Vilnius, Lithuania

Vilnius is the capital of the Republic of Lithuania, as well as the country's largest city. The area where Vilnius is located has a remarkably long and fascinating history. The city has been continuously inhabited by various populations for the greater part of the past thousand years. Throughout much of its history, Vilnius, has been either controlled or occupied by foreign powers such as Poland, Russia, France, and Germany. Since 1990, when it declared independence for the second time, Lithuania has transformed itself into a vibrant economy and a cultural haven. Vilnius, with its architectural beauty, abundance of art and music, and growing industrial significance, has played an important role in Lithuania's success.

Landscape

Vilnius is located near the southeastern border of Lithuania, about 300 kilometers (186.4 miles) from the Baltic Sea, and about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) south of the precise geographical center of Europe. It is situated near the meeting point of the Rivers Neris and Vilnele (once known as Vilnia, and from which the city is thought to have derived its name).Vilnius occupies a total area of approximately 392 square kilometers (approximately 151 square miles). The city itself is dotted with abundant green space in the form of gardens, parks, and groves. The city is surrounded by forested hills, which separate Vilnius from its suburbs.

The river Neris runs through the city, separating Vilnius's central business area from its large and beautiful Old Town. Old Town is full of a variety of historically and architecturally significant buildings—some of which date back to the thirteenth century. The city's main commercial street is Gedimino Avenue. Pilies Street serves as the major artery within the Old Town.

Vilnius receives precipitation year-round, resulting in a rich, fertile soil that is extremely well-suited to agriculture. Its climate verges on the continental, meaning that it experiences rather significant changes in weather from summer to winter. Temperatures in the summer months can sometimes climb as high as 30° to 32° Celsius (86° to 90° Fahrenheit), but the average July temperature is generally a bit cooler than that, hovering at about 17° Celsius (63° Fahrenheit). During winter, temperatures drop to an average of 3° Celsius (37° Fahrenheit), but may occasionally dip as low as -25° Celsius (-13° Fahrenheit). Ice fishing is a favorite local activity in January and February.

People

According to 2023 estimates by the US Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook, the number of people living in Vilnius stood at approximately 541,000. About 20 percent of the country's population lives in the broader area of Vilnius County.

Vilnius's ethnic composition is extremely varied, comprising a rich melting pot of individuals who variously identify themselves as having Lithuanian, Polish, Russian, Bela-Russian, Ukrainian, Jewish, German, Tartar, Latvian, and Roma heritage. The city's population is multi-religious in addition to being multicultural. Vilnius's streets are lined with houses of worship representing at least nine different faiths, including Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The city was once known as "the Jerusalem of Lithuania" because of its deep connections with Jewish heritage and culture, although anti-Semitism did not spare Vilnius in the years leading up to and during the Second World War. Most of the city's synagogues were destroyed. The Lithuanian language, spoken by the majority of the city's residents, has an ancient heritage; it belongs to the same family as Sanskrit, and is of particular interest to comparative linguists because it has changed so little over the centuries.

In the twenty-first century, Vilnius has been noted for its ability to cultivate friendship and tolerance between its many different ethnic groups—so much so that in 2001, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) honored Vilnius with the title "City of Peace" in recognition of its strong community ties and civic participation.

The population of Vilnius enjoys a high standard of education and social and economic success. The city is home to most of Lithuania's major universities, including Vilnius University, the Academy of Sciences, and Vilnius Gediminas Technological University. According to Statistics Lithuania, the unemployment rate in Vilnius was 4.8 percent in 2017, lower than that of the country as a whole, which stood at 7.9 percent in 2021. Most of the city's residents work in the service industry, while a small minority works in manufacturing.

Economy

The political changes Vilnius has undergone in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have had an important impact on the city's economy. After Lithuania declared its independence, Vilnius experienced a period of economic decline. Inflation skyrocketed to more than 1000 percent at one point. Since 1993, the city has seen significant growth, largely because of the privatization of almost all its large state-owned industries. Vilnius is now one of the region's most vital and modern economies.

According to the city government, the fastest growing part of Vilnius's economy is the service sector, which encompasses industries such as food, tourism, transportation, information technology and communications, health care, and real estate. In particular, Vilnius derives a significant proportion of its gross domestic product (GDP) from the manufacture of textiles, clothing, and furs. Other important businesses include printing and publishing, metalworking, and the production of medical and optical equipment. Timber and agriculture also contribute to the city's economy. According to provisional data from Statistics Lithuania, about 40 percent of the country's GDP was generated in Vilnius County in 2016.

