Misplaced Pages

Vilnius: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 02:45, 6 January 2011 edit62.252.164.65 (talk) →Cooperation with cities← Previous edit Latest revision as of 22:58, 23 December 2024 edit undoAltenmann (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers217,358 edits →Subdivisions 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Capital and largest city of Lithuania}}
{{Redirect|Vilna}}
{{pp-move}}
{{lead too short|date=September 2010}}
{{redirect-multi|3|Vilna|Wilna|Wilno}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement<!--more fields are available for this Infobox--See Template:Infobox Settlement--> {{Infobox settlement<!--more fields are available for this Infobox--See Template:Infobox Settlement-->
|name = Vilnius | name = Vilnius
| settlement_type = ]
|nickname = Northern Jerusalem, Athens of Lithuania
| image_skyline = {{multiple images
|settlement_type = City municipality
| total_width = 280
|image_skyline = Vilnius montage.jpg
| border = infobox| perrow = 1/2/2/2
|image_caption = Top: ] <br> Middle left: ] <br> Middle right: ] <br> The 3rd row: ] <br> The 4th row: ].
| caption_align = center
|image_map = LietuvaVilnius.png
| image_style = border:1;
|map_caption = Location of Vilnius
| image1 = Vilnius Gedimino Pilies Bokštas Blick auf die Skyline 1.jpg
|image_shield = Grand Coat of arms of Vilnius.svg
| alt1 = Šnipiškės business district
|latd=54|latm=41|lats=|latNS=N|longd=25|longm=17|longs=|longEW=E|
| caption1 = ]
|coordinates_display= inline,title
| image2 = Vilnius old town by Augustas Didzgalvis.jpg
|coordinates_type = region:LT_type:city(620000)
| caption2 = ]
|subdivision_type = ]
| image3 = Vilnius Cathedral Exterior 2, Vilnius, Lithuania - Diliff.jpg
|subdivision_name = {{LTU}}
| alt3 = Vilnius Cathedral and its bell tower
|subdivision_type1 = ]
| caption3 = ]
|subdivision_name1 = ]
| image4 = Gedimino pilis by Augustas Didzgalvis.jpg
|subdivision_type2 = ]
| alt4 = Gediminas Tower
|subdivision_name2 = ]
| caption4 = ]
|subdivision_type3 = ]
| image5 = Prezidentura by Augustas Didzgalvis.jpg
|subdivision_name3 = Vilnius city municipality
| alt5 = Presidential Palace
|subdivision_type6 = ]
| caption5 =]
|subdivision_name6 = ]<br /> ]<br /> Vilnius city municipality<br /> ]
| image6 = Church of Saint Teresa (June 14, 2015).jpg
| alt6 = Church of St. Theresa and Gate of Dawn
| caption6 = ] and ]
| image7 = Rotuses aikste by Augustas Didzgalvis.jpg
| alt7 = Town Hall Square
| caption7 = ]
}}
| image_flag = Flag of Vilnius.svg
| image_shield = Grand Coat of arms of Vilnius.svg
| image_blank_emblem = Logo of Vilnius.svg
| blank_emblem_type = ]
| nickname = Jerusalem of the North,<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilnius: In Search of the Jerusalem of Lithuania – Lithuanian Jewish Community |url=https://www.lzb.lt/en/2016/11/18/vilnius-in-search-of-the-jerusalem-of-lithuania/ |website=lzb.lt |access-date=5 March 2021 |date=18 November 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240414170238/https://www.lzb.lt/en/2016/11/18/vilnius-in-search-of-the-jerusalem-of-lithuania/|archive-date=14 April 2024}}</ref> Rome of the North,<ref>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 figure ] 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</ref> Athens of the North,<ref>Cultural newspaper, as a reference to one of Vilnius's nicknames, which was widespread in the first half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, mostly because of ]. During the interwar period, a Polish scientific newspaper published in Vilnius was also named "Atheneum Wileńskie".</ref> New Babylon,<ref name="S. Bodniak 1930 p. 37">Especially 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.</ref> City of ]<ref>This nickname was very popular among the ], citizens of Vilnius, and poets, especially during the Baroque period. Many poets of the period, including ], 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.</ref> City of Low Flying Angels
| motto = ''Unitas, Justitia, Spes''<br />(]: Unity, Justice, Hope)
| image_map = {{Maplink|frame=yes|frame-align=center|plain=y|frame-width=255|frame-height=255|zoom=9|frame-lat=54.690|frame-long=25.280|type=shape-inverse|stroke-width=1|stroke-color=#333333|id=Q923117|title=Vilnius}}
| map_caption = Interactive map of Vilnius
| pushpin_map = Lithuania#Baltic states#Europe
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within Lithuania##Location within the Baltics##Location within Europe
| pushpin_relief = 1
| coordinates = {{coord|54|41|14|N|25|16|48|E|region:LT_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Lithuania}}
| subdivision_type1 = ]
| subdivision_name1 =
| subdivision_type2 = ]
| subdivision_name2 = ]
| subdivision_type3 = ]
| subdivision_name3 = Vilnius
| subdivision_type4 = ]
| subdivision_name4 = ]
| established_title = First mentioned
| established_date = 1323
| established_title2 = Granted ]
| established_date2 = 1387
| parts_type = ] | parts_type = ]
| p1 = ] | p1 = ]
Line 46: Line 80:
| p20 = ] | p20 = ]
| p21 = ] | p21 = ]
| government_type = ]
| established_date = 1323
| governing_body= City council
| established_title= First mentioned
| leader_title = Mayor
| established_date2= 1387
| leader_name = ]
|established_title2= Granted ]
| leader_party =
| population_total = 560 190
|population_metro = 850,300 (])
|population_density_metro_km2 =
| population_density_km2 = 1391.9
| population_as_of = 2010
| area_total_km2 = 401 | area_total_km2 = 401
| area_urban_km2 = 350
|timezone=]
| area_metro_km2 = 9730
|utc_offset=+2
| elevation_m = 112
|timezone_DST=]
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/lt/statistiniu-rodikliu-analize?hash=12281496-bf90-48e1-a846-9ee85f863265 | date=2024-07-19 |title=Resident population on 1 July |website=osp.stat.gov.lt}}</ref>
|utc_offset_DST=+3
| population_total = 605,270
| website=
| population_rank = (])
| population_urban = 747,864<ref name="FUA,Euro">{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/URB_LPOP1/default/table?lang=en&category=urb.urb_luz|title=Eurostat|website=eurostat.ec.europa.eu}}</ref>
| population_metro = 853,656<ref>with ]</ref><ref name="osp.stat.gov.lt">{{cite web|url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/documents/10180/217110/Gyv_kalba_tikyba.pdf/1d9dac9a-3d45-4798-93f5-941fed00503f|format=PDF|title=GYVENTOJAI PAGAL TAUTYBĘ, GIMTĄJĄ KALBĄ IR TIKYBĄ : Lietuvos Respublikos 2011 metų visuotinio gyventojų ir būstų surašymo rezultatai|website=Ops.stat.gov.lt|access-date=18 October 2018}}</ref>
| population_as_of = 1 July 2024
| population_density_km2 = 1560
| population_density_urban_km2 = 2000
| population_density_metro_km2 = 93
| population_demonym = {{lang|en|Vilnian(s)}} (])<br />{{lang|lt|vilniečiai}} (])
| demographics_type2 = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="Counties">{{cite web|title=Gross domestic product by region in 2023 M.|url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/informaciniai-pranesimai?articleId=13016705|website=osp.stat.gov.lt}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = Metro
| demographics2_info1 = €33.6 billion (2023)
| demographics2_title2 = Per capita
| demographics2_info2 = €39,100 (2023)
| blank3_name = ]
| blank3_info = €1.4 billion<ref>{{citation|title= 2024 metų asignavimai pagal valdytojus|url= https://vilnius.lt/lt/biudzeto-suvestine/2024-m-biudzetas/}}</ref>
| blank4_name = ] (2021)
| blank4_info = 0.913<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sub-national HDI |title=Area Database – Global Data Lab |url=https://globaldatalab.org/shdi/table/shdi/LTU/?levels=1+4&years=2021&interpolation=0&extrapolation=0 |website=hdi.globaldatalab.org}}</ref> – <span style="color:#090;">very high</span>
| timezone = ]
| utc_offset = +2
| timezone_DST = ]
| utc_offset_DST = +3
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = 01001–14191
| area_code = (+370) 5
| website = {{URL|vilnius.lt}}
| blank_name_sec2 = ]
| blank_info_sec2 = ]
| footnotes = {{designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = WHS
| designation1_offname = ]
| designation1_date = 1994 <small>(18th ])</small>
| designation1_number = <ref>{{cite web |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/541 |title=Vilnius Historic Centre |access-date=2022-01-01}}</ref>
| designation1_criteria = ii, iv
| designation1_type = Cultural
| designation1_free1name = UNESCO region
| designation1_free1value = ]
}}
}} }}
'''Vilnius''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|v|ɪ|l|n|i|ə|s|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Vilnius.wav}} {{respell|VIL|nee|əs}}, {{IPA-lt|ˈvʲɪlʲnʲʊs|lang|Vilnius.ogg}}) is the capital of and ] in ] and the ] in the ]. The city's estimated July 2024 population was 605,270, and the ] (which extends beyond the city limits) has an estimated population of 708,627.<ref name="pop.lt2">{{cite web |date=1 July 2024 |title=Resident population by county and municipality at the middle of the year |url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/lt/statistiniu-rodikliu-analize?hash=12281496-bf90-48e1-a846-9ee85f863265 |access-date=19 July 2024 |website=Vilnius |publisher=Statistics Department of Lithuania}}</ref>
'''Vilnius''' ({{IPA-lt|ˈvilnʲus||Vilnius.ogg}}, see also ]) is the ] of ], and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 (850,324 together with Vilnius County) as of 2010.<ref></ref> It is the seat of the ] and of the ]. It is also the capital of ].

Vilnius is notable for the architecture of its ], considered one of ]'s largest and best-preserved old towns. The city was declared a ] in 1994.<ref name="archive.org">{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/lt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114152537/https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/lt |url-status=live |archive-date=14 January 2018 |title=Lithuania |publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Centre}}</ref><ref name="TheCapital" /><ref name="VWH" /><ref name="Lurk" /> The architectural style known as ] is named after the city, which is farthest to the east among ] cities and the largest such city north of the ].<ref name="VilniusBaroqueVWH">{{cite web |title=Baroque Vilnius |url=https://visitworldheritage.com/en/eu/baroque-vilnius/bed60a87-d5d1-4539-981e-2c13445280a2 |website=VisitWorldHeritage.com |access-date=12 February 2023 |archive-date=12 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212121620/https://visitworldheritage.com/en/eu/baroque-vilnius/bed60a87-d5d1-4539-981e-2c13445280a2 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="unesco" />

The city was noted for its ] during the ], with contemporary sources comparing it to ]. Before ] and ], Vilnius was one of Europe's most important Jewish centers. Its Jewish influence has led to its being called "the Jerusalem of Lithuania", and ] called it "the Jerusalem of the North"<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/jun/20/secondworldwar |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114152402/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/jun/20/secondworldwar |url-status=live |archive-date=14 January 2018 |first=Jonathan |last=Steele |title=In the Jerusalem of the North, the Jewish story is forgotten |department=Opinion |work=The Guardian |date=19 June 2008 |access-date=4 March 2018}}</ref> when he passed through in 1812.

Vilnius was a 2009 ] with ] in Austria.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/creative-europe/sites/creative-europe/files/european-capitals-culture-evaluation-2010_en.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114152753/https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/creative-europe/sites/creative-europe/files/european-capitals-culture-evaluation-2010_en.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=14 January 2018 |title=Ex-Post Evaluation of 2009 European Capitals of Culture |publisher=ECOTEC Research and Consulting Ltd}}</ref> In 2021, the city was named one of ]'s 25 Global Cities of the Future.<ref>{{cite news |title=fDi's Global Cities of the Future 2021/22 — overall winners |url=https://www.fdiintelligence.com/article/79334 |website=fdiintelligence |publisher=fDi Intelligence A service from The Financial Times Ltd |access-date=11 October 2022}}</ref> Vilnius is considered a global financial centre, ranked 76th globally and 29th in Europe on the ].<ref></ref> It hosted the ]. Vilnius is a member of ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurocities.eu/|title=EUROCITIES – the network of major European cities|publisher=Eurocities|access-date=8 November 2011|archive-date=24 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824052544/http://www.eurocities.eu/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uceu.org|title=Union of Capitals of the European Union|publisher=Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU)|access-date=8 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020113843/http://www.uceu.org/|archive-date=20 October 2011}}</ref>


==Etymology and other names== ==Etymology and other names==
The name of the city originated from the ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Portrait of the Regions of Lithuania|publisher=]|url=http://www.stat.gov.lt/uploads/Reg_port/en/vilniaus_apskritis/vilniaus_miesto_savivaldybe.html|accessdate=2009-01-10}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The city has also been known by many derivate spellings in various languages throughout its history. The most notable non-Lithuanian names for the city include: {{lang-pl|Wilno}}, {{lang-be|Вiльнюс, Вiльня}}, {{lang-de|Wilna}}, {{lang-lv|Viļņa}}, {{lang-ru|}} ''Вильнюс'', {{lang-yi|ווילנע (''Vilne'')}}. An older ] name was Вильна / Вильно (''Vilna/Vilno''),<ref>{{cite journal|last=Лавринец|first=Павел|date=2004-10-20|title=''Русская Вильна'': идея и формула|journal=Балканская Русистика|location=Вильнюс|url=http://www.russian.slavica.org/article780.html#_ftn20|accessdate=2009-08-18|language=Russian}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|coauthors=А.М.Васютинский, А.К.Дживелегов, С.П.Мельгунов|title=Французы в России. 1812 г. По воспоминаниям современников-иностранцев.|publisher="Задруга"|location=Москва|year=1912|volume=1-3|chapter=Фон Зукков, По дороге в Вильно|url=http://www.hrono.ru/libris/lib_n/12n429.html|accessdate=2009-08-18|language=Russian}}</ref> although Вильнюс (''Vilnius'') is now used. The names ''Wilno'', ''Wilna'' and ''Vilna'' have also been used in older English, German, French and Italian language publications. The name ''Vilna'' is still used in Finnish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Hebrew.


Vilnius' name originates from the river ], the Lithuanian word for ''ripple''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Portrait of the Regions of Lithuania – Vilnius city municipality |publisher=Department of Statistics |url=http://regionai.stat.gov.lt/en/vilniaus_apskritis/vilniaus_miesto_savivaldybe.html |access-date=1 August 2015 |archive-date=22 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722022923/http://regionai.stat.gov.lt/en/vilniaus_apskritis/vilniaus_miesto_savivaldybe.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> 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 include {{langx|la|Vilna}}, {{langx|pl|Wilno}}, {{langx|be|Вiльня}} (''Vilnia''), {{langx|de|Wilna}}, {{langx|lv|Viļņa}}, {{langx|uk|Вільно}} (''Vilno''), {{langx|yi|ווילנע}} (''Vilne''). A Russian name dating to the ] was Вильна (''Vilna''),<ref>{{cite journal |last=Лавринец |first=Павел |date=20 October 2004 |script-title=ru:''Русская Вильна'': идея и формула |journal=Балканская Русистика |location=Вильнюс |url=http://www.russian.slavica.org/article780.html#_ftn20 |access-date=18 August 2009 |language=ru }}{{Dead link|date=April 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Васютинский |first1=А.М. |first2=А.К. |last2=Дживелегов |first3=С.П. |last3=Мельгунов |script-title=ru:Французы в России. 1812 г. По воспоминаниям современников-иностранцев. |title=Задруга |location=Москва |publisher=Задруга |year=1912 |volume=1–3 |chapter=Фон Зукков, По дороге в Вильно |chapter-url=http://www.hrono.ru/libris/lib_n/12n429.html |access-date=18 August 2009 |language=ru}}</ref> although Вильнюс (''Vilnyus'') is now used. The names ''Wilno'', ''Wilna'', and ''Vilna'' were used in English-, German-, French-, and Italian-language publications when the city was a capital of the ] and an important city in the ]. The name ''Vilna'' is still used in Finnish, Portuguese, Spanish, and {{langx|he|וילנה}}. ''Wilna'' is still used in German with ''Vilnius''.
The city elderates have also names in ].

] of Gediminas' dream about an Iron Wolf]]
According to a ] ] during the {{Circa|1530s}}, Grand Duke ] ({{circa|1275}}–1341) was hunting in the sacred forest near ], (where the Vilnia flows into the river ]. The successful ] hunt lasted longer than expected, and Gediminas decided to spend the night in the valley. He fell asleep and dreamed of a huge ] at the top of a hill, howling loudly. Upon awakening, the Duke asked the '']'' ] to interpret the dream. The chief priest told him:<blockquote>What is destined for the ruler and the State of Lithuania, is thus: the Iron Wolf ] 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 ], and the glory of their deeds shall echo throughout the world.</blockquote>
Gediminas, obeying ], built two castles: the Lower Castle in the valley, and the Crooked Castle on ]. He moved his court there, declared it his permanent seat and capital, and developed the surrounding area into a city he named Vilnius.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ironwolf.lt/the-legend-of-the-founding-of-vilnius/ |title=The Legend of the Founding of Vilnius - Gediminas Dream |website=Ironwolf.lt |access-date=28 February 2022}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (]).|date=October 2023}}<ref name="leg">{{cite news | last=Gudmantas | first=Kęstutis | title=LDK istorija: Metraščių pasakojimas apie Vilniaus įkūrimą – mitas ir istorija | work=15min | date=9 December 2013 | url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/istorija/ldk-istorija-metrasciu-pasakojimas-apie-vilniaus-ikurima-mitas-ir-istorija-582-391039 | language=lt | access-date=28 March 2024}}</ref>
{{clear left}}


== History == ==History==
{{Main|History of Vilnius}} {{Main|History of Vilnius}}
{{For timeline}}
]]]
Vilnius' history dates to the ]. The city has been ruled by ] and ], ], ] and ], ], and Lithuania.


Initially a Baltic settlement, Vilnius became significant in the ]. The city was first mentioned in letters by Grand Duke Gediminas, who invited Jews and Germans to settle and built a wooden castle on a hill. Vilnius became a city in 1387, after the Christianization of Lithuania, and was settled by craftsmen and merchants of a variety of nationalities. It was the capital of the Grand Duchy (until 1795), and of the ]. Vilnius flourished under the commonwealth, especially after the 1579 establishment of ] by King ]. The city became a cultural and scientific center, attracting migrants from east and west. It had diverse communities, with Jewish, Orthodox, and German populations. The city experienced a number of invasions and occupations, including by the ], Russia and, later, Germany.
===Early history===
Historian Romas Batūra identifies the city with ], one of the castles of ], crowned in 1253 as ]. During the reign of ] a city started to emerge from a trading settlement and the first Franciscan Catholic church was built. The city was first mentioned in written sources in 1323, when the ] were sent to German cities inviting German members of the ] community to settle in the capital city, as well as to ]. These letters contain the first unambiguous reference to Vilnius as the capital; ] had been the earlier seat of the court of the ]. According to legend, Gediminas dreamt of an ] howling on a hilltop and consulted a pagan priest for its interpretation. He was told: "What is destined for the ruler and the State of Lithuania, is thus: the Iron Wolf ] 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".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vilnius.lt/new/en/gidas.php?open=122&root=1&sub_cat1=127|title=Vilnius legend|publisher=Municipality of Vilnius}}</ref> The location offered practical advantages: it lay within the Lithuanian heartland at the confluence of two navigable rivers, surrounded by forests and wetlands that were difficult to penetrate. The duchy had been subject to intrusions by the ].<ref name=laimonas>{{cite book|
author=Laimonas Briedis
|title=Vilnius: City of Strangers
|year=2008
|publisher=]
|isbn=9789955231608}}</ref> ]


Under imperial Russian rule, Vilnius became the capital of ] and had a number of cultural revivals during the 19th and early 20th centuries by Jews, Poles, Lithuanians, and Belarusians. ], 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. After that war, Vilnius became the capital of the ].
===Grand Duchy of Lithuania===
Gediminas expanded the Grand Duchy through warfare along with strategic alliances and marriages. At its height it covered the territory of modern-day Lithuania, ], ], ], and portions of modern-day Poland and Russia. His grandchildren ] and ], however, fought civil wars. During the ], Vytautas besieged and razed the city in an attempt to wrest control from Jogaila. The two later settled their differences; after a series of treaties culminating in the 1569 ], the ] was formed. The rulers of this federation held either or both of two titles: ] or ]. In 1387, Jogaila granted ] to the city.


===Independence===
===Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth===
], with most of its ]s constructed within two decades of independence]]
The city underwent a period of expansion. The ]s were built for protection between 1503 and 1522, comprising nine ]s and three towers, and ] moved his court there in 1544. ] Its growth was due in part to the establishment of ] by King ] in 1579. The university soon developed into one of the most important scientific and cultural centres of the region and the most notable scientific centre of the Commonwealth. During its rapid development, the city was open to ] from the territories of the Grand Duchy and further. A variety of languages were spoken: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]; the city was compared to ].<ref name=laimonas/> Each group made its unique contribution to the life of the city, and crafts, trade, and science prospered.
On 11 March 1990, the ] announced its ] from the Soviet Union and intention to restore an independent Lithuania.<ref>{{cite web |language=lt |url=http://www.archyvai.lt/exhibitions/kovo11/paroda2.htm |title=Lietuvos Nepriklausomos Valstybės Atkūrimas (1990 M. Kovo 11 D.) |access-date=10 November 2013 |archive-date=10 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110131929/http://www.archyvai.lt/exhibitions/kovo11/paroda2.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> On 9 January 1991, the Soviet Union sent in troops; this culminated in the 13 January ] on the State Radio and Television Building and ] which killed 14 civilians.<ref>{{cite news |first=Audrius |last=Siaurusevicius |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/1991/jan/14/eu.politics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114155334/https://www.theguardian.com/world/1991/jan/14/eu.politics |url-status=live |archive-date=14 January 2018 |title=Soviet tanks crush the human shield of Vilnius |department=World |work=The Guardian |date=14 January 1991}}</ref> The Soviet Union recognised Lithuanian independence in September 1991.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/07/world/soviet-turmoil-soviets-recognize-baltic-independence-ending-51-year-occupation-3.html |first=Serge |last=Schmemann |date=7 September 1991 |title=Soviet Turmoil; Soviets Recognize Baltic Independence, Ending 51-year Occupation of 3 Nations |work=The New York Times |access-date=2021-02-16}}</ref> According to the ], "the capital of the State of Lithuania shall be the city of Vilnius, the long-standing historical capital of Lithuania".


] on the Neris river's right bank.]]
The 17th century brought a number of setbacks. The Commonwealth was involved in a series of wars, collectively known as ]. During the ], Vilnius was occupied by Russian forces; it was pillaged and burned, and its population was massacred. During the ] it was looted by the Swedish army. An outbreak of ] in 1710 killed about 35,000 residents; devastating fires occurred in 1715, 1737, 1741, 1748, and 1749.<ref name=laimonas/> The city's growth lost its momentum for many years, but the population rebounded, and by the beginning of the 19th century its population reached 20,000.
Vilnius has become a modern European city. Its territory has been expanded with ] since 1990, incorporating urban areas, villages, hamlets, and the city of ].<ref>{{cite news | title=Vilnius intends to deregister about 90 village names: Pašilaičiai, Rokantiškii and Tarandė will no longer exist | work=MadeinVilnius.lt | date=4 February 2024 | url=https://madeinvilnius.lt/en/news/city/Vilnius-intends-to-register-about-90-villages-under-the-name-of-Rokantiskie-and-Tarandes/ | access-date=2 April 2024 | archive-date=2 April 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240402161955/https://madeinvilnius.lt/en/news/city/Vilnius-intends-to-register-about-90-villages-under-the-name-of-Rokantiskie-and-Tarandes/ | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Vilnius išregistruos apie 90 prie jo prijungtų kaimų pavadinimų | work=LRT | date=2 April 2024 | url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/lietuvoje/2/2240187/vilnius-isregistruos-apie-90-prie-jo-prijungtu-kaimu-pavadinimu | language=lt | access-date=2 April 2024}}</ref> Most historic buildings have been renovated and a business and commercial area became the ], 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 {{cvt|148.3|m|ft|adj=on}} ] its most prominent buildings. The construction of ]'s headquarters indicates the importance of ]n banks in Vilnius. The ] complex was built and expanded. Over 75,000 flats were built from 1995 to 2018, making the city a Baltic construction leader.
] in autumn]]
Vilnius was selected as a 2009 ] with ], the capital of ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Cultural capitals of Europe |work=Chicago Tribune |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-cultural-capitals-0111_rjan11,0,6197408.story?page=2&track=rss |access-date=12 January 2009 |date=11 January 2009}}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.webjournal.unior.it/Dati/17/41/Articolo%20Lituania.pdf |language=it |author=O. Niglio |title=Restauri in Lituania. Vilnius Capitale della Cultura Europea 2009 |trans-title=Restorations in Lithuania. Vilnius Capital of European Culture 2009 |journal=Web Journal on Cultural Patrimony |issn=1827-8868 |access-date=9 November 2006 |archive-date=9 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209232257/http://www.webjournal.unior.it/Dati/17/41/Articolo%20Lituania.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The ] led to a drop in tourism, which prevented many projects from completion; allegations of corruption and incompetence were made;<ref>{{cite web |last=Greenhalgh |first=Nathan |title=Capital of Culture: success or failure? |url=http://balticreports.com/?p=7374 |access-date=15 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A.Gelūnas: prokuratūra nusikaltimo rengiant Bjork koncertą neįžvelgė |url=http://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/agelunas-prokuratura-nusikaltimo-rengiant-bjork-koncerta-neizvelge.d?id=36556461 |access-date=15 May 2011}}</ref> tax increases for cultural activity led to protests,<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilnius: artists protest 'breakdown of culture' in EU cultural capital |url=http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/video/110/vilnius-protests-artists-tax-cultural-capital-eu.html |publisher=cafebabel.com |access-date=15 May 2011 |archive-date=26 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726051704/http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/video/110/vilnius-protests-artists-tax-cultural-capital-eu.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> and economic conditions sparked riots.<ref>{{cite news |last=Burke |first=Jason |title=Eastern Europe braced for a violent spring of discontent' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jan/18/eu-riots-vilinius |location=London |work=The Guardian |date=18 January 2009}}</ref> On 28–29 November 2013, Vilnius hosted the ] summit at the ]. Many European presidents, prime ministers, and high-ranking officials participated.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.eu2013.lt/en/news/pressreleases/eastern-partnership-summit-in-vilnius-begins |date=29 November 2013 |title=Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius begins |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania}}</ref> In 2015, ] became the city's first directly elected mayor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.2013.vrk.lt/2015_savivaldybiu_tarybu_rinkimai/output_lt/rezultatai_vienmand_apygardose2/apygardos_rezultatai7829.html |title=Balsavimo rezultatai |publisher=2013.vrk.lt |date=22 March 2015 |access-date=26 September 2015 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160518050243/http://www.2013.vrk.lt/2015_savivaldybiu_tarybu_rinkimai/output_lt/rezultatai_vienmand_apygardose2/apygardos_rezultatai7829.html |archive-date=18 May 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The ] was held in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lithuania to host 2023 NATO summit, first event 'of such a scale' |url=https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1431705/lithuania-to-host-2023-nato-summit-first-event-of-such-a-scale |website=] |date=15 June 2021 |access-date=15 June 2021}}</ref>


==<span class="anchor" id="Nature reserves"></span>Geography==
===In the Russian Empire===
] ]
Vilnius is at the ] of the ] and ] rivers in southeastern Lithuania. Several countries say that the ] is within their territory. The midpoint depends on the definition of European extent, and the '']'' recognises a point near Vilnius as the continental centre.<ref name="gcentre">{{cite web |title=The geographical Centre of Europe |url=http://www.visitlithuania.net/index.php/places-to-visit/65-near-vilnius/94-the-geographical-centre-of-europe.html |website=visitlithuania.net |access-date=4 November 2019 |archive-date=4 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104215727/http://www.visitlithuania.net/index.php/places-to-visit/65-near-vilnius/94-the-geographical-centre-of-europe.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> After a 1989 re-estimation of European boundaries, ] of the ] (French National Geographic Institute) determined that its geographic centre was at {{coord|54|54|N|25|19|E|type:landmark|name=Purnuškės (centre of gravity)}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://geosite.jankrogh.com/other.htm |title=Other Places of Interest: Central Europe |first=Jan S. |last=Krogh}}</ref> The method used to calculate the point was the ] of the European ], and is near the village of ] (26 kilometres from Vilnius). A monument by sculptor Gediminas Jokūbonis, a column of white granite surmounted by a crown of stars, was built there in 2004.<ref name="gcentre" />
The fortunes of the Commonwealth declined during the 18th century. ] took place, dividing its territory among the ], the ], and the ]. After the ] of April 1795, Vilnius was annexed by the Russian Empire and became the capital of the ]. During Russian rule, the city walls were destroyed, and, by 1805, only the ] remained. In 1812, the city was taken by ] on his ], and again during the disastrous retreat. The ] was welcomed in Vilnius, since its inhabitants expected ] to grant the country autonomy in response to Napoleon's promises to restore the Commonwealth. Thousands of soldiers died in the city during the retreat; the mass graves were uncovered in 2002.<ref name=laimonas/>


Vilnius is {{cvt|312|km}} from the ] and ], the main Lithuanian ]. It is connected by road to other major Lithuanian cities, such as Kaunas ({{cvt|102|km|disp=or}} away), ] ({{cvt|214|km|disp=or}} away) and ] ({{cvt|135|km|disp=or}} away).
Following the ] in 1831, ] was closed and Russian repressions halted the further development of the city. Civil unrest in 1861 was suppressed by the ].<ref>Piotr S. Wandycz, The lands of partitioned Poland, 1795-1918, University of Washington Press, 1974, p. 166.</ref>


Vilnius has an area of {{cvt|402|km2|sqmi}}. Buildings cover 29.1 percent of the city; green space covers 68.8 percent, and water covers 2.1 percent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vilnius.lt/newvilniusweb/index.php/252/ |title=The City |publisher=City of Vilnius |access-date=30 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216013924/http://www.vilnius.lt/newvilniusweb/index.php/252/ |archive-date=16 December 2008}}</ref> The city has eight ]s: 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gamtos paveldo apsauga |url=https://vilnius.lt/lt/savivaldybe/miesto-pletra/gamtos-paveldo-apsauga/ |website=vilnius.lt |access-date=4 November 2019}}</ref>
During the ] in 1863, heavy fighting occurred within the city, but was brutally pacified by ], 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 ]<ref>, Antanas Kulakauskas; ''Carų valdžioje: Lietuva XIX amžiuje'' ("Lithuania under the reign of Czars in 19th century"); Baltos lankos, Vilnius 1996. Polish translation: ''Pod władzą carów: Litwa w XIX wieku'', Universitas, Kraków 2003, page 90, ISBN 83-7052-543-1</ref> and ]s were banned.<ref>Dirk Hoerder, Inge Blank, Horst Rössler, "Roots of the transplanted", East European Monographs, 1994, pg. 69 </ref> Vilnius had a vibrant Jewish population: according to ], out of the total population of 154,500, Jews constituted 64,000 (so around 41% percent).<ref>Joshua D. Zimmerman, ''Poles, Jews, and the politics of nationality'', Univ of Wisconsin Press, 2004, ISBN 0-299-19464-7, </ref> During the early 20th century, the Lithuanian-speaking population of Vilnius constituted only a small minority, with Polish, Yiddish, and ] speakers comprising the majority of the city's population.<ref>"A 1909 official count of the city found 205,250 inhabitants, of whom 1.2 percent were Lithuanian; 20.7 percent Russian; 37.8 percent Polish;, and 36.8 percent Jewish. — ], ''The Reconstruction of Nations. Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus 1569–1999''. Yale University Press 2003, p. 306.</ref>
] and the church of the Bernardine Monastery in Vilnius]]


Several lakes, including ], are located on the north-eastern outskirts of Vilnius.
=== In Poland ===
]]]
During World War I, Vilnius and the rest of Lithuania was occupied by the ] from 1915 until 1918. The Germans found a city that appeared to be Polish, and their commander referred to it as "the jewel of the Polish crown".<ref>{{cite book|last=Senn|first=Alfred Erich|title=The Great Powers lithuania and the Vilna Question, 1920-1928|year=1966|publisher=E. J. Brill|isbn=B0006BSJTW|pages=6|url=http://books.google.com/?id=180UAAAAIAAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q}}</ref> The ], declaring Lithuanian independence from any affiliation to any other nation, was issued in the city on 16 February 1918. After the withdrawal of German forces, the city was briefly controlled by ] which were driven out by ]. Vilnius changed hands again during the ] and the ]: it was ] by the ], only to fall to the ] forces again. Shortly after its defeat in the ], the retreating ], in order to delay the Polish advance, ceded the city back to neutral ] after signing the ] on 12 July 1920.


