Vilnius (['vilɲus] (help·info); also known by alternative names) is the largest
city and the capital of Lithuania, with a population of 553,904 (850,700 together with Vilnius County) as of December 2005.[1] It is the seat of
the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County.
Names
Vilnius has also been known by many names in different languages throughout its history. Some foreign names for the city
include Polish Wilno, Latin Vilna,
Belarusian Вiльня (Vilnia), German
Wilna, Yiddish ווילנע (Vilne), and Latvian, Viļņa. An older Russian name is Вильна/Вильно
(Vilna/Vilno), although Вильнюс (Vil'njus) is now used. The names Wilno and Vilna have also been used
in older English and French language
publications.
History
-
| "Legend has it that the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Gediminas, was hunting in the sacred forest near the Valley of Šventaragis. Tired after the
successful day's hunt, the Grand Duke settled in nearby for the night. He fell soundly asleep and began to dream. A huge Iron
Wolf was standing on top a hill and the sound of hundreds of other wolves inside it filled all of the surrounding fields and
woods. Upon awakening, the Duke asked the pagan priest Lizdeika to interpret the meaning of the dream. And the priest told him:
"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 Legend of the Founding of Vilnius [2] |
Some historians identify the city with Voruta, a legendary capital of Mindaugas who was crowned in 1253 as King of
Lithuania. The city was first mentioned in written sources in 1323, in letters of Grand Duke Gediminas that were sent to German cities and invited Germans and members of
the Jewish community to settle in the capital city. In 1387, the city was granted city rights by Jogaila, one of Gediminas' successors.
Between 1503 and 1522 the city was surrounded with
walls that had nine city gates and three towers.
Vilnius reached the peak of its development under the reign of Sigismund August,
who moved his court there in 1544. In the following centuries, Vilnius became a constantly growing
and developing city. This growth was due in part to the establishment of Almae Academia et
Universitas Vilnensis Societatis Jesu by the King Stephen Bathory 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 Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth. Political, economic, and social activities were in full swing in the town. In 1769, the Rasos Cemetery, one of the oldest surviving cemeteries in the
city, was founded. During its rapid development, the city was open to migrants from both
abroad and far reaches of territories of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Each group made its unique contribution to the life of the
city, and crafts, trade and science prospered. During the Russo-Polish War
(1654-1667), Vilnius was occupied by Russia for several years. The city was pillaged and burned, and its population was
massacred. The city's growth lost its momentum for many years, but the population rebounded, and by the beginning of the
19th century city's population reached 20,000 making the city one of the largest in
Northern Europe.
After the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in
1795, Vilnius was annexed by Russia and became the capital of a
Vilna Governorate. During the Russian occupation the city walls were destroyed, and by
1805, only the Dawn Gate remained. In 1812, the city was seized by Napoleon on his push towards Moscow. Following the November
Uprising in 1831, Vilnius University was closed
and Russian repressions halted the further development of the city. During the January
Uprising in 1863 heavy fighting occurred within the city, but was brutally pacified by Mikhail Muravyov, 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 Polish[3] and
Lithuanian languages was banned. Ethnic Lithuanians constituted only a small
minority of citys population, Poles, Jews and Russians made up a majority of the population of the city.[4]
During World War I, Vilnius — as with the rest of Lithuania — was occupied by the
German Empire from 1915 until 1918. The Act of the Restoration of Independence of
Lithuania was proclaimed in the city on February 16 1918.
After the withdrawal of German forces, Lithuanian forces were made to retreat by the advancing Russian occupation forces. Vilnius
changed hands many times: for a while it was controlled by Polish self-defence units, who didn't want the city to be occupied by
Russian-Bolshevik forces. Then the Polish Army
regained control, then Soviet forces again. Shortly after its defeat in the
Battle of Warsaw (1920), the retreating Red
Army ceded the city back to Lithuania by signing a peace treaty on July 12, 1920. Poland also recognized Vilnius and the Vilnius region as a part of
Lithuania with the Treaty of Suwalki signed on October
7 1920.[1] However, on October 9 of the same year, the
Polish Army under General Lucjan Żeligowski broke the treaty and seized Vilnius after
a staged coup. The city and its surroundings were proclaimed the separate puppet state of Central Lithuania. On
February 20 1922, the whole area was annexed to Poland, with
Vilnius as the capital of the Wilno Voivodship (Wilno
being the name of Vilnius in Polish). The predominant languages of the city were still
Polish and, to the lesser extent, Yiddish.