Landmarks

Tourists who choose to visit Vilnius are often drawn to the city's many well-preserved historical structures, which together reflect a dizzying variety of architectural styles and periods. The city is especially known for its numerous Baroque buildings. A tour of the Old Town (which can be experienced entirely on foot, since Old Town is filled with small streets that are pedestrian-friendly) takes visitors past most of these sights.

There are far too many historic buildings to list, but the city's major landmarks include Vilnius Cathedral, a majestic fourteenth-century edifice that opens out onto Gediminas Square (also called Cathedral Square). The square was once the meeting place of ancient pagan practitioners and now teems with busy shops and restaurants. The Cathedral includes St. Casimir's Chapel, which is famous for its frescoes depicting the life of Lithuania's patron saint.

Another important stop on any architectural tour is the University of Vilnius, founded in the sixteenth century. The University's buildings sprawl over nine distinct squares. The unusual Church of Saint John, which was originally a Gothic structure, but has taken on features of both Renaissance and Baroque architecture over the course of several restorations, houses the Museum of Science.

The sole remaining gate out of the ten that once surrounded the ancient city of Vilnius is found at the southern tip of the Old Town. Known as the Ausros Gate, or the Gates of Dawn, it also serves as a chapel that contains a shrine. Inside the shrine is a portrait of the Virgin Mary that dates back to the sixteenth century. The portrait was originally placed there to serve as a blessing upon the city and to protect it from hostile outsiders.

Finally, no visit to Vilnius would be complete without a stop at Gediminas Castle, the structure that is all that remains of Vilnius's old Upper Castle. It towers on top of Castle Hill, about 130 meters (426 feet) above sea level.

Besides its architectural interests, contemporary Vilnius is also known for its vibrant nightlife and its many museums. In addition, many artistic and cultural events take place in the city throughout the year, such as yearly folklore festivals, an international poetry festival, and a festival of contemporary music.

History

There is a persistent legend about the origin of Vilnius, which is that it was founded in the early fourteenth century by a Lithuanian duke by the name of Gediminas, who claimed the city as his own after having a dream that foretold its future prosperity and fame. The truth is that Vilnius was already the site of a significant settlement, but it was Gediminas who declared the city Lithuania's capital. He also paved the way for the entry of Christianity into Vilnius, which (along with the rest of the country) was predominantly pagan until Gediminas' daughter was married off to the heir to the Polish throne. When, in 1385, the king of Lithuania (a grandson of Gediminas') moved to Poland, the citizens of Vilnius's upper class were obliged not only to convert to Catholicism, but to learn the Polish language.

Over the next several hundred years, Vilnius grew as an economic, political, and cultural center in the region. Due to its location and its importance as a trade hub, however, it was also the site of many wars, and it was occupied or seized many times—by Polish forces in 1569, Swedish forces in 1702 and 1706, and French forces in 1812. Vilnius's most persistent occupier was Russia, which captured the city in 1655 and again in 1788. In 1795, Russia declared Vilnius part of the Russian empire. During the nineteenth century, Vilnius, along with Poland, attempted to rebel against the occupiers, but was unsuccessful.

During World War I, Germany took control of Vilnius. After the end of the war, the city served as the triumphant seat of the newly independent republic of Lithuania. This freedom was short-lived, as Polish forces went on to capture the city by force in 1920. During World War II, the city was controlled by several powers. First, Soviet forces took the city from Poland and allowed it to remain independent for a brief period before annexing the whole of Lithuania in 1940. In 1941, German forces stormed Vilnius and kept it for three years before it was recaptured by the Soviets in 1944. It would be more than forty-five years before Vilnius would again take its place as the free capital of independent Lithuania.

Vilnius has since evolved into a thoroughly modern industrial city with a deep sense of history, and a role as one of the region's major economic and cultural centers. In 2015, citizens got their first chance to directly elect the mayor of Vilnius. In 2018, an ongoing excavation project in the capital at the site of the once influential Great Synagogue exposed an integral prayer platform. The synagogue was destroyed by the Nazis during World War II.

Bibliography

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