==Climate==
Poland and Lithuania both perceived the city as their own. The ] became involved in the subsequent dispute between the two countries. The League-brokered the ] of 7 October 1920 allotting Vilnius to Lithuania.<ref>{{cite book|author=Rawi Abdelal|title=National Purpose in the World Economy: Post-Soviet States in Comparative Perspective|url=http://books.google.com/?id=ubX9NdqScJsC&pg=PA89&dq=suwalki+1920|
]
publisher=] Press|year=2001|quote=At the same time, Poland acceded to Lithuanian authority over Vilnius in the 1920 Suwałki Agreement. | isbn=9780801489778}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Glanville Price|title=Encyclopedia of the Languages of Europe|url=http://books.google.com/?id=ubX9NdqScJsC&pg=PA89&dq=suwalki+1920|publisher=]|year=1998
Vilnius has a ] (] ''Dfb''),<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Kottek M, Grieser J, Beck C, Rudolf B, Rubel F |year=2006 |title=World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated |journal=Meteorol. Z. |volume=15 |pages=259–263 |doi=10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130 |issue=3 |bibcode=2006MetZe..15..259K |url=https://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/files/40083/metz_Vol_15_No_3_p259-263_World_Map_of_the_Koppen_Geiger_climate_classification_updated_55034.pdf}}</ref> with temperature records since 1777.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Raymond S. |last1=Bradley |first2=Philip D. |last2=Jones |title=Climate Since A.D. 1500 |publisher=] |year=1995 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wha4DwRa2wgC&q=vilnius+temperature+record&pg=PA248 |isbn=978-0-415-12030-2}}</ref> The average annual temperature is {{cvt|7.3|°C|0}}; the average January temperature is {{cvt|-3.9|°C|0}}, and the July average is {{cvt|18.7|°C|0}}. Average annual ] is {{cvt|691|mm|2}}. Temperatures in the city have increased significantly during the last 30 years, a change which the ] attributes to human-induced ].<ref name=meteo>{{cite web |url=http://www.meteo.lt/english/climate_change.php |title=Climate change in Lithuania |publisher=Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service under the ] |access-date=18 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819090731/http://www.meteo.lt/english/climate_change.php |archive-date=19 August 2014}}</ref>
|quote=In 1920, Poland annexed a third of Lithuania's territory (including the capital, Vilnius) in a breach of the Treaty of Suvalkai of 7 October 1920, and it was only in 1939 that Lithuania regained Vilnius and about a quarter of the territory previously occupied by Poland. | isbn=9780801489778}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=David James Smith|coauthor=Artis Pabriks, Aldis Purs, Thomas Lane|year=2002|title=The Baltic States|url=http://books.google.com/?id=YaYbzQQN97EC&pg=RA3-PA31&dq=suwalki+treaty+vilnius|publisher=]|quote=Fighting continued until the agreement at Suwałki between Lithuania and Poland on 7 October 1920, which drew a line of demarcation which was incomplete but indicated that the Vilnius area would be part of Lithuania | isbn=9780415285803}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Xenia Joukoff Eudin|coauthors=Harold H. Fisher, Rosemary Brown Jones|year=1957|title=Soviet Russia and the West, 1920-1927|publisher=]|url=http://books.google.com/?id=KX2kAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA9&dq=xenia+suwalki|quote=The League effected an armistice, signed at Suwałki, 7 October 1920, by the terms of which the city was to remain under Lithuanian jurisdiction. | isbn=9780804704786}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=]|coauthors=Edvardas Tuskenis, Vytautas Zalys|year=1999|title=Lithuania in European Politics|publisher=]|url=http://books.google.com/?id=0_i8yez8udgC&pg=PA75&dq=suwalki++vilnius|quote=The Lithuanians and the Poles signed an agreement at Suwałki on 7 October. Both sides were to cease hostilities and to peacefully settle all disputes. The demarcation line was extended only in the southern part of the front, to Bastunai. Vilnius was thus left on the Lithuanian side, but its security was not guaranteed. | isbn=9780312224585}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Hirsz Abramowicz|coauthors=Eva Zeitlin Dobkin, Jeffrey Shandler, David E. Fishman|year=1999|title=Profiles of a Lost World: Memoirs of East European Jewish Life Before World War II|publisher=] Press|url=http://books.google.com/?id=wZI5fWbSaSEC&pg=PA238&dq=suwalki+vilna|quote=Before long there was a change of authority: Polish legionnaires under the command of General Lucian Zeligowski 'did not agree' with the peace treaty signed with Lithuania in Suwałki, which ceded Vilna to Lithuania. | isbn=9780814327845}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Michael Brecher|coauthors=Jonathan Wilkenfeld|title=A Study of Crisis|year=1997|publisher=] Press|url=http://books.google.com/?id=GjY7aV_6FPwC&pg=PA253&dq=suwalki+vilna|quote=Mediation by the League Council led to an agreement on the 20th providing for a cease-fire and Lithuania's neutrality in the Polish-Russian War; Vilna remained part of Lithuania. The (abortive) Treaty of Suwałki, incorporating these terms, was signed on 7 October. | isbn=9780472108060}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Raymond Leslie Buell|title=Poland - Key to Europe|year=2007|publisher=], republished by Read Books|url=http://books.google.com/?id=-KcfGbrKptoC|quote=Clashes subsequently took place with Polish troops, leading to the armistice at Suwałki in October 1920 and the drawing of the famous ] under League mediation, which allotted Vilna to Lithuania. | isbn=9781406745641}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=George Slocombe|title=Mirror to Geneva|publisher=Ayer Publishing|year=1970|url=http://books.google.com/?id=k_oC5vZEBXcC&pg=PA262&dq=suwalki+1920|quote=Zeligowski seized the city in October, 1920, in flagrant violation not only of the Treaty of Suwałki signed by Poland and Lithuania two days earlier, but also of the covenant of the newly created League of Nations. | isbn=9780836918526}}</ref> On 9 October 1920, the Polish Army surreptitiously, under General ], seized Vilnius during an ] known as ]. The city and its surroundings were designated as a separate state, called the ]. On 20 February 1922 after the highly contested ], the entire area was annexed by Poland, with the city becoming the ] of the ] (Wilno being the name of Vilnius in ]). ] then became the ]. The predominant languages of the city were still ] and, to a lesser extent, ].
], with Gediminas's Tower in background]]


Summer days are warm to hot, especially in July and August, with daytime temperatures above {{cvt|30|°C|0}} during periodic heat waves. Outdoor bars, restaurants and cafés are frequented during the day.
Under Polish rule, the city saw a period of fast development.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://felsztyn.tripod.com/id17.html|title=Eastern Poland|year=1941|publisher=Polish Research Centre|accessdate=14 February 2010|location=London}}</ref> Vilnius University was reopened under the name ] and the city's ] was improved significantly. By 1931, the city had 195,000 inhabitants, making it the fifth largest city in Poland with varied industries, such as ], a factory that produced radio receivers.


Winters can be very cold, although temperatures above {{convert|0|°C|°F}}; still occasionally occur. Temperatures below {{cvt|-25|C|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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service |url=http://www.meteo.lt/en/ |website=meteo.lt |access-date=7 August 2020}}</ref>
=== World War II===
{{Weather box
====September 1939 - June 1941====
| location = Vilnius (1991–2020 normals, sun 1961–1990, extremes 1777–present)
World War II began with the ] in September 1939. The secret protocols of the ] had partitioned Lithuania and Poland into German and Soviet spheres of interest. On September 19, 1939, ] by the Soviet Union (]). At first, the city was incorporated into the ], as the city was a centre for ]ian culture and politics for over a century. The heads of ] moved to the city, ] schools were opened, as well as a newspaper (''Вiленская праўда'' - The Wilno Pravda).<ref>{{cite journal|date=September 2006|title=Это вам не 1939 год|journal=Родина|publisher=ООО «Родина МЕДИА»|location=Москва|language=Russian|url=http://www.istrodina.com/rodina_articul.php3?id=1998&n=102}}</ref> These actions were encouraged by Soviet Union leaders until it was decided to use Vilnius as one of the pretexts to begin interfering in Lithuanian internal affairs. The USSR and Lithuania concluded a ] on 10 October 1939, with which the Lithuanian government accepted the presence of Soviet military bases in various parts of the country. On 28 October 1939, the Red Army withdrew from the city to its suburbs (to ]) and Vilnius was given over to Lithuania. A ] parade took place on 29 October 1939 through the city centre. The Lithuanians immediately attempted to ] the city, for example by Lithuanizing Polish schools.<ref name=Lowe>Josef Krauski, ''Education as Resistance: The Polish Experience of Schooling During the War'', in Roy Lowe, ''Education and the Second World War : studies in schooling and social change'', Falmer Press, 1992, ISBN 0-7507-0054-8, </ref> However, the whole of Lithuania was ] by the Soviet Union on 3 August 1940 following a ] from the Soviets demanding, among other things, that unspecified numbers of Red Army soldiers be allowed to enter the country for the purpose of helping to form a more pro-Soviet government. After the ultimatum was issued and Lithuania further occupied, a Soviet government was installed with Vilnius as the capital of the newly created ]. Up to 40,000 of the city's inhabitants were subsequently arrested by the ] and sent to ]s in the far eastern areas of the Soviet Union.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} The Soviets devastated city industries, moving the major Polish radio factory ], along with a part of its labour force, to ] in ], where it was renamed the ] Radio Factory, after Stalin's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
| collapsed =
] in Vilnius, seen in 1912]]
| metric first = Y
| single line = Y
| Jan record high C = 12.3
| Feb record high C = 14.4
| Mar record high C = 24.7
| Apr record high C = 29.0
| May record high C = 31.8
| Jun record high C = 34.2
| Jul record high C = 36.4
| Aug record high C = 34.9
| Sep record high C = 33.1
| Oct record high C = 24.5
| Nov record high C = 15.5
| Dec record high C = 10.5
| year record high C = 36.4
| Jan high C = −1.7
| Feb high C = −0.5
| Mar high C = 4.4
| Apr high C = 12.6
| May high C = 18.4
| Jun high C = 21.7
| Jul high C = 23.8
| Aug high C = 23.1
| Sep high C = 17.4
| Oct high C = 10.3
| Nov high C = 3.7
| Dec high C = −0.3
| year high C = 11.1
| Jan mean C = −3.8
| Feb mean C = −3.1
| Mar mean C = 0.9
| Apr mean C = 7.6
| May mean C = 13.0
| Jun mean C = 16.4
| Jul mean C = 18.7
| Aug mean C = 17.9
| Sep mean C = 13.0
| Oct mean C = 7.1
| Nov mean C = 1.9
| Dec mean C = −2.1
| year mean C = 7.3
| Jan low C = −5.9
| Feb low C = −5.6
| Mar low C = −2.7
| Apr low C = 2.6
| May low C = 7.5
| Jun low C = 11.1
| Jul low C = 13.6
| Aug low C = 12.7
| Sep low C = 8.5
| Oct low C = 3.9
| Nov low C = 0.0
| Dec low C = −4.0
| year low C = 3.5
| Jan record low C = −37.2
| Feb record low C = −35.8
| Mar record low C = −29.6
| Apr record low C = −14.4
| May record low C = −4.4
| Jun record low C = 0.1
| Jul record low C = 3.5
| Aug record low C = 1.0
| Sep record low C = −4.8
| Oct record low C = −14.4
| Nov record low C = −22.8
| Dec record low C = −30.5
| year record low C = −37.2
| Jan avg record high C = 4.9
| Feb avg record high C = 5.7
| Mar avg record high C = 13.1
| Apr avg record high C = 22.4
| May avg record high C = 26.7
| Jun avg record high C = 28.8
| Jul avg record high C = 30.8
| Aug avg record high C = 30.3
| Sep avg record high C = 25.4
| Oct avg record high C = 18.3
| Nov avg record high C = 11.1
| Dec avg record high C = 6.1
|year avg record high C = 32.1
| Jan avg record low C = -19.3
| Feb avg record low C = -17.5
| Mar avg record low C = -10.8
| Apr avg record low C = -4.2
| May avg record low C = 0.1
| Jun avg record low C = 4.9
| Jul avg record low C = 8.1
| Aug avg record low C = 6.8
| Sep avg record low C = 1.1
| Oct avg record low C = -3.8
| Nov avg record low C = -8.7
| Dec avg record low C = -14.1
|year avg record low C = -22.0
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 38.9
| Feb precipitation mm = 34.4
| Mar precipitation mm = 37.0
| Apr precipitation mm = 46.2
| May precipitation mm = 52.1
| Jun precipitation mm = 72.7
| Jul precipitation mm = 79.3
| Aug precipitation mm = 75.8
| Sep precipitation mm = 65.2
| Oct precipitation mm = 51.5
| Nov precipitation mm = 51.5
| Dec precipitation mm = 49.2
| year precipitation mm = 653.8
| Jan precipitation days = 21.7
| Feb precipitation days = 18.4
| Mar precipitation days = 17.5
| Apr precipitation days = 10.2
| May precipitation days = 12.4
| Jun precipitation days = 11.7
| Jul precipitation days = 11.4
| Aug precipitation days = 10.5
| Sep precipitation days = 9.7
| Oct precipitation days = 13.5
| Nov precipitation days = 16.7
| Dec precipitation days = 21.2
| year precipitation days = 174.9
| Jan sun = 37
| Feb sun = 70
| Mar sun = 117
| Apr sun = 165
| May sun = 242
| Jun sun = 231
| Jul sun = 220
| Aug sun = 217
| Sep sun = 141
| Oct sun = 93
| Nov sun = 33
| Dec sun = 25
| year sun = 1591
| Jan uv =0
| Feb uv =1
| Mar uv =2
| Apr uv =3
| May uv =5
| Jun uv =6
| Jul uv =6
| Aug uv =5
| Sep uv =3
| Oct uv =2
| Nov uv =1
| Dec uv =0
| Jan dew point C = -5
| Feb dew point C = -5
| Mar dew point C = -3
| Apr dew point C = 1
| May dew point C = 6
| Jun dew point C = 10
| Jul dew point C = 13
| Aug dew point C = 12
| Sep dew point C = 9
| Oct dew point C = 4
| Nov dew point C = 0
| Dec dew point C = -3
| source = ] (avg high and low)<ref name = WMO>{{cite web |url=http://worldweather.wmo.int/105/c00204.htm |title=World Weather Information Service – Vilnius |publisher=World Meteorological Organization |access-date=2 February 2013 |archive-date=23 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223070503/https://worldweather.wmo.int/105/c00204.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> NOAA (sun, extremes),<ref name = NOAA>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/RA-VI/LU/26730.TXT |title=Vilnius Climate Normals 1961–1990 |publisher=] |access-date=2 February 2017}}</ref> Météo Climat,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/listenormale-1991-2020-1-p130.php# |title=Météo Climat 1991–2020 averages for Lithuania |publisher=Météo Climat |access-date=2 December 2020}}</ref> Time and Date (dewpoints, 1985–2015)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/lithuania/vilnius/climate |title=Climate & Weather Averages in Vilnius |publisher=Time and Date |access-date=24 July 2022}}</ref> and Weather Atlas<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/lithuania/vilnius-climate |title=Vilnius, Lithuania – Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast |publisher=Yu Media Group |website=Weather Atlas |access-date=6 April 2021}}</ref>
| date = October 2017
}}


==Culture==
==== German Occupation====
===Painting and sculpture===
On 22 June 1941, the Germans launched ] against the Soviet Union. Vilnius was captured on 24 June.<ref>], '']'', vol.4, p.1572</ref> Two ]s were set up in the ] centre for the large Jewish population — the smaller one of which was "liquidated" by October. The larger ghetto lasted until 1943, though its population was regularly deported in roundups known as "]". A failed ] on 1 September 1943 organized by the ] (the United Partisan Organization, the first Jewish partisan unit in German-occupied Europe),{{Citation needed|date=June 2008}} was followed by the final destruction of the ghetto. During the ], about 95% of the 265,000-strong Jewish population of Lithuania was murdered by the German units and Lithuanian Nazi collaborators, many of them in ], about 10&nbsp;km west of the old town centre (see the ]).
]
]
Vilnius was an artistic centre of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, attracting artists across Europe. The oldest surviving early ] artworks (14th century) are paintings dedicated to churches and ], such as frescoes in the crypts of ] and decorated ]. Sixteenth-century wall paintings are in the city's ] and the ].<ref name="tapybavle">{{cite web |title=Lietuvos tapyba |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Lietuvos-tapyba-117712 |website=vle.lt |access-date=10 November 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> Gothic wooden polychrome sculptures decorate church altars. Some Gothic ] from the 14th and 15th centuries still exist, including those of ], ] and ].<ref name="skulptura">{{cite web |title=Lietuvos skulptūra |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Lietuvos-skulptura-118228 |website=vle.lt |access-date=10 November 2019 |language=lt}}</ref>


] sculpture appeared during the early 16th century, primarily by the ] 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 of ] (1548) and ] (1555) by ] 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 of ] ({{circa|1633}}) in the ], are stylized.<ref name="skulptura" /> During this period, local and ]an painters created religious and mythological compositions and portraits with late Gothic and Baroque features; illustrated prayerbooks, illustrations, and miniatures have survived.<ref name="tapybavle" />
=== Lithuanian SSR - in Soviet Union ===


During the late-16th-century ], wall painting developed. Most palaces and churches were decorated in frescoes with bright colors, sophisticated angles, and drama. Secular painting{{snd}}representational, imaginative, epitaph portraits, scenes of battles and politically important events in a detailed, realistic style{{snd}}also spread at this time.<ref name="tapybavle" /> Baroque sculptures dominated ]: tombstones with sculpted portraits and decorative sculptures in wood, marble, and ]. 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 by ]. Their works exemplify the mature Baroque, with expressive forms and sensuality. Local sculptors emphasized Baroque decorative features, with less expression and emotion.<ref name="skulptura" />
In July 1944, Vilnius was taken from the Germans by the Soviet Army and the Polish ] (see ] and the ]). The ] arrested the leaders of the ] after requesting a meeting. Shortly afterwards, the town was once again incorporated into the Soviet Union as the capital of the ].


]'' by ]]]
The war has irrevocably altered the town - most of the predominantly Polish and Jewish population was either exterminated during the German occupation, or deported to Siberia during the first Soviet occupation. Many of the surviving inhabitants, particularly members of the ] were now targeted and deported to Siberia in the beginning of the second Soviet occupation. The majority of the remaining population ], and ] began in earnest. Only in the 1960s Vilnius began to grow again, following an influx of rural Lithuanian and Polish population from neighbouring regions and well as from other areas of the Soviet Union (particularly Russians and Belarusians). ]s were built in the ]s of ], ], ] and ].
Lithuanian painting was influenced by the ] during the late 18th and 19th centuries, which introduced ] and ] art. Painters had internships abroad, mainly in Italy. Allegorical, mythological compositions, landscapes, and portraits of representatives of various circles of society began, and historical themes prevailed. The era's best-known classical painters are ], ], ], {{ill|Daniel Kondratowicz|pl}}, ], and ]. Romantic artists were Jan Rustem, ], ] and ].<ref name="tapybavle" /> After the 1832 closure of Vilnius University, the Vilnius Art School continued to influence Lithuanian art.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus meno mokykla |url=http://alka.mch.mii.lt/menas/menomokykla/trumpa.lt.htm |website=alka.mch.mii.lt |access-date=10 November 2019 |archive-date=2 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202051320/http://alka.mch.mii.lt/menas/menomokykla/trumpa.lt.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>


The ] was established in 1907 by ], ] and ], and the Vilnius Art Society was founded the following year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuvių dailės draugija |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Lietuviu-dailes-draugija-15318 |website=vle.lt |access-date=10 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus dailės draugija |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Vilniaus-dailes-draugija-107778 |website=vle.lt |access-date=10 November 2019}}</ref> Artists included Jonas Šileika, {{ill|Justinas Vienožinskis|lt|Justinas Vienožinskis}}, {{ill|Jonas Mackevičius (1872)|lt|Jonas Mackevičius}}, ], and ], who employed Western European ], ], ] and ].<ref name="tapybavle" /> ] was introduced after ], with ] paintings, historical and household works, ], landscapes, portraits, and sculptures.<ref name="tapybavle" /><ref name="skulptura" /> Late 20th- and 21st-century painters are Žygimantas Augustinas, Eglė Ridikaitė, Eglė Gineitytė, Patricija Jurkšaitytė, Jurga Barilaitė, and Solomonas Teitelbaumas.<ref name="tapybavle" />
=== Lithuania ===
On 11 March 1990, the ] announced its secession from the Soviet Union and intention to restore an independent ]. As a result of these declarations, on 9 January 1991, the Soviet Union sent in troops. This culminated in the 13 January ] on the State Radio and Television Building and the ], killing at least fourteen civilians and seriously injuring 700 more. The Soviet Union finally recognised Lithuanian independence in August 1991. The current ], as did the earlier Lithuanian Constitution of 1922, mentions that ..."the capital of the State of Lithuania shall be the city of Vilnius, the long-standing historical capital of Lithuania".


The ] 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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/lithuania/articles/inside-uzupis-lithuania-free-thinking-republic/ |first=Joanna |last=Griffin |date=8 August 2016 |work=The Telegraph |department=Travel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114155921/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/lithuania/articles/inside-uzupis-lithuania-free-thinking-republic/ |url-status=live |archive-date=14 January 2018 |title=Just Back: Inside Uzupis, Lithuania's free-thinking republic}}</ref> In its main square, a statue of an angel blowing a trumpet symbolises artistic freedom.
=== Today ===
]
Vilnius has been rapidly transformed, and the town has emerged as a modern European city. Many of its older buildings have been renovated, and a business and commercial area is being developed into the ''New City Centre'', expected to become the city's main administrative and business district on the north side of the ] river. This area includes modern residential and retail space, with the ] building and the 129-metre (423') ] as its most prominent buildings.
<!-- Deleted image removed: ] -->
Vilnius was selected as a 2009 ], along with ], the capital of ]. Its 2009 New Year's Eve celebration, marking the event, featured a light show said to be "visible from outer space".<ref>{{cite news|title=Cultural capitals of Europe|work=Chicago Tribune|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-cultural-capitals-0111_rjan11,0,6197408.story?page=2&track=rss|accessdate=2009-01-12 | date=11 January 2009}}</ref> In preparation, the historical centre of the city was restored, and its main monuments were renewed.<ref>{{PDFlink||810&nbsp;KB}} in "Web Journal on Cultural Patrimony", 1, 2006
</ref> Besides the many official programs for the Cultural Capital year, there have been efforts to promote subcultural venues, such as the and Vilnus Triennale program, showing young arts from all over Lithuania and Europe to a general public, both in public spaces, such as on the river shore of Neris river, and in several vacant buildings within the city centre.<ref>, Urban stories: The X Baltic Triennial of International Art, Curators: Ann Demeester, Kestutis Kuizinas.</ref>


The world's first bronze memorial to ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/lithuania/vilnius/sights/cemeteries-memorials-tombs/frank-zappa-memorial |title=Frank Zappa Memorial |website=lonely planet}}</ref> was installed in the ] 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilnius Talking Statues |url=http://www.vilnius-tourism.lt/en/what-to-see/routes/vilnius-talking-statues/ |website=vilnius-tourism.lt |access-date=10 November 2019 |date=2015-06-19}}</ref>
==Geography==
Vilnius is situated in southeastern Lithuania ({{Coord|54|41|N|25|17|E|}}) at the ] of the ] and ] Rivers. Lying close to Vilnius is a site some claim to be the ].


===Museums and galleries===
Vilnius lies 312 kilometres (194&nbsp;mi) from the ] and ], the chief Lithuanian ]. Vilnius is connected by highways to other major Lithuanian cities, such as ] (102&nbsp;km/63&nbsp;mi away), ] (214&nbsp;km/133&nbsp;mi away) and ] (135&nbsp;km/84&nbsp;mi away). City's off-centre 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 centre of the ].
{{See also|List of museums in Lithuania}}
]
Vilnius has a variety of museums.<ref name="GoVilniusMuseums">{{cite web |title=Museums |url=https://www.govilnius.lt/visit-vilnius/places/museums |website=GoVilnius.lt |access-date=29 April 2023}}</ref> The ], 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania |url=https://www.govilnius.lt/visit-vilnius/places/the-palace-of-the-grand-dukes-of-lithuania |website=GoVilnius.lt |access-date=29 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The New Arsenal |url=https://www.govilnius.lt/visit-vilnius/places/new-arsenal |website=GoVilnius.lt |access-date=29 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Old Arsenal |url=https://www.govilnius.lt/visit-vilnius/places/the-old-arsenal |website=GoVilnius.lt |access-date=29 April 2023}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Museum of Applied Arts and Design |url=https://www.govilnius.lt/visit-vilnius/places/the-museum-of-applied-arts-and-design |website=GoVilnius.lt |access-date=29 April 2023}}</ref> Other museums are the Vilnius Museum, the House of Histories, Church Heritage Museum, ], Fight for Freedom Museum in the ], 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.<ref name="GoVilniusMuseums"/><ref>{{cite web |title=M.K. Čiurlionio namai |url=https://ciurlioniokelias.lt/partneriai/vilniaus-miesto-savivaldybe/m-k-ciurlionio-namai/ |website=Ciurlioniokelias.lt |access-date=29 April 2023 |language=lt}}</ref>


]]]
The current area of Vilnius is 402 square kilometres (155&nbsp;sq&nbsp;mi). Buildings occupy 29.1% of the city; green spaces occupy 68.8%; and waters occupy 2.1%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://google.com/search?q=cache:KutOX0Ym7O8J:www.vilnius.lt/newvilniusweb/index.php/252/+vilnius+area+hectares&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=15&gl=us&client=firefox-a|title=The City|publisher=City of Vilnius|accessdate=2009-01-30}}</ref>
Vilnius has a number of art galleries. Lithuania's largest art collection is housed in the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Collections |url=https://www.ldm.lt/en/collections/ |website=ldm.lt |access-date=10 November 2019 |archive-date=10 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110162420/https://www.ldm.lt/en/collections/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Vilnius Picture Gallery, in the city's Old Town, houses a collection of Lithuanian art from the 16th to the early 20th centuries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Permanent exhibitions |url=https://www.ldm.lt/en/vpg/expositions/ |website=ldm.lt |access-date=10 November 2019 |archive-date=10 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110162419/https://www.ldm.lt/en/vpg/expositions/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Across the Neris, the National Art Gallery has a number of exhibitions of 20th-century Lithuanian art.<ref>{{cite web |title=Collection |url=http://www.ndg.lt/collection.aspx |website=ndg.lt |access-date=10 November 2019}}</ref> The ], the largest contemporary-art venue in the Baltic States, has an exhibition space of {{convert|2400|m2|sqft}}. 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the CAC |url=http://www.cac.lt/en/general |website=cac.lt |access-date=10 November 2019}}</ref> On 10 November 2007, the ] was opened by avant-garde filmmaker ]; its premiere exhibition was ''The Avant-Garde: From ] to ]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=About us |url=http://mekas.lt/about/ |website=mekas.lt |access-date=10 November 2019 |date=25 July 2014}}</ref> In 2018, the ] 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mo.lt/en/about-mo/ |title=About MO |website=mo.lt |access-date=23 April 2019}}</ref>


==Climate== ===Literature===
{{see also|Lithuanian literature}}
The climate of Vilnius is ] or ] (] ''Dfb'').<ref>{{cite journal | author=Kottek, M., J. Grieser, C. Beck, B. Rudolf, and F. Rubel | year=2006 | title= World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated | journal=Meteorol. Z. | volume=15 | pages=259–263 | doi=10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130}}</ref> Temperature records have been kept since 1777.<ref>{{cite book|
]. Its signs are in Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, French, and German.]]
author=Raymond S. Bradley, Philip D. Jones
Around 1520, ] (author of the first Ruthenian ]) established ]'s first ] in Vilnius. Skaryna prepared and published the ''Little Traveller's Book'' (Ruthenian: ''Малая подорожная книжка''), the first printed book of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, in 1522. Three years later, he printed the ''Acts and Epistles of the Apostles'' (the ''Apostle'').<ref>{{cite web |title=Biography of Skaryna |url=http://web1.mab.lt/skorina/en/skaryna/biography/ |website=Web1.mab.lt |access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref>
|title=Climate Since A.D. 1500
|publisher=]
|year=1995
|url=http://books.google.com/?id=Wha4DwRa2wgC&pg=PA248&dq=vilnius+temperature+record
| isbn=9780415120302
}}</ref> The average annual temperature is {{convert|6.1|°C|0|abbr=on}}; in January the average temperature is{{convert|-4.9|°C|0|abbr=on}}, in July it is {{convert|17.0|°C|0|abbr=on}}. The average ] is about {{convert|661|mm|2|abbr=off|lk=on}} per year.


The ] was established in 1575 by Lithuanian nobleman ] as the ] printing house, delegating its management to the ]. It published its first book, ]'s ''Pro Sacratissima Eucharistia contra haeresim Zwinglianam'', in May 1576. The press was funded by the Lithuanian nobility and the church.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilnius University Press – History |url=https://www.vu.lt/leidyba/en/about-us2/history |website=vu.lt |access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref> In 1805, ] bought the press and founded the ]. Operating continuously until 1939, it published books in a number of languages;<ref>{{cite web |title=Zawadzkio spaustuvė |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Zawadzkio-spaustuve-110052 |website=vle.lt |access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref> ]'s first poetry book was published in 1822.<ref>{{cite web |title=Adomas Mickevičius |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Adomas-Mickevicius-18711 |website=vle.lt |access-date=30 October 2019}}</ref>
Summers can be hot, with temperatures above thirty degrees Celsius throughout the day. Night-life in Vilnius is in full swing at this time of year, and outdoor bars, restaurants and cafés become very popular during the daytime.