In the meantime, for yet another time in its history, the city enjoyed a period of fast development. Vilnius University was
reopened under the name Stefan Batory University and the city's infrastructure was improved significantly. By 1931, the city had 195,000
inhabitants, making it the fifth largest city in Poland with vibrant industries, such as Elektrit, a factory of the popular radio receivers. Some Lithuanians, however, dispute this picture of economic
growth and point out that the standard of living in Vilnius at that time was considerably lower compared to that in other parts
of contemporary Lithuania.
Following the secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, on
September 19 1939, Vilnius was seized and annexed by the
Soviet Union. There were plans to include the city and the region as a part of the
Belarusian SSR, but eventually it was decided that Vilnius might be used as a way to
exert significant influence on Lithuania.[citation needed] On October 10 1939, after a Soviet ultimatum, the Lithuanian government accepted the presence
of Soviet military bases in various parts of the country in exchange for restoring the
city to Lithuania. On October 28, 1939 the Red Army withdrew from the city to its suburbs (to Nowa Wilejka) and Vilnius has been
taken over by the Lithuanian Army. A ceremonious defile took place on October 29, 1939 through the city center. Though the
process of transferring the capital from Kaunas to Vilnius started soon after, the whole of Lithuania was occupied by the
Soviet Union in June of 1940, before the transfer was
completed. A new Communist government was installed, with Vilnius as the capital of the newly created Lithuanian SSR. Up to 40,000 of the city's inhabitants were arrested by the NKVD and sent to gulags in the far eastern areas of the Soviet Union. The Soviets
devastated city industries moving the whole Elektrit radio factory with a part of its labor
force to Minsk at Belarus where it was renamed to
Vyacheslav Molotov Radio Factory, after Stalin's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In June 1941, the city was seized by Germany. Two ghettos were
set up in the old town 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 decimated in what
were known as "Aktionen". A failed ghetto uprising on September 1, 1943 organized by the Fareinigte Partizaner Organizacje (the United Partisan Organization, the first Jewish
partisan unit in Nazi-occupied Europe), was followed by the final destruction of the ghetto. About 95% of the 265,000-strong
Jewish population of Lithuania was murdered by the German units and their local collaborators, many of them in Paneriai, about 10 km west of the old town centre.
In July 1944 Vilnius was retaken by the Soviet Army and the Home Army (see
Operation Ostra Brama). The NKVD arrested the Polish
soldiers. Vilnius was incorporated into the Soviet Union as the capital of the Lithuanian
SSR shortly thereafter. Immediately after World War II, large numbers of Poles were
expelled from Soviet-occupied Lithuania to Poland. Coupled with the migration of the Lithuanians into Vilnius, this development
resulted in a change in the city's demographic fabric.
The new Vilnius City Center
On March 11, 1990, the Supreme Council of the Lithuanian SSR
announced its independence from the Soviet Union and restored the independent Republic of
Lithuania. The Soviets responded on January 9 1991, by
sending in troops. On January 13 during the Soviet Army
attack on the State Radio and Television Building and the Vilnius TV Tower,
fourteen civilians were killed and more than 700 were seriously injured. The Soviet Union finally recognized Lithuanian
independence in August 1991.
Since then, Vilnius has rapidly transformed in an attempt to erase its Soviet past 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
Neris river. This area includes modern residential and retail space, with the municipality building and a 129-metre (423') Europa Tower as its most
prominent building. While a number of modern business and retail centers have been built during recent years, many other projects
are waiting to be implemented.
In 2009 Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, will be the capital of European Culture. Among the initiatives promoted by Lithuania
for this event, the historical centre of the city has been restored and its main monuments have been renewed.[5]
Geography and climate
Central Vilnius in winter.
Vilnius is situated in southeastern Lithuania (54°41′N, 25°17′E) at the
confluence of the Vilnia and
Neris 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 Lithuania.
Vilnius lies 312 kilometres (194 mi) from the
Baltic Sea and Klaipėda, the chief Lithuanian
seaport. Vilnius is connected by highways to other major Lithuanian cities, such as
Kaunas (102 km/63 mi away), Šiauliai
(214 km/133 mi away) and Panevėžys (135 km/84 mi away).
