duke of Lithuania, and their languages were only used among themselves.[136] According to Article 14 of the Lithuanian constitution, Lithuanian is theofficial language; however,interpreter assistance is sometimes provided.[137]
Wealthy townspeople in luxurious clothing aroused the envy of Lithuanian nobility, who demanded laws regulating attire. The 1588 Statute of Lithuania limited townspeople to two rings, and Jews could not wear gold chains andbrooches.[138] Broader restrictions were imposed by theSejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, which adopted the 1613 Act of Thrift forbidding non-noble townspeople from wearing expensive furs in public.[138] Payment of a fee later removed the limitations.[138]
During the late 18th century, almost all men shaved; their hair was short, and they wore open-front blue, green or blacktailcoats andwaistcoats with white or light-yellow trousers;[139] women's clothing echoed West European styles. In the early 20th century, clothing followed West European fashion trends. TheState Art Institute of Lithuania introduced clothing-design studies, and the Vilnius Model House (popularizing apparel and footwear) was established in 1961.[140]
The annual Vilnius springMados infekcija (Fashion Infection), Lithuania's largestfashion show, began in 1999.[141] Lithuanian clothing designerJuozas Statkevičius usually presents his shows in the city.[142]
Kaziuko mugė (Saint Casimir's Fair), held annually in the city's markets and streets on the Sunday nearest to 4 March (the feast ofSaint Casimir), attracts many visitors and Lithuanian and foreign craftspeople.Easter palms (Lithuanian:Verbos) are symbolic of the fair.[147] Capital Days (Lithuanian:Sostinės dienos), Vilnius' largest festival of music and culture, is held from 30 August to 1 September.[148] The river Vilnia is dyed green every year forSaint Patrick's Day.[149] During the annualVilnius Culture Night, artists and cultural organisations hold events and performances throughout the city.[150]
BeforeMagdeburg rights were granted to Vilnius in 1378, the city was ruled byvicegerents. Government was later granted to a magistrate or a city council, subordinate to the ruler. In wartime, it was led by avoivode.[151] The government headquarters was at Vilnius Town Hall.[152]
The magistrate was responsible for the city's economy: collecting taxes, overseeing the treasury, and accumulating stocks of grain to avoid starvation during famine or wars. He was anotary in transactions and testaments, ajudge in conflicts involving construction and renovation, and took care of craftspeople; statutes involving workshops were approved by the ruler, but Sigismund II Augustus gave this responsibility to magistrates in 1552. Since a 1522 ruling bySigismund I the Old, Vilnius magistrates had to protect the city and its residents with 24 armed guards. During wartime, the night watch was conducted by the magistrate, bishop and castle men.[151][153]
The chief city administrator was a Catholicvaitas (a vicegerent of the Grand Duke of Lithuania),[154] most of whom were beginning their careers in the magistracy, and chaired city-council meetings. He adjudicatedcriminal cases, with the right to impose capital punishment. Originally examining cases alone, twosuolininkai also began examining important cases in the 16th century. At that time, the city council consisted of 12burgomasters and 24 councilors; half were Catholics, the other halfOrthodox). Members were chosen by wealthy townspeople, merchants, and workshop elders. Burgomasters were lifetime appointments; at death, another member of the council with the same religion was chosen. In 1536, Sigismund I the Old signed an edict prohibiting close relatives on the council and requiring prior agreement by the townspeople of new taxes, obligations and regulations.[151]
Before 2015, mayors were appointed by the council.[160] Beginning that year, mayors were elected in atwo-round system.[160] Remigijus Šimašius was the city's first directly elected mayor.[161]
Medininkai Castle, built in the first half of the 14th century. It is the largest enclosure-type defensivecastle in Lithuania and a primary landmark in the district.[164]Map of Vilnius district
The district has a multinational population, of which 52 percent arePoles, 33 percentLithuanians, and the remainderRussians,Belarusians and other nationalities (includingUkrainians). It has a population of over 100,000; 95 percent live in villages, and five percent live in towns.[165] Vilnius district has Lithuania's highest terrain, with theAukštojas,Juozapinė andKruopinė Hills over 290 metres (950 ft) abovesea level.[165]
Palm Sunday is celebrated in the district, and Vilnian Easter palms (verbos) are made from dried flowers and herbs.[166] Palm-making dates to the time of St. Casimir.[165]
Vilnius is the seat of Lithuania'snational government. The country's two chief officers have their offices in Vilnius. Thepresident resides at thePresidential Palace inDaukanto Square,[170] and theprime minister's seat is at the Government of Lithuania office in Gediminas Avenue.[171] According to law, the president has a residence in Vilnius' Turniškės district near the Neris.[172][173] The prime minister is also has entitled to a residence in Turniškės district during their term in office.[174] Government ministries are located throughout the city, many in the Old Town.[175]
TheSeimas of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania primarily gathered in Vilnius.[176] The present-day Seimas meets at theSeimas Palace in Gediminas Avenue.[177]
Lithuania's highest courts are in Vilnius. TheSupreme Court of Lithuania (Lithuanian:Lietuvos Aukščiausiasis Teismas), which reviews criminal and civil cases, is in Gynėjų Street.[178] TheSupreme Administrative Court of Lithuania (Lithuanian:Lietuvos vyriausiasis administracinis teismas), which adjudicates litigation against public bodies, is in Žygimantų Street.[179] TheConstitutional Court of Lithuania (Lithuanian:Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucinis Teismas), an advisory body with authority over the constitutionality of laws, meets in the Constitutional Court Palace in Gediminas Avenue.[180] TheLithuanian Tribunal, the highestappellate court for the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and established byStephen Báthory in 1581, was in Vilnius until theThird Partition of Poland in 1795.[181]