] translated and published a ] by Spanish Jesuit theologian ] in 1595, the first printed Lithuanian-language book in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He also translated and published ]'s ''] Catholica'' in 1599.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lebedys |first=Jurgis |title=Mikalojus Daukša |url=http://postilla.mch.mii.lt/Dauksa/apiedauksa.htm |website=postilla.mch.mii.lt |access-date=29 October 2019 |archive-date=24 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070424151843/http://postilla.mch.mii.lt/Dauksa/apiedauksa.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref>
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 ], whereby fishermen drill holes in the ice and fish with baited hooks.

{{Weather box
], where Adam Mickiewicz was imprisoned for fighting ]]]
|location = Vilnius, Lithuania
Many writers were born in Vilnius, lived there, or are ] of Vilnius University; they include ], ], ], ], ], ], Adam Mickiewicz, ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] ]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilnius University Hinc Itur Ad Astra |date=20 October 2015 |page=25 |url=https://www.vu.lt/site_files/InfS/Leidiniai/VU_REP_EN_2015-10-20.pdf |access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref> ] alumnae have also added to the internationally acclaimed contemporary writers such as ], ] and ]. The first consideration of the ] took place in 1522 at the ]. The code was drafted under the guidance of ] Albertas Goštautas in accordance with ], legislation, and ] and ]. It is Europe's first ] of ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuvos Statutas |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Lietuvos-Statutas-16032 |website=vle.lt |access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref> Albertas Goštautas supported the use of Lithuanian in literature and protected Lithuanian authors (including ] and ]) who criticised the use of ], and called refugees ] in '']''.<ref name="Dubonis2002">{{cite web |last=Dubonis |first=Artūras |title=Lietuvių kalba: poreikis ir vartojimo mastai (XV a. antra pusė – XVI a. pirma pusė) |url=http://viduramziu.istorija.net/socium/dubonis2002.htm |website=viduramziu.istorija.net |language=lt |access-date=22 September 2019 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303171411/http://viduramziu.istorija.net/socium/dubonis2002.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes
]]]
|Jan high C = -3.5
Since the 16th century, the ] has been kept at the ] and safeguarded by the State ]. 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 on ] at the Lithuanian State Historical Archives in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuvos Metrika |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Lietuvos-Metrika-15851 |website=vle.lt |access-date=30 October 2019}}</ref>
|Feb high C = -1.7

|Mar high C = 3.3
Over 200 tiles and plaques commemorating writers who lived and worked in Vilnius and foreign authors connected to Vilnius and Lithuania adorn walls on ] ({{langx|lt|link=no|Literatų gatvė}}) in the Old Town, outlining the history of Lithuanian literature.<ref>{{cite web |title=Literatų Gatvė (Literature Street) |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/literature-street |website=atlasobscura.com |access-date=17 November 2019}}</ref> The ] and the ] are in the city.<ref>{{cite web |title=About |url=http://www.llti.lt/en/about/ |website=llti.lt |access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lithuanian Writers Union |url=https://www.rasytojai.lt/en/homepage/ |website=rasytojai.lt |access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref> The ] is held annually at ], the Baltics' largest exhibition centre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilnius Book Fair |url=https://www.vilniausknygumuge.lt/en/ |website=vilniausknygumuge.lt |access-date=2 November 2019 |archive-date=2 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102152458/https://www.vilniausknygumuge.lt/en/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|Apr high C = 10.7

|May high C = 18.2
===Cinema===
|Jun high C = 21.1
{{see also|Cinema of Lithuania}}
|Jul high C = 22.1
]
|Aug high C = 21.6
The first public ] in Vilnius was held in the Botanical Garden (now the ]) in July 1896. It was held after 1895 film sessions by ] in Paris. The session in Vilnius showed the Lumière brothers' ] films. The first films shown were educational, filmed outside Vilnius (in India and Africa), and introduced other cultures. ]' film, '']'', was first shown at the ] movie theater in 1902; it was the first ] shown in Vilnius.<ref name="cinemaLRT">{{cite web |title=Vilniaus kino istorija: pirmasis seansas tik pusmečiu atsiliko nuo pirmojo istorijoje |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/tavo-lrt/15/120792/vilniaus-kino-istorija-pirmasis-seansas-tik-pusmeciu-atsiliko-nuo-pirmojo-istorijoje |website=] |access-date=22 September 2019 |language=lt |date=27 November 2015}}</ref>
|Sep high C = 16.4

|Oct high C = 10.2
The first ] in Vilnius, Iliuzija (Illusion), opened in 1905 at 60 ].<ref name="cinemaMIV">{{cite web |title=Vilniaus kino teatrai 1905–1985 metais |url=https://madeinvilnius.lt/vilniaus-istorija/senasis-vilnius/vilniaus-kino-teatrai-1905-1985-metais/ |website=MadeinVilnius.lt |access-date=22 September 2019 |language=lt-LT |date=1 May 2017}}</ref> The first movie theaters, similar to theatres, had ] 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.<ref name="cinemaLRT" />
|Nov high C = 3.5

|Dec high C = -0.5
], in the 17th-century ]]]
|Jan high F = 25.7
On 4 June 1924, the Vilnius ] established a 1,200-seat movie theater in the city hall ({{langx|pl|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.<ref name="cinemaMIV" />
|Feb high F = 28.9

|Mar high F = 37.9
In 1965, Lithuania's most modern movie theater (]) opened in Vilnius; it had over 1.84&nbsp;million visitors per year, and an annual profit of over 1&nbsp;million&nbsp;]s. After reconstruction, it had one of Europe's largest screens: {{convert|200|m2|sqft}}.<ref name="cinemaMIV" /> Closed in 2002, it was demolished in 2017 and replaced by MO Museum.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniuje neliko istorinio kino teatro "Lietuva" |url=https://www.15min.lt/verslas/naujiena/kvadratinis-metras/nekilnojamasis-turtas/vilniuje-neliko-istorinio-kino-teatro-lietuva-973-767800 |website=15min.lt |access-date=22 September 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> Kino Pavasaris is the city's largest film festival.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Festival |url=https://kinopavasaris.lt/en/about-festival |website=kinopavasaris.lt |access-date=14 October 2019 |archive-date=15 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015183847/https://kinopavasaris.lt/en/about-festival |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Lithuanian Film Centre ({{langx|lt|Lietuvos kino centras}}), tasked with promoting the development and competitiveness of the Lithuanian film industry, is in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web |title=About us |url=http://www.lkc.lt/en/lithuanian-film-center/ |website=lkc.lt |access-date=22 September 2019}}</ref>
|Apr high F = 51.3

|May high F = 64.8
===Music===
|Jun high F = 70
{{See also|Music of Lithuania}}
|Jul high F = 71.8
] of the first opera staged in Vilnius (1636), before the first operas in ] (1645) and ] (1656)<ref>{{cite web |title=Operą Vilnius išvydo pirmiau negu Londonas ir Paryžius |url=http://v1.valdovurumai.lt/Naujienos/Opera_ldk_rumuose.htm |website=valdovurumai.lt |date=12 April 2011 |access-date=26 April 2020}}</ref>]]
|Aug high F = 70.9
Musicians performed at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania as early as the 14th century, since Grand Duke Gediminas' daughter ] was known to be enthusiastic about music. Aldona brought court musicians and singers to ] after marrying King ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuvos muzika |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lietuvos-muzika/ |website=vle.lt |access-date=21 February 2021}}</ref> During the 16th century, composers such as ], ], ], ], ], ], and ] lived in Vilnius; the city was also home to ] ] ]. One of the first local musicians in written sources was Steponas Vilnietis (Stephanus de Vylna). The first textbook of Lithuanian music, ''The Art and Practice of Music'' ({{langx|la|Ars et praxis musica}}), was published in Vilnius by ] in 1667.<ref>{{cite web |title=Žygimantas Liauksminas |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Zygimantas-Liauksminas-15041 |website=vle.lt |access-date=23 January 2020}}</ref>
|Sep high F = 61.5

|Oct high F = 50.4
Italian artists produced Lithuania's first ] on 4 September 1636 at the Palace of the Grand Dukes, commissioned by Grand Duke ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Operos dieną Valdovų rūmuose vainikuos pasaulinis šedevras – K. Monteverdžio opera "Orfėjas" |url=http://valdovurumai.lt/aktualijos/claudio-monteverdi-opera-orfejas-lorfeo |website=valdovurumai.lt |access-date=7 September 2015 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308060834/https://www.valdovurumai.lt/aktualijos/claudio-monteverdi-opera-orfejas-lorfeo |url-status=dead }}</ref> Operas are produced at the ] and by the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Repertoire |url=https://www.opera.lt/en/whatss-on |website=opera.lt |access-date=31 October 2019}}</ref>
|Nov high F = 38.3

|Dec high F = 31.1
The Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, the country's largest and oldest state-owned concert organization, produces live concerts and tours in Lithuania and abroad.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filharmonija.lt/en/about-us/history.html |title=History – Largest Concert Institution in Lithuania |website=Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society |access-date=3 February 2017}}</ref> The ], founded by ], performs in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web |title=About us |url=http://www.lvso.lt/en/orchestra |website=lvso.lt |access-date=31 October 2019}}</ref>
|year high C = 10.1

|year high F = 50.2
]
|Jan low C = -8.7
] is popular in Lithuania, and Vilnius has three choir laureates (Brevis, Jauna Muzika, and the Chamber Choir of the Conservatoire) at the ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Murauskaitė |first=Rasa |title=Trys meilės chorui dešimtmečiai. Pokalbis su Vaclovu Augustinu |url=https://www.15min.lt/kultura/naujiena/muzika/trys-meiles-chorui-desimtmeciai-pokalbis-su-vaclovu-augustinu-284-1207238 |website=] |access-date=31 October 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> The ] in Vilnius has been presented every four years since 1990 for about 30,000 singers and folk dancers in ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lithuanian Song Festival |url=http://www.dainusvente.lt/en/history/ |website=DainuSvente.lt |access-date=23 January 2018 |archive-date=11 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611213024/https://www.dainusvente.lt/en/history/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2008, the festival and its ] and ] counterparts were designated as a ] ].<ref>{{cite book |title=Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity |date=2005 |publisher=] |page=50 |url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001473/147344e.pdf}}</ref>
|Feb low C = -7.6

|Mar low C = -3.8
The ] scene is active in Vilnius; in 1970–71, the Ganelin/Tarasov/Chekasin trio founded the Vilnius Jazz School.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jazz in Lithuania |url=http://www.vilniusjazz.lt/press/99jil.php |website=Vilniusjazz.lt |access-date=25 March 2018}}</ref> The ] is held annually.
|Apr low C = 1.6

|May low C = 7.5
], leader of ] and founder of the annual ''Gatvės muzikos diena'' (Street Music Day)]]
|Jun low C = 10.8
The annual ''Gatvės muzikos diena'' (Street Music Day) gathers musicians on the city's streets.<ref>{{cite web |title=Street Music Day |url=http://gmd.lt/en |website=gmd.lt |access-date=10 March 2018 |archive-date=11 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311021339/http://gmd.lt/en |url-status=dead}}</ref> Vilnius is the birthplace of singers ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]); composers ], ], ], ], and ]); conductor ]), and musicians ], ], ], and ]).
|Jul low C = 12.3

|Aug low C = 11.5
It was the hometown of 18th-century composers ], ] (colleague of ]), ], and ]. Nineteenth-century Vilnius was known for singer ], a close friend of ] and ] (who starred in the ] of Haydn's '']''), mid-19th century guitar virtuoso ] and composer ]. The wealthiest woman in Vilnius during the early 19th century was singer ]. In the early 20th century, Vilnius was the hometown of ], ], and ]. Late-20th- and early 21st-century musicians include ], ], ], ], ], and ].
|Sep low C = 7.7

|Oct low C = 3.4
The ], headquartered on ], is also located at the ] in ]. Singers who have lectured at the academy include ]s ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Dainavimo katedra |url=https://lmta.lt/lt/fakultetas/muzikos-fakultetas/dainavimo-katedra/ |website=lmta.lt |access-date=31 October 2019 |language=lt-LT}}</ref>
|Nov low C = -0.9

|Dec low C = -5.2
===Theatre===
|Jan low F = 16.3
] page of a theatre program dedicated to ], which was performed in Vilnius]]
|Feb low F = 18.3
The Lithuanian Grand Dukes' entertainment at the castle, rulers' visits abroad and guests' meetings had theatrical elements. During ]'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, where '']'' were performed by the Italian Virgilio Puccitelli. The performances had basic, luxurious scenography.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seniausių laikų Lietuvos teatras |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/seniausiu-laiku-Lietuvos-teatras-118076 |website=vle.lt |access-date=17 November 2019}}</ref>
|Mar low F = 25.2

|Apr low F = 34.9
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 had ] retrospectives, Renaissance elements, ] 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 (] dedicated to ], Mindaugas, Vytautas and other Lithuanian rulers).<ref>{{cite web |title=Mokyklinis teatras Lietuvos teritorijoje |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/mokyklinis-teatras-Lietuvos-teritorijoje-118061 |website=vle.lt |access-date=17 November 2019}}</ref><ref name="theatrevle">{{cite web |title=Lietuvos teatras |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Lietuvos-teatras-124143 |website=vle.lt |access-date=17 November 2019}}</ref>
|May low F = 45.5

|Jun low F = 51.4
] established Vilnius City Theatre, the city's first public theatre, in 1785. The theatre, initially in the Oskierka Palace, moved to the ] and ]. 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus miesto teatras |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Vilniaus-miesto-teatras-117908 |website=vle.lt |access-date=17 November 2019}}</ref>
|Jul low F = 54.1

|Aug low F = 52.7
]]]
|Sep low F = 45.9
During the interwar period (when the city was part of Poland), Vilnius was known for the modern, experimental Reduta troupe and institute led by ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Juliusz Osterwa |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Juliusz-Osterwa-656 |website=vle.lt |access-date=24 December 2019}}</ref> The Vilnius Lithuanian Stage Amateur Company ({{langx|lt|link=no|Vilniaus lietuvių scenos mėgėjų kuopa}}), established in 1930 and renamed Vilnius's Lithuanian Theatre, performed in the region. In 1945, it was merged with the ].<ref name="theatrevle" />
|Oct low F = 38.1

|Nov low F = 30.4
After the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940, theatre became a means of disseminating Soviet ideology. Performances incorporated socialist realism, and a number of ] 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.<ref name="theatrevle" />
|Dec low F = 22.6

|year low C = 3.4
Theatre changed after Lithuanian independence.<ref name="theatrevle" /> 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-language ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Events |url=http://www.teatrai.lt/events |website=teatrai.lt |access-date=17 November 2019}}</ref>
|year low F = 36.4

|Jan precipitation mm = 41
===Photography===
|Feb precipitation mm = 38
], captured in 1867 with Vilnius' ] (the second such device in the world)]]
|Mar precipitation mm = 39
According to the memoirs of architect Bolesław Podczaszyński, published in January 1853 in the {{Lang|pl|]}}, Lithuanian ] began with the ] in the summer of 1839 of the reconstructed ] by François Marcillac (governor of the children of Duke ]).<ref name="photovle">{{cite web |title=Lietuvos meninė fotografija |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lietuvos-menine-fotografija/ |website=vle.lt |access-date=21 February 2021 |language=lt}}</ref> The country's unfavorable political situation hampered the development of new technology and cultural activities. The first known daguerreotype-portrait ] 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, from ].<ref name="photovle"/>
|Apr precipitation mm = 46

|May precipitation mm = 62
In the 1860s, with the spread of the ], ] and ] 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 photographers ] and Albert Swieykowski, who compiled the 32-image ''Vilnius 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 the ] were punished; A. Korzonas was deported to ]. Other prominent 19th-century photographers were ] (a ]-photography pioneer),<ref>{{cite web |title=Stanislovas Filibertas Fleris |url=https://www.limis.lt/personaliju-zodynas/-/personFastSearch/view/869771 |website=limis.lt |access-date=7 March 2021 |language=lt}}</ref> Aleksander Władysław Strauss, and ].<ref name="photovle"/>
|Jun precipitation mm = 77

|Jul precipitation mm = 78
The world's second ] was installed in 1865 at the ], and photographed ]s.<ref name="photovle"/> An unprecedented system of photographing solar dynamics began in 1868 in Vilnius.<ref name="Klimka">{{cite book |last=Klimka |first=Libertas |title=Senosios Vilniaus astronomijos observatorijos instrumentarijus |date=20 June 2001 |publisher=] |location=Vilnius |page=44 |url=https://etalpykla.lituanistikadb.lt/object/LT-LDB-0001:J.04~2001~1367156198266/J.04~2001~1367156198266.pdf |access-date=21 February 2021 |language=lt}}</ref> ] founded the country's first photography club in Vilnius in 1927.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus fotoklubas |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/vilniaus-fotoklubas/ |website=vle.lt |access-date=21 February 2021 |language=lt}}</ref> In 1952, ''Švyturys'' magazine organized the city's first photography exhibition.<ref name="photovle"/>
|Aug precipitation mm = 72

|Sep precipitation mm = 65
===Crafts===
|Oct precipitation mm = 53
{{multiple image
|Nov precipitation mm = 57
| caption_align = center
|Dec precipitation mm = 55
| align = right
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.61
| direction = horizontal
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.49
| total_width = 350
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.53
| header_align = left/right/center
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.81
| footer_align = left/right/center
|May precipitation inch = 2.44
| image1 = Didžioji monstrancija.tif
|Jun precipitation inch = 3.03
| caption1 = The Great ], commissioned in Vilnius in 1535 by ], is one of ]'s largest.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lobyno vertybės |url=https://www.katedra.lt/lobynas/vertybes/ |website=katedra.lt |access-date=21 February 2021 |language=lt}}</ref>
|Jul precipitation inch = 3.07
| alt1 = An ornate gold monstrance
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.83
| image2 = Lithuania 1616 10 Ducats (reverse).jpg
|Sep precipitation inch = 2.56
| caption2 = Reverse of ]'s 10-] gold coin, struck in the ] in 1616, with the ] and the ]s of ] ]
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.09
| alt2 = Detailed reverse of a gold coin
|Nov precipitation inch = 2.24
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.17
|year precipitation mm = 683
|year precipitation inch = 26.9
|source 1 = The World Meteorological Organization<ref name=WMO>{{cite web
| url =http://www.worldweather.org/105/c00204.htm|title = {{en icon}} Weather Information for Vilnius
|accessdate =Dec 12 2006
| language = }}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}} }}
Iron tools, weapons, ], ] and ] jewelry have been produced in present-day Lithuania since the first century.<ref name="amatai">{{cite web |title=Amatai |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/amatai/ |website=vle.lt |access-date=21 February 2021 |language=lt}}</ref> ] wood products, and ] became widespread in the second and fourth centuries. During the ] era, home ] were components of a ]. 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); ]s were established which trained and defended the interests of craftspeople. Production of fine ] began, ] 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.<ref name="amatai"/> European goldsmiths worked in the ] (established in 1495), which controlled trade in ]s and ]s and served the ] and ] regions, the ], the Grand Duke, the ], and townspeople.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus auksakalių cechas |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/vilniaus-auksakaliu-cechas/ |website=vle.lt |access-date=21 February 2021 |language=lt}}</ref> The ], the main ] of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, minted the Lithuanian ], ]s, ], ]s, ]s, and other coins from 1387 to 1666.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus monetų kalykla |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/vilniaus-monetu-kalykla/ |website=vle.lt |access-date=21 February 2021 |language=lt}}</ref>


Crafting declined in the second half of the 17th century due to the ], 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 of ], craft schools were established in Lithuanian cities; crafts have prevailed in ] manufacturing, goldsmithing, woodworking, food processing, and other fields. Under Soviet occupation, craftspeople worked in ]s until 1960 and then in ]. After independence, crafts were produced by small and medium-sized businesses.<ref name="amatai"/>
== Demographics==
]- Tallest skyscraper in the ].]]
According to the census of 14 December 1916 by the occupying German forces at the time, there were a total of 138.794 inhabitants in Vilnius. This number was made up of the following nationalities: Poles 53.67% (74.466 inhabitants), Jews 41.45% (57.516 inhabitants), Lithuanians 2.09% (2.909 inhabitants), Russians 1.59% (2.219 inhabitants), Germans 0.63% (880 inhabitants), Belarusians 0.44% (644 inhabitants) and others at 0.13% (193 inhabitants).


===Language===
A census of 9 December 1931 reveals that Poles made up 65.9% of the total Vilnius population (128.600 inhabitants), Jews 28% (54.600 inhabitants), Russians 3,8% (7.400 inhabitants), Belarusians 0.9% (1.700 inhabitants), Lithuanians 0.8% (1.579 inhabitants), Germans 0.3% (600 inhabitants), Ukrainians 0.1% (200 inhabitants), others 0.2% (approx. 400 inhabitants).
{{See also|Demographic history of Vilnius#Historic ethnic makeup|Lithuanian language}}
]]]
{{multiple image
| caption_align = center
| align = right
| direction = horizontal
| total_width = 230
| header_align = left/right/center
| footer_align = left/right/center
| image1 = Lithuanian primer for kids, published in Vilnius, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 1783 edition.jpg
| caption1 = 1783 ], published in Vilnius
| alt1 = Title page of an old book
| image2 = Constitution of May 3 in Lithuanian language.jpg
| caption2 = Manuscript of the ] in Lithuanian<ref name="Old Lithuanian texts">{{cite web |title=Lituanistica |url=http://lietuvos.istorija.net/lituanistica/ |website=lietuvos.istorija.net |language=lt-LT |access-date=26 June 2017 |archive-date=12 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012210054/http://lietuvos.istorija.net/lituanistica/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| alt2 = An old manuscript
}}
A ] city, Vilnius' language changed over the centuries. The predominant spoken language in ] Lithuania was Lithuanian. It had no literary tradition, however, and was not used in writing except for religious texts such as the ] and the ].<ref name="kalbos">{{cite web |title=Raštas ir kalbos viduramžių Lietuvoje |url=http://viduramziu.istorija.net/socium/rastas.htm |website=viduramziu.istorija.net |language=lt |access-date=22 September 2019 |archive-date=27 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190927123608/http://viduramziu.istorija.net/socium/rastas.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Dubonis2002" /> ] the Great spoke in Lithuanian with ], whose son ] also spoke Lithuanian.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ar perrašinėjamos istorijos pasakų įkvėpta Baltarusija gali kėsintis į Rytų Lietuvą? |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/istorija/ar-perrasinejamos-istorijos-pasaku-ikvepta-baltarusija-gali-kesintis-i-rytu-lietuva-582-456877 |last=Pancerovas |first=Dovydas |website=] |access-date=1 October 2014 |language=lt}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Statkuvienė |first=Regina |title=Jogailaičiai. Kodėl ne Gediminaičiai? |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/istorija/jogailaiciai-kodel-ne-gediminaiciai-582-1056552 |website=15min.lt |access-date=9 November 2018 |language=lt}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kurie Lietuvos valdovai mokėjo protėvių kalbą, kurie – ne? / Laida "Lietuva – mūsų lūpose" |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_I9qGa1J44 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/o_I9qGa1J44 |archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live |website=YouTube | date=22 February 2021 |publisher=Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania |access-date=12 February 2023 |language=lt}}{{cbignore}}</ref> ], the patron saint of Lithuania, knew Lithuanian, Polish, German and Latin.<ref name="VilniusCathedral">{{cite web |title=Šventojo Kazimiero gyvenimo istorija |url=https://www.katedra.lt/sv-kazimieras/istorija/ |website=] |access-date=3 March 2023 |language=lt |quote=Autorius akcentuoja, kad Kazimieras mokėjęs lietuvių, lenkų, vokiečių ir lotynų kalbas, turėjęs nemažai dorybių: buvo teisingas, susivaldantis, tvirtos dvasios, išmintingas.}}</ref> Fifteenth-century ] historian ] reported that the Lithuanians had a distinct language.<ref>{{cite web |last=Baronas |first=Darius |title=LDK istorija: Lietuviai bizantiečių akimis |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/istorija/ldkistorija-lietuviai-bizantieciu-akimis-582-298281 |website=] |access-date=20 January 2020 |language=lt}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=December 2022}}


] was used after the incorporation of ], forming the basis of 19th-century Ukrainian and ]. Written Ruthenian stemmed from the interaction of ] with Ruthenian dialects, becoming the main language of the ] of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 14th and 15th centuries and maintained its dominance until the mid-17th century.<ref name="kalbos" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Zinkevičius |first=Zigmas |title=Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės kanceliarinės slavų kalbos termino nusakymo problema |url=http://viduramziu.istorija.net/socium/zinkevicius1995.htm |website=viduramziu.istorija.net |language=lt |access-date=22 September 2019 |archive-date=10 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710180554/http://viduramziu.istorija.net/socium/zinkevicius1995.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref>
According to the 2001 ] by the Vilnius Regional Statistical Office, there were 542,287 inhabitants in the ], of which 57.8% were ], 18.7% ], 14% ], 4.0% ], 1.3% ] and 0.5% ]; the remainder indicated other nationalities or refused to answer.


Latin and ] 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.<ref name="kalbos" />
===Evolution===

Demographic evolution of Vilnius between 1796 and 2009:
At the Vilnius court of ], the last Grand Duke of Lithuania before the ], Polish and Lithuanian were spoken.<ref>{{cite book |last=Stone |first=Daniel |title=The Polish-Lithuanian State, 1386-1795 |date=2001 |publisher=University of Washington Press |isbn=978-0-295-98093-5 |pages=52 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LFgB_l4SdHAC&q=Lithuanian&pg=PA52 |access-date=12 February 2023}}</ref> In 1552, Sigismund ordered that orders from the Magistrate of Vilnius be announced in Lithuanian, Polish, and Ruthenian.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Menelis |first1=E. |last2=Samavičius |first2=R. |title=Vilniaus miesto istorijos chronologija |url=http://www.vilnijosvartai.lt/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Vilniaus-miesto-istorijos-chronologija.pdf |website=vilnijosvartai.lt |access-date=28 March 2021 |language=lt}}</ref> Minorities such as ], ], and ] were ruled by the Grand Duke of Lithuania, and their languages were only used among themselves.<ref>{{cite web |title=Žydų padėtis LDK |url=http://www.zydai.lt/lt/content/viewitem/243/ |website=zydai.lt |language=lt |access-date=22 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190922104112/http://www.zydai.lt/lt/content/viewitem/243/ |archive-date=22 September 2019}}</ref> According to Article 14 of the Lithuanian constitution, Lithuanian is the ]; however, ] assistance is sometimes provided.<ref>{{cite web |title=Valstybinės kalbos teisinė informacija |url=https://vilnius.lt/lt/savivaldybe/saugus-miestas/valstybine-kalba/teisine-informacija/ |website=vilnius.lt |language=lt |access-date=22 September 2019}}</ref>
{{Demography

|1796=17 500
===Fashion===
|1811=56 300
{{multiple image
|1818=33 600
| align = right
|1859=58 200
| direction = horizontal
|1875=82 700
| header =
|1897=154 500
| header_align = left/right/center
|1909=205 200
| header_background =
|1916=140 800
| footer = ] ''(left)'', wearing a żupan and kontush belt; Emerencjanna Pociej, wife of ], in Western European clothing
|1919=128 500
| footer_align = left/right/center
|1923=167 400
| footer_background =
|1931=195 100
| width =
|1939=209 400
| image1 = Janusz Radziwiłł by Daniel Schultz.PNG
|1941=270 000
| width1 = 130
| alt1 = Painting of a man, standing
| image2 = Emerencyjana Paciej (Warszycka). Эмэрэнцыяна Пацей (Варшыцкая) (Á. Mányoki, 1718).jpg
| width2 = 180
| alt2 = Painting of a smiling woman in masculine clothing
}} }}
According to historian ], wives of merchants and craftsmen wore rings decorated with gemstones. Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century property inventories list long, wide-sleeved jackets (known as ]), ]s decorated with fur, and ].<ref name="clothing">{{cite web |title=Vilniečiai mėgo meną, puoštis ir išgerti |url=http://www.bernardinai.lt/straipsnis/2009-12-07-vilnieciai-mego-mena-puostis-ir-isgerti/36557 |access-date=27 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127173941/http://www.bernardinai.lt/straipsnis/2009-12-07-vilnieciai-mego-mena-puostis-ir-isgerti/36557 |website=] |archive-date=27 January 2020 |language=lt}}</ref> ]s, made of ], ], ] and ]s, were decorated with diamonds and enamel.<ref name="clothing" /> ] and ]s were popular with townspeople and nobles.<ref name="ragauskas">{{cite web |last=Ragauskas |first=Aivas |title=LDK istorija: Miestiečių apranga |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/istorija/ldk-istorija-miestieciu-apranga-582-330152 |website=] |access-date=27 January 2020 |language=lt}}</ref>