The current area of Vilnius is 402 square kilometres (155 sq mi). Buildings cover 20.2% of the city and in the remaining areas, greenery (43.9%) and waters
(2.1%) prevail.
The climate of Vilnius is transitional between continental and maritime. The average annual temperature is +6.1°C (43°F);
in January the average temperature is −4.9°C (23°F), in July it is +17.0°C (62.6°F). The average precipitation is about 661 millimetres (26.0 in) per
year.
Summers can be hot, with temperatures above thirty degrees Celsius throughout the day. Nightlife in Vilnius is in full swing
at this time of year, and outdoor bars 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's 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.
| Weather averages for Vilnius, Lithuania |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
| Average high °C (°F) |
-3.5 (25.7) |
-1.7 (28.9) |
3.3 (37.9) |
10.7 (51.3) |
18.2 (64.8) |
21.1 (70) |
22.1 (71.8) |
21.6 (70.9) |
16.4 (61.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
3.5 (38.3) |
-0.5 (31.1) |
() |
| Average low °C (°F) |
-8.7 (16.3) |
-7.6 (18.3) |
-3.8 (25.2) |
1.6 (34.9) |
7.5 (45.5) |
10.8 (51.4) |
12.3 (54.1) |
11.5 (52.7) |
7.7 (45.9) |
3.4 (38.1) |
-0.9 (30.4) |
-5.2 (22.6) |
() |
| Precipitation mm (inch) |
41 (1.61) |
38 (1.49) |
39 (1.53) |
46 (1.81) |
62 (2.44) |
77 (3.03) |
78 (3.07) |
72 (2.83) |
65 (2.56) |
53 (2.09) |
57 (2.24) |
55 (2.17) |
() |
| Source: The World Meteorological Organization[6] Nov 2006 |
Demographics
According to the 2001 census by the Vilnius Regional Statistical
Office, there were 542,287 inhabitants in the Vilnius city municipality, of
which 57.8% were Lithuanians, 18.7% Poles, 14%
Russians, 4.0% Belarusians, 1.3% Ukrainians and 0.5% Jews; the remainder indicated other nationalities or refused
to answer.
Tourism
View over the Cathedral roof
Vilnius is a cosmopolitan city with diverse architecture. There are more than 40 churches in Vilnius. Restaurants, hotels and museums have sprouted
since Lithuania declared independence, and young Vilnius residents are building the city's reputation for being the most
hospitable in the world, as evidenced by an active participation in the Hospitality
Club.
Like most medieval towns, Vilnius was developed around its Town Hall. The main artery, Pilies Street, links the
governor's palace and the Town Hall. Other streets meander through the palaces of feudal lords
and landlords, churches, shops and craftsmen's workrooms. Narrow, curved streets and intimate courtyards developed in the radial layout of medieval Vilnius.
The Old Town, the historical centre of Vilnius, is one of the largest in
Europe (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 splendid blend of many
different architectural styles. Although Vilnius is known as a Baroque city, there are examples
of Gothic (e.g. St Anne's
Church), Renaissance, and other styles. The main sights of the city are
Gediminas Castle and Cathedral Square, symbols
of the capital. 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 UNESCO World Heritage
List in 1994. In 1995, the first bronze cast of Frank Zappa in the world
was installed near the center of Vilnius with the permission of the government.
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
35% of Lithuania's GDP [2]. Based on these indicators, its estimated GDP per capita, based
on purchasing power parity, in 2005 is approximately $33,100, above the
European Union average.
Vilnius contributed over 4.6 billion litas to the national budget in 2004. That
makes about 37% of the budget. Kaunas, the second largest city, contributed only 1.5 billion. Vilnius received a return of 360
million litas in the budget, which is only 7.7% of its contribution. This disparity caused some conflicts with the central
government because of Vilnius' demand for a greater share of the funds it generated.
Religion
- For ecclesiastical history, see Archdiocese of Vilnius
St. Nicholas, the oldest surviving church in Lithuania, built before
1387
Vilnius is as multireligious as it is multicultural.
Vilnius is the Roman Catholic center of the country, with the main church institutions and Archdiocesan Cathedral located
here. There are quite a number of active and open churches in the city, along with small enclosed monasteries and religion
schools. Church architecture spans Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical styles, with important examples of each found in the Old Town. Vilnius is considered one of the main centers of the Polish Baroque movement in ecclesiastical architecture. Additionally, Eastern Rite Catholicism has been in Vilnius since the Union
of Brest. The famous Basilian Gate is part of an Eastern Rite monastery.