The Emergency Response Center inAntakalnis, which handles emergency calls in Vilnius
Security in Vilnius is primarily the responsibility of theVilniaus apskrities vyriausiasis policijos komisariatas, the highest police office in the city, and local police offices. Its main responsibilities are ensuring public order and safety, reporting and investigating criminal offenses, and traffic control.[182] In 2016, the city had 1,500 police officers.[183] ThePublic Security Service is responsible for the prompt restoration of public order in special situations and ensuring the protection of important state objects and escorted subjects.[184]
Vilniaus apskrities priešgaisrinė gelbėjimo valdyba is the primary governing body of Vilnius'sfirefighters.[185] There were 1,287 fire incidents in the first nine months of 2018, killing six people and injuring 16.[186]
Vilniaus greitosios medicinos pagalbos stotis is responsible foremergency medical services in the city, and the EMS telephone number is 033.[187] Established in 1902, it is one of eastern Europe's oldest EMS institutions.[188] Many doctors and other personnel received medals for their assistance to victims of the 1991 January Events.[188] The common number for contacting emergency services in Vilnius and other parts of Lithuania is 112.[189]
The Old Town covers about 3.6 km2 (1.4 sq mi), and its history dates to theNeolithic. The glacial hills were intermittently occupied, and a wooden castle was built at the confluence of the Neris and Vilniac. 1000 AD to fortifyGedimino Hill. The settlement developed into a town in the 13th century, when thepaganBaltic people were invaded byWestern Europeans during theLithuanian Crusade. Around 1323 (the first written sources about Vilnia), it was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and had a few brick buildings. By the 15th century, the duchy extended from theBaltic to theBlack Sea (primarily present-day Belarus, Ukraine and Russia). The historic centre consists ofthree castles (Upper, Lower and Curved) and the area previously encircled by theWall of Vilnius. It is mainly circular, centered on the original castle site. Streets are small and narrow, with large squares later developed.[18]Pilies Street, the main artery, links the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania with Vilnius Town Hall. Other streets are lined with the palaces of feudal lords and landlords, churches, shops and craftspeople's workrooms.
Vilnius covers 401 square kilometres (155 sq mi), of which one-fifth is developed; the remainder is greenspace and water. The city is known as one of Europe's "greenest" capital cities.[198]
Notable Lithuanian Catholics are interred in the crypts of Vilnius Cathedral. Grand DukeAlexander Jagiellon, QueenElizabeth of Austria,Barbara Radziwiłł, and the heart of Grand Duke Władysław IV Vasa are buried at the Royal Mausoleum. These crypts have one of the country's oldest frescoes, painted in the late 14th or early 15th century after Lithuania was Christianized.[199]
Vilnius Old Town (Lithuanian:Vilniaus senamiestis), with medieval stone-paved streets, and Užupis have prestigious housing, withapartments featuring views of iconic churches and urban landmarks (particularlyGediminas Tower), enclosed inner courtyards, high ceilings, attics, non-standard layouts and luxurious interiors;[200] Flats in these neighbourhoods may cost millions ofeuros.[201] Traffic jams, expensive parking, air pollution, high maintenance costs and limitations on renovation, however, also encourage wealthy Vilnians to buy or buildprivate houses in outlying parts of the city such asBalsiai,Bajorai,Pavilnys,Kalnėnai andPilaitė or the nearbyVilnius District Municipality.[200] Around 21,000 residents live in the Old Town, and 7,000 in Užupis.[202]
Valakampiai andTurniškės are prestigious neighborhoods, with private houses on large lots surrounded bypine forests which are easily accessible from the city centre. Wealthy people and heads of state (such as the president) live there, and most of the larger private houses costs millions of euros.[200][203] Part of theŽvėrynas neighbourhood has luxurious private houses near Vingis Park, but it also has Soviet-era apartment buildings and wooden houses in poor condition.[202][200]
Neighbourhoods around the Old Town (Antakalnis, Žirmūnai, Naujamiestis, and Žvėrynas) have a variety of flats and green space, and are popular withmiddle-class residents. Wealthier people live in a new construction or renovated Soviet-era apartments.[200] The government is supportive of renovation, and reimburses 30 percent or more of the cost.[204] Poorer residents and low-incomepensioners, however, fosterregionalism.[205][206]
More-distant neighbourhoods, such as Lazdynai, Karoliniškės, Viršuliškės,Šeškinė, Justiniškės, Pašilaičiai, Fabijoniškės andNaujininkai, have more-affordable housing. Their disadvantages are a longer commute, unrenovated Soviet-erahigh-rise buildings, traffic congestion and a shortage of parking spaces near older apartments.[200][207]
Mid-19th-century painting of the Chapel of Jesus of Šnipiškės
TheŠnipiškės eldership has received significant investment during the 2010s. The area was first mentioned in 1536, when Grand Duke Sigismund I the Old orderedUlrich Hosius to build a wooden bridge over the Neris and a suburb developed around the bridge. That century, a building forMuscovite andTatar messengers was built by the magistrate of Vilnius north of Šnipiškės.[208] The JesuitChurch of St. Raphael the Archangel and monastery and housing for wealthy and middle-class townspeople were built in Šnipiškės during the 18th century. Craftspeople lived on the outskirts, where a smoking-pipe factory, sawmills and a small candy factory were built. The 8-hectare (20-acre) Skansenas neighbourhood, west of the Kalvarijų market,[209] has late-19th-century wooden houses. Nearby Piromontas[210] was built at the same time.