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 and ]es.<ref name="clothing" /> Broader restrictions were imposed by the ], which adopted the 1613 Act of Thrift forbidding non-noble townspeople from wearing expensive furs in public.<ref name="clothing" /> Payment of a fee later removed the limitations.<ref name="clothing" />
{{Demography

|1944=110 000
During the late 18th century, almost all men shaved; their hair was short, and they wore open-front blue, green or black ]s and ]s with white or light-yellow trousers;<ref name="ragauskas" /> women's clothing echoed West European styles. In the early 20th century, clothing followed West European fashion trends. The ] introduced clothing-design studies, and the Vilnius Model House (popularizing apparel and footwear) was established in 1961.<ref>{{cite web |title=Drabužiai |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/drabuziai-50233 |website=vle.lt |access-date=27 January 2020}}</ref>
|1959=236 100

|1970=372 100
The annual Vilnius spring ''Mados infekcija'' (Fashion Infection), Lithuania's largest ], began in 1999.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fashion Infection |url=https://www.madosinfekcija.lt/en/fashion-infection/ |website=madosinfekcija.lt |access-date=27 January 2020}}</ref> Lithuanian clothing designer ] usually presents his shows in the city.<ref>{{cite web |title=J.Statkevičius Vilniuje pristatė savo 2020 m. šiltojo sezono kolekciją: kuo nustebino dizaineris? |url=https://www.15min.lt/gyvenimas/naujiena/mada/vilniuje-prasidejo-j-statkeviciaus-2020-m-siltojo-sezono-kolekcijos-pristatymas-kuo-nustebins-dizaineris-1032-1234906 |website=] |access-date=27 January 2020 |language=lt}}</ref>
|1979=481 000

|1985=544 400
===Holidays and festivals===
|1989=576 700
]
|2001=542 300
Catholic holidays such as ], ], and ]) are widely celebrated.<ref>{{cite web |title=Valstybinės šventės |url=http://www.vilnius-tourism.lt/verslui/miesto-renginiai/valstybines-sventes/ |website=vilnius-tourism.lt |access-date=14 October 2019 |language=lt-LT |date=1 September 2011}}</ref> On 16 February (anniversary of the Act of Independence of Lithuania) and 11 March (anniversary of the ]), festive and religious events take place in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vasario 16-osios renginių programa |url=https://madeinvilnius.lt/pramogos/renginiai/vilnius-kviecia-vasario-16-aja-svesti-kartu-renginiu-programa/ |website=madeinvilnius.lt |language=lt-LT |date=28 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ką veikti kovo 11-ąją Vilniuje? |url=https://madeinvilnius.lt/pramogos/renginiai/ka-veikti-kovo-11-aja-vilniuje-renginiu-kalendorius/ |website=madeinvilnius.lt |access-date=14 October 2019 |language=lt-LT |date=11 March 2018}}</ref> On the evening of 12 January, bonfires are lit to commemorate the January Events.<ref>{{cite web |last=Jačauskas |first=Ignas |title=Vilniuje pagerbiant žuvusius Sausio 13-ąją uždegti atminimo laužai |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/vilniuje-pagerbiant-zuvusius-sausio-13-aja-uzdegti-atminimo-lauzai-56-1086966 |website=] |access-date=14 October 2019 |language=lt}}</ref>
|2003=552 800

|2004=541 180
] (Saint Casimir's Fair), held annually in the city's markets and streets on the Sunday nearest to 4 March (the feast of ]), attracts many visitors and Lithuanian and foreign craftspeople. ]s ({{langx|lt|link=no|Verbos}}) are symbolic of the fair.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kaziuko mugė |url=https://www.kaziukomuge.lt/ |website=kaziukomuge.lt |access-date=14 October 2019}}</ref> Capital Days ({{langx|lt|link=no|Sostinės dienos}}), Vilnius' largest festival of music and culture, is held from 30 August to 1 September.<ref>{{cite web |title="Sostinės dienų 2019" programa |url=https://vilnius.lt/lt/2019/08/22/sostines-dienu-2019-programa-skelbia-laukia-triju-dienu-unikalios-muzikos-kulturos-ir-pramogu-svente/ |website=vilnius.lt |access-date=14 October 2019 |language=lt-LT |date=22 August 2019}}</ref> The river Vilnia is dyed green every year for ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Švento Patriko dieną Vilnelė vėl nusidažys žaliai |url=https://madeinvilnius.lt/pramogos/renginiai/svento-patriko-diena-vilnele-vel-nusidazys-zaliai/ |website=madeinvilnius.lt |access-date=14 October 2019 |language=lt-LT |date=13 March 2019}}</ref> During the annual ], artists and cultural organisations hold events and performances throughout the city.<ref name="Kulturos Naktos">{{cite web |title=Kulturos Naktos About us |url=https://kulturosnaktis.lt/en/about-us/ |website=Kulturos Naktos |access-date=19 October 2021 |archive-date=27 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027175734/https://kulturosnaktis.lt/en/about-us/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|2006=541 824

|2007=542 782
==Administration==
|2008=544 206

|2009=546 733
===<span class="anchor" id="City government"></span>Government===
{{See also|Voivode of Vilnius|Mayor of Vilnius}}
] was ] from 1584 to 1603. After his victories against ] during the ], he was nicknamed "the Thunderbolt".]]
Before ] were granted to Vilnius in 1378, the city was ruled by ]s. Government was later granted to a magistrate or a city council, subordinate to the ruler. In wartime, it was led by a ].<ref name="government">{{cite web |author1=Antanas Rimvydas Čaplinskas|author1-link=Antanas Rimvydas Čaplinskas |title=Vilniaus istorija: kas vadovavo miestui? |url=http://klaipeda.diena.lt/naujienos/laisvalaikis-ir-kultura/zvaigzdes-ir-pramogos/vilniaus-istorija-kas-vadovavo-miestui-601723 |website=Klaipeda.diena.lt |date=21 March 2010 |access-date=21 March 2010}}</ref> The government headquarters was at Vilnius Town Hall.<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://www.vilniausrotuse.lt/en/history |website=Vilniausrotuse.lt |access-date=31 October 2019}}</ref>

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 a ] in transactions and testaments, a ] 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 by ], 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.<ref name="government" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Magistratas |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/magistratas-10763 |website=] |access-date=5 November 2019 |language=lt}}</ref>

] ], designed by ] in 1799]]
The chief city administrator was a Catholic ''vaitas'' (a vicegerent of the Grand Duke of Lithuania),<ref>{{cite web |title=Vaitas |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/vaitas-98877 |website=Vle.lt |access-date=5 November 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> most of whom were beginning their careers in the magistracy, and chaired city-council meetings. He adjudicated ]s, with the right to impose capital punishment. Originally examining cases alone, two ''suolininkai'' also began examining important cases in the 16th century. At that time, the city council consisted of 12 ]s and 24 councilors; half were Catholics, the other half ]). 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.<ref name="government" />

] in ], which houses the city's municipal council and administration]]
Under the Russian Empire, the city council was replaced with a ].<ref name="LRistorija">{{cite web |title=Vilniaus miesto savivaldybės istorija |url=https://www.lrvalstybe.lt/savivaldybes/vilniaus-miesto-savivaldybe |website=LRvalstybe.lt |access-date=2 November 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> Vilnius was the capital of the ] from 1797 to 1801, the ] from 1794 to 1912, and the ] from 1795 to 1915.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuvos gubernija |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lietuvos-gubernija/ |website=Vle.lt |access-date=2 October 2021 |language=lt}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus generalgubernatorija |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/vilniaus-generalgubernatorija/ |website=Vle.lt |access-date=2 October 2021 |language=lt}}</ref> After the ], Vilnius was the capital of the ].<ref name="LRistorija"/>

====Vilnius City Municipality====
The Vilnius City Municipality is the representative self-government organ, one of 60 ]. In addition to Vilnius proper, it includes the town of ], as well as the villages and rural areas of the {{ill|Grigiškės eldership|lt|Grigiškių seniūnija}}.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

The {{ill|Vinius City Municipal Council|lt|Vilniaus miesto savivaldybės taryba}}, established in 1990,<ref name="LRistorija"/> is elected to four-year terms, and candidates are nominated by political parties and committees.<ref name="Taryba">{{cite web |title=Vilniaus miesto savivaldybės taryba |url=https://vilnius.lt/lt/struktura-ir-kontaktai/?stid=111 |website=Vilnius.lt |access-date=2 October 2021 |language=lt}}</ref> Beginning with the 2011 elections, independent candidates are permitted.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kandidatų kėlimas |url=https://www.vrk.lt/kandidatu-kelimas |website=Vrk.lt |access-date=2 October 2021 |language=lt}}</ref> Its executive organ is the {{ill|Vilnius City Municipality Administration|lt|Vilniaus miesto savivaldybės administracija}}.

Before 2015, mayors were appointed by the council.<ref name="TV3merai">{{cite web |title=Nuo šiol merai Lietuvoje bus renkami tiesiogiai |url=https://www.tv3.lt/naujiena/lietuva/nuo-siol-merai-lietuvoje-bus-renkami-tiesiogiai-n796274 |website=TV3.lt |access-date=2 October 2021 |language=lt}}</ref> Beginning that year, mayors were elected in a ].<ref name="TV3merai"/> Remigijus Šimašius was the city's first directly elected mayor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pocytė |first=Kristina |title=Lithuania makes its choice: odd unions raise some, side-line others |quote=R. Šimašius to remain as mayor in Vilnius for another term |url=https://en.delfi.lt/archive/lithuania-makes-its-choice-odd-unions-raise-some-side-line-others.d?id=80648545 |work=Delfi: The Lithuania Tribune |location=Lithuania |access-date=16 April 2019 |date=18 March 2019}}</ref>

===Subdivisions===
Elderships, a statewide administrative division, are municipal districts. The 21 elderships are based on neighbourhoods:
]
# ] – includes Baltupiai, ], Santariškės, Balsiai, and Visoriai
# ] – includes Valakampiai, Turniškės, and Dvarčionys
# ] – includes Tarandė
# ] – includes Bajorai
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ] – includes {{ill|Šiaurės miestelis|lt|Šiaurės miestelis}} and {{ill|Tuskulėnai|lt}}
# ]
# ]
# ] – a town
# ]
# ] – includes ]
# ] – includes bus and train stations
# ] – includes ]
# ] – includes Pavilnys and Pūčkoriai
# ] – includes Trakų Vokė and Gariūnai
# ] – includes Kirtimai, Salininkai, and ]
# ] – includes Belmontas and Markučiai<ref name="Seniunijos">{{cite web |title=Vilniaus seniūnijos |url=https://vilnius.lt/lt/savivaldybe/seniunijos-ir-bendruomenes/ |website=vilnius.lt |access-date=7 July 2019 |language=lt-LT}}</ref>

{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;"
|-
! Eldership !! Area (km<sup>2</sup>) !! Population<ref></ref> !! Density (per km<sup>2</sup>)
|-
| ]
| 77.2
| 39,257
| 510
|-
| ]
| 4.1
| 37,006
| 9,000
|-
| ]
| 7.1
| 10,335
| 1,500
|-
| ]
| 3.0
| 25,956
| 8,700
|-
| ]
| 4.0
| 24,751
| 6,200
|-
| ]
| 9.9
| 30,945
| 3,100
|-
| ]
| 4.9
| 28,157
| 5,700
|-
| ]
| 41.1
| 30,030
| 730
|-
| ]
| 39.3
| 36,800
| 940
|-
| ]
| 84.8
| 11,149
| 130
|-
| ]
| 7.9
| 40,384
| 5,100
|-
| ]
| 13.9
| 28,234
| 2,000
|-
| ]
| 16.3
| 10,230
| 630
|-
| ]
| 4.5
| 21,782
| 4,800
|-
| ]
| 4.4
| 28,137
| 6,400
|-
| ]
| 3.1
| 16,474
| 5,300
|-
| ]
| 55.7
| 50,754
| 910
|-
| ]
| 10.8
| 19,325
| 1,800
|-
| ]
| 2.5
| 13,877
| 5,600
|-
| ]
| 5.7
| 43,453
| 8,600
|-
| ]
| 2.6
| 12,089
| 4,700
|}

===Vilnius District Municipality===
{{further|Vilnius District Municipality}}
], built in the first half of the 14th century. It is the largest enclosure-type defensive ] and a primary landmark in the district.<ref>{{cite web |title=Medininkai Castle |url=https://exploretrakaivilnius.lt/en/manors-and-parks/medininkai-castle |website=exploretrakaivilnius.lt |access-date=14 August 2019}}</ref>]]
]
Vilnius District Municipality ({{langx|lt|links=no|Vilniaus rajono savivaldybė}}), one of the country's largest municipalities, covers {{convert|2129|km2|sqmi}} and has ]. There are over 1,000 villages and five towns (], ], ], ] and ]) in the district. It borders ] and the ], ], ], ], ] and ]s.<ref name="district">{{cite web |title=Vilnius District Municipality – About Us |url=https://www.vrsa.lt/go.php/eng/About-us/1619/3/5271 |website=vrsa.lt |access-date=14 August 2019}}</ref>

The district has a multinational population, of which 52 percent are ], 33 percent ], and the remainder ], ] and other nationalities (including ]). It has a population of over 100,000; 95 percent live in villages, and five percent live in towns.<ref name="district" /> Vilnius district has Lithuania's highest terrain, with the ], ] and ]s over {{convert|290|m}} above ].<ref name="district" />

] is celebrated in the district, and Vilnian Easter palms (''verbos'') are made from dried flowers and herbs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus verbos – spalvingiausios |url=https://www.diena.lt/naujienos/miesto-pulsas/vilniaus-verbos-spalvingiausios-278853 |website=diena.lt |date=13 April 2011 |access-date=29 August 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> Palm-making dates to the time of St. Casimir.<ref name="district" />

], the ] mill and Bareikiškės Manor are the district's best-known historic landmarks.<ref name="district" /> From 1769 to 1795, ] surrounded the independent ]. The ], known for its ] values, had its own president, ] parliament, army and laws.<ref>{{cite web |title=Paulavos respublika |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Paulavos-respublika-2885 |website=vle.lt |access-date=29 January 2020}}</ref>

With its large Polish population, the Vilnius District Municipality Council primarily consists of members of the ] party.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus rajono savivaldybės taryba (rezultatai 2023 m.) |url=https://rezultatai.vrk.lt/?srcUrl=/rinkimai/1304/1/1922/rezultatai/lt/rezultataiSavTarNariaiMeraiSavivaldybeje_rpgId-21950.html |website=Vrk.lt |access-date=29 April 2023 |archive-date=29 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429131128/https://rezultatai.vrk.lt/?srcUrl=/rinkimai/1304/1/1922/rezultatai/lt/rezultataiSavTarNariaiMeraiSavivaldybeje_rpgId-21950.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Its mayor is ] of the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus rajono mero ir tarybos priesaika: laimino ir kunigas, ir Č.Juršėnas, R.Duchnevičius tiki derybomis |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/po-istorines-pergales-vilniaus-rajono-mero-ir-tarybos-priesaika-kol-kas-nera-nei-pozicijos-nei-opozicijos-56-2041362 |website=15min.lt |language=lt}}</ref>

===National government===
] in Vilnius, where the ] convenes]]
]]]
Vilnius is the seat of Lithuania's ]. The country's two chief officers have their offices in Vilnius. The ] resides at the ] in ],<ref>{{cite web |title=Presidential Palace |url=https://www.lrp.lt/en/institution/presidential-palace/20817 |website=lrp.lt |access-date=3 July 2019}}</ref> and the ]'s seat is at the Government of Lithuania office in Gediminas Avenue.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kaip mus rasti? |url=https://lrvk.lrv.lt/lt/struktura-ir-kontaktai/kaip-mus-rasti |website=lrvk.lrv.lt |access-date=3 July 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> According to law, the president has a residence in Vilnius' Turniškės district near the Neris.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidentas – Rezidencija |url=http://archyvas.lrp.lt/seima/namai |website=archyvas.lrp.lt |access-date=3 July 2019 |archive-date=26 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726195751/http://archyvas.lrp.lt/seima/namai |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=I-56 Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidento įstatymas |url=https://e-seimas.lrs.lt/portal/legalAct/lt/TAD/TAIS.5913/asr |website=e-seimas.lrs.lt |access-date=3 July 2019}}</ref> The prime minister is also has entitled to a residence in Turniškės district during their term in office.<ref>{{cite web |title=Skvernelis su šeima persikraustė į rezidenciją Turniškėse |url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/skvernelis-su-seima-persikrauste-i-rezidencija-turniskese.d?id=81598621 |website=] |access-date=1 July 2019}}</ref> Government ministries are located throughout the city, many in the Old Town.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ministries of Lithuania |url=http://lrv.lt/en/about-government/ministries-1 |website=lrv.lt |access-date=3 July 2019 |language=lt |archive-date=27 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127060831/http://lrv.lt/en/about-government/ministries-1 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The ] of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania primarily gathered in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seimas of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania before 1569 |url=https://www.lrs.lt/sip/portal.show?p_r=16304&p_k=2 |website=lrs.lt |access-date=30 October 2019}}</ref> The present-day Seimas meets at the ] in Gediminas Avenue.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania |url=https://www.lrs.lt/sip/portal.show?p_k=2 |website=lrs.lt |access-date=3 July 2019}}</ref>

Lithuania's highest courts are in Vilnius. The ] ({{langx|lt|link=no|Lietuvos Aukščiausiasis Teismas}}), which reviews criminal and civil cases, is in Gynėjų Street.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Court |url=https://www.lat.lt/en/general-information/about-the-court/95 |website=lat.lt |access-date=3 July 2019}}</ref> The ] ({{langx|lt|link=no|Lietuvos vyriausiasis administracinis teismas}}), which adjudicates litigation against public bodies, is in Žygimantų Street.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Court |url=https://www.lvat.lt/en/court-system/the-court/262 |website=lvat.lt |access-date=23 July 2023 |archive-date=3 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603184728/https://www.lvat.lt/en/court-system/the-court/262 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The ] ({{langx|lt|link=no|Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucinis Teismas}}), an advisory body with authority over the constitutionality of laws, meets in the Constitutional Court Palace in Gediminas Avenue.<ref>{{cite web |title=Constitutional Court of The Republic of Lithuania |url=https://www.lrkt.lt/en/ |website=lrkt.lt |access-date=3 July 2019 |archive-date=25 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190625144845/http://www.lrkt.lt/en/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> The ], the highest ] for the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and established by ] in 1581, was in Vilnius until the ] in 1795.<ref>{{cite web |title=Istorija |url=https://www.lat.lt/veikla/apie-teisma/istorija/26 |website=lat.lt |access-date=11 July 2019 |language=lt}}</ref>

===Special services===
{{multiple image
| caption_align = center
| align = right
| direction = horizontal
| total_width = 300
| header_align = left/right/center
| footer_align = left/right/center
| image1 = Segway cop.jpg
| caption1 = A police officer patrolling with a ]
| alt1 = A police officer on a motorized scooter
| image2 = Emergency Response Center (Vilnius).jpg
| caption2 = The Emergency Response Center in ], which handles emergency calls in Vilnius
| alt2 = Exterior of a large, gray, modern building
}} }}


Security in Vilnius is primarily the responsibility of the ''Vilniaus 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Veiklos sritys |url=http://vilnius.policija.lrv.lt/lt/veiklos-sritys |website=vilnius.policija.lrv.lt |access-date=2 July 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> In 2016, the city had 1,500 police officers.<ref>{{cite web |title=L. Pernavas: Vilniuje dirba 1 tūkst. 500 policininkų |url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/l-pernavas-vilniuje-dirba-1-tukst-500-policininku-is-ju-tik-4060-gatvese.d?id=72426232 |website=] |access-date=28 September 2016}}</ref> The ] is responsible for the prompt restoration of public order in special situations and ensuring the protection of important state objects and escorted subjects.<ref>{{cite web |title=Veiklos sritys |url=http://vstarnyba.lrv.lt/lt/apie-tarnyba/veiklos-sritys-1 |website=vstarnyba.lrv.lt |access-date=2 July 2019 |language=lt}}</ref>
==Culture==


''Vilniaus apskrities priešgaisrinė gelbėjimo valdyba'' is the primary governing body of Vilnius's ]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus apskrities priešgaisrinė gelbėjimo valdyba |url=http://vilnius.ugniagesiai.lrv.lt/ |website=vilnius.ugniagesiai.lrv.lt |access-date=2 July 2019}}</ref> There were 1,287 fire incidents in the first nine months of 2018, killing six people and injuring 16.<ref>{{cite web |title=2018 metų devynių mėnesių gaisrų ir gelbėjimo darbų statistika Vilniaus mieste |url=http://vilnius.ugniagesiai.lrv.lt/uploads/vilnius.ugniagesiai/documents/files/2018m_9_Vilniaus_m.pdf |website=vilnius.ugniagesiai.lrv.lt |access-date=2 July 2019 |archive-date=2 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702121550/http://vilnius.ugniagesiai.lrv.lt/uploads/vilnius.ugniagesiai/documents/files/2018m_9_Vilniaus_m.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Vilnius is a ] city with diverse ]. There are 65 ] in Vilnius. ] is venerated in a chapel at the medieval gate at the top of this street.]]
Like most ] towns, Vilnius was developed around its ]. The main artery, ], links the Royal Palace with Town Hall. Other streets meander through the palaces of ] lords and landlords, churches, shops and craftsmen's workrooms. Narrow, curved streets and intimate ]s developed in the radial layout of medieval Vilnius.
], the historical centre of Vilnius, is one of the largest in Europe (3.6&nbsp;km²). The most valuable historic and cultural sites are concentrated here. The buildings in the old town — there are nearly 1,500 — were built over several centuries, creating a blend of many different architectural styles. Although Vilnius is known as a ] city, there are examples of ] (e.g. ]), ], and other styles. Their combination is also a gateway to the historic centre of the capital. Owing to its uniqueness, the Old Town of Vilnius was inscribed on the ] ] in 1994. In 1995, the world's first ] ] of ] was installed in the ] district with the permission of the government.


''Vilniaus greitosios medicinos pagalbos stotis'' is responsible for ] in the city, and the EMS telephone number is 033.<ref>{{cite web |title=Viešoji įstaiga Greitosios medicinos pagalbos stotis |url=https://www.vgmps.lt/ |website=vgmps.lt |access-date=2 July 2019 |archive-date=2 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702121554/https://www.vgmps.lt/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Established in 1902, it is one of eastern Europe's oldest EMS institutions.<ref name="vgmps">{{cite web |title=Apie mus |url=https://www.vgmps.lt/apie-mus |website=vgmps.lt (VGMPS) |access-date=2 July 2019 |archive-date=2 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702121631/https://www.vgmps.lt/apie-mus |url-status=dead }}</ref> Many doctors and other personnel received medals for their assistance to victims of the 1991 January Events.<ref name="vgmps"/> The common number for contacting emergency services in Vilnius and other parts of Lithuania is 112.<ref>{{cite web |title=112 – Skubi Pagalba |url=http://www.112.lt/en/ |website=112.lt |access-date=2 July 2019}}</ref>
]
The ], a group of defensive, cultural, and religious buildings that includes ], ], the ], and the remains of several medieval castles, is part of the ]. Lithuania's largest art collection is housed in the ]. The ], where the 1918 ] was signed, is now a historic landmark. The ] is dedicated to the victims of the Soviet era.


==Cityscape==
The ], named for the author of the first book printed in the Lithuanian language, holds 6,912,266 physical items. ] in Baltic States is annually held in Vilnius.<ref>. Retried in 2009-02-14</ref>
{{See also|Vilnius Central Business District}}
{{scalable image|Vilnius Old Town Skyline at dusk, Lithuania - Diliff.jpg|1000px|alt=Large photo of Vilnius, seen from above|Panorama of Vilnius Old Town, seen from ] at dusk. Vilnius has one of the largest and best-preserved old towns in ], ], and ].<ref name="unesco">{{cite web |title=Vilnius Historic Centre |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/541/ |website=] |access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="TheCapital">{{cite web |title=The capital – Vilnius |url=https://www.lithuania.travel/en/place/the-capital-vilnius |website=Lithuania.travel |access-date=12 August 2019 |archive-date=12 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812134902/https://www.lithuania.travel/en/place/the-capital-vilnius |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="VWH">{{cite web |title=Vilnius Historic Centre, Lithuania |url=https://visitworldheritage.com/en/eu/vilnius-historic-centre-lithuania/5e1ea201-d0a2-4390-8e32-596a4ca5a90b |website=VisitWorldHeritage.com |access-date=28 January 2023 |archive-date=8 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208131412/https://visitworldheritage.com/en/eu/vilnius-historic-centre-lithuania/5e1ea201-d0a2-4390-8e32-596a4ca5a90b |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Lurk">{{cite web |title=Main facts about Lithuania |url=https://lurk.lt/en/apie-mus/main-facts-about-lithuania/ |website=Lithuanian University Rectors' Conference |access-date=28 January 2023 |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207171705/https://lurk.lt/en/apie-mus/main-facts-about-lithuania/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Its skyline is dominated by ] dating to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bideleux |first1=Robert |last2=Jeffries |first2=Ian |title=A history of Eastern Europe: crisis and change |date=1998 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0415161114 |page=122}}</ref><ref name="VWH"/>|tooltip=no}}


===Urbanism and architecture===
On 10 November 2007, the ] was opened by ] film-maker ]. Its premiere exhibition was entitled ''The Avant-Garde: From ] to ]''. There are plans to build the ], designed by ]. The museum would host exhibitions featuring works from ]'s ] and the ]s, along with non-commercial avant-garde cinema, a library, a museum of ], and collections of works by Jonas Mekas, ] and ].
] and the ] are examples of ].]]
] ] was built by ] to commemorate victory over the Muscovites and their expulsion from Vilnius after six years of occupation.]]
The Old Town covers about {{cvt|3.6|km2}}, and its history dates to the ]. The glacial hills were intermittently occupied, and a wooden castle was built at the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia {{circa|1000 AD}} to fortify ]. The settlement developed into a town in the 13th century, when the ] ] were invaded by ] during the ]. 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 the ] to the ] (primarily present-day Belarus, Ukraine and Russia). The historic centre consists of ] (Upper, Lower and Curved) and the area previously encircled by the ]. It is mainly circular, centered on the original castle site. Streets are small and narrow, with large squares later developed.<ref name="unesco" /> ], 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.

Historic buildings feature ],<ref>{{cite web |title=Gotika |url=http://www.ivilnius.lt/apie-vilniu/architektura/gotika/ |website=iVilnius.lt |access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web |title=Renesansas |url=http://www.ivilnius.lt/apie-vilniu/architektura/renesansas/ |website=iVilnius.lt |access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref> ]<ref>{{cite web |title=Barokas |url=http://www.ivilnius.lt/apie-vilniu/architektura/barokas/ |website=iVilnius.lt |access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Klasicizmas |url=http://www.ivilnius.lt/apie-vilniu/architektura/klasicizmas/ |website=iVilnius.lt |access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref> The variety of preserved churches and former palaces of the Lithuanian nobility exemplifies Vilnius' multicultural heritage.<ref name="unesco" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus architektūra |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Vilniaus-architektura-125335 |website=vle.lt |access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref>

Lithuanians and others shaped the development of the capital, with Western and Eastern influences. Lithuania was ] in 1387, but Eastern Orthodoxy and the growing importance of ] led to construction of the ] and the ]).<ref name="unesco" />

] of Lithuania and its youth, in ]]]
Disasters resulted in building reconstructions in ] style, which later influenced the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.<ref name="unesco" /><ref name="VilniusBaroqueVWH" /> Artists such as ] and ]) from the present-day ] were preferred by the Grand Duke and local nobility, and designed the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ar žinojote, kad Vilniaus barokinės architektūros perlus sukūrė šveicarai, o ne italai? |url=https://kultura.lrytas.lt/istorija/2017/04/30/news/ar-zinojote-kad-vilniaus-barokines-architekturos-perlus-sukure-sveicarai-o-ne-italai--996644/ |website=] |access-date=28 August 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> The Lithuanian ] was a noted classical architect in the city.<ref>{{cite web |title=Laurynas Gucevičius: kaip formavosi žymiausio architekto vardas |url=http://m.ldkistorija.lt/index.php/istoriniai-faktai/laurynas-gucevicius-kaip-formavosi-zymiausio-architekto-vardas/1361 |website=ldkistorija.lt |access-date=28 August 2019 |archive-date=12 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212162459/http://m.ldkistorija.lt/index.php/istoriniai-faktai/laurynas-gucevicius-kaip-formavosi-zymiausio-architekto-vardas/1361 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The {{convert|352|ha|acre|adj=on}} Old Town was designated as a ] in 1994. The Vilnius Historic Centre is noted for maintaining its medieval street pattern with no significant gaps. Some places were damaged during Lithuania's occupations and wars, including ] (demolished in 1795) and a square east of the ] where the ] stood with ] ]'s Baroque ] (both demolished by the ]. The Great Synagogue and part of the buildings in ] were demolished after World War II.<ref name="unesco" />

Vilnius covers {{convert|401|km2|sqmi}}, of which one-fifth is developed; the remainder is greenspace and water. The city is known as one of Europe's "greenest" capital cities.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Vilnius |url=http://www.vaspvt.gov.lt/node/499 |website=vaspvt.gov.lt |access-date=12 August 2019 |archive-date=12 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812153855/http://www.vaspvt.gov.lt/node/499 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Crypts===
Notable Lithuanian Catholics are interred in the crypts of Vilnius Cathedral. Grand Duke ], Queen ], ], 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Crypts |url=http://www.bpmuziejus.lt/crypts.html |website=bpmuziejus.lt |access-date=3 October 2019 |archive-date=24 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924113344/http://www.bpmuziejus.lt/crypts.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Housing===
]
Vilnius Old Town ({{langx|lt|link=no|Vilniaus senamiestis}}), with medieval stone-paved streets, and Užupis have prestigious housing, with ]s featuring views of iconic churches and urban landmarks (particularly ]), enclosed inner courtyards, high ceilings, attics, non-standard layouts and luxurious interiors;<ref name="asa">{{cite web |title=Patraukliausi Vilniaus rajonai |url=https://lt.lt.allconstructions.com/portal/categories/134/1/0/1/article/18031/patraukliausi-vilniaus-rajonai |website=asa.lt |access-date=13 August 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> Flats in these neighbourhoods may cost millions of ]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Flats in Vilnius Senamiestis and Užupis |url=https://en.aruodas.lt/butai/vilniuje/?FQuartal=16%2C19&FOrder=PriceExp |website=aruodas.lt |access-date=13 August 2019}}</ref> Traffic jams, expensive parking, air pollution, high maintenance costs and limitations on renovation, however, also encourage wealthy Vilnians to buy or build ]s in outlying parts of the city such as ], ], ], ] and ] or the nearby ].<ref name="asa" /> Around 21,000 residents live in the Old Town, and 7,000 in Užupis.<ref name="Mikrorajonai">{{cite web |title=Mikrorajonai |url=http://www.ivilnius.lt/apie-vilniu/mikrorajonai/ |website=iVilnius.lt |access-date=13 August 2019}}</ref>

] on the Neris, seen from ]]]
] with ] and apartments]]
] and ] are prestigious neighborhoods, with private houses on large lots surrounded by ] 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.<ref name="asa" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Houses in Vilnius Valakampiai and Turniškės |url=https://en.aruodas.lt/namai/vilniuje/?FQuartal=135%2C66092&FOrder=PriceExp |website=aruodas.lt |access-date=13 August 2019}}</ref> Part of the ] neighbourhood has luxurious private houses near Vingis Park, but it also has Soviet-era apartment buildings and wooden houses in poor condition.<ref name="Mikrorajonai" /><ref name="asa" />

Neighbourhoods around the Old Town (Antakalnis, Žirmūnai, Naujamiestis, and Žvėrynas) have a variety of flats and green space, and are popular with ] residents. Wealthier people live in a new construction or renovated Soviet-era apartments.<ref name="asa" /> The government is supportive of renovation, and reimburses 30 percent or more of the cost.<ref>{{cite web |title=Keičiasi renovacijos rėmimo tvarka |url=http://www.renovacija.lt/naujiena/keiciasi-renovacijos-remimo-tvarka-skaitykite-daugiau-https-www-15min-lt-verslas-naujiena-kvadratinis-metras-nekilnojamasis-turtas-keiciasi-renovacijos-remimo-tvarka-973-805040/ |website=renovacija.lt |access-date=13 August 2019}}</ref> Poorer residents and low-income ]s, however, foster ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Šilti namai ne visur: kodėl kai kurios savivaldybės neskuba atnaujinti daugiabučių? |url=https://www.alfa.lt/straipsnis/50223770/silti-namai-ne-visur-kodel-kai-kurios-savivaldybes-neskuba-atnaujinti-daugiabuciu |website=alfa.lt |access-date=13 August 2019 |language=lt}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Didmiesčiai liko be naujų renovacijos planų |url=https://www.verslozinios.lt/verslo-aplinka/2016/09/21/8051/didmiesciai-liko-be-nauju-renovacijos-planu |website=vz.lt |access-date=7 October 2019 |language=lt |archive-date=7 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007021331/https://www.verslozinios.lt/verslo-aplinka/2016/09/21/8051/didmiesciai-liko-be-nauju-renovacijos-planu |url-status=dead }}</ref>

More-distant neighbourhoods, such as Lazdynai, Karoliniškės, Viršuliškės, ], Justiniškės, Pašilaičiai, Fabijoniškės and ], have more-affordable housing. Their disadvantages are a longer commute, unrenovated Soviet-era ]s, traffic congestion and a shortage of parking spaces near older apartments.<ref name="asa" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Prestižiniai Vilniaus rajonai: ar išlaikys miestiečių išbandymą? |url=https://www.15min.lt/verslas/naujiena/kvadratinis-metras/nekilnojamasis-turtas/prestiziniai-rajonai-973-689455 |website=] |access-date=13 August 2019 |language=lt}}</ref>

]
The ] eldership has received significant investment during the 2010s. The area was first mentioned in 1536, when Grand Duke Sigismund I the Old ordered ] to build a wooden bridge over the Neris and a suburb developed around the bridge. That century, a building for ] and ] messengers was built by the magistrate of Vilnius north of Šnipiškės.<ref>{{cite web |title=Šnipiškės. Nuo skurdaus priemiesčio iki patogaus centro |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/vilniaus-zinios/snipiskes-nuo-skurdaus-priemiescio-iki-patogaus-centro-793-1106084 |website=15min.lt |access-date=31 August 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> The Jesuit ] 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 {{convert|8|ha|acre|adj=on}} Skansenas neighbourhood, west of the Kalvarijų market,<ref>{{cite web |title=Šnipiškių dalis, vad. Skansenu |url=https://kvr.kpd.lt/#/static-heritage-detail/18cd9725-4d70-4f44-864c-4abc2da273b3 |website=kvr.kpd.lt |access-date=5 March 2021 |language=lt |archive-date=19 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119142319/http://kvr.kpd.lt/#/static-heritage-detail/18cd9725-4d70-4f44-864c-4abc2da273b3 |url-status=dead}}</ref> has late-19th-century wooden houses. Nearby Piromontas<ref>{{cite web |title=Šnipiškių dalis, vad. Piromontu |url=https://kvr.kpd.lt/#/static-heritage-detail/bfaab7b3-9448-4afc-802a-f6bfef1fad71 |website=kvr.kpd.lt |access-date=5 March 2021 |language=lt |archive-date=19 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119142319/http://kvr.kpd.lt/#/static-heritage-detail/bfaab7b3-9448-4afc-802a-f6bfef1fad71 |url-status=dead}}</ref> was built at the same time.