Also, Vilnius has been home to an Eastern Orthodox Christian presence since the thirteenth century. A famous Russian
Orthodox monastery, named for the Holy Spirit, is located near the
Gate of Dawn. St. Paraskeva's
Orthodox Church in the Old Town is the site of the baptism of
Hannibal, the great-grandfather of Pushkin, by Tsar Peter the
Great in 1705.
Many Old Believers, who split from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1667, settled in
Lithuania in their flight from oppression. 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 Baptists.
The Choral Synagogue of Vilnius, the only synagogue in the city to survive the
Holocaust.
Once widely known as Yerushalayim De Lita (translated as "Jerusalem of Lithuania"), Vilnius once was comparable only to
Jerusalem, Israel, as a world center for the
study of the Torah, 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.[7] A major scholar of
Judaism and Kabbalah centered in Vilnius was the famous Rabbi
Eliyahu Kremer, also known as the Vilna Gaon. His students have significant influence among
Orthodox Jews in Israel and around the globe. This Jewish life in Vilnius was destroyed during the Holocaust of the Second World War. There is a memorial stone dedicated to victims of Nazi genocide located in the center of former Jewish Ghetto - now Mėsinių
Street.
The Karaim are a Jewish sect who migrated to Lithuania from the Crimea to serve as a military
elite unit in the thirteenth century. Although their numbers are very small, the Karaim are experiencing a renaissance in Vilnius since Lithuanian
independence, and have restored their kenesa (synagogue).
Islam came to Lithuania in the 14th century from Crimea and Kazan, through the Tatars. Some Tatars
of Lithuania have maintained their ethnic identity as well as their religion. Currently, about 3,000 Tatar Muslims live in
Lithuania. The Lukiškės mosque of the Lithuanian Tatars was a prominent 19th century
feature of suburban Vilnius, but was destroyed during the Soviet era.
The pre-Christian pagan religion of Lithuania, centered around the forces of nature as
personified by deities such as Perkūnas (the Thunder God), is experiencing some increased
interest, especially among people seeking to identify with Lithuania's ancient cultural and spiritual heritage.
Transport
Solaris Trollino 15AC trolleybus in Vilnius
Vilnius is the starting point of the Vilnius-Kaunas-Klaipėda motorway that runs across Lithuania and connects the three major cities. The Vilnius-Panevėžys motorway is a branch of Via-Baltica. Though the river
Neris may be navigable, no regular water routes exist. Vilnius International Airport serves most Lithuanian international flights to many major
European destinations. The Vilnius railway station is an important hub as well.
Vilnius has a well-developed public transportation system. There are over 60 bus and
19 trolleybus routes, the trolleybus network is one of the biggest 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. A single ride ticket costs up to 1.40 litas (0,41
EUR) while monthly tickets cost 50-60 litas (14,50-17,40 EUR). The first regular bus routes were established in 1926, and the
first trolleybus was launched in 1956.
A sample Vilnius Transport nominal monthly ticket
The public transportation system is dominated by the brand new low-floor Volvo and
Mercedes-Benz buses as well as Solaris trolleybuses. The new Solaris vehicles (built in Poland) are 15m long three-axle
vehicles, and their extreme length is commented on by a cartoon on the front of a long dachshund dog (called "Zemagrindis" in
Lithuanian and so labelled. There are also plenty of the traditional Skoda vehicles built in 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
Buses 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 taxis that are usually faster but less comfortable and more expensive
(3litas - 0.87 EUR) than regular buses.
Services out into the country are more traditional of Eastern Europe nowadays, often using secondhand coaches bought from
Western Europe (many are from France) which are still operated with their formers owners paint scheme and names written on the
side. Most smaller towns outside Vilnius have a large but spartan bus station dating back to Soviet times, but which nowadays is
no longer the busy hub it used to be. Virtually no vehicles remain on the road in Lithuania from Soviet times (apart from the
Skoda trolleybuses), but a few such diesel buses operating through from Belarus can be seen in Vilnius.
There are also plans to build a rapid transit system, Vilnius Metro.
Sister cities
Vilnius has 14 sister cities. In addition, agreements on cooperation have been signed
with 16 other cities.
Subdivisions
Map of Vilnius elderates. Numbers on the map correspond with numbers in the list
The city of Vilnius is made up of 21