During the 1960s, Šnipiškės was renamed theNew City Centre. It had the city's first pedestrian zone and a number of buildings, including the country's largest shopping centre, a large hotel, a planetarium, a museum and a number of ministries of the Lithuanian SSR, were built before 1990.[211][212][213][214][215] Šnipiškės north ofKonstitucijos Avenue was underdeveloped until the early 2000s, when the newVilnius city municipality building spurred construction of Europa Square with a shopping centre, a 33-story office building and a 27-story apartment building. The former Museum of the Revolution became the National Art Gallery in the late 2000s.[216]
Modern housing in Paupys
According to economists, the number of transactions and the housing affordability index reached record highs in 2019 because of increased city-residents' income and slowing price increases for flats.[217] One-fourth of residents 26 to 35 years old still live in homes owned by their parents or other relatives, however, the highest percentage in the Baltic states.[218]
According to some historians, Vilnius could have been a city during theKingdom of Lithuania times: KingMindaugas did not permanently live there, however, may have built Lithuania's first Catholic church for hiscoronation there. It is well established, however, that Vilnius existed as a city during the times ofTraidenis andVytenis. The first mention in the historical sources as a capital in 1323 in theletters to the Western cities ofGediminas.
It became a multicultural city, with 14th-century sources noting that it consisted of a Great (Lithuanian) city and aRuthenian one. By the 16th century,German merchants, artisans, Jews andTatars had also settled in Vilnius. During the 16th– and 17th-centuryReformation andCounter-Reformation, the city's Polish-speaking population began to grow; by the middle of the 17th century, most writing was in Polish.[219] City was inhabited by a large number ofItalian andSwiss artisans as well and generally all the European nations were presented to an extent (those includedVilnius university professors and students among whom there wereFrench,Spanish,Swedes and even someCroatians as Tomaš Zdelarius, musicians at thePalace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania or such military servants asHungarianGáspár Bekes). Because of many nations inhabiting the city, in the 16th-18th. centuries it was known and nicknamed in Western sources asBabylon of Europe.[4]
By the inter-war period, after the briefPolish–Lithuanian War and the annexation of the so-calledRepublic of Central Lithuania by Poland, the population became overwhelmingly Polish with very significant Jewish minority. Because of the annexation, the 1931 Polish census recorded only 0.8% Lithuanians. After World War II, the number of ethnic Lithuanians in Vilnius rebounded; however, Lithuanization was soon replaced withSovietization,[220][221] and the population became a mix of Lithuanians, Russians and Poles. Following independence in 1990, for the first time in modern history Lithuanians became a clear majority, increasing to 63.2 percent in 2011 and 67.4 percent in 2021.[222][223][224]
Source:[225][226]: 214, 303 [227][228]¹ Sharp decline after theVilnius uprising (1794); ² Decline of population due toNapoleonic wars and the aftermath; ³ Sharp decline of population of Vilnius because of World War I and the aftermath during the clashes aroundVilnius. These resulted in evacuation of Russian military, bureaucracy and the majority of its Russian inhabitants from Vilnius in 1915, as well as fleeing or evacuation of other Vilnius inhabitants of various communities (mostly Jewish and Lithuanian) to Russia and rural parts of Lithuania;[229][230] ⁴ Rise of population due to influx ofPolish and Jewish war refugees[231] and migration of Lithuanian bureaucracy, students fromtemporary capitalKaunas and other localities in Lithuania; ⁵ Sharp decline of population after atrocities ofWorld War II andThe Holocaust[232][7]
Vilnius is Lithuania's economic centre, with a per-capita GDP in the metropolitan area of almost€30,000.[233] The city's budget reached €1.0 billion in 2022.[234] In the second quarter of 2024, the average monthly salary in Vilnius was €2,501.1 (gross) and €1,526.2 (net).[235]
The K29 business centre is the first office in the Baltic states to receive an excellentBREEAM rating.[236]
Lithuania's economic growth has been uneven, withGDP per capita at nearly 110 percent of the EU average in Vilnius but from 42 to 77 percent in other regions. The country'sconvergence is fuelled by two regions (Vilnius andKaunas County) which produce 42 and 20 percent of the national GDP, respectively. From 2014 to 2016, the Vilnius region grew by 4.6 percent.[237]
The supply of new housing in Vilnius and its suburbs has reached post-recession highs, and the stock of unsold apartments in Lithuania's three largest cities has begun to increase since the beginning of 2017. Demand for housing is strong, fuelled by rising wages, benign financial conditions and positive expectations. In the first half of 2018, the number of monthly transactions was the highest since its 2007–2008 peak.[238] Mostforeign direct investment and productive public investment in Lithuania is concentrated on Vilnius and Kaunas.[239] Vilnius Industrial Park, 18.5 kilometres from the city, is intended for commercial and industrial use.[240]
Scientific centres and university faculties at Sunrise Valley
Sunrise Valley Science and Technology Park (Lithuanian:Saulėtekio slėnio mokslo ir technologijų parkas) is a non-profit organization which was founded in 2003. Over 20,000 students study in the Vilnius University andVilnius Gediminas Technical University facilities in Sunrise Valley, and 5,000 scientists conduct research in its science centres.[245]
The Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology (Lithuanian:Fizinių ir technologijos mokslų centras, FTMC) is the country's largest scientific research institution, specialising inlaser technology,optoelectronics,nuclear physics,organic chemistry,bio andnanotechnology, electrochemicalmaterials science, andelectronics. The centre was created in 2010 with the merger of the institutes of chemistry, physics and semiconductor physics in Vilnius and the Textile institute in Kaunas.[246] With 250 laboratories (24 open to the public), it can accommodate over 700 researchers and students.[247] The centre has aPhD program and hosts annual conferences of PhD students and young researchers.[248] FTMC is the founder and sole shareholder of the Science and Technology Park of Institute of Physics in Savanorių Avenue, which assists companies withresearch and development.[249]
Vilnius University's Laser Research Centre (Lithuanian:Vilniaus universiteto Lazerinių tyrimų centras) is one of five departments in the university's Faculty of Physics, which prepares physicists, laser physicists and laser-technology specialists. The department conducts research inlaser physics,nonlinear optics, optical-component characterization,biophotonics and lasermicrotechnology.[250] Lithuania has over 50 percent of the world's market share inultrashort pulses lasers produced by Vilnius-based companies.[251] A laser system was produced in 2019 for theExtreme Light Infrastructure laboratory inSzeged which produces high-intensity, ultra-short pulses with a peak power up to 1,000 times that of the most powerfulnuclear power plant in the United States.[251]Corning Inc. bought a glass-cutting licence from the Vilnius-based laser company Altechna and for manufacturingGorilla Glass.[252]
Virginijus Šikšnys is a biochemist at Vilnius University.