During the 1960s, Šnipiškės was renamed the ]. 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.<ref>"Statyba ir architektūra", 1964, 2, pp. 1–2</ref><ref>articles in "Statyba ir architektūra", 1964, 11</ref><ref>"Statyba ir architektūra", 1973, 8, pp. 1–3</ref><ref>"Lietuvos TSR istorijos ir kultūros paminklų sąvadas. 1 dalis Vilniaus paminklai", 1988, 383. Naujasis miesto centras; pp. 506–509</ref><ref>Marija Drėmaitė, "Baltic modernism Architecture and housing in soviet Lithuania", pp. 220–224,</ref> Šnipiškės north of ] was underdeveloped until the early 2000s, when the new ] 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus naujojo miesto centro transformacijos |url=https://sa.lt/vilniaus-naujojo-miesto-centro-transformacijos/ |website=sa.lt |access-date=31 August 2019 |language=lt |date=13 September 2018}}</ref>

]
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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniuje būsto įperkamumas ir butų sandorių skaičius muša rekordus |url=https://ziniuterasa.swedbank.lt/spaudos-pranesimai/vilniuje-busto-iperkamumas-ir-butu-sandoriu-skaicius-musa-rekordus |website=swedbank.lt |access-date=13 August 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tyrimas: lietuviai tėvų namus palieka vėliausiai Baltijos šalyse |url=https://ziniuterasa.swedbank.lt/spaudos-pranesimai/tyrimas-lietuviai-tevu-namus-palieka-veliausiai-baltijos-salyse |website=swedbank.lt |access-date=13 August 2019 |language=lt |archive-date=13 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813142647/https://ziniuterasa.swedbank.lt/spaudos-pranesimai/tyrimas-lietuviai-tevu-namus-palieka-veliausiai-baltijos-salyse |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Vilnius}} {{Further|Demographic history of Vilnius|Demographic history of the Vilnius region}}

] in 2021]]

In the eldership of ], remnants of a ] settlement were found which date to {{circa|10000 BC}}. Kairėnai, Pūčkoriai and Naujoji Vilnia had large settlements during the first millennium AD.<ref name="historyvle">{{cite web |title=Vilniaus istorija |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Vilniaus-istorija-125336 |website=vle.lt |access-date=8 November 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> The most densely-populated area was the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia, which had fortified homesteads.<ref name="historyvle" />

According to some historians, Vilnius could have been a city during the ] times: King ] did not permanently live there, however, may have built Lithuania's first Catholic church for his ] there. It is well established, however, that Vilnius existed as a city during the times of ] and ]. The first mention in the historical sources as a capital in 1323 in the ] of ].

It became a multicultural city, with 14th-century sources noting that it consisted of a Great (Lithuanian) city and a ] one. By the 16th century, ] merchants, artisans, Jews and ] had also settled in Vilnius. During the 16th– and 17th-century ] and ], the city's Polish-speaking population began to grow; by the middle of the 17th century, most writing was in Polish.<ref name="historyvle"/> City was inhabited by a large number of ] and ] artisans as well and generally all the European nations were presented to an extent (those included ] professors and students among whom there were ], ], ] and even some ] as Tomaš Zdelarius, musicians at the ] or such military servants as ] ]). Because of many nations inhabiting the city, in the 16th-18th. centuries it was known and nicknamed in Western sources as ] of Europe.<ref name="S. Bodniak 1930 p. 37">Especially 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.</ref>

By the inter-war period, after the brief ] and the annexation of the so-called ] 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 with ],<ref name="diana427">{{cite web |last=Janušauskienė |first=Diana |title=Tolerancijos apraiškos Lietuvoje: vertybinės nuostatos tautinių mažumų atžvilgiu |date=1 October 2012 |page=427 |url=https://www.mruni.eu/upload/iblock/814/002_Janusauskiene.pdf |access-date=14 January 2020 |archive-date=17 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117152513/https://www.mruni.eu/upload/iblock/814/002_Janusauskiene.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Snyder 92-93">{{cite book |last=Snyder |first=Timothy |title=The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569–1999 |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-300-10586-5 |pages=92–93}}</ref> 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.<ref name="2011census">{{cite book |url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/services-portlet/pub-edition-file?id=15930 |title=Lietuvos gyventojai 2011 metais (2011 m. gyventojų surašymo rezultatai / Lithuanian 2011 Population Census in Brief) |publisher=Statistics Department of Lithuania |isbn=978-9955-797-17-3 |trans-title=Population of Lithuania in 2011 (Population Census 2011 results) |access-date=11 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://pop-stat.mashke.org/lithuania-ethnic2021.htm |title=Ethnic composition of Lithuania 2021 |website=pop-stat.mashke.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/lt/statistiniu-rodikliu-analize?hash=0424adda-7b20-47a8-ac6c-f28c29486111#/ |title=Rodiklių duomenų bazė - Oficialiosios statistikos portalas |website=osp.stat.gov.lt}}</ref>

===Evolution===
Demographic evolution of Vilnius between 1766 and 2024:
{{Historical populations
| percentages = pagr
| cols = 3
| align = center
| clear = both
| source =<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.registrucentras.lt/bylos/dokumentai/gr/20230101_Gyventoju_skaicius_savivaldybese.pdf|date=2023-01-05|title=Gyventoju skaicius pagal savivaldybes 2023|website=Registrucentras.lt}}</ref><ref name=JJVMAT>{{cite book |author1=Juozas Jurginis |author2=Vytautas Merkys |author3=Adolfas Tautavičius |title=Vilniaus miesto istorija |language=lt |trans-title=Vilnius city history |location=Vilnius |publisher=Mintis |year=1968}}</ref>{{rp|214, 303}}<ref>
{{cite book |title=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 |language=pl |trans-title=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 |quote=Mieszkancow zaś dufz liczy na 60,000. |location=Vilnius |year=1766 |page=602}}</ref><ref>
{{cite book |title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom XIII |language=pl |trans-title=Geographical dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slavic countries, Volume XIII |page=493 |year=1893 |location=Warsaw |publisher=Filipa Sulimierskiego i Władysława Walewskiego |url=http://dir.icm.edu.pl/Slownik_geograficzny/Tom_XIII/ |access-date=10 March 2018}}</ref>
¹ Sharp decline after the ]; ² Decline of population due to ] and the aftermath; ³ Sharp decline of population of Vilnius because of World War I and the aftermath during the clashes around ]. 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;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.draugas.org/news/the-great-war-in-lithuania-1914-1918/|title=The Great War in Lithuania 1914–1918}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |url=http://archyvas.istorijoszurnalas.lt/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=122&Itemid=57 |first=Vida |last=Pukienė |title=Voronežas – lietuvių švietimo židinys Rusijoje Pirmojo pasaulinio karo metais |language=lt |journal=Istorija }}{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> ⁴ Rise of population due to influx of ]<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.vcb.lt/nezinios-nezinia-antrojo-pasaulinio-karo-atbegeliai-lietuvoje/ |title=Iš nežinios į nežinią: Antrojo pasaulinio karo atbėgėliai Lietuvoje |language=lt |trans-title=From one uncertainty to another uncertainty: World War II refugees in Lithuania |location=Kaunas |publisher=National M.K. Čiurlionis Art Museum |year=2015 |isbn=978-9955-471-55-4}}</ref> and migration of Lithuanian bureaucracy, students from ] ] and other localities in Lithuania; ⁵ Sharp decline of population after atrocities of ] and ]<ref name="pop.lt">{{cite web|url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/lt/statistiniu-rodikliu-analize?hash=12281496-bf90-48e1-a846-9ee85f863265|title=Resident population by city / town at the middle of the year|language=en |website=Vilnius |publisher=Statistics Department of Lithuania|date=1 July 2023 |access-date=24 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/statistiniu-rodikliu-analize?hash=684e50e2-6cf6-426f-8d20-8b3e3856bdd2#/ | date=2024-01-22 |title=Resident population on 1 January |website=osp.stat.gov.lt}}</ref>
|1766|60,000
|1796¹|17,500
|1800|25,400
|1811|56,300
|1818²|33,600
|1822|43,900
|1830|42,000
|1834|52,400
|1836|56,100
|1839|54,700
|1846|54,200
|1852|65,400
|1860|60,000
|1870|64,200
|1875|82,700
|1885|102,900
|1897|154,500
|1909|205,200
|1911|238,600
|1916|140,800
|1919³|128,500
|1923|167,400
|1931|195,100
|1939|209,400
|1941⁴|270,000
|1944⁵|110,000
|1959|236,100
|1970|372,100
|1979|481,000
|1985|544,400
|1989|576,700
|1990|597,000
|1992|644,600
|1995|578,327
|1996|571,164
|1997|565,881
|1998|562,353
|1999|558,816
|2000|554,281
|2001|550,924
|2002|550,213
|2003|548,729
|2004|546,773
|2005|542,525
|2006|541,732
|2007|541,596
|2008|542,969
|2009|543,191
|2010|536,127
|2011|533,279
|2012|537,152
|2013|539,707
|2014|542,626
|2015|543,493
|2016|545,280
|2017|547,484
|2018|552,131
|2019|561,836
|2020|569,729
|2021|563,012
|2022|576,195
|2023|593,436
|2024|602,430
}}


==Economy== ==Economy==
{{scalable image|The White Bridge and Šnipiškės district in Vilnius in 2023 by Augustas Didžgalvis.jpg|650px|alt=Aerial view of the skyline and a bridge|A number of international companies have local or regional headquarters in the ].|tooltip=no}}
]
]) housing ], financial services and businesses headquarters]]
Vilnius is the major economic centre of Lithuania and one of the largest financial centres of the ]. Even though it is home to only 15% of Lithuania's population, it generates approximately 25% of Lithuania's GDP.<ref>{{cite web|title=Investment|publisher=City of Vilnius|url=http://www.vilnius.lt/new/en/investicijos.php|accessdate=2008-12-29}}</ref>
], the ], is a symbol of modern Vilnius.]]
Vilnius is Lithuania's economic centre, with a per-capita GDP in the metropolitan area of almost ]30,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/informaciniai-pranesimai?articleId=10447504 |title=Lietuvos statistikos departamentas |publisher=Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania |date=2020-12-15}}</ref> The city's budget reached €1.0&nbsp;billion in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=2022 m. Vilniaus miesto biudžetas |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/verslas/4/1604826/vilniaus-miesto-savivaldybes-taryba-prieme-2022-metu-biudzeta |access-date=5 March 2021 |language=lt-LT |date=22 January 2020}}</ref> In the second quarter of 2024, the average monthly salary in Vilnius was €2,501.1 (gross) and €1,526.2 (net).<ref>{{cite web |date=2 September 2024 |title=Darbo užmokestis regionuose ir savivaldybėse |url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/informaciniai-pranesimai?articleId=12596411 |access-date=2 September 2024 |language=lt-LT}}</ref>


] rating.<ref>{{cite web |title=Biurų pastatui Konstitucijos prospekte suteiktas aukščiausias Baltijos šalyse tvarumo įvertinimas |url=https://www.15min.lt/verslas/naujiena/kvadratinis-metras/nekilnojamasis-turtas/biuru-pastatui-k29-suteiktas-auksciausias-baltijos-salyse-tvarumo-ivertinimas-973-799132 |website=] |access-date=31 August 2019 |language=lt}}</ref>]]
Vilnius contributed over 10,015 billion ] to the national budget in 2008. That makes about 37% of the budget.
Lithuania's economic growth has been uneven, with ] per capita at nearly 110 percent of the EU average in Vilnius but from 42 to 77 percent in other regions. The country's ] is fuelled by two regions (Vilnius and ]) which produce 42 and 20 percent of the national GDP, respectively. From 2014 to 2016, the Vilnius region grew by 4.6 percent.<ref>{{cite book |title=Country Report Lithuania 2019 |date=27 February 2019 |publisher=European Commission |location=Brussels |page=10 |url=https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/file_import/2019-european-semester-country-report-lithuania_en.pdf |access-date=2 July 2019}}</ref>


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.<ref>{{cite book |title=Country Report Lithuania 2019 |date=27 February 2019 |publisher=European Commission |location=Brussels |page=22 |url=https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/file_import/2019-european-semester-country-report-lithuania_en.pdf |access-date=2 July 2019}}</ref> Most ] and productive public investment in Lithuania is concentrated on Vilnius and Kaunas.<ref>{{cite book |title=Country Report Lithuania 2019 |date=27 February 2019 |publisher=European Commission |location=Brussels |page=42 |url=https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/file_import/2019-european-semester-country-report-lithuania_en.pdf |access-date=2 July 2019}}</ref> Vilnius Industrial Park, 18.5 kilometres from the city, is intended for commercial and industrial use.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilnius Industrial Park |url=https://www.investmentpartner.lt/vilnius-industrial-park/ |website=investmentpartner.lt |access-date=31 August 2019}}</ref>
Prior to its disestablishment, ] (Lithuanian Airlines) had its head office in Vilnius.<ref>"." ]. 11 May 2006. Retrieved on 25 October 2009.</ref>

===Science and research===
]
Vilnius resident ] published ''Misura universale'' in 1675, in which he first suggested the term ] as a unit of length.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lucendo |first=Jorge |title=Centuries of Inventions: Encyclopedia and History of Inventions |date=23 April 2020 |publisher=Jorge Lucendo |page=246 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4l3eDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT246 |access-date=2 August 2021}}</ref> The ], established in 1753 at the initiative of ], was one of Europe's first ] and the first in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus universiteto Astronomijos observatorija |url=https://www.ff.vu.lt/tfai/struktura/vilniaus-universiteto-astronomijos-observatorija |website=ff.vu.lt |access-date=7 March 2021 |language=lt-lt |archive-date=25 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925101503/https://www.ff.vu.lt/tfai/struktura/vilniaus-universiteto-astronomijos-observatorija |url-status=dead }}</ref> ] led the reconstruction of the observatory, designed by ], from 1770 to 1772. Poczobutt began his ] in 1773, recording them in the journal ({{langx|fr|Cahiers des observations}}), and created the constellation '']''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Martynas Počobutas |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/martynas-pocobutas/ |website=vle.lt |access-date=7 March 2021 |language=lt}}</ref> ] established the ] in 1781 with over 2,000 plants, and provided the first ]s, collections of stuffed animals and birds, ], animal remains, and a collection of ] to Vilnius University.,<ref>{{cite web |title=Jean Emmanuel Gilibert |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/jean-emmanuel-gilibert/ |website=vle.lt |access-date=7 March 2021 |language=lt}}</ref> The observatory published the Russian Empire's first ] journal, the ''Journal of Mathematical Sciences'' ({{langx|ru|link=no|Вестник математических наук}}), after the Third Partition of Poland.<ref name="Klimka"/>

]
Sunrise Valley Science and Technology Park ({{langx|lt|link=no|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 and ] facilities in Sunrise Valley, and 5,000 scientists conduct research in its science centres.<ref>{{cite web |title=About us |url=https://ssmtp.lt/en/about-us/ |website=ssmtp.lt |access-date=25 September 2019}}</ref>

The Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology ({{langx|lt|link=no|Fizinių ir technologijos mokslų centras}}, FTMC) is the country's largest scientific research institution, specialising in ] technology, ], ], ], ] and ], electrochemical ], and ]. 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=About us |url=https://www.ftmc.lt/about-us-2 |website=ftmc.lt |access-date=25 September 2019}}</ref> With 250 laboratories (24 open to the public), it can accommodate over 700 researchers and students.<ref>{{cite web |title="Open House Vilnius" open architecture weekend |url=https://www.ftmc.lt/news/497/139/Open-House-Vilnius-open-architecture-weekend |website=ftmc.lt |access-date=25 September 2019}}</ref> The centre has a ] and hosts annual conferences of PhD students and young researchers.<ref>{{cite web |title=FTMC announces an annual Conference |url=https://www.ftmc.lt/news/300/139/FTMC-announces-an-annual-Conference-FizTech-2018 |website=ftmc.lt – FizTech 2018 |access-date=25 September 2019}}</ref> FTMC is the founder and sole shareholder of the Science and Technology Park of Institute of Physics in Savanorių Avenue, which assists companies with ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Research center |url=http://www.fimtp.lt/en/research-center/ |website=fimtp.lt |access-date=25 September 2019}}</ref>

Vilnius University's Laser Research Centre ({{langx|lt|link=no|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 in ], ], optical-component characterization, ] and laser ].<ref>{{cite web |title=About |url=https://www.ff.vu.lt/en/lrc/about |website=lasercenter.vu.lt}}</ref> Lithuania has over 50 percent of the world's market share in ]s lasers produced by Vilnius-based companies.<ref name="laser">{{cite web |title=Lietuviai pagamino vieną galingiausių lazerių pasaulyje |url=https://www.delfi.lt/mokslas/technologijos/lietuviai-pagamino-viena-galingiausiu-lazeriu-pasaulyje.d?id=81361994 |website=] |access-date=26 September 2019}}</ref> A laser system was produced in 2019 for the ] laboratory in ] which produces high-intensity, ultra-short pulses with a peak power up to 1,000 times that of the most powerful ] in the United States.<ref name="laser" /> ] bought a glass-cutting licence from the Vilnius-based laser company Altechna and for manufacturing ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lithuanian R&D company signs major deal with US market leader |url=https://investlithuania.com/news/lithuanian-rd-company-signs-major-deal-with-us-market-leader/ |website=investlithuania.com |access-date=5 October 2019}}</ref>

]
The Vilnius University Life Sciences Centre ({{langx|lt|link=no|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.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.gmc.vu.lt/en/about/about-us |access-date=25 September 2019 |website=gmc.vu.lt |language=lt}}</ref> It has a technology ] for small and medium businesses in the life sciences or related fields.<ref>{{cite web |title=Technologinis verslo inkubatorius |url=https://www.gmc.vu.lt/apie-gmc/technologinis-verslo-inkubatorius |website=gmc.vu.lt |access-date=25 September 2019 |language=lt |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803183048/https://www.gmc.vu.lt/apie-gmc/technologinis-verslo-inkubatorius |url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Research Centres |url=https://www.vgtu.lt/research-and-innovation/research-departments/research-centres/4326 |website=vgtu.lt |access-date=25 September 2019}}</ref>

The Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences ({{langx|lt|link=no|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.<ref>{{cite web |title=About LCSS |url=https://lcss.lt/en/apie-lsmc/ |access-date=2 October 2019 |website=lstc.lt}}</ref> Santara Valley ({{langx|lt|link=no|Santaros slėnis}}) is a science and research facility which focuses on ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=R&D areas |url=http://santarosslenis.eu/en/main/r-d-areas/ |website=santarosslenis.eu |access-date=5 October 2019}}</ref> The ] Science Centre was scheduled for completion in Santara Valley in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title="Santaros" slėnyje duris atvers VU Medicinos fakulteto mokslo centras |url=http://naujienos.vu.lt/santaros-slenyje-duris-atvers-vu-medicinos-fakulteto-mokslo-centras/ |website=naujienos.vu.lt |access-date=5 October 2019}}</ref>

Vilnius University rector ], known for ], the ], the Theorem of Kubilius and ], successfully resisted attempts to Russify Vilnius University.<ref>{{cite web |title=Iš Vilniaus universiteto istorijos, 1955–1990 |date=5 November 1995 |pages=1–2 |url=http://www.draugas.org/archive/1994_reg/1994-11-05-PRIEDAS-DRAUGAS-i5-8.pdf}}</ref> Vilnius' ] was the first to formulate the ]. In 1963, ] and his colleagues created the ] used in ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus astrofotometrinė sistema |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Vilniaus-astrofotometrine-sistema-116607 |website=vle.lt |access-date=26 October 2019}}</ref> ] laureate ] invented ]-] ]tic editing.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Giorgia |last=Guglielmi |date=31 May 2015 |journal=Nature |volume=558 |issue=7708 |pages=17–18 |title=Million-dollar Kavli prize recognizes scientist scooped on CRISPR |doi=10.1038/d41586-018-05308-5 |pmid=29872189 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Information technology===
], which houses IT companies and Europe's first international Blockchain Centre]]
Vilnius is attractive for foreign companies because of its qualified employees and good infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kaip informacinės technologijos keičia Lietuvą |url=https://www.lrytas.lt/it/ismanyk/2018/10/25/news/kaip-informacines-technologijos-keicia-lietuva-8013456/ |website=] |access-date=24 September 2019 |language=lt |date=25 October 2018}}</ref> Several schools are preparing skilled specialists, including the ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics |url=http://mif.vu.lt/lt3/en/ |website=mif.vu.lt |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Faculty of Fundamental Sciences |url=https://www.vgtu.lt/fundamental-sciences/6593?lang=2 |website=vgtu.lt |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref> ] jobs are well-paid.<ref>{{cite web |title=Didžiausi atlyginimai Lietuvoje: pirmoje vietoje – nesuvokiama suma |url=https://www.tv3.lt/naujiena/verslas/1010499/didziausi-atlyginimai-lietuvoje-pirmoje-vietoje-nesuvokiama-suma |website=tv3.lt |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref> The 2018 output of the Lituanian IT sector was {{Euro|2.296}}&nbsp;billion, much of which was created in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite book |title=Information technologies in Lithuania |publisher=] |location=Vilnius |page=8 |edition=2018 |url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/services-portlet/pub-edition-file?id=32060}}</ref>

Vilnius Tech Park in Sapieha Park, the largest IT ] hub in the Baltic and ], unites international startups, technology companies, accelerators, and incubators.<ref>{{cite web |title=About |url=https://vilniustechpark.com/about/ |website=vilniustechpark.lt |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref> '']'' ranked Vilnius number one city on its 2019 Tech Start-up FDI Attraction Index.<ref>{{cite web |last=Irwin-Hunt |first=Alex |title=Tech Start-up FDI Attraction Index 2019 |url=https://www.fdiintelligence.com/Locations/Asia-Pacific/Singapore/Tech-Start-up-FDI-Attraction-Index-2019 |website=fdiintelligence.com |access-date=21 October 2019 |archive-date=21 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021152643/https://www.fdiintelligence.com/Locations/Asia-Pacific/Singapore/Tech-Start-up-FDI-Attraction-Index-2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Vilnius had the world's fastest internet speed in 2011<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniuje internetas greičiausias pasaulyje |url=https://www.delfi.lt/mokslas/technologijos/vilniuje-internetas-greiciausias-pasaulyje-kaunas-ketvirtas.d?id=52441535 |website=] |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref> and, despite its fall in the rankings, remains one of the world's fastest.<ref>{{cite web |title=Monthly comparisons of internet speeds from around the world |url=https://www.speedtest.net/global-index |website=speedtest.net |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref> ] has one of Europe's fastest airport ] speeds.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus oro uosto internetas – vienas greičiausių Europoje |url=https://investlithuania.com/lt/naujienos/vilniaus-oro-uosto-internetas-vienas-greiciausiu-europoje/ |website=investlithuania.com |access-date=24 September 2019 |language=lt-LT}}</ref> The ] was established in Vilnius to address internet attacks on Lithuanian government organizations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Veiklą pradeda Nacionalinis kibernetinio saugumo centras |url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/veikla-pradeda-nacionalinis-kibernetinio-saugumo-centras.d?id=66799894 |website=] |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref>

], an international informatics and IT contest, has been held annually for pupils in grades three through 12 since 2004.<ref>{{cite web |title=Apie Bebrą |url=http://bebras.lt/1s/apie-bebra/ |website=bebras.lt |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref> Since 2017, ] is taught in primary schools.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuvos mokyklose – pirmoji nuo pradinių klasių programuoti mokančių vaikų karta |url=https://www.delfi.lt/mokslas/technologijos/lietuvos-mokyklose-pirmoji-nuo-pradiniu-klasiu-programuoti-mokanciu-vaiku-karta.d?id=76287367 |website=] |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref>

Vilnius is a popular ] hub due to Lithuania's flexible ] licence regulations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lithuania sees flood of fintech firms apply for licences ahead of Brexit |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-lithuania-fintech/lithuania-sees-flood-of-fintech-firms-apply-for-licences-ahead-of-brexit-idUSKCN1PX15X |website=] |access-date=5 October 2019 |date=8 February 2019}}</ref> The Bank of Lithuania granted an e-money licence in 2018 to Vilnius-based Google Payment Lithuania.<ref>{{cite web |title=Google grupės įmonei Lietuvoje suteikta elektroninių pinigų įstaigos licencija |url=https://www.lb.lt/lt/naujienos/google-grupes-imonei-lietuvoje-suteikta-elektroniniu-pinigu-istaigos-licencija |website=lb.lt |access-date=22 October 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> The startup ] also has an e-money licence and headquarters in Vilnius, and began moving its clients to the Lithuanian company Revolut Payments in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title="Revolut" nesikrausto – klientus perkelia į lietuvišką įmonę |url=https://www.15min.lt/verslas/naujiena/bendroves/revolut-nesikrausto-klientus-perkelia-i-lietuviska-imone-663-1220510 |website=] |access-date=22 October 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> On 23 January 2019, Europe's first international blockchain centre opened in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web |last=Zalanskaite |first=Agne |title=Europe's First International Blockchain Centre Launches in Vilnius |url=https://bcgateway.eu/europes-first-international-blockchain-centre-launches-vilnius/ |website=bcgateway.eu |access-date=5 October 2019 |date=8 February 2018 |archive-date=5 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005155354/https://bcgateway.eu/europes-first-international-blockchain-centre-launches-vilnius/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Finance and banking===
] headquarters in ]]]
Vilnius is Lithuania's financial centre. The ] in Vilnius is responsible for an effective public financial policy to ensure the country's economic growth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Competence Areas |url=http://finmin.lrv.lt/en/competence-areas |website=finmin.lrv.lt |access-date=31 August 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> The ] fosters a reliable financial system and ensures sustainable economic growth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mission, vision, values |url=https://www.lb.lt/en/mission-vision-values |website=lb.lt |access-date=31 August 2019}}</ref> The ] stock exchange is in The K29 business centre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nasdaq Vilnius |url=https://nasdaqbaltic.com/en/about-us/nasdaq-vilnius/ |website=nasdaqbaltic.com |access-date=31 August 2019 |archive-date=16 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716221115/https://nasdaqbaltic.com/en/about-us/nasdaq-vilnius/history/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<!-- Commented out irrelevant image ] -->
The ] ({{langx|lt|link=no|Lietuvos Respublikos valstybės kontrolė}}) helps the government manage public funds and property,<ref>{{cite web |title=Vision Mission and Strategic Goal, Values |url=https://www.vkontrole.lt/page_en.aspx?id=238 |website=vkontrole.lt |access-date=31 August 2019 |archive-date=31 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831204651/https://www.vkontrole.lt/page_en.aspx%3Fid%3D238 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the ] ({{langx|lt|link=no|Valstybinė mokesčių inspekcija}}) is responsible for collecting and refunding ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Public services |url=https://www.vmi.lt/cms/en/viesosios-ir-arba-administracines-paslaugos |website=vmi.lt |access-date=31 August 2019 |archive-date=31 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831204651/https://www.vmi.lt/cms/en/viesosios-ir-arba-administracines-paslaugos |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2023, 13 ] 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuvos bankas: kaistanti NT rinka ir priklausomybė nuo Šiaurės šalių bankų kelia riziką |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/verslas/4/1068927/lietuvos-bankas-kaistanti-nt-rinka-ir-priklausomybe-nuo-siaures-saliu-banku-kelia-rizika |website=lrt.lt |access-date=31 August 2019 |language=lt |date=13 June 2019}}</ref> The two largest banks registered in Lithuania (] and Swedbank) are supervised by the ] and the Bank of Lithuania.<ref>{{cite web |title=Banks |url=https://www.lb.lt/en/fs-banks |website=lb.lt |access-date=31 August 2019 |archive-date=18 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118233457/https://www.lb.lt/en/fs-banks |url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Education== ==Education==
] The city has many universities. The largest and oldest is ] in Old Town with 23,000 students. Other major universities include ] (19,000 students), ] (13,500 students), and ] (12,500 students). Specialized higher schools with university status include ] and ]. The museum associated with the ] holds about 12,000 artworks.{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}}


===Primary and secondary education===
The ], ], ], ], and ] offer post-secondary degrees in several areas.
]
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 the ], headquartered in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lithuania Overview |url=https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/lithuania_en |website=eacea.ec.europa.eu |access-date=2 November 2019 |date=2017-10-09}}</ref>

], first mentioned in a 1397 source, is the earliest known Lithuanian school.<ref name="historyvle" /> ], established in 1915, is the first Lithuanian ] in eastern Lithuania.<ref>{{cite web |title=Istorija |url=http://www.vytautodidziojo.vilnius.lm.lt/?page_id=52 |website=vytautodidziojo.vilnius.lm.lt |access-date=2 November 2019 |language=lt-LT |archive-date=5 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105155858/http://www.vytautodidziojo.vilnius.lm.lt/?page_id=52 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2018, the city had 120 schools (not including ]s) with 61,123 pupils and 4,955 teachers.<ref>{{cite book |title=Lietuvos švietimas skaičiais |date=2018 |publisher=Švietimo informacinių technologijų centras |location=Vilnius |pages=65–74 |url=https://www.smm.lt/uploads/documents/teisine_informacija/statistika/Lietuvos%20švietimas%20skaičiais%202018_%20Bendrasis%20ugdymas.pdf}}</ref> Four out of five best rated schools in Lithuania are in Vilnius, and the ] is number one.<ref>{{cite web |title=Paskelbti geriausių šalies mokyklų ir universitetų reitingai |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/lietuvoje/2/1056727/paskelbti-geriausiu-salies-mokyklu-ir-universitetu-reitingai |website=] |access-date=2 November 2019 |language=lt |date=8 May 2019}}</ref>

] have their own schools. Vilnius has seven elementary schools, eight primary schools, two ] 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.<ref>{{cite book |title=Lietuvos tautinių mažumų švietimo būklės analizė |date=2018 |publisher=NMVA Švietimo politikos analizės skyrius |pages=8 & 11 |url=http://www.nmva.smm.lt/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Lietuvos-tautinių-mažumų-švietimo-būklės-analizė-2018-m.1.pdf}}</ref> Vilnius has 11 ]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Profesinės mokyklos Vilniuje |url=http://www.studijos.lt/mokymo_istaigos/?companyType=4&groupId=9&locationId=10_61&companyTitle=Paie%C5%A1ka |website=studijos.lt |access-date=2 November 2019}}</ref>

The ] is the country's only 12-year art school. The ] is another art school in Vilnius.

Most school graduates in Vilnius later study at universities or colleges. According to the ], 57.5 percent of 25– to 34-year-olds in Lithuania had a tertiary education in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=Population with tertiary education |url=https://data.oecd.org/eduatt/population-with-tertiary-education.htm |website=OECD |access-date=2 November 2019}}</ref>
Vilnius has nine international schools, including the International School of Vilnius, ], British International School of Vilnius, and American International School of Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web |title=Find the best International School in Vilnius, Lithuania |url=https://www.international-schools-database.com/in/vilnius |website=International-schools-database.com |access-date=12 February 2023}}</ref>

===Tertiary education===
] and the ]]]
On 14 October 1773, the ] ({{langx|lt|link=no|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 first ] of education and an example of the ].<ref>{{cite book |first=Norman |last=Davies |title=God's Playground: 1795 to the present |url=https://archive.org/details/godsplaygroundhi00norm_0 |url-access=registration |access-date=7 March 2021 |date=28 February 2005 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-12819-3 |page=}}</ref>

Vilnius has a number of universities, the largest and oldest of which is Vilnius University.<ref name="Facts and Figures">{{cite web |title=Facts and Figures |url=https://www.vu.lt/en/about-vu/facts-and-figures |access-date=9 August 2022}}</ref> With its main campus in the Old Town, it has been ranked among the top 500 universities in the world by ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.vu.lt/en/news/4060-breaking-news-for-lithuania-vu-among-the-top-500-universities-in-the-world |title=Breaking News for Lithuania: VU – Among the Top 500 Universities in the World |publisher=Vilnius University |date=7 September 2016 |access-date=2 February 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121072626/http://www.vu.lt/en/news/4060-breaking-news-for-lithuania-vu-among-the-top-500-universities-in-the-world |archive-date=21 November 2016}}</ref> The university participates in projects with UNESCO and ]. It has master's programs in English and Russian,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vu.lt/en/studies/degree-students/degree-programmes/in-foreign-languages |title=Programmes in English |publisher=Vilnius University |access-date=5 March 2018}}</ref> and programs in cooperation with other universities throughout Europe. The university has 14 faculties.<ref name="Facts and Figures" />

Other universities include ],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mruni.eu/en/university/apie_mru/ |title=About MRU |website=mruni.eu |access-date=23 April 2019}}</ref> Vilnius Gediminas Technical University<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vgtu.lt/about-university/4122 |title=About University |website=vgtu.lt |access-date=23 April 2019}}</ref> and the ], which merged with ] in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://svietimas.vdu.lt/en/about-us/history/ |title=History |website=svietimas.vdu.lt |access-date=23 April 2019}}</ref> Specialized tertiary schools with university status include the ], the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, and the ]. The museum associated with the ] contains about 12,000 artworks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.muziejai.lt/vilnius/vda_muziejus.en.htm |title=Vilnius Art Academy Museum |website=muziejai.lt |access-date=2 February 2017}}</ref>

===Libraries===
] reading room, decorated in 1803 with portraits of the 12 most prominent figures in antiquity, art and science<ref>{{cite book |last=Mačiulytė-Kasperavičienė |first=Audronė |title=Vilniaus universiteto rūmai |date=1979 |publisher=Vaga |location=Vilnius |page=112}}</ref>]]
The Vilnius city municipality central library ({{langx|lt|link=no|Vilniaus miesto savivaldybės centrinė biblioteka}}) operates ] in the city.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mission and vision |url=http://www.vcb.lt/en/mission-and-vision/ |website=vcb.lt |date=29 January 2016 |access-date=10 July 2019}}</ref> It has 16 branches, one (Saulutė) dedicated to ].<ref>{{cite web |date=9 August 2022 |title=Libraries |url=http://www.vcb.lt/en/libraries/ |access-date=10 July 2019 |website=vcb.lt}}</ref> Many libraries offer free ] courses.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kompiuterinio raštingumo kursai |url=http://www.vcb.lt/kompiuterinio-rastingumo-kursai/ |website=vcb.lt |access-date=10 July 2019 |language=lt |archive-date=10 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710115704/http://www.vcb.lt/kompiuterinio-rastingumo-kursai/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The public libraries require a free LIBIS (integrated information system of Lithuanian libraries) card.<ref>{{cite web |title=Paid and free services |url=http://www.vcb.lt/en/paid-and-free-services/ |website=vcb.lt |date=29 January 2016 |access-date=10 July 2019}}</ref>

The ] ({{langx|lt|link=no|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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Misija ir tikslai |url=https://www.lnb.lt/apie-biblioteka/veikla/misija-ir-tikslai |website=lnb.lt |access-date=10 July 2019 |language=lt |archive-date=3 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703115104/https://www.lnb.lt/apie-biblioteka/veikla/misija-ir-tikslai |url-status=dead }}</ref> By 1 July 2019, its electronic catalog had 1,140,708 bibliographic records.<ref>{{cite web |title=LNB elektroninis katalogas |url=https://www.lnb.lt/atradimai/katalogai/lnb-elektroninis-katalogas |website=lnb.lt |access-date=10 July 2019 |language=lt |archive-date=10 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710115706/https://www.lnb.lt/atradimai/katalogai/lnb-elektroninis-katalogas |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The ] ({{langx|lt|link=no|Lietuvos mokslų akademijos Vrublevskių biblioteka}}) is open to all.<ref name="mab">{{cite web |title=About the Library |url=http://www.mab.lt/en/about |website=mab.lt |access-date=10 July 2019}}</ref> The library had 3,733,514 volumes by 1 January 2015, and 12,274 registered users.<ref name="mab"/>

Every ] has a library for students, professors and ]. The ] of Vilnius University ({{langx|lt|link=no|Vilniaus universiteto bibliotekos Mokslinės komunikacijos ir informacijos centras}}) in Saulėtekis Valley opened in 2013 and has over 800 workplaces in an area of {{cvt|14,043.61|m2}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Scholarly Communication and Information Centre (SCIC) |url=https://biblioteka.vu.lt/en/places/scic |website=biblioteka.vu.lt |access-date=10 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Unikalios architektūros, moderni Vilniaus universiteto biblioteka atveria duris |url=http://naujienos.vu.lt/unikalios-architektros-moderni-vilniaus-universiteto-biblioteka-atveria-duris/ |website=naujienos.vu.lt |access-date=10 July 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> Central Vilnius University Library,<ref>{{cite web |title=Central Library |url=https://biblioteka.vu.lt/en/places/central-library |website=biblioteka.vu.lt |access-date=10 July 2019}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuvos bibliotekos |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Lietuvos-bibliotekos-117781 |website=vle.lt |access-date=27 January 2020}}</ref>


==Religion== ==Religion==
{{see also|List of churches in Vilnius}}
]
{| class="floatright" style="text-align:right; font-size:85%; border:1px solid black; background:#fafafa"
Once widely known as ''Yerushalayim De Lita'' (the "Jerusalem of Lithuania"), Vilnius since the 18th century was comparable only to ], ], as a world centre for the study of the ], 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.{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}} A major scholar of ] and ] centred in Vilnius was the famous Rabbi Eliyahu Kremer, also known as the ]. His students have significant influence among Orthodox Jews in Israel and around the globe. Jewish life in Vilnius was destroyed during the Holocaust; there is a memorial stone dedicated to victims of ] genocide located in the centre of the former ] — now Mėsinių Street. The ] is dedicated to the history of Lithuanian Jewish life.
|+ {{big|'''Religious groups in Vilnius (2011 census)'''}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://osp.stat.gov.lt/documents/10180/217110/Gyv_religine_bendr_savivald.xls |format=.xls |date=15 March 2013 |title=Gyventojai pagal religinę bendruomenę, kuriai jie save priskyrė, savivaldybėse |language=lt |trans-title=Residents according to the religious community they attributed themselves to, by municipalities |publisher=] |access-date=14 May 2016}}</ref>
|-
! Religion !! People !! %
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || 350,797 || 65.5%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || 47,827 || 8.9%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || 5,593 || 1.0%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || 1,594 || 0.3%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || 1,186 || 0.2%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || 798 || 0.2%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || 796 || 0.2%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || 167 || <0.1%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || 139 || <0.1%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|Other || 5,050 || 0.9%
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|None || 47,655 || 8.9%
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | No response || 74,029 || 13.8%
|}


], built before 1387, is Lithuania's oldest surviving Catholic church.]]
The ] are a Jewish sect who migrated to Lithuania from the Crimea to serve as a military elite unit in the 14th century. Although their numbers are very small, the Karaim are becoming more prominent since Lithuanian independence, and have restored their ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.euronet.nl/users/sota/karaim22.htm |title=New Life in Karaim Communities |publisher=Euronet.nl |date= |accessdate=2009-05-06}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
{{stack|], Vilnius' first Baroque church, is known for its ] and ] concerts.]]|}}
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;<ref>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)</ref> According to Lewkenor, Vilnius' population included Catholics, Orthodox, followers of John Calvin and Martin Luther, Jews and Tartar Muslims.{{page needed|date=July 2024}}


During that century, Vilnius had a reputation as a city unrivaled in Europe for its number and variety of churches. Robert Morden wrote in ''Geography 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.<ref>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"</ref><ref>Gintautas Sliesoriūnas, "The image of Lithuania in XVII c. English publications", ''Lithuanian Historical Studies'', 2011, vol. 16</ref>
] is the oldest surviving church in Lithuania, built before 1387]]
].]]
Vilnius is the seat of the ], with the main church institutions and Archdiocesan Cathedral located here. There are a number of other active Roman Catholic churches in the city, along with small enclosed monasteries and religion schools. Church architecture includes ], ], ] and ] styles, with important examples of each found in the ]. Vilnius is considered one of the main centres of the ] movement in ecclesiastical architecture. Additionally, ] has maintained a presence in Vilnius since the ]. The Baroque Basilian Gate is part of an Eastern Rite monastery.


Vilnius is the seat of the ], housing major church institutions and the archdiocesan Vilnius Cathedral. A number of Christian ] people, ], ] and ]s are associated with the city. They include the ], the Orthodox martyrs ], Saint Casimir, ], ], ], ], and ]. There are a number of Roman Catholic churches in the city, small monasteries, and religious schools. Church architecture includes Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and ] styles, with examples of each in the Old Town. ] has also had a presence in Vilnius since the ]. The Baroque Basilian Gate is part of an Eastern Rite monastery.
Vilnius has been home to an ] ] presence since the 13th or even the 12th century. A famous ] monastery, named for the ], is located near the ]. St. Paraskeva's Orthodox Church in the Old Town is the site of the ] of ], the great-grandfather of ], by ] ] in 1705. Many ], who split from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1667, settled in Lithuania. The ] was built in 1913. Today a is based in Vilnius.


], built in the 14th century by Grand Duke ] for ] in the city's Ruthenian quarter<ref name="Darius">{{cite web |last=Baronas |first=Darius |title=Knyga, kuri išliks: Gedimino Vaitkevičiaus Vilniaus įkūrimas |url=https://www.bernardinai.lt/2013-03-29-darius-baronas-knyga-kuri-isliks-gedimino-vaitkeviciaus-vilniaus-ikurimas/ |website=] |access-date=31 August 2020 |language=lt |date=29 March 2013}}</ref>]]
A number of Protestant and other Christian groups<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_186.html |title=By Location |publisher=Adherents.com |date= |accessdate=2009-05-06}}</ref> are represented in Vilnius, most notably the ] Evangelicals and the ].
Vilnius has had an ] presence since the 12th century, and the ] ] is near the ] in the Old Town was the site of the 1705 ] of ], the great-grandfather of ], by Tsar ]. Many ], who split from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1667, settled in Lithuania; a Supreme Council of Old Believers is based in Vilnius. The Orthodox ] was built in 1913. A number of Protestant and other Christian denominations<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_186.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000818084456/http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_186.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=18 August 2000 |title=Religion by Location |publisher=Adherents.com |access-date=6 May 2009}}</ref> are represented in Vilnius, notably ] Evangelicals and ].


] religion of Lithuania, centred around the forces of nature as personified by deities such as ] (the Thunder God), is experiencing some increased interest. ] established a Vilnius branch in 1991.<ref>{{cite book|author=Gabriel Ignatow|title=Transnational Identity Politics and the Environment Lithuania's pre-Christian religion, centred on the forces of nature and personified by deities such as ] (the thunder god), is experiencing increased interest. ] established a Vilnius branch in 1991.<ref>{{cite book |first=Gabriel |last=Ignatow |title=Transnational Identity Politics and the Environment |year=2007 |publisher=Lexington Books |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Z3zQ9gPsSAC&q=romuva+vilnius&pg=PA103 |isbn=978-0-7391-2015-6}}</ref>
|year=2007|publisher=Lexington Books|url=http://books.google.com/?id=2Z3zQ9gPsSAC&pg=PA103&dq=romuva+vilnius | isbn=9780739120156}}</ref>


==Parks, squares, and cemeteries== ===Judaism and Karaism===
{{see also|History of the Jews in Lithuania}}
], the city's largest, hosted several major rallies during Lithuania's drive towards independence in the 1980s. Concerts, festivals, and exhibitions are held at ], near ]. Sections of the annual ] pass along the public walkways on the banks of the Neris River.
]]]
Known as "Yerushalayim D'Lita" (the Jerusalem of Lithuania), Vilnius had been a world centre for ] study and had a large Jewish population since the 18th century. A major scholar of Judaism and the ] was Rabbi Eliyahu Kremer, known as the ], whose writings significantly influence Orthodox Jews. The ], the most widely used version of the ], was published in the city in 1886.<ref>{{cite web |title=Romm {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/romm |access-date=2022-01-02 |website=Encyclopedia.com}}</ref> Jewish life in Vilnius was destroyed during the Holocaust, and a memorial stone dedicated to victims of ] genocide is in the centre of the former ] on present-day Mėsinių Street. The ] is dedicated to the history of Lithuanian Jewish life. The site of ], built in the early 1630s, destroyed by Nazi Germany during its ] and later demolished by Soviet authorities, was found by ] in June 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.livescience.com/51713-great-synagogue-vilna-archaeology.html |title=Remains of Nazi-Destroyed Synagogue Found Using Radar |last=Geggel |first=Laura |date=1 August 2015 |publisher=] |access-date=25 May 2018}}</ref> Archaeologists began excavating the site in 2016, and that work continues as of July 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://jewish-heritage-europe.eu/2024/07/28/lithuania-vilna-2024/ |title=Lithuania: this month’s excavations at the site of the destroyed Great Synagogue of Vilna yielded exciting discoveries including polychrome decoration |website=jewish-heritage-europe.eu |access-date=19 September 2024}}</ref>


The ] 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 their ]s (including the ]).<ref>{{cite book |last=Harviainen |first=Tapani |title=Ethnic encounter and cultural change : papers from the Third Nordic Conference on Middle Eastern Studies, Joensuu, 1995 |publisher=Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies |year=1997 |isbn=1850653119 |editor1=M'Hammed Sabour |location=Bergen |pages=72–83 |chapter=New Life in Karaim Communities |access-date=6 May 2009|editor-last2=Vikør|editor-first2=Knut S.|chapter-url=http://www.euronet.nl/users/sota/karaim22.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403142131/http://www.euronet.nl/users/sota/karaim22.htm |archive-date=3 April 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
] in Old Town is surrounded by a number of the city's most historically significant sites. ] is the largest, bordered by several municipal buildings. An oversized statue of ] in its centre was removed in 1991. ] has long been a centre of trade fairs, celebrations, and events in Vilnius, including the ]. The city Christmas tree is decorated there. State ceremonies are often held in ], facing the ].


===<span class="anchor" id="Pilgrimage"></span>Pilgrimage sites===
], consecrated in 1801, is the burial site of ] and other ], along with the heart of Polish leader ]. Two of the three ] were destroyed during the Soviet era; the remains of the ] were moved to the remaining one. About 18,000 burials have been made in the ], established in 1810; it was closed during the 1970s and is now being restored. ], established in 1809, contains various memorials to Polish, Lithuanian, German and Russian soldiers, along with the graves of those who were killed during the ].
{{Blockquote|text=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{{snd}}one could say whole being. And so it stayed{{snd}}and in Rome.|author=] at the ] during his 1993 visit to Lithuania<ref>{{cite web |title=Ką perskaitysime šv. Jono Pauliaus II gyvenimo knygoje? |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/lt/baznycia/news/2018-04/ka-perskaitysime-sv-jono-pauliaus-ii-gyvenimo-knygoje-.html |website=vaticannews.va |access-date=6 October 2019 |language=lt |date=2 May 2018}}</ref>}}
], with its eponymous painting]]
Since the 1387 Christianization of Lithuania, Vilnius has become a centre of Christianity in the country and a ] site. The Vilnius Pilgrimage Centre ({{langx|lt|link=no|Vilniaus piligrimų centras}}) coordinates pilgrimages, assists with their preparation, and performs pilgrimage pastoral care.<ref>{{cite web |title=Apie mus |url=http://piligrimyste.lt/apie-mus-2/ |website=piligrimyste.lt |access-date=24 September 2019 |language=lt-LT}}</ref> A number of places in Vilnius are associated with ] 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 the ] in the 16th century, who installed a ] in the gates with a 17th-century Catholic painting: '']''. The painting was later decorated with ] and is associated with miracles and a legend.<ref name="pilgrimage">{{cite web |title=Pilgrimage in Vilnius |url=http://vilnius-tourism.lt/en/what-to-see/routes/experience-an-itinerary-of-your-own-pilgrimage-in-vilnius/ |website=vilnius-tourism.lt |access-date=24 September 2019 |date=2018-08-20}}</ref>


] (1934) at the ]]]
==Sport==
The ] is a pilgrimage site which has a ]. Vilnius was the birthplace of the ] when Saint ] began her mission under the guidance of ], her ]. The first Divine Mercy image was painted in 1934 by ] under the supervision of Kowalska, and it hangs in the Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Vilnius. Adoration of the ] takes place in the shrine around the clock.<ref name="pilgrimage" /> The House of St. Faustina, in Antakalnis' V. Grybo Street, is open to pilgrims.<ref>{{cite web |title=The House of St. Faustina |url=http://www.gailestingumas.com/about-the-shrine/the-house-of-st-faustina/ |website=gailestingumas.com |access-date=24 September 2019 |archive-date=24 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924113238/http://www.gailestingumas.com/about-the-shrine/the-house-of-st-faustina/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
] Several teams are based in the city. The largest is the ] club ], which participates in European competitions such as the ] and ], the domestic ], and the ], winning the ULEB Cup (predecessor to the Eurocup) in 2005 and the Eurocup in ]. Its home arena is the 1,700-seat ]; all European matches and important domestic and Baltic matches are played in the 11,000-seat ]. Another team participating in ] is ]. The major ] teams in Vilnius are ] and ], all of the ]. Only Žalgiris Vilnius has won the A Lyga, doing so on three occasions - in 1991, 1992, and 1999.{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}} The city is home to the Lithuanian ] Association.<ref>http://www.internationalbandy.com/viewNavMenu.do?menuID=61</ref>

The ], near Lukiškės Square, has the painting of the Mother of God of Lukiškės which has reportedly attracted miracles.<ref name="pilgrimage" /> The ], painted in the 15th or 16th century, is one of the country's oldest examples of ] painting.<ref>{{cite web |title=Senąją Lukiškių Dievo Motinos ikoną atidengiant |url=http://www.bernardinai.lt/straipsnis/2018-01-04-senaja-lukiskiu-dievo-motinos-ikona-atidengiant/167658 |website=bernardinai.lt |date=3 January 2018 |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref> 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'' ({{langx|lt|link=no|Mistinis fontanas}}). The icon was restored and returned to the ] in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Restauruota Lukiškių Dievo Motinos ikona grąžinama dominikonams |url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/restauruota-lukiskiu-dievo-motinos-ikona-grazinama-dominikonams.d?id=59963669 |website=] |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref>

] is a monument in the city. According to a legend in the '']'', fourteen ] friars were invited to Vilnius from ] by ].<ref name=gidzi>{{cite journal |first=Viktoras |last=Gidžiūnas |title=Legendariškieji pranciškonų kankiniai Vilniuje |language=lt |url=http://www.aidai.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6342:is&catid=355:4-balandis&Itemid=398 |year=1955 |volume=10 |journal=Aidai.eu |issn=0002-208X}}</ref> The friars preached the ] 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 were ] and thrown into the Neris or Vilnia.<ref name=gidzi/>

]
] (or Vilnius Calvary), Lithuania's second-oldest ], is in the neighborhood of ]. The calvary was built from 1662 to 1669 in gratitude for victory in the ] (1655–60).<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilnius Calvary. Origins |url=https://www.vilniauskalvarijos.lt/index.php?id=20&lng=1 |website=vilniauskalvarijos.lt |access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref> The consecration ceremony of the ] took place for ] on 9 June 1669.<ref>{{cite web |title=Traditions of Piety |url=https://www.vilniauskalvarijos.lt/index.php?id=25&lng=1 |website=vilniauskalvarijos.lt |access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref> The calvary includes 20 brick chapels, seven wooden gates and a brick one, and a bridge with a wood chapel.<ref>{{cite web |title=The route of Christ's suffering |url=https://www.vilniauskalvarijos.lt/index.php?id=29&lng=1 |website=vilniauskalvarijos.lt |access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref> The path ends at the ]. All the chapels except the four closest to the church were destroyed by Soviet authorities overnight with ] in 1962. The calvary was reconstructed from 1990 to 2002, and the chapels were consecrated on Pentecost in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |title=20th – 21st centuries |url=https://www.vilniauskalvarijos.lt/index.php?id=24&lng=1 |website=vilniauskalvarijos.lt |access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref> Pilgrimages to the calvary are organized regularly with the clergy.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bendruomeninis Kryžiaus kelio apvaikščiojimas |url=https://www.vilniauskalvarijos.lt/?id=61 |website=vilniauskalvarijos.lt |access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref>

The Church Heritage Museum ({{langx|lt|link=no|Bažnytinio paveldo muziejus}}) contains city's the oldest and largest collection of liturgical artefacts in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vilnius.<ref name="pilgrimage" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Treasury |url=http://www.bpmuziejus.lt/treasury-2.html |website=bpmuziejus.lt |access-date=20 May 2024 |archive-date=7 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207033800/https://bpmuziejus.lt/treasury-2.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Vilnius is the only city in the Baltic states with an ], where Pope John Paul II and ] stayed during their visits to Lithuania, ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Garškaitė |first=Rosita |title=Kaip popiežiaus atvykimui ruošiasi latviai ir estai? |url=http://www.bernardinai.lt/straipsnis/2018-09-12-kaip-popieziaus-atvykimui-ruosiasi-latviai-ir-estai/171746 |website=bernardinai.lt |date=12 September 2018 |access-date=24 September 2019}}</ref>

==Parks, squares and cemeteries==
] in ]]]
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 annual ] 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.

]
] in the Old Town is surrounded by a number of the city's most historic sites. ] is the largest, bordered by several government buildings: the ], Ministry of Finance, Polish Embassy and the ], where the ] tortured and killed opponents of the communist regime. A large statue of ] in its centre was removed in 1991.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lukiškių aikštė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lukiskiu-aikste/ |website=Vle.lt |language=lt}}</ref> Town Hall Square has been a centre of trade fairs, celebrations and events, including the ]. The city's Christmas tree is displayed there. State ceremonies are often held in ], facing the Presidential Palace.

]
], near ] (previously known as Sereikiškės Park), opened on 20 October 2013 after it was restored to its 19th-century Vladislovas Štrausas environment.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniuje vartus atvėrė restauruotas Bernardinų sodas |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/vilniuje-vartus-atvers-restauruotas-bernardinu-sodas-56-367278 |language=lt |trans-title=The renovated Bernardinai Garden opened its gates in Vilnius |website=Suprasti Akimirksniu}}</ref> It is a venue for concerts, festivals, and exhibitions. ] ] Park was established in 2001, and a ] (both in Šnipiškės) was opened in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Čijunės Sugiharos sakurų parkas |url=https://www.govilnius.lt/atostogos-vilniuje/atsotogos-vilniuje-renginiai/savarankiskas-pazinimas/japoniskas-vilnius/cijunes-sugiharos-sakuru-parkas |website=GoVilnius.lt |access-date=1 May 2023 |language=lt}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Pasižvalgykite: Vilniuje atidaroma nauja erdvė sakurų mėgėjams – japoniškas sodas |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/gyvenimas/13/1968285/pasizvalgykite-vilniuje-atidaroma-nauja-erdve-sakuru-megejams-japoniskas-sodas |website=Lrt.lt |access-date=1 May 2023 |language=lt |date=21 April 2023}}</ref>

], consecrated in 1801, is the burial site of ] and other ] and the heart of Polish leader ]. Two of the city's three ] 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Užupis Old Jewish Cemetery |url=http://www.inyourpocket.com/lithuania/vilnius/sightseeing/Statues-and-Memorials/Uzupis-Old-Jewish-Cemetery_52032v |publisher=In Your Pocket |access-date=5 September 2012}}</ref> The ], established in 1810, has about 18,000 burials; closed during the 1970s, it is being restored. ], established in 1809, has memorials to Polish, Lithuanian, German and Russian soldiers and the graves of those who were killed during the January Events.

==Tourism==
]
], a self-proclaimed republic, has ] culture and art.]]
According to ], 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.<ref name="tourism2018">{{cite web |title=City Tourism Statistics |url=http://www.vilnius-tourism.lt/en/travel-trade/tourism-statistics/city-tourism-statistics/ |website=vilnius-tourism.lt |access-date=14 August 2019 |date=30 August 2011}}</ref> 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), ] (101,999), Poland (99,386), Russia (90,388) and Latvia (61,829).<ref name="tourism2018" /> Nineteen percent of the guests were Lithuanian, 18 percent more than in 2017.<ref name="tourism2018" />

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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus miesto turizmo tyrimas ir turistų pasitenkinimo indeksas |date=2018 |pages=10–11 |url=http://www.vilnius-tourism.lt/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Go-Vilnius-ataskaita_Bendra.pdf |access-date=14 August 2019}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus miesto turizmo tyrimas ir turistų pasitenkinimo indeksas |date=2018 |pages=12–14 |url=http://www.vilnius-tourism.lt/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Go-Vilnius-ataskaita_Bendra.pdf |access-date=14 August 2019}}</ref> Many Belarusians (about 200,000 ]s annually) visit the city's ]s and submit half-meter-long receipts to ] officials.<ref>{{cite web |title=Apsipirkti į Lietuvą miniomis traukia ne eiliniai baltarusiai |url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/apsipirkti-i-lietuva-miniomis-traukia-ne-eiliniai-baltarusiai.d?id=73924178 |website=] |access-date=15 August 2019}}</ref>

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.<ref name="tourism2018" /> The city's highest-rated tourist services are restaurants (]s), old-town attractions, hotels or other accommodations, trips to ], parks and other green zones, connections to ], and food in hotels, restaurants and cafés.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus miesto turizmo tyrimas ir turistų pasitenkinimo indeksas |date=2018 |page=26 |url=http://www.vilnius-tourism.lt/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Go-Vilnius-ataskaita_Bendra.pdf |access-date=14 August 2019}}</ref> Vilnius is one of a few European capitals which allows ] through the city, with nearly 1,000 trips in 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Šepetytė |first1=Eglė |title=Vilniuje gali nebelikti oro balionų? Kuriamos naujos taisyklės – viskas dėl saugumo |url=https://www.tv3.lt/naujiena/video/vilniuje-gali-nebelikti-oro-balionu-kuriamos-naujos-taisykles-viskas-del-saugumo-n1186033 |access-date=13 May 2023 |work=TV3 |date=4 September 2022 |language=lt}}</ref> In the City Costs Barometer 2019, Vilnius was ranked number one of European capitals for offering the best value to visitors.<ref>{{cite web |title=City Costs Barometer 2019 |url=https://www.postoffice.co.uk/dam/jcr:6f504867-b5f7-4080-bac9-560196e9ef9f/post-office-travel-money-city-costs-barometer-2019.pdf |website=postoffice.co.uk |access-date=22 October 2019 |archive-date=28 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928221813/https://www.postoffice.co.uk/dam/jcr:6f504867-b5f7-4080-bac9-560196e9ef9f/post-office-travel-money-city-costs-barometer-2019.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The controversial ], 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=D. Matulionis: džiugu, kad pavyko sutarti mūsų valstybei ir Lietuvos žydų bendruomenei svarbiu klausimu |url=https://lrv.lt/lt/naujienos/d-matulionis-dziugu-kad-pavyko-sutarti-musu-valstybei-ir-lietuvos-zydu-bendruomenei-svarbiu-klausimu |website=lrv.lt |access-date=28 December 2019 |language=lt |archive-date=26 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226200026/http://lrv.lt/lt/naujienos/d-matulionis-dziugu-kad-pavyko-sutarti-musu-valstybei-ir-lietuvos-zydu-bendruomenei-svarbiu-klausimu |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Hotels===
]
Lithuania is a member of the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lithuania |url=https://www.hotelstars.eu/country-versions/lithuania/ |website=hotelstars.eu |access-date=14 August 2019}}</ref> Vilnius has six ], all in the Old Town,<ref>{{cite web |title=5 stars hotels in Vilnius, Lithuania |url=https://www.booking.com/searchresults.en-gb.html?aid=356980&label=gog235jc-1FCAMYyAEoiAFCB3ZpbG5pdXNIGVgDaIgBiAEBmAEZuAEXyAEM2AEB6AEB-AECiAIBqAIDuALcqNHqBcACAQ&sid=9821c4cb9d28a1a54f7490158105e55e&tmpl=searchresults&city=-2620663&class_interval=1&dest_id=-2620663&dest_type=city&dtdisc=0&inac=0&index_postcard=0&label_click=undef&lang=en-gb&nflt=sth%253D110%3D%3B&offset=0&postcard=0&room1=A%2CA&sb_price_type=total&shw_aparth=1&slp_r_match=0&soz=1&srpvid=b9c1880f5d7c0354&ss_all=0&ssb=empty&sshis=0&lang_click=top&cdl=lt&lang_changed=1 |website=booking.com |access-date=14 August 2019}}</ref> and 27 four-star hotels.<ref>{{cite web |title=4 stars hotels in Vilnius, Lithuania |url=https://www.booking.com/searchresults.en-gb.html?aid=356980&label=gog235jc-1FCAMYyAEoiAFCB3ZpbG5pdXNIGVgDaIgBiAEBmAEZuAEXyAEM2AEB6AEB-AECiAIBqAIDuALcqNHqBcACAQ&sid=9821c4cb9d28a1a54f7490158105e55e&tmpl=searchresults&city=-2620663&class_interval=1&dest_id=-2620663&dest_type=city&label_click=undef&lang=en-gb&nflt=class%3D4%3B&offset=0&raw_dest_type=city&rm_apt_fil_sr=1&room1=A%2CA&sb_price_type=total&shw_aparth=1&slp_r_match=0&soz=1&srpvid=f3568832c19200f4&ssb=empty&lang_click=top&cdl=lt&lang_changed=1 |website=booking.com |access-date=14 August 2019}}</ref> The ] Hotel, with a view of Cathedral Square, is considered the city's most luxurious hotel.<ref name="imf">{{cite web |title=Report for Selected Countries and Subjects |url=https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2018/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=81&pr.y=11&sy=2019&ey=2020&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512%2C668%2C914%2C672%2C612%2C946%2C614%2C137%2C311%2C546%2C213%2C962%2C911%2C674%2C314%2C676%2C193%2C548%2C122%2C556%2C912%2C678%2C313%2C181%2C419%2C867%2C513%2C682%2C316%2C684%2C913%2C273%2C124%2C868%2C339%2C921%2C638%2C948%2C514%2C943%2C218%2C686%2C963%2C688%2C616%2C518%2C223%2C728%2C516%2C836%2C918%2C558%2C748%2C138%2C618%2C196%2C624%2C278%2C522%2C692%2C622%2C694%2C156%2C142%2C626%2C449%2C628%2C564%2C228%2C565%2C924%2C283%2C233%2C853%2C632%2C288%2C636%2C293%2C634%2C566%2C238%2C964%2C662%2C182%2C960%2C359%2C423%2C453%2C935%2C968%2C128%2C922%2C611%2C714%2C321%2C862%2C243%2C135%2C248%2C716%2C469%2C456%2C253%2C722%2C642%2C942%2C643%2C718%2C939%2C724%2C734%2C576%2C644%2C936%2C819%2C961%2C172%2C813%2C132%2C726%2C646%2C199%2C648%2C733%2C915%2C184%2C134%2C524%2C652%2C361%2C174%2C362%2C328%2C364%2C258%2C732%2C656%2C366%2C654%2C144%2C336%2C146%2C263%2C463%2C268%2C528%2C532%2C923%2C944%2C738%2C176%2C578%2C534%2C537%2C536%2C742%2C429%2C866%2C433%2C369%2C178%2C744%2C436%2C186%2C136%2C925%2C343%2C869%2C158%2C746%2C439%2C926%2C916%2C466%2C664%2C112%2C826%2C111%2C542%2C298%2C967%2C927%2C443%2C846%2C917%2C299%2C544%2C582%2C941%2C474%2C446%2C754%2C666%2C698&s=PPPEX&grp=0&a= |website=imf.org |access-date=2 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Už prezidentinę naktį Vilniaus "Kempinski" – 3 tūkst. eurų, pietūs – 25 eurai |url=https://www.15min.lt/verslas/naujiena/bendroves/uz-prezidentine-nakti-vilniaus-kempinski-3-tukst-euru-pietus-25-eurai-663-580109 |website=] |access-date=14 August 2019 |language=lt}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus miesto turizmo tyrimas ir turistų pasitenkinimo indeksas |date=2018 |page=21 |url=http://www.vilnius-tourism.lt/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Go-Vilnius-ataskaita_Bendra.pdf |access-date=14 August 2019}}</ref> 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.<ref name="tourism2018"/>

==Sports==
<!-- Commented out outdated photo ] -->
]
]
Several basketball teams are based in the city. ] began competing in the ] of the ] (LKL). The largest team is ], who participates in the international ] (BCL) and the LKL; they won the ULEB Cup (predecessor to the ]) in ] and the EuroCup in ]. Their home arena is the 2,500-seat ]; all European matches and important domestic matches are played at the 10,000-seat ].