The Vilnius University Life Sciences Centre (Lithuanian:Vilniaus universiteto Gyvybės mokslų centras) is a scientific research centre which consists of three institutes: the Institute of Biochemistry, Institute of Biosciences, and Institute of Biotechnology. The centre was opened in 2016 and has 800 students, 120 PhD students, 200 teaching staff, and open-access scientific laboratories with advanced equipment.[253] It has a technologybusiness incubator for small and medium businesses in the life sciences or related fields.[254] Vilnius Gediminas Technical University has three research centres at Sunrise Valley: the Civil Engineering Research Centre, Technology Centre for Building Information and Digital Modelling, and Competence Centre of Intermodal Transport and Logistics.[255]
The Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (Lithuanian:Lietuvos socialinių mokslų centras), which cooperates with the Lithuanian government, produces and disseminates scientific information in the fields of economics, sociology and law to implement public policy.[256] Santara Valley (Lithuanian:Santaros slėnis) is a science and research facility which focuses onmedicine,biopharmaceutical andbioinformatics.[257] TheVilnius University Faculty of Medicine Science Centre was scheduled for completion in Santara Valley in 2021.[258]
Vilnius Tech Park in Sapieha Park, the largest ITstartup hub in the Baltic andNordic countries, unites international startups, technology companies, accelerators, and incubators.[267]fDi Intelligence ranked Vilnius number one city on its 2019 Tech Start-up FDI Attraction Index.[268]
Vilnius had the world's fastest internet speed in 2011[269] and, despite its fall in the rankings, remains one of the world's fastest.[270]Vilnius Airport has one of Europe's fastest airportWi-Fi speeds.[271] TheNational Cyber Security Centre of Lithuania was established in Vilnius to address internet attacks on Lithuanian government organizations.[272]
Bebras, an international informatics and IT contest, has been held annually for pupils in grades three through 12 since 2004.[273] Since 2017,computer programming is taught in primary schools.[274]
Vilnius is a popularfintech hub due to Lithuania's flexiblee-money licence regulations.[275] The Bank of Lithuania granted an e-money licence in 2018 to Vilnius-based Google Payment Lithuania.[276] The startupRevolut also has an e-money licence and headquarters in Vilnius, and began moving its clients to the Lithuanian company Revolut Payments in 2019.[277] On 23 January 2019, Europe's first international blockchain centre opened in Vilnius.[278]
Vilnius is Lithuania's financial centre. TheMinistry of Finance in Vilnius is responsible for an effective public financial policy to ensure the country's economic growth.[279] TheBank of Lithuania fosters a reliable financial system and ensures sustainable economic growth.[280] TheNasdaq Vilnius stock exchange is in the K29 business centre.[281]
In 2023, 13banks held a bank or specialised-bank licence; six banks are foreign-bank branches. Most of the Lithuanian financial system consists of capital banks of Nordic countries.[284] The two largest banks registered in Lithuania (SEB bankas and Swedbank) are supervised by theEuropean Central Bank and the Bank of Lithuania.[285]
The National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art offers free education to talented students.