Vilnius also has several football teams; ], the main team, plays at the 5,000-seat ].<ref>{{cite web |title=LFF stadionas |url=https://lff.lt/federacija/stadionu-nuoma/lff-stadionas/ |publisher=Lietuvos futbolo federacija |access-date=11 March 2018 |archive-date=14 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514020637/https://lff.lt/federacija/stadionu-nuoma/lff-stadionas/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> The multi-use ] is under construction. The 28-court ] is the largest ] complex in ] and home of the Lithuanian tennis and ] teams.<ref>{{cite web |title=Atsinaujinusioje "SEB arenoje" – gausybė aukščiausio lygio teniso ir pirmasis išmanus kortas |url=https://vilniusopen.lt/n/naujaarena/ |publisher=Vilnius Open |access-date=11 October 2022 |language=lt}}</ref>

] swimming champions ] and ] are from Vilnius. The city has several public ]s, with the Lazdynai Swimming Pool the only ].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Go Swimming |url=http://www.vilniusmonthly.lt/health.htm |magazine=Vilnius Monthly |issue=11 |year=2005 |access-date=11 April 2016 |archive-date=26 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826022020/http://www.vilniusmonthly.lt/health.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Vilnius is home to the Lithuanian ] 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Olimpinio sporto federacijos |url=http://www.ltok.lt/ltok/atstovaujamos-organizacijos/sporto-federacijos/ |website=ltok.lt |access-date=24 September 2019 |language=lt-LT}}</ref> The annual international ] has thousands of participants.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Vilnius Marathon |url=https://www.vilniausmaratonas.lt/en/tarptautinio-vilniaus-maratono-istorija/ |website=Vilniausmaratonas.lt |access-date=14 January 2023}}</ref>


==Transport== ==Transport==
]
Navigability of the Neris is limited; no regular water routes exist, although it was used for transport in the past.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vanagas |first1=Jurgis |title=Navigation on the Neris River and its importance for Vilnius |journal=Journal of Sustainable Architecture and Civil Engineering |volume=4 |issue=13 |pages=62–69 |url=http://www.sace.ktu.lt/index.php/DAS/article/download/13593/7337 |access-date=31 October 2016}}</ref> ], Lithuania's largest, serves about 50 cities in 25 countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vilnius-airport.lt/en/planning-a-trip/flight-map/ |title=Vilnius International Airport – Flight map |website=vilnius-airport.lt |access-date=2 February 2017 |archive-date=5 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105035709/http://www.vilnius-airport.lt/en/planning-a-trip/flight-map/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The airport, {{cvt|5|km}} from the city centre, has a direct link to the ]. The station is a rail hub with direct passenger service to Minsk, ], ] and ], and is part of the ]'s Branch B.


Vilnius is the starting point of the ] motorway which runs across Lithuania, connecting its three major cities (Vilnius, Kaunas and ]), and is part of ]. The ], connecting Vilnius and ], is part of the ]. Other highways out of the city include the ], ], ], ], and ]. Vilnius' southern bypass is the ].
The river ] is navigable, but no regular water routes exist.


===<span class="anchor" id="Public transport"></span>Bus service===
] serves most Lithuanian international flights to many major European destinations.
The bus and ] networks are operated by Vilniaus viešasis transportas. There are over 60 bus, 18 trolleybus, six rapid bus and one night bus routes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stops.lt/vilnius/#vilnius/en |title=Routes and Timetables |website=Susisiekimo paslaugos}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://stops.lt/vilnius/#nightbus/en |url-status=live |archive-date=2023-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230806055233/https://stops.lt/vilnius/ |website=stops.lt |access-date=6 August 2023 |title=Routes and Timetables}}</ref> The trolleybus network is one of Europe's most extensive; over 250 buses and 260 trolleybuses transport about 500,000 passengers every workday.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.15min.lt/gazas/naujiena/gatve/istyre-kur-kasdien-keliauja-vilniaus-viesojo-transporto-keleiviai-221-956044 |title=Ištyrė, kur kasdien keliauja Vilniaus viešojo transporto keleiviai |website=Gazas.lt |language=lt |access-date=10 July 2019}}</ref> The first bus routes were established in 1926, and the first trolleybuses were introduced in 1956.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.delfi.lt/auto/laisva-pavara/vilniaus-viesasis-transportas-praeitis-ir-dabartis.d?id=67204038 |title=Vilniaus viešasis transportas: praeitis ir dabartis |last=Skrebė |first=Edgaras |website=] |access-date=10 July 2019}}</ref>


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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vilniusticket.lt/ |title=Dažniausiai užduodami klausimai apie pokyčius viešojo transporto bilietų sistemoje |language=lt |trans-title=Frequently asked questions about changes in public transport ticketing |website=Susisiekimo paslaugos |publisher=Visos teisės saugomos |access-date=11 April 2008 |archive-date=17 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517181128/http://vilniusticket.lt/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.delfi.lt/mokslas/technologijos/vilniecio-kortele-keliasi-i-ismaniuosius-telefonus-kaip-tai-atrodys.d?id=63864778 |title=Vilniečio kortelė keliasi į išmaniuosius telefonus. Kaip tai atrodys? |last=Černiauskas |first=Šarūnas |website=DELFI |access-date=10 July 2019}}</ref>
The Vilnius ] station is an important hub serving direct passenger connections to Moscow and ] as well as being a transit point of ] IX.


Buses are low-floor ] and ], and trolleybuses are manufactured by ]. Older ] 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilnius perka 90 naujų "Volvo" autobusų |url=https://www.delfi.lt/verslas/transportas/vilnius-perka-90-nauju-volvo-autobusu.d?id=4472012 |website=DELFI |access-date=4 June 2004}}</ref>
===Motorways===
Vilnius is the starting point of the Vilnius-]&ndash;] ] that runs across Lithuania and connects the three major cities as well as it is the part of ]. The Vilnius-] motorway is a branch of the ].


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.<ref>{{cite web |last=Grigaliūnaitė |first=Violeta |title=Vilniaus savivaldybė pakvietė "išpakuoti naują pergalę": pristatė 250 naujų autobusų |language=lt |trans-title=The municipality of Vilnius called for "unpacking a new victory": introduced 250 new buses |url=https://www.15min.lt/verslas/naujiena/transportas/vilniaus-savivaldybe-pakviete-ispakuoti-nauja-pergale-pristate-250-nauju-autobusu-667-849004 |date=5 September 2017 |website=15min.lt |access-date=5 September 2017}}</ref> On 5 September 2017, 50 new ] buses were introduced.<ref>{{cite web |title=Į sostinės gatves išrieda 50 naujų autobusų |language=lt |trans-title=There are 50 new buses in the capital's streets |date=5 September 2017 |url=https://www.delfi.lt/verslas/transportas/i-sostines-gatves-isrieda-50-nauju-autobusu.d?id=75669679 |website=DELFI |access-date=5 September 2017}}</ref> Vilnius City Municipality accepted bids for 41 new ]es; Solaris contracted to provide the trolleybuses by autumn 2018, with free Wi-Fi and chargers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Jačauskas |first=Ignas |title=Vilniaus savivaldybė perka per 40 naujų "Solaris" troleibusų |language=lt |trans-title=Vilnius municipality buys 40 new "Solaris" trolleybuses |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/vilniaus-savivaldybe-perka-per-40-nauju-solaris-troleibusu-56-854400 |date=17 September 2017 |website=15min.lt |access-date=17 September 2017}}</ref> On 13 November of that year, the municipality signed a contract with Solaris for the remaining 150 fourth-generation ] buses (100 standard and 50 ]) with free Wi-Fi and USB charging.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilnius perka 150 autobusų: toks užsakymas lenkams – unikalus |url=https://auto.lrytas.lt/naujienos/2017/11/13/news/vilnius-perka-150-autobusu-toks-uzsakymas-lenkams-unikalus-3502487/ |website=lrytas.lt |access-date=13 November 2017 |language=lt |trans-title=Vilnius buys 150 buses: this order is unique for the Poles |date=2017-11-13 |archive-date=20 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820005652/https://auto.lrytas.lt/naujienos/2017/11/13/news/vilnius-perka-150-autobusu-toks-uzsakymas-lenkams-unikalus-3502487/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> Five ] ] Jest Electric buses were introduced on 20 September 2019 for the number 89 route's narrow streets.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ekologiška viešojo transporto revoliucija – Vilniuje pristatyti pirmieji Lietuvoje elektriniai autobusai |url=https://www.delfi.lt/auto/patarimai/ekologiska-viesojo-transporto-revoliucija-vilniuje-pristatyti-pirmieji-lietuvoje-elektriniai-autobusai.d?id=82307691 |website=] |access-date=20 September 2019}}</ref>
===Public transport===
] bus in Vilnius]]
]
Vilnius has a well-developed ]ation system; 45% of the population take public transport to work.<ref>{{cite web|title=Social and Economic Analysis of the Demand for Public Transport in Vilnius|publisher=]|year=2003|url=http://www.transport.vgtu.lt/upload/tif_zur/2003-4-griskeviciene_griskevicius.pdf
|accessdate=2009-01-17}}</ref> The bus network is run by ], and the trolleybus network is operating by ]. There are over 60 bus and 20 ] routes, the trolleybus network is one of the most extensive in Europe. Over 250 buses and 260 trolleybuses transport about 500,000 passengers every workday. Students, elderly, and the disabled receive large discounts (up to 80%) on the tickets. The first regular bus routes were established in 1926, and the first trolleybus were introduced in 1956.


Since 2017, a 30-minute ticket costs {{€|0.65|link=yes}}; 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vilniustransport.lt/en/pages/prices |title=ME "Susisiekimo paslaugos" / Public transport : Ticket Prices |website=vilniustransport.lt |access-date=10 July 2019 |archive-date=28 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628225539/http://www.vilniustransport.lt/en/pages/prices |url-status=dead}}</ref>
At the end of 2007, a new electronic monthly ticket system was introduced. It is possible to buy an electronic card in shops and newspaper stands and have it credited with an appropriate amount of money. The monthly e-ticket cards may be bought once and credited with an appropriate amount of money in various ways including the Internet. Previous paper monthly tickets were in use until August 2008.<ref></ref>


] and an electric tram have been proposed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lrytas.lt/verslas/rinkos-pulsas/vilnius-palaidojo-tramvajaus-ir-metro-idejas.htm |title=Vilnius palaidojo tramvajaus ir metro idėjas |language=lt |trans-title=Vilnius has buried the tram and metro ideas |last1=Dumalakas |first1=Arūnas |date=14 June 2014 |website=lrytas.lt |publisher=Lietuvos Rytas |access-date=30 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001074008/http://www.lrytas.lt/verslas/rinkos-pulsas/vilnius-palaidojo-tramvajaus-ir-metro-idejas.htm |archive-date=1 October 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2018, the Seimas and the president approved a metro project.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vilniausmetro.lt/Metro_sajudzio_ziniai%E2%80%93trys_geros_naujienos |title="Metro sąjūdžio" žiniai – trys geros naujienos {{!}} Vilniaus Metro |website=vilniausmetro.lt |access-date=29 April 2019}}</ref>
The public transportation system is dominated by the low-floor ] and ] as well as ] trolleybuses. There are also plenty of the traditional Skoda vehicles built in the Czech Republic still in service, and many of these have been extensively refurbished internally. All is a result of major improvements that started in 2003 when the first brand-new Mercedes-Benz buses were bought. In 2004, a contract was signed with ] to buy 90 brand-new over the following three years.


<gallery mode=packed heights=140px>
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{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}}. There are also a number of different routes, for example from various neighborhoods to the ] market. In addition, there are about 400 ]s that are usually faster but less comfortable and more expensive than regular buses.
File:Solaris bus and trolleybuses in Vilnius.jpg|] bus and Škoda 26Tr Solaris ]es in Vilnius|alt=A red articulated bus and two trolleybuses
File:Orange bikes in Vilnius (2019).jpg|Orange rental bikes|alt=A line of rental bicycles and a vending machine
File:Vilnius railway station (06.09.2022) 02.jpg|Vilnius railway station|alt=A large railway station with two trains
</gallery>


==Healthcare==
An electric ] system through the city (]) was proposed in the 2000s; among other features, the proposal included underground bridge under the ] river. The future of the proposal remains uncertain.<ref>{{cite web|title=A tram ride into the future|publisher=]|url=http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17340/|year=2007|accessdate=2008-10-05}}</ref>
When Vilnius was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the city had ]s; one-fourth the city's houses had individual bathhouses, and almost half had alcohol distilleries.<ref>{{cite web |last=Paknys |first=Mindaugas |title=LDK istorija: Vilnius 1636 metais |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/istorija/ldk-istorija-vilnius-1636-metais-582-408989 |website=] |access-date=19 January 2020 |language=lt}}</ref> In 1518, doctor and ] Martynas Dušnickis established the first ''špitolė'' in Vilnius: Lithuania's first hospital-like institution which treated people unable to care for themselves due to health, age, or poverty.<ref>{{cite web |title=Špitolė |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/spitole-92858 |website=vle.lt |access-date=10 October 2020}}</ref>


The ] maintained basic hospitals and shelters for the sick and disabled in Vilnius from 1708 to 1799, although it is unknown if the brothers had any medical education. They hired ]s, doctors, ]s, and female ]s for female patients. A significant number of patients had ] which other Catholic hospitals refused to treat. The brotherhood sheltered pregnant women, ] and patients with injuries, ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite journal |first=Martynas |last=Jakulis |title=Rokitai: santvarka ir veikla XVIII–XIX a. I pusėje |url=http://www.lkma.lt/site/archive/metrastis/XXXIII/33_59-95.pdf |language=lt |journal=Lietuvių katalikų mokslo akademijos metraštis |issn=1392-0502 |volume=XXXIII |year=2010 |pages=75, 77–78, 95}}</ref>
==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Lithuania}}


In 1805, the ] was established by ] (son of ]) as the first medical society in eastern Europe.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus medicinos draugija |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Vilniaus-medicinos-draugija-107828 |website=vle.lt |access-date=25 October 2020}}</ref> The same year, the society established a ] (]) as part of the Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine.<ref>{{cite web |title=Klinika |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/klinika-46264 |website=vle.lt |access-date=25 October 2020}}</ref><ref name="FirstClinic">{{cite web |title=Medicinos mokslų svarba Lietuvai bei iškiliausi medikai ir jų pasiekimai |url=https://www.savaite.lt/ar-zinai-kad/verta-zinoti/2820-medicinos-mokslu-svarba-lietuvai-bei-iskiliausi-medikai-ir-ju-pasiekimai.html |website=Savaite.lt |access-date=28 January 2023 |language=lt}}</ref> From 1918 to 1941, the ] operated in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web |last=Vaišvilienė |first=Regina |title=Vilniaus fenomenas – lietuvių sanitarinės pagalbos draugija, ligoninė ir poliklinika (1918–1941) |url=http://mokslolietuva.lt/2019/03/vilniaus-fenomenas-lietuviu-sanitarines-pagalbos-draugija-ligonine-ir-poliklinika-1918-1941/ |website=MoksloLietuva.lt |access-date=3 February 2023 |language=lt}}</ref>
===Cooperation with cities===


The ], in Vilnius, is responsible for Lithuanian ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Health Care |url=http://sam.lrv.lt/en/ |website=sam.lrv.lt |access-date=5 October 2019}}</ref> Vilnians pay compulsory ] (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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuvos Respublikos sveikatos draudimo įstatymas |url=https://e-seimas.lrs.lt/portal/legalAct/lt/TAD/TAIS.28356/asr |website=e-seimas.lrs.lt |access-date=5 October 2019}}</ref>
Vilnius has signed 40 cooperation agreements with other cities.
{|
|
* {{flagicon|KAZ}} ], Kazakhstan
* {{flagicon|BEL}} ], Belgium
* {{flagicon|SVK}} ], Slovakia
* {{flagicon|HUN}} ], Hungary<ref name="Budapest">{{cite web|title=Sister cities of Budapest|language=Hungarian|publisher=''Official Website of Budapest''|url=http://www.budapest.hu/engine.aspx?page=20030224-cikk-testvervarosok|accessdate=2009-07-01}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|USA}} ], United States
* {{flagicon|MDA}} ], Moldova
* {{flagicon|UKR}} ], Ukraine
* {{flagicon|UKR}} ], Ukraine
* {{flagicon|DEU}} ], Germany <small>''(since 1985)''</small> <ref name="Duisburg">{{cite web|url=http://www.duisburg.de/micro/english/introducing/102010100000187829.php|title=Cities Twinned with Duisburg|publisher=www.duisburg.de|accessdate=2009-05-07}}</ref><ref name="RuhrTwins2010">{{cite web|url=http://www.twins2010.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pic/Dokumente/List_of_Twin_Towns_01.pdf?PHPSESSID=2edd34819db21e450d3bb625549ce4fd|title=List of Twin Towns in the Ruhr District|publisher= © 2009 |accessdate=2009-10-28}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|IRL}} ], Ireland
||
* {{flagicon|GBR}} ], United Kingdom
* {{flagicon|DEU}} ], Germany
* {{flagicon|POL}} ], Poland <small>''(since 1998)''</small><ref name="Gdańsk">{{cite web|url=http://www.gdansk.pl/samorzad,62,733.html|title=Gdańsk Official Website: 'Miasta partnerskie'|publisher=] 2009 |language=Polish & English|accessdate=2009-07-11}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|CHN}} ], ]<ref name="Guangzhou">{{cite web|url=http://www.gzwaishi.gov.cn/Item/3970.aspx|title=Sister Cities of Guangzhou|publisher=Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office|accessdate=2010-02-10}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|RUS}} ], Russia
* {{flagicon|FIN}} ], Finland
* {{flagicon|UKR}} ], Ukraine
* {{flagicon|POL}} ], Poland<ref name="Kraków">{{cite web|url=http://www.krakow.pl/otwarty_na_swiat/?LANG=UK&MENU=l&TYPE=ART&ART_ID=16|title=Kraków otwarty na świat|publisher=www.krakow.pl|accessdate=2009-07-19|last=|first=}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|POL}} ], Poland
* {{flagicon|SLO}} ], Slovenia
||
* {{flagicon|USA}} ], United States
* {{flagicon|BLR}} ], Belarus
* {{flagicon|RUS}} ], Russia
* {{flagicon|CYP}} ], Cyprus
* {{flagicon|NOR}} ], Norway
* {{flagicon|ITA}} ], Italy
* {{flagicon|GRE}} ], Greece
* {{flagicon|ISL}} ], Iceland
* {{flagicon|LAT}} ], Latvia
* {{flagicon|RUS}} ], Russia
||
* {{flagicon|AUT}} ], Austria
* {{flagicon|SWE}} ], Sweden
* {{flagicon|FRA}} ], France
* {{flagicon|ROC}} ], Taiwan<ref> (.DOC)</ref>
* {{flagicon|EST}} ], Estonia
* {{flagicon|CAN}} ], Canada
* {{flagicon|MLT}} ], Malta
* {{flagicon|POL}} ], Poland<ref name="Warsaw">{{cite web |author= |url=http://um.warszawa.pl/v_syrenka/new/index.php?dzial=aktualnosci&ak_id=3284&kat=11 |title=Miasta partnerskie Warszawy |work=um.warszawa.pl |publisher=Biuro Promocji Miasta |pages= |page= |date=2005-05-04 |accessdate=2008-08-29}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|Georgia}} ], ]<ref name="Trend">{{cite web |url=http://en.trend.az/news/cis/georgia/1492690.html |title=TREND: Tbilisi, Vilnius become brother cities |publisher=en.trend.az |accessdate=2009-10-12 }}</ref>
|}


] and the Vilnius City Clinical Hospital are the city's primary ]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=About us |url=http://santa.lt/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=107&Itemid=379 |website=santa.lt |access-date=5 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=VšĮ Vilniaus miesto klinikinė ligoninė |url=https://www.vmkl.lt/ |website=vmkl.lt |access-date=5 October 2019}}</ref> Vilnius also has eight ]s, the Medical Centre of the Ministry of the Interior, and a number of private health-care facilities.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus miesto įstaigos |url=http://www.vilniaustlk.lt/index.php?id=388&aid=1 |website=vilniaustlk.lt |access-date=5 October 2019 |archive-date=24 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924143418/https://www.vilniaustlk.lt/index.php?id=388&aid=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Governance==


<gallery mode=packed heights="240px">
The city is governed by the ], which includes the nearby town of Grigiškės, three villages, and some rural areas. A 51-member council is elected to four-year terms; the candidates are nominated by registered political parties. As of the 2011 elections, independent candidates will also be permitted. The Council elects a mayor, four deputy mayors, and a city clerk at its first meeting.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Vilnius|url=http://google.com/search?q=cache:21BFxn8L8QwJ:www.vilnius-tourism.lt/topic.php%3Ftid%3D63%26sid%3D107+vilnius+mayor+council+site:.lt&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us|date=2009-01-16|publisher=Vilnius Tourist Information Centre 2008 (Official city website)|accessdate=2009-02-03}}</ref>
File:Vilnius house Pilies street.jpg|Building in which the ] was established in 1805|alt=Large, green two-story building
As of February 2009, the mayor of Vilnius is Vilius Navickas from the Conservative Party.<ref>{{cite web|title=AVilius Navickas elected new Vilnius mayor|url=http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/legislation/?doc=9754|publisher=The Baltic Course|accessdate=2009-02-25}}</ref> ], a state-wide administrative division, function as municipal districts.
File:PirmojiKlinika.JPG|Building which housed Vilnius' first clinic<ref name="FirstClinic"/>|alt=A large white building in winter
</gallery>


==Media==
The 21 elderships are based on neighbourhoods:
]
]
The first Lithuanian weekly newspaper, '']'', was published in Vilnius from 1760 to 1763.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kurier Litewski |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Kurier-Litewski-24220 |website=vle.lt |access-date=1 August 2020}}</ref> Vilnius is home to a number of newspapers, magazines and other publications, including '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', ''Valstiečių laikraštis'', ''Mokesčių žinios'', ''Aktualijos'', '']'', '']'', ''Vilniaus Kraštas'', '']'', '']'', '']'', ''Panelė'', the Franciscan '']'', the Russian ''Litovskij kurjer'' and the Polish ''Tygodnik Wileńszczyzny''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Laikraščiai, žurnalai Vilniuje |url=https://www.info.lt/rubrika/Laikra%C5%A1%C4%8Diai-%C5%BEurnalai/100209566/Vilnius |website=info.lt |access-date=27 November 2019 |language=lt}}</ref>
#] — includes Baltupiai, Jeruzalė, Santariškės, Balsiai, Visoriai
#] — includes Valakampiai, Turniškės, Dvarčionys
#] — includes Tarandė
#] — includes Bajorai
#]
#]
#]
#]
#]
#] — includes Šiaurės miestelis
#]
#]
#] — a separate town included in the ]
#]
#] — includes ]
#] — includes bus and train stations
#] — includes ]
#] — includes Pavilnys, Pūčkoriai
#] — includes Trakų Vokė, Gariūnai
#] — includes Kirtimai, Salininkai, ]
#] — includes Belmontas, Markučiai


The ] in ] broadcasts to the city.<ref>{{cite web |title=TV bokštas |url=https://tvbokstas.lt/ |website=tvbokstas.lt |access-date=27 November 2019}}</ref> The most-viewed networks in Lithuania are headquartered in Vilnius and include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuviški TV kanalai |url=https://www.tv24.lt/ |website=tv24.lt |access-date=27 November 2019}}</ref>
==Significant depictions in popular culture==
*Vilnius is one of the locations featured in the video game '']''.<ref>Photographs comparing the game's locations with their real-life counterparts can be found </ref>
*Robert Ludlum's "]", a video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, features an assassination mission in Vilnius.
*Vilnius is mentioned in the movie ] as being the boyhood home of the sub commander Marko Ramius, and as being where his grandfather taught him to fish; he is also referenced once in the movie as ''The Vilnius Schoolmaster''. Ramius is played by ].
* Author ]'s character ] is revealed to be from Vilnius and its aristocracy in the movie ]. Lecter is portrayed more popularly and often by Sir ], although ] played Lecter in the movie ].


]
==Honours==
Vilnius' first ], ''Rozgłośnia Wileńska'', began broadcasting in the ] microdistrict on 28 November 1927 and was moved to present-day Gediminas Avenue in 1935.<ref>{{cite web |last=Žilionis |first=Sigitas |title=Radiofonija Vilniuje 1927–1939 |url=http://www.zilionis.lt/history/prw/index.php |website=zilionis.lt |access-date=27 November 2019}}</ref> ], 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 the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus radijo stotys |url=http://radiomap.eu/lt/vilnius |website=radiomap.eu |access-date=27 November 2019}}</ref> The Lithuanian Union of Journalists ({{langx|lt|link=no|Lietuvos žurnalistų sąjunga}}) and the Lithuanian Society of Journalists ({{langx|lt|link=no|Lietuvos žurnalistų draugija}}) are headquartered in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuvos žurnalistų sąjunga |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Lietuvos-zurnalistu-sajunga-16179 |website=vle.lt |access-date=27 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuvos žurnalistų draugija |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Lietuvos-zurnalistu-draugija-16178 |website=vle.lt |access-date=27 November 2019}}</ref>
A ] ] discovered by ] astronomer ] in 1978 is named after the city.<ref></ref>


==<span class="anchor" id="Twin towns – sister cities"></span>Twin towns and sister cities==
==Other towns named for Vilnius==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Lithuania}}
*The rural town of ], Canada was named after the Polish name for Vilnius in the 1860s. The village of ] was also named for Vilnius.