Primary and lower secondary education is mandatory in Lithuania. Children begin pre-primary education at age six, education is compulsory until age 16. Primary and secondary education is free, but there are also private schools in Vilnius. The country's educational system is governed by theMinistry of Education, Science and Sports, headquartered in Vilnius.[286]
Ethnic minorities in Lithuania have their own schools. Vilnius has seven elementary schools, eight primary schools, twoprogymnasiums and 12 gymnasiums for minority children, with lessons in minority languages. In 2017, 4,658 Poles and 9,274 Russians studied in their languages in the city.[290] Vilnius has 11vocational schools.[291]
Most school graduates in Vilnius later study at universities or colleges. According to theOECD, 57.5 percent of 25– to 34-year-olds in Lithuania had a tertiary education in 2021.[292]Vilnius has nine international schools, including the International School of Vilnius,Vilnius International French Lyceum, British International School of Vilnius, and American International School of Vilnius.[293]
On 14 October 1773, theCommission of National Education (Lithuanian:Edukacinė komisija) was created by the Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Grand Duke Stanisław August Poniatowski, who supervised schools and Vilnius University in the Commonwealth. Because of its authority and autonomy, it is considered Europe's firstministry of education and an example of theEnlightenment in the Commonwealth.[294]
Vilnius has a number of universities, the largest and oldest of which is Vilnius University.[295] With its main campus in the Old Town, it has been ranked among the top 500 universities in the world byQS World University Rankings.[296] The university participates in projects with UNESCO andNATO. It has master's programs in English and Russian,[297] and programs in cooperation with other universities throughout Europe. The university has 14 faculties.[295]
A 16th-century centralVilnius University Library reading room, decorated in 1803 with portraits of the 12 most prominent figures in antiquity, art and science[302]
The Vilnius city municipality central library (Lithuanian:Vilniaus miesto savivaldybės centrinė biblioteka) operatespublic libraries in the city.[303] It has 16 branches, one (Saulutė) dedicated tochildren's literature.[304] Many libraries offer freecomputer literacy courses.[305] The public libraries require a free LIBIS (integrated information system of Lithuanian libraries) card.[306]
TheMartynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania (Lithuanian:Lietuvos nacionalinė Martyno Mažvydo biblioteka) in Gediminas Avenue, founded in 1919, collects, organizes and preserves Lithuania's written cultural heritage, collects Lithuanian and foreign documents relevant to research and Lithuania's educational and cultural needs, and provides library services to the public.[307] By 1 July 2019, its electronic catalog had 1,140,708 bibliographic records.[308]
EveryLithuanian university and college has a library for students, professors andalumni. TheNational Open Access Scientific Communication and Information Center of Vilnius University (Lithuanian:Vilniaus universiteto bibliotekos Mokslinės komunikacijos ir informacijos centras) in Saulėtekis Valley opened in 2013 and has over 800 workplaces in an area of 14,043.61 m2 (151,164.2 sq ft).[310][311] Central Vilnius University Library,[312] Vilnius Gediminas Technical University Library, Mykolas Romeris University Library, ISM University of Management and Economics Library, European Humanities University Library, and Kazimieras Simonavičius University Library are on their respective campuses in Vilnius.[313]
By the 17th century, Vilnius was known as a city of numerous religions. In 1600, Samuel Lewkenor's book about cities with universities was published in London;[315] According to Lewkenor, Vilnius' population included Catholics, Orthodox, followers of John Calvin and Martin Luther, Jews and Tartar Muslims.[page needed]
During that century, Vilnius had a reputation as a city unrivaled in Europe for its number and variety of churches. Robert Morden wrote inGeography Rectified or a Description of the World that no other city in the world could surpass Vilnius in the number of churches and temples except, perhaps, Amsterdam.[316][317]
Lithuania's pre-Christian religion, centred on the forces of nature and personified by deities such asPerkūnas (the thunder god), is experiencing increased interest.Romuva established a Vilnius branch in 1991.[320]
Known as "Yerushalayim D'Lita" (the Jerusalem of Lithuania), Vilnius had been a world centre forTorah study and had a large Jewish population since the 18th century. A major scholar of Judaism and theKabbalah was Rabbi Eliyahu Kremer, known as theVilna Gaon, whose writings significantly influence Orthodox Jews. TheVilna Shas, the most widely used version of theTalmud, was published in the city in 1886.[321] Jewish life in Vilnius was destroyed during the Holocaust, and a memorial stone dedicated to victims ofNazi genocide is in the centre of the formerJewish Ghetto on present-day Mėsinių Street. TheVilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History is dedicated to the history of Lithuanian Jewish life. The site ofVilnius's largest synagogue, built in the early 1630s, destroyed by Nazi Germany during itsoccupation of Lithuania and later demolished by Soviet authorities, was found byground-penetrating radar in June 2015.[322] Archaeologists began excavating the site in 2016, and that work continues as of July 2024.[323]
TheKaraites are a Jewish sect who migrated to Lithuania from the Crimea. Small in numbers, they have become more prominent since Lithuanian independence and have restored theirkenesas (including theVilnius Kenesa).[324]
It is safe to say that I have been in Vilnius all my life, at least since I became conscious. I was in Vilnius with thoughts and heart – one could say [my] whole being. And so it stayed – and in Rome.
Interior of the Chapel of theGate of Dawn, with its eponymous painting
Since the 1387 Christianization of Lithuania, Vilnius has become a centre of Christianity in the country and apilgrimage site. The Vilnius Pilgrimage Centre (Lithuanian:Vilniaus piligrimų centras) coordinates pilgrimages, assists with their preparation, and performs pilgrimage pastoral care.[326] A number of places in Vilnius are associated withmiracles or mark events significant to Christians, and the Chapel of the Gate of Dawn is visited by thousands of Christian pilgrims annually. The gates were initially part of the defensive Wall of Vilnius; they were given to theCarmelites in the 16th century, who installed achapel in the gates with a 17th-century Catholic painting:Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn. The painting was later decorated withgold-plated silver and is associated with miracles and a legend.[327]
TheChurch of St. Philip and St. Jacob, near Lukiškės Square, has the painting of the Mother of God of Lukiškės which has reportedly attracted miracles.[327] Theicon, painted in the 15th or 16th century, is one of the country's oldest examples ofeasel painting.[329] It was brought by Grand Duchy of Lithuania artillery general Motiejus Korvinas Gosievskis from the Russo-Polish War. Since 1684, miracles have been reported at the Vilnius Dominican monastery related to the image which were published in a 1737 book,Mystical Fountain (Lithuanian:Mistinis fontanas). The icon was restored and returned to theDominicans in 2012.[330]
Three Crosses is a monument in the city. According to a legend in theBychowiec Chronicle, fourteenFranciscan friars were invited to Vilnius fromPodolia byPetras Goštautas.[331] The friars preached thegospel and denigrated pagan Lithuanian gods; angry city residents burned the monastery and killed the fourteen friars. Seven were beheaded on Bleak Hill, and the other seven werecrucified and thrown into the Neris or Vilnia.[331]
Verkiai Calvary (or Vilnius Calvary), Lithuania's second-oldestcalvary, is in the neighborhood ofVerkiai. The calvary was built from 1662 to 1669 in gratitude for victory in theSecond Northern War (1655–60).[332] The consecration ceremony of theStations of the Cross took place forPentecost on 9 June 1669.[333] The calvary includes 20 brick chapels, seven wooden gates and a brick one, and a bridge with a wood chapel.[334] The path ends at theChurch of the Discovery of the Holy Cross. All the chapels except the four closest to the church were destroyed by Soviet authorities overnight withdynamite in 1962. The calvary was reconstructed from 1990 to 2002, and the chapels were consecrated on Pentecost in 2002.[335] Pilgrimages to the calvary are organized regularly with the clergy.[336]
The Church Heritage Museum (Lithuanian:Bažnytinio paveldo muziejus) contains city's the oldest and largest collection of liturgical artefacts in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vilnius.[327][337] Vilnius is the only city in the Baltic states with anApostolic Nunciature, where Pope John Paul II andPope Francis stayed during their visits to Lithuania,Latvia andEstonia.[338]
Almost half of Vilnius is covered by green space such as parks, public gardens, and nature reserves. The city has a number of lakes where residents and visitors swim and barbecue in the summer. Thirty lakes and 16 rivers cover 2.1 percent of Vilnius' area, some of which have sand beaches.
Vingis Park, the city's largest, hosted several large rallies during Lithuania's drive towards independence in the 1980s. Sections of the annualVilnius Marathon are on public walkways along the Neris. The green area next to the White Bridge is a popular place to enjoy good weather, and has become a venue for several musical and film events.
Lukiškės Square
Cathedral Square in the Old Town is surrounded by a number of the city's most historic sites.Lukiškės Square is the largest, bordered by several government buildings: theLithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Polish Embassy and theGenocide Victims' Museum, where theKGB tortured and killed opponents of the communist regime. A large statue ofVladimir Lenin in its centre was removed in 1991.[339] Town Hall Square has been a centre of trade fairs, celebrations and events, including theKaziukas Fair. The city's Christmas tree is displayed there. State ceremonies are often held inDaukanto Square, facing the Presidential Palace.
Bernardinai Garden
Bernardinai Garden, nearGediminas Tower (previously known as Sereikiškės Park), opened on 20 October 2013 after it was restored to its 19th-century Vladislovas Štrausas environment.[340] It is a venue for concerts, festivals, and exhibitions.Chiune SugiharaSakura Park was established in 2001, and aJapanese garden (both in Šnipiškės) was opened in 2023.[341][342]
Rasos Cemetery, consecrated in 1801, is the burial site ofJonas Basanavičius and othersignatories of the 1918 Act of Independence and the heart of Polish leaderJózef Piłsudski. Two of the city's threeJewish cemeteries were destroyed by communist authorities during the Soviet era, and the remains in the Vilna Gaon were moved to the remaining one. A monument was erected at the site of Užupis Old Jewish Cemetery was.[343] TheBernardine Cemetery, established in 1810, has about 18,000 burials; closed during the 1970s, it is being restored.Antakalnis Cemetery, established in 1809, has memorials to Polish, Lithuanian, German and Russian soldiers and the graves of those who were killed during the January Events.
Tourists in the Old TownUžupis, a self-proclaimed republic, hasBohemian culture and art.
According toLithuanian Department of Statistics, 1,200,858 visitors rented rooms in Vilnius in 2018 and spent a total of 2,212,109 nights there; this was a respective increase of 12 percent and 11 percent over the previous year.[344] Eighty-one percent of the visitors were foreigners (970,577), 11 percent more than in 2017. Most foreign visitors (47 percent) came from Belarus (102,915),Germany (101,999), Poland (99,386), Russia (90,388) and Latvia (61,829).[344] Nineteen percent of the guests were Lithuanian, 18 percent more than in 2017.[344]
A 2018 Vilnius visitor survey reported that 48 percent were visiting the city for the first time, 85 percent of tourists planned the trip by themselves, and 15 percent used a travel agency.[345] Forty percent said that they visited Vilnius to learn about the city's history and heritage, with 23 percent also planning trips to other parts of Lithuania.[346] Many Belarusians (about 200,000travel visas annually) visit the city'sshopping malls and submit half-meter-long receipts tocustoms officials.[347]
Vilnius' Tourist Information Centres were visited by 119,136 visitors in 2018 (95,932 foreigners and 23,204 Lithuanians), a five-percent increase over 2017.[344] The city's highest-rated tourist services are restaurants (cafés), old-town attractions, hotels or other accommodations, trips toTrakai, parks and other green zones, connections toVilnius Airport, and food in hotels, restaurants and cafés.[348] Vilnius is one of a few European capitals which allowshot air ballooning through the city, with nearly 1,000 trips in 2022.[349] In the City Costs Barometer 2019, Vilnius was ranked number one of European capitals for offering the best value to visitors.[350] The controversialVilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports, built by Soviet authorities on the site of a Jewish graveyard, was scheduled to become the leading convention center in the Baltic states in 2022.[351]
According to a 2018 Vilnius visitors' survey, 44 percent stayed in mid-range hotels (three or four stars), 12 percent stayed in standard or economy hotels (one or two stars) and 11 percent stayed in five-star hotels.[357] The city had 82 hotels, eight motels and 40 other accommodation facilities in 2019, with 6,822 rooms and 15,248 beds. The highest hotel-room occupancy was in August, and the lowest was in February.[344]
Olympic swimming championsLina Kačiušytė andRobertas Žulpa are from Vilnius. The city has several publicswimming pools, with the Lazdynai Swimming Pool the onlyOlympic-size swimming pool.[361] Vilnius is home to the LithuanianBandy Association, Badminton Federation, Canoeing Sports Federation, Baseball Association, Biathlon Federation, Sailors Union, Football Federation, Fencing Federation, Cycling Sports Federation, Archery Federation, Athletics Federation, Ice Hockey Federation, Basketball Federation, Curling Federation, Rowing Federation, Wrestling Federation, Speed Skating Association, Gymnastics Federation, Equestrian Union, Modern Pentathlon Federation, Shooting Union, Triathlon Federation, Volleyball Federation, Tennis Union, Taekwondo Federation, Weightlifting Federation, Table Tennis Association, Skiing Association, Rugby Federation, and Swimming Federation.[362] The annual internationalVilnius Marathon has thousands of participants.[363]
Navigability of the Neris is limited; no regular water routes exist, although it was used for transport in the past.[364]Vilnius Airport, Lithuania's largest, serves about 50 cities in 25 countries.[365] The airport, 5 km (3.1 mi) from the city centre, has a direct link to theVilnius railway station. The station is a rail hub with direct passenger service to Minsk,Kaliningrad,Moscow andSaint Petersburg, and is part of thePan-European Corridor IX's Branch B.
Vilnius is the starting point of theA1 motorway which runs across Lithuania, connecting its three major cities (Vilnius, Kaunas andKlaipėda), and is part ofEuropean route E85. TheA2, connecting Vilnius andPanevėžys, is part of theE272. Other highways out of the city include theA3,A4,A14,A15, andA16. Vilnius' southern bypass is theA19.
The bus andtrolleybus networks are operated by Vilniaus viešasis transportas. There are over 60 bus, 18 trolleybus, six rapid bus and one night bus routes.[366][367] The trolleybus network is one of Europe's most extensive; over 250 buses and 260 trolleybuses transport about 500,000 passengers every workday.[368] The first bus routes were established in 1926, and the first trolleybuses were introduced in 1956.[369]
At the end of 2007, an electronic monthly ticket system was introduced in which passengers could buy an electronic card in shops and newsstands and load it with money; monthly e-ticket cards could also be loaded over the Internet. Paper monthly tickets were in use until August 2008.[370] On 15 August 2012, e-cards were replaced by Vilnius Citizen Cards (Vilniečio Kortelė) which could be purchased at newsstands and loaded with money and ticket type. Single-trip tickets have been replaced by 30- and 60-minute tickets. In 2014, a mobile app was introduced for public-transport tickets.[371]
Buses are low-floorVolvo andMercedes-Benz buses, and trolleybuses are manufactured bySolaris. OlderŠkoda vehicles, built in the Czech Republic and many refurbished, are still in service. In 2004, a contract was signed with Volvo Buses to purchase 90 new 7700 buses over a three-year period.[372]
In 2017, Vilnius began the largest upgrade of its bus service by purchasing 250 new low-floor buses. Sixty percent of the city's public buses were new by mid-2018, with free Wi-Fi and chargers for electronic devices.[373] On 5 September 2017, 50 newIsuzu buses were introduced.[374] Vilnius City Municipality accepted bids for 41 newtrolleybuses; Solaris contracted to provide the trolleybuses by autumn 2018, with free Wi-Fi and chargers.[375] On 13 November of that year, the municipality signed a contract with Solaris for the remaining 150 fourth-generationSolaris Urbino buses (100 standard and 50articulated) with free Wi-Fi and USB charging.[376] FiveelectricKarsan Jest Electric buses were introduced on 20 September 2019 for the number 89 route's narrow streets.[377]
Since 2017, a 30-minute ticket costs€0.65; a 60-minute ticket costs €0.90, and a single ticket bought on board costs €1.00. Short- and long-term tickets and discounts for students and the elderly are available.[378]
Vilnius Metro and an electric tram have been proposed.[379] In 2018, the Seimas and the president approved a metro project.[380]
When Vilnius was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the city hadpublic bathhouses; one-fourth the city's houses had individual bathhouses, and almost half had alcohol distilleries.[381] In 1518, doctor andcanon Martynas Dušnickis established the firstšpitolė in Vilnius: Lithuania's first hospital-like institution which treated people unable to care for themselves due to health, age, or poverty.[382]
TheMinistry of Health, in Vilnius, is responsible for Lithuanianhealth care.[388] Vilnians pay compulsoryhealth insurance (6.98 percent of their salary), which is governed by the Vilnius Territorial Health Insurance Fund and guarantees free health care to every insured person. Some residents, such as the disabled, children and full-time students, are exempt from the tax.[389]
Vilnius' firstradio station,Rozgłośnia Wileńska, began broadcasting in theŽvėrynas microdistrict on 28 November 1927 and was moved to present-day Gediminas Avenue in 1935.[397]M-1, the country's first commercial radio station, began broadcasting from Vilnius in 1989. Other Lithuanian or foreign-language radio stations also broadcast from Vilnius, most from the Vilnius TV Tower or theVilnius Press House.[398] The Lithuanian Union of Journalists (Lithuanian:Lietuvos žurnalistų sąjunga) and the Lithuanian Society of Journalists (Lithuanian:Lietuvos žurnalistų draugija) are headquartered in Vilnius.[399][400]
^Widespread use of the nickname from the 16th century to this day as a reference to the many Catholic churches and monasteries in Vilnius and overall religious atmosphere in the centre. This nickname was/is used not only by foreigners but also by the local population. The 19th-century Lithuanian cultural figureDionizas Poška called Vilnius "Rome of the North", as, according to him, Vilnius is "the old religious centre, that transformed from a pagan city into the bastion of Christianity". D. Poška,Raštai, Vilnius, 1959, p. 67
^abEspecially in the 16th–17th centuries, Vilnius was called the ‘New Babylon’ because of the many languages spoken there, as well as its many religions (various Christian denominations as well as Jews and a Muslim Tatar community). E.g.: S. Bodniak, "Polska w relacji włoskiej z roku 1604", Pamiętnik biblioteki kórnickiej, 2, (Kórnik, 1930), p. 37.
^This nickname was very popular among theLithuanian nobility, citizens of Vilnius, and poets, especially during the Baroque period. Many poets of the period, includingMaciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, called Vilnius "the capital of Palemon" or "the city of Palemon". Živilė Nedzinskaitė, Vilnius XVII–XVIII a. LDK lotyniškojoje poezijoje, Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis, Vilnius, 2010, p. 16; Eugenija Ulčinaitė, Motiejus Kazimieras Sarbievijus: Antikos ir krikščionybės sintezė; Vilniaus pasveikinimas, Lietuvių literatūros ir tautosakos institutas, Vilnius, 2001, pp. 47, 59, 61, 63; etc.
^Васютинский, А.М.; Дживелегов, А.К.; Мельгунов, С.П. (1912)."Фон Зукков, По дороге в Вильно".ЗадругаФранцузы в России. 1812 г. По воспоминаниям современников-иностранцев. (in Russian). Vol. 1–3. Москва: Задруга. Retrieved18 August 2009.
^"Šventojo Kazimiero gyvenimo istorija".Vilnius Cathedral (in Lithuanian). Retrieved3 March 2023.Autorius akcentuoja, kad Kazimieras mokėjęs lietuvių, lenkų, vokiečių ir lotynų kalbas, turėjęs nemažai dorybių: buvo teisingas, susivaldantis, tvirtos dvasios, išmintingas.
^Juozas Jurginis; Vytautas Merkys; Adolfas Tautavičius (1968).Vilniaus miesto istorija [Vilnius city history] (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Mintis.
^Lexykon geograficzny, dla gruntownego poięcia gazet i historyi z różnych autorów zebrany, przetłumaczony i napisany przez x. Hilaryona Karpińskiego, Z. S. Bazylego w prowincyi litewskiey kapłana i teologa. Po śmierci iego, z przydatkiem odmian, które zaszły, z wykładem na początku terminów geograficznych, i słownikiem nazwisk łacińskich na końcu położonym, do druku podany [A geographic Lexicon, for the thorough help of newspapers and histories from various authors collected, translated and written by x. Hilaryon Karpiński, Z. S. Bazyli in the provinces and a Lithuanian priest and theologian. After the death of iego, with the advent of variations that have occurred, with a lecture at the beginning of geographical terms, and a dictionary of Latin names at the end, printed for publication] (in Polish). Vilnius. 1766. p. 602.Mieszkancow zaś dufz liczy na 60,000.
^Samuel Lewkenor, A discovrse not altogether vnprofitable, nor vnpleasant for such as are desirous to know the situation and customes of forraine Rities without trauelling to see them. Containing a Discourse of all those Rities wherein doe flourish at this day priuiledged vniuersities. Written by Samvuel Levvkenor, Gentleman (London, 1600)
^Robert Morden, Geography Rectified or a Description of the World (London, 1688), p. 117: "Vilna, the Capital City, incloses so many sorts of Religions, that there is no City in the World where God is Worshipped after so many different ways, unless in Amsterdam; a Liberty too much allowed in most parts of Christendom, but rare temporum felicitas"
^Gintautas Sliesoriūnas, "The image of Lithuania in XVII c. English publications",Lithuanian Historical Studies, 2011, vol. 16
^Harviainen, Tapani (1997)."New Life in Karaim Communities". In M'Hammed Sabour; Vikør, Knut S. (eds.).Ethnic encounter and cultural change : papers from the Third Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies, Joensuu, 1995. Bergen: Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies. pp. 72–83.ISBN1850653119. Archived fromthe original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved6 May 2009.
^Dumalakas, Arūnas (14 June 2014)."Vilnius palaidojo tramvajaus ir metro idėjas" [Vilnius has buried the tram and metro ideas].lrytas.lt (in Lithuanian). Lietuvos Rytas. Archived fromthe original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved30 September 2015.
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