Vilnius is ] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Miestai partneriai |url=http://www.ivilnius.lt/pazink/apie-vilniu/miestai-partneriai |website=ivilnius.lt |publisher=Vilnius |language=lt |access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref>

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|DEN}} ], Denmark
*{{flagicon|KAZ}} ], Kazakhstan
*{{flagicon|KAZ}} ], Kazakhstan
*{{flagicon|USA}} ], United States
*{{flagicon|UKR}} ], Ukraine
*{{flagicon|UKR}} ], Ukraine
*{{flagicon|GER}} ], Germany
*{{flagicon|GER}} ], Germany
*{{flagicon|POL}} ], Poland (1998)<ref>{{cite news |title=Vilniaus ir Gdansko draugystė tęsiasi – vienuoliktąjį kartą vyks kultūros mainų festivalis "Gdanskas Vilniuje" |url=https://vilnius.lt/lt/2022/09/14/vilniaus-ir-gdansko-draugyste-tesiasi-vienuoliktaji-karta-vyks-kulturos-mainu-festivalis-gdanskas-vilniuje/ |access-date=6 October 2022 |publisher=Vilnius City Municipality |date=14 September 2022 |language=lt}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|CHN}} ], China
*{{flagicon|FIN}} ], Finland
*{{flagicon|UKR}} ], Ukraine
*{{flagicon|POL}} ], Poland
*{{flagicon|POL}} ], Poland
*{{flagicon|USA}} ], United States
*{{flagicon|ITA}} ], Italy
*{{flagicon|ISL}} ], Iceland
*{{flagicon|LVA}} ], Latvia
*{{flagicon|AUT}} ], Austria
*{{flagicon|TWN}} ], Taiwan
*{{flagicon|EST}} ], Estonia
*{{flagicon|GEO}} ], Georgia
*{{flagicon|POL}} ], Poland
<!--rest - other form of cooperation than twinning-->
{{div col end}}

Twin and friendly towns until 2022:<ref>{{cite news |title=Vilnius nutraukė sutartis su Rusijos, Baltarusijos miestais, įkūrė Ukrainos Didvyrių gatvę |url=https://www.bns.lt/topic/1912/news/65910881/ |access-date=27 September 2022 |work=] |date=9 March 2022 |language=lt}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|RUS}} ], Russia
*{{flagicon|RUS}} ], Russia
*{{flagicon|RUS}} ], Russia
*{{flagicon|BLR}} ], Belarus
*{{flagicon|RUS}} ], Russia
*{{flagicon|RUS}} ], Russia
*{{flagicon|RUS}} ], Russia
{{div col end}}

==Notable people==
{{main|List of people from Vilnius}}
{{see also|List of honorary citizens of Vilnius}}


==See also== ==See also==
{{Portal|Lithuania}} {{portal|Lithuania|EU}}
* ] *]
* ] *]
*]
* ]
* ] *]
*]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==References==
{{wide image|Vilnius - Panorama 01.jpg|800px|<center>Panorama of the city of Vilnius</center>}}
{{reflist|refs=
<!-- Not in use
<ref name=DGB1935>''Der Große Brockhaus''. 15th edition, vol. 20, Leipzig 1935, pp. 347–348</ref>
Not in use-->
}}


===Bibliography===
==Footnotes and references==
*References from ''vle.lt'' stands for the '']''.
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
*{{cite book |last=Briedis |first=Laimonas |title=Vilnius. City of Strangers |publisher=Baltos Lankos Publishers |year=2009}}
*{{cite book |last=Brensztejn |first=Michał |url=https://kpbc.umk.pl/dlibra/publication/23532/edition/37961/content |title=Spisy ludności m. Wilna za okupacji niemieckiej od d. 1 listopada 1915 r. |year=1919 |language=Polish |location=Warsaw |publisher=Warsawin Drukarnos Wydawnice, Tamka 46}}
*{{cite book |last1=Mačiulis |first1=Dangiras |last2=Staliūnas |first2=Darius |title=Lithuanian Nationalism and the Vilnius Question, 1883-1940 |year=2015}}
*{{cite book |last=Srebrakowski |first=Aleksander |title=Polacy w Litewskiej SRR 1944-1989 |year=2000 |location=Toruń |publisher=Wydawn. Adam Marszałek}}
*{{cite journal |last=Srebrakowski |first=Aleksander |date=2020 |title=The nationality panorama of Vilnius |url=https://apcz.umk.pl/SDR/article/view/SDR.2020.EN5.02/27051 |journal=Studia z Dziejów Rosji i Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej |volume=LV |issue=3}}
*{{cite book |vauthors=Weeks TR |date=2015 |title=Vilnius between Nations, 1795–2000 |publisher=Northern Illinois University Press}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category|Vilnius}} {{Commons category|Vilnius}}
*{{Wikitravel}} {{Wikivoyage}}
* {{Official website|https://www.vilnius.lt}} {{in lang|lt|pl|en|ru}}
*{{pl icon}} in the ] (1893)
* an online exhibition by ]
*
* {{JewishGen-LocalityPage|2620663|Vilnius, Lithuania}}
*
*
*
*
*


{{navboxes|title=Articles related to Vilnius|list=
{{Vilnius elderates}}
{{List of European capitals by region}} {{List of European capitals by region}}
{{Capital cities of the European Union}} {{Capital cities of the European Union}}
Line 485: Line 1,185:
{{Vilnius County}} {{Vilnius County}}
{{Municipalities of Lithuania}} {{Municipalities of Lithuania}}
{{Lithuania topics}}
}}
{{Authority control}}


] ]
]
] ]
]
] ]
] ]
]
]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]

{{Link GA|no}}
{{Link GA|zh}}

]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 22:58, 23 December 2024

Capital and largest city of Lithuania "Vilna", "Wilna", and "Wilno" redirect here. For other uses, see Vilna (disambiguation), Wilna (disambiguation), and Wilno (disambiguation).

Capital city in Lithuania
Vilnius
Capital city
Šnipiškės business districtVilnius Central Business DistrictVilnius Old TownVilnius Cathedral and its bell towerVilnius CathedralGediminas TowerGediminas TowerPresidential PalacePresidential PalaceChurch of St. Theresa and Gate of DawnChurch of St. Theresa and Gate of DawnTown Hall SquareTown Hall Square
Flag of VilniusFlagCoat of arms of VilniusCoat of armsOfficial logo of VilniusBrandmark
Nickname(s): Jerusalem of the North, Rome of the North, Athens of the North, New Babylon, City of Palemon City of Low Flying Angels
Motto(s): Unitas, Justitia, Spes
(Latin: Unity, Justice, Hope)
Interactive map of Vilnius
Vilnius is located in LithuaniaVilniusVilniusLocation within LithuaniaShow map of LithuaniaVilnius is located in Baltic statesVilniusVilniusLocation within the BalticsShow map of Baltic statesVilnius is located in EuropeVilniusVilniusLocation within EuropeShow map of Europe
Coordinates: 54°41′14″N 25°16′48″E / 54.68722°N 25.28000°E / 54.68722; 25.28000
Country Lithuania
CountyVilnius County
MunicipalityVilnius
Capital ofLithuania
First mentioned1323
Granted city rights1387
Elderships List
Government
 • TypeMayor–council government
 • BodyCity council
 • MayorValdas Benkunskas
Area
 • Capital city401 km (155 sq mi)
 • Urban350 km (140 sq mi)
 • Metro9,730 km (3,760 sq mi)
Elevation112 m (367 ft)
Population
 • Capital city605,270
 • Rank(35th in EU)
 • Density1,560/km (4,000/sq mi)
 • Urban747,864
 • Urban density2,000/km (5,000/sq mi)
 • Metro853,656
 • Metro density93/km (240/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Vilnian(s) (English)
vilniečiai (Lithuanian)
GDP
 • Metro€33.6 billion (2023)
 • Per capita€39,100 (2023)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code01001–14191
Area code(+370) 5
City budget€1.4 billion
HDI (2021)0.913 – very high
ClimateDfb
Websitevilnius.lt
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official nameHistoric Centre of Vilnius
TypeCultural
Criteriaii, iv
Designated1994 (18th session)
Reference no.
UNESCO regionEurope

Vilnius (/ˈvɪlniəs/ VIL-nee-əs, Lithuanian: [ˈvʲɪlʲnʲʊs] ) is the capital of and largest city in Lithuania and the second-most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated July 2024 population was 605,270, and the Vilnius urban area (which extends beyond the city limits) has an estimated population of 708,627.

Vilnius is notable for the architecture of its Old Town, considered one of Europe's largest and best-preserved old towns. The city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The architectural style known as Vilnian Baroque is named after the city, which is farthest to the east among Baroque cities and the largest such city north of the Alps.

The city was noted for its multicultural population during the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, with contemporary sources comparing it to Babylon. Before World War II and the Holocaust, Vilnius was one of Europe's most important Jewish centers. Its Jewish influence has led to its being called "the Jerusalem of Lithuania", and Napoleon called it "the Jerusalem of the North" when he passed through in 1812.

Vilnius was a 2009 European Capital of Culture with Linz in Austria. In 2021, the city was named one of fDi's 25 Global Cities of the Future. Vilnius is considered a global financial centre, ranked 76th globally and 29th in Europe on the Global Financial Centres Index. It hosted the 2023 NATO Summit. Vilnius is a member of Eurocities and the Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU).

Etymology and other names

Vilnius' name originates from the river Vilnia, the Lithuanian word for ripple. 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 include Latin: Vilna, Polish: Wilno, Belarusian: Вiльня (Vilnia), German: Wilna, Latvian: Viļņa, Ukrainian: Вільно (Vilno), Yiddish: ווילנע (Vilne). A Russian name dating to the Russian Empire was Вильна (Vilna), although Вильнюс (Vilnyus) is now used. The names Wilno, Wilna, and Vilna were used in English-, German-, French-, and Italian-language publications when the city was a capital of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and an important city in the Second Polish Republic. The name Vilna is still used in Finnish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Hebrew: וילנה. Wilna is still used in German with Vilnius.

1835 painting by Aleksander Lesser of Gediminas' dream about an Iron Wolf

According to a legend recorded during the c. 1530s, Grand Duke Gediminas (c. 1275–1341) was hunting in the sacred forest near Šventaragis' Valley, (where the Vilnia flows into the river Neris. The successful wisent hunt lasted longer than expected, and Gediminas decided to spend the night in the valley. He fell asleep and dreamed of a huge Iron Wolf at the top of a hill, howling loudly. Upon awakening, the Duke asked the krivis Lizdeika to interpret the dream. The chief 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.

Gediminas, obeying the gods, built two castles: the Lower Castle in the valley, and the Crooked Castle on Bald Hill. He moved his court there, declared it his permanent seat and capital, and developed the surrounding area into a city he named Vilnius.

History

Main article: History of Vilnius For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Vilnius.
A 14th-century manuscript
The oldest known mention of Vilnius, in Gediminas' 1323 letter

Vilnius' history dates to the Stone Age. The city has been ruled by imperial and Soviet Russia, Napoleonic France, imperial and Nazi Germany, interwar Poland, and Lithuania.

Initially a Baltic settlement, Vilnius became significant in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The city was first mentioned in letters by Grand Duke Gediminas, who invited Jews and Germans to settle and built a wooden castle on a hill. Vilnius became a city in 1387, after the Christianization of Lithuania, and was settled by craftsmen and merchants of a variety of nationalities. It was the capital of the Grand Duchy (until 1795), and of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Vilnius flourished under the commonwealth, especially after the 1579 establishment of Vilnius University by King Stephen Báthory. The city became a cultural and scientific center, attracting migrants from east and west. It had diverse communities, with Jewish, Orthodox, and German populations. The city experienced a number of invasions and occupations, including by the Teutonic Knights, Russia and, later, Germany.

Under imperial Russian rule, Vilnius became the capital of Vilna Governorate and had a number of cultural revivals during the 19th and early 20th centuries by Jews, Poles, Lithuanians, and Belarusians. 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. After that war, Vilnius became the capital of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Independence

Modern Vilnius from a distance
The New City Centre seen from Karoliniškės, with most of its high-rise buildings constructed within two decades of independence

On 11 March 1990, the Supreme Council of the Lithuanian SSR announced its secession from the Soviet Union and intention to restore an independent Lithuania. On 9 January 1991, the Soviet Union sent in troops; this culminated in the 13 January attack on the State Radio and Television Building and Vilnius TV Tower which killed 14 civilians. The Soviet Union recognised Lithuanian independence in September 1991. According to the Constitution 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 in Žirmūnai on the Neris river's right bank.

Vilnius has become a modern European city. Its territory has been expanded with three acts since 1990, incorporating urban areas, villages, hamlets, and the city of Grigiškės. Most historic buildings have been renovated and a business and commercial area became the New 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 of Swedbank's headquarters indicates the importance of Scandinavian banks in Vilnius. The Vilnius Business Harbour complex was built and expanded. Over 75,000 flats were built from 1995 to 2018, making the city a Baltic construction leader.

A busy, cobbled city street
Gediminas Avenue in autumn

Vilnius was selected as a 2009 European Capital of Culture with Linz, the capital of Upper Austria. The 2007–2008 financial crisis led to a drop in tourism, which prevented many projects from completion; allegations of corruption and incompetence were made; tax increases for cultural activity led to protests, and economic conditions sparked riots. On 28–29 November 2013, Vilnius hosted the Eastern Partnership summit at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Many European presidents, prime ministers, and high-ranking officials participated. In 2015, Remigijus Šimašius became the city's first directly elected mayor. The 2023 NATO summit was held in Vilnius.

Geography

See caption
Aerial view of Vilnius City Centre and its surrounding green space

Vilnius is at the confluence of the Vilnia and Neris rivers in southeastern Lithuania. Several countries say that the geographical midpoint of Europe is within their territory. The midpoint depends on the definition of European extent, and the Guinness Book of World Records recognises a point near Vilnius as the continental centre. After a 1989 re-estimation of European boundaries, Jean-George Affholder of the Institut Géographique National (French National Geographic Institute) determined that its geographic centre was at 54°54′N 25°19′E / 54.900°N 25.317°E / 54.900; 25.317 (Purnuškės (centre of gravity)). The method used to calculate the point was the centre of gravity of the European geometrical figure, and is near the village of Girija (26 kilometres from Vilnius). A monument by sculptor Gediminas Jokūbonis, a column of white granite surmounted by a crown of stars, was built there in 2004.

Vilnius is 312 km (194 mi) from the Baltic Sea and Klaipėda, the main Lithuanian seaport. 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) and Panevėžys (135 km or 84 mi away).

Vilnius has an area of 402 km (155 sq mi). Buildings cover 29.1 percent of the city; green space covers 68.8 percent, and water covers 2.1 percent. The city has eight nature 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.

Several lakes, including Balžis, are located on the north-eastern outskirts of Vilnius.

Climate

Aerial view of the city
A foggy winter sunrise

Vilnius has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb), with temperature records since 1777. The average annual temperature is 7.3 °C (45 °F); the average January temperature is −3.9 °C (25 °F), and the July average is 18.7 °C (66 °F). Average annual precipitation is 691 mm (27.20 in). Temperatures in the city have increased significantly during the last 30 years, a change which the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service attributes to human-induced global warming.

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.

Climate data for Vilnius (1991–2020 normals, sun 1961–1990, extremes 1777–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 12.3
(54.1) 		14.4
(57.9) 		24.7
(76.5) 		29.0
(84.2) 		31.8
(89.2) 		34.2
(93.6) 		36.4
(97.5) 		34.9
(94.8) 		33.1
(91.6) 		24.5
(76.1) 		15.5
(59.9) 		10.5
(50.9) 		36.4
(97.5)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 4.9
(40.8) 		5.7
(42.3) 		13.1
(55.6) 		22.4
(72.3) 		26.7
(80.1) 		28.8
(83.8) 		30.8
(87.4) 		30.3
(86.5) 		25.4
(77.7) 		18.3
(64.9) 		11.1
(52.0) 		6.1
(43.0) 		32.1
(89.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −1.7
(28.9) 		−0.5
(31.1) 		4.4
(39.9) 		12.6
(54.7) 		18.4
(65.1) 		21.7
(71.1) 		23.8
(74.8) 		23.1
(73.6) 		17.4
(63.3) 		10.3
(50.5) 		3.7
(38.7) 		−0.3
(31.5) 		11.1
(52.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) −3.8
(25.2) 		−3.1
(26.4) 		0.9
(33.6) 		7.6
(45.7) 		13.0
(55.4) 		16.4
(61.5) 		18.7
(65.7) 		17.9
(64.2) 		13.0
(55.4) 		7.1
(44.8) 		1.9
(35.4) 		−2.1
(28.2) 		7.3
(45.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −5.9
(21.4) 		−5.6
(21.9) 		−2.7
(27.1) 		2.6
(36.7) 		7.5
(45.5) 		11.1
(52.0) 		13.6
(56.5) 		12.7
(54.9) 		8.5
(47.3) 		3.9
(39.0) 		0.0
(32.0) 		−4
(25) 		3.5
(38.3)
Mean minimum °C (°F) −19.3
(−2.7) 		−17.5
(0.5) 		−10.8
(12.6) 		−4.2
(24.4) 		0.1
(32.2) 		4.9
(40.8) 		8.1
(46.6) 		6.8
(44.2) 		1.1
(34.0) 		−3.8
(25.2) 		−8.7
(16.3) 		−14.1
(6.6) 		−22.0
(−7.6)
Record low °C (°F) −37.2
(−35.0) 		−35.8
(−32.4) 		−29.6
(−21.3) 		−14.4
(6.1) 		−4.4
(24.1) 		0.1
(32.2) 		3.5
(38.3) 		1.0
(33.8) 		−4.8
(23.4) 		−14.4
(6.1) 		−22.8
(−9.0) 		−30.5
(−22.9) 		−37.2
(−35.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 38.9
(1.53) 		34.4
(1.35) 		37.0
(1.46) 		46.2
(1.82) 		52.1
(2.05) 		72.7
(2.86) 		79.3
(3.12) 		75.8
(2.98) 		65.2
(2.57) 		51.5
(2.03) 		51.5
(2.03) 		49.2
(1.94) 		653.8
(25.74)
Average precipitation days 21.7 18.4 17.5 10.2 12.4 11.7 11.4 10.5 9.7 13.5 16.7 21.2 174.9
Average dew point °C (°F) −5
(23) 		−5
(23) 		−3
(27) 		1
(34) 		6
(43) 		10
(50) 		13
(55) 		12
(54) 		9
(48) 		4
(39) 		0
(32) 		−3
(27) 		3
(38)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 37 70 117 165 242 231 220 217 141 93 33 25 1,591
Average ultraviolet index 0 1 2 3 5 6 6 5 3 2 1 0 3
Source: WMO (avg high and low) NOAA (sun, extremes), Météo Climat, Time and Date (dewpoints, 1985–2015) and Weather Atlas

Culture

Painting and sculpture

A large wall painting
16th-century Gothic frescoes in the Church of St. Francis and St. Bernard
Ornate brown marble sculpture
Tombstone of Lew Sapieha, c. 1633, in the Church of St. Michael

Vilnius was an artistic centre of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, attracting artists across Europe. The oldest surviving early Gothic artworks (14th century) are paintings dedicated to churches and liturgy, such as frescoes in the crypts of Vilnius Cathedral and decorated hymnbooks. Sixteenth-century wall paintings are in the city's Church of St. Francis and St. Bernard and the Church of Saint Nicholas. Gothic wooden polychrome sculptures decorate church altars. Some Gothic seals from the 14th and 15th centuries still exist, including those of Kęstutis, Vytautas the Great and Sigismund II Augustus.

Renaissance sculpture appeared during the early 16th century, primarily by the Italian 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 of Albertas Goštautas (1548) and Paweł Holszański (1555) by Bernardino 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 of Lew Sapieha (c. 1633) in the Church of St. Michael, are stylized. During this period, local and Western European painters created religious and mythological compositions and portraits with late Gothic and Baroque features; illustrated prayerbooks, illustrations, and miniatures have survived.

During the late-16th-century Baroque, 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. Baroque sculptures dominated sacred architecture: tombstones with sculpted portraits and decorative sculptures in wood, marble, and stucco. 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 by Lithuanian nobility. Their works exemplify the mature Baroque, with expressive forms and sensuality. Local sculptors emphasized Baroque decorative features, with less expression and emotion.

Painting of a young woman
Lithuanian Girl with Palm Sunday Fronds by Kanuty Rusiecki

Lithuanian painting was influenced by the Vilnius Art School during the late 18th and 19th centuries, which introduced classical and romantic art. Painters had internships abroad, mainly in Italy. Allegorical, mythological compositions, landscapes, and portraits of representatives of various circles of society began, and historical themes prevailed. The era's best-known classical painters are Franciszek Smaglewicz, Jan Rustem, Józef Oleszkiew, Daniel Kondratowicz [pl], Józef Peszka, and Wincenty Smokowski. Romantic artists were Jan Rustem, Jan Krzysztof Damel, Wincenty Dmochowski and Kanuty Rusiecki. After the 1832 closure of Vilnius University, the Vilnius Art School continued to influence Lithuanian art.

The Lithuanian Art Society was established in 1907 by Petras Rimša, Antanas Žmuidzinavičius and Antanas Jaroševičius, and the Vilnius Art Society was founded the following year. Artists included Jonas Šileika, Justinas Vienožinskis [lt], Jonas Mackevičius (1872) [lt], Vytautas Kairiūkštis, and Vytautas Pranas Bičiūnas, who employed Western European symbolism, realism, Art Nouveau and modernism. Socialist realism was introduced after World War II, with propaganda paintings, historical and household works, still lives, landscapes, portraits, and sculptures. Late 20th- and 21st-century painters are Žygimantas Augustinas, Eglė Ridikaitė, Eglė Gineitytė, Patricija Jurkšaitytė, Jurga Barilaitė, and Solomonas Teitelbaumas.

The Užupis 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. In its main square, a statue of an angel blowing a trumpet symbolises artistic freedom.

The world's first bronze memorial to Frank Zappa was installed in the Naujamiestis 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.

Museums and galleries

See also: List of museums in Lithuania
Long, two-story building with a red roof
The National Museum of Lithuania is in the New Arsenal of the Vilnius Castle Complex.

Vilnius has a variety of museums. The National 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. 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. Other museums are the Vilnius Museum, the House of Histories, Church Heritage Museum, Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, Fight for Freedom Museum in the Vilnius 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.

Exterior of a three-story building
The Lithuanian National Museum of Art, in the former Chodkiewicz Palace

Vilnius has a number of art galleries. Lithuania's largest art collection is housed in the Lithuanian National Museum of Art. The Vilnius Picture Gallery, in the city's Old Town, houses a collection of Lithuanian art from the 16th to the early 20th centuries. Across the Neris, the National Art Gallery has a number of exhibitions of 20th-century Lithuanian art. The Contemporary 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. On 10 November 2007, the Jonas Mekas Visual Arts Center was opened by avant-garde filmmaker Jonas Mekas; its premiere exhibition was The Avant-Garde: From Futurism to Fluxus. In 2018, the MO 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.

Literature

See also: Lithuanian literature
Old photo of a store exterior
The Zawadzki bookstore, on present-day Pilies Street. Its signs are in Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, French, and German.

Around 1520, Francysk Skaryna (author of the first Ruthenian Bible) established eastern Europe's first printing house in Vilnius. Skaryna prepared and published the Little Traveller's Book (Ruthenian: Малая подорожная книжка), the first printed book of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, in 1522. Three years later, he printed the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles (the Apostle).

The Vilnius Academy Press was established in 1575 by Lithuanian nobleman Mikołaj Krzysztof "the Orphan" Radziwiłł as the Vilnius Academy printing house, delegating its management to the Jesuits. It published its first book, Piotr Skarga's Pro Sacratissima Eucharistia contra haeresim Zwinglianam, in May 1576. The press was funded by the Lithuanian nobility and the church. In 1805, Józef Zawadzki bought the press and founded the Józef Zawadzki printing shop. Operating continuously until 1939, it published books in a number of languages; Adam Mickiewicz's first poetry book was published in 1822.

Mikalojus Daukša translated and published a catechism by Spanish Jesuit theologian Jacobo Ledesma in 1595, the first printed Lithuanian-language book in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He also translated and published Jakub Wujek's Postilla Catholica in 1599.

Exterior of a large church
Gate of the Basilian Monastery, where Adam Mickiewicz was imprisoned for fighting Russian rule

Many writers were born in Vilnius, lived there, or are alumni of Vilnius University; they include Konstantinas Sirvydas, Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, Antoni Gorecki, Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, Antoni Edward Odyniec, Michał Józef Römer, Adam Mickiewicz, Władysław Syrokomla, Józef Mackiewicz, Romain Gary, Juliusz Słowacki, Simonas Daukantas, Mykolas Biržiška, Petras Cvirka, Kazys Bradūnas, Nobel laureate Czesław Miłosz). Vilnius Academy of Arts alumnae have also added to the internationally acclaimed contemporary writers such as Jurga Ivanauskaitė, Undinė Radzevičiūtė and Kristina Sabaliauskaitė. The first consideration of the First Statute of Lithuania took place in 1522 at the Seimas of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The code was drafted under the guidance of Grand Chancellor of Lithuania Albertas Goštautas in accordance with customary law, legislation, and canon and Roman law. It is Europe's first codification of secular law. Albertas Goštautas supported the use of Lithuanian in literature and protected Lithuanian authors (including Abraomas Kulvietis and Michael the Lithuanian) who criticised the use of Old Church Slavonic, and called refugees Old Believers in De moribus tartarorum, lituanorum et moscorum.

Exterior of a square, white building
The Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore in Vileišis Palace

Since the 16th century, the Lithuanian Metrica has been kept at the Lower Castle and safeguarded by the State Chancellor. 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 on microfilm at the Lithuanian State Historical Archives in Vilnius.

Over 200 tiles and plaques commemorating writers who lived and worked in Vilnius and foreign authors connected to Vilnius and Lithuania adorn walls on Literatų Street (Lithuanian: Literatų gatvė) in the Old Town, outlining the history of Lithuanian literature. The Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore and the Lithuanian Writers' Union are in the city. The Vilnius book fair is held annually at LITEXPO, the Baltics' largest exhibition centre.

Cinema

See also: Cinema of Lithuania
Exterior of the Botanical Garden gate
Billboard above the Botanical Garden main gate of the first film screening in Vilnius (1896)

The first public film session in Vilnius was held in the Botanical Garden (now the Bernardinai Garden) in July 1896. It was held after 1895 film sessions by Auguste 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 the Lukiškės Square movie theater in 1902; it was the first feature film shown in Vilnius.

The first movie theater in Vilnius, Iliuzija (Illusion), opened in 1905 at 60 Didžioji Street. The first movie theaters, similar to theatres, had boxes 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.

A large, white, two-story building
The Lithuanian Theater, Music and Cinema Museum, in the 17th-century Minor Radvilos Palace

On 4 June 1924, the Vilnius magistrate 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.

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). Closed in 2002, it was demolished in 2017 and replaced by MO Museum. Kino Pavasaris is the city's largest film festival. The Lithuanian Film Centre (Lithuanian: Lietuvos kino centras), tasked with promoting the development and competitiveness of the Lithuanian film industry, is in Vilnius.

Music

See also: Music of Lithuania
Title page of a libretto
Libretto of the first opera staged in Vilnius (1636), before the first operas in Paris (1645) and London (1656)

Musicians performed at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania as early as the 14th century, since Grand Duke Gediminas' daughter Aldona of Lithuania was known to be enthusiastic about music. Aldona brought court musicians and singers to Kraków after marrying King Casimir III the Great. During the 16th century, composers such as Wacław of Szamotuły, Jan Brant, Heinrich Finck, Cyprian Bazylik, Alessandro Pesenti, Luca Marenzio, and Michelagnolo Galilei lived in Vilnius; the city was also home to virtuoso lutist Bálint Bakfark. One of the first local musicians in written sources was Steponas Vilnietis (Stephanus de Vylna). The first textbook of Lithuanian music, The Art and Practice of Music (Latin: Ars et praxis musica), was published in Vilnius by Žygimantas Liauksminas in 1667.

Italian artists produced Lithuania's first opera on 4 September 1636 at the Palace of the Grand Dukes, commissioned by Grand Duke Władysław IV Vasa. Operas are produced at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre and by the Vilnius City Opera.

The Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, the country's largest and oldest state-owned concert organization, produces live concerts and tours in Lithuania and abroad. The Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, founded by Gintaras Rinkevičius, performs in Vilnius.

An outdoor stage and a crowd
The Lithuanian Song and Dance Festival in Vingis Park

Choral music is popular in Lithuania, and Vilnius has three choir laureates (Brevis, Jauna Muzika, and the Chamber Choir of the Conservatoire) at the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing. The Lithuanian Song and Dance Festival in Vilnius has been presented every four years since 1990 for about 30,000 singers and folk dancers in Vingis Park. In 2008, the festival and its Latvian and Estonian counterparts were designated as a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

The jazz scene is active in Vilnius; in 1970–71, the Ganelin/Tarasov/Chekasin trio founded the Vilnius Jazz School. The Vilnius Jazz Festival is held annually.

A middle-aged man in a leather jacket and jeans
Andrius Mamontovas, leader of Foje and founder of the annual Gatvės muzikos diena (Street Music Day)

The annual Gatvės muzikos diena (Street Music Day) gathers musicians on the city's streets. Vilnius is the birthplace of singers Mariana Korvelytė – Moravskienė, Paulina Rivoli, Danielius Dolskis, Vytautas Kernagis, Algirdas Kaušpėdas, Andrius Mamontovas, Nomeda Kazlaus, and Asmik Grigorian); composers César Cui, Felix Yaniewicz, Maximilian Steinberg, Vytautas Miškinis, and Onutė Narbutaitė); conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla), and musicians Antoni Radziwiłł, Jascha Heifetz, Clara Rockmore, and Romas Lileikis).

It was the hometown of 18th-century composers Michał Kazimierz Ogiński, Johann David Holland (colleague of C. Bach), Maciej Radziwiłł, and Michał Kleofas Ogiński. Nineteenth-century Vilnius was known for singer Kristina Gerhardi Frank, a close friend of Mozart and Haydn (who starred in the premiere of Haydn's Creation), mid-19th century guitar virtuoso Marek Konrad Sokołowski and composer Stanisław Moniuszko. The wealthiest woman in Vilnius during the early 19th century was singer Maria de Neri. In the early 20th century, Vilnius was the hometown of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, Mikas Petrauskas, and Juozas Tallat-Kelpša. Late-20th- and early 21st-century musicians include Vyacheslav Ganelin, Petras Vyšniauskas, Petras Geniušas, Mūza Rubackytė, Alanas Chošnau, and Marijonas Mikutavičius.

The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, headquartered on Gediminas Avenue, is also located at the Slushko Palace in Antakalnis. Singers who have lectured at the academy include tenors Kipras Petrauskas and Virgilijus Noreika.

Theatre

1687 Latin page of a theatre program dedicated to Algirdas, which was performed in Vilnius

The Lithuanian Grand Dukes' entertainment at the castle, rulers' visits abroad and guests' meetings had theatrical elements. During Sigismund 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, where drammas per musica were performed by the Italian Virgilio Puccitelli. The performances had basic, luxurious scenography.

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 had medieval 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 to Algirdas, Mindaugas, Vytautas and other Lithuanian rulers).

Wojciech Bogusławski established Vilnius City Theatre, the city's first public theatre, in 1785. The theatre, initially in the Oskierka Palace, moved to the Radziwiłł Palace and Vilnius 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.

Exterior of a large, white building
The Lithuanian National Drama Theatre

During the interwar period (when the city was part of Poland), Vilnius was known for the modern, experimental Reduta troupe and institute led by Juliusz Osterwa. 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 the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre.

After the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940, theatre became a means of disseminating Soviet ideology. Performances incorporated socialist realism, and a number of revolutionary 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.

Theatre changed after Lithuanian independence. 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-language Old Theatre of Vilnius.

Photography

Very old photo of a solar flare
A coronal mass ejection, captured in 1867 with Vilnius' photoheliograph (the second such device in the world)

According to the memoirs of architect Bolesław Podczaszyński, published in January 1853 in the Gazeta Warszawska, Lithuanian photography began with the daguerreotyping in the summer of 1839 of the reconstructed Verkiai Palace by François Marcillac (governor of the children of Duke Ludwig Wittgenstein). The country's unfavorable political situation hampered the development of new technology and cultural activities. The first known daguerreotype-portrait atelier 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, from Norway.

In the 1860s, with the spread of the collodion process, glass negatives and albumen 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 photographers Abdonas Korzonas and Albert Swieykowski, who compiled the 32-image Vilnius 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 the January Uprising were punished; A. Korzonas was deported to Siberia. Other prominent 19th-century photographers were Stanisław Filibert Fleury (a stereoscopic-photography pioneer), Aleksander Władysław Strauss, and Józef Czechowicz.

The world's second photoheliograph was installed in 1865 at the Vilnius University Astronomical Observatory, and photographed sunspots. An unprecedented system of photographing solar dynamics began in 1868 in Vilnius. Jan Bułhak founded the country's first photography club in Vilnius in 1927. In 1952, Švyturys magazine organized the city's first photography exhibition.

Crafts

An ornate gold monstranceThe Great Monstrance, commissioned in Vilnius in 1535 by Albertas Goštautas, is one of central Europe's largest.Detailed reverse of a gold coinReverse of Sigismund III Vasa's 10-ducat gold coin, struck in the Vilnius Mint in 1616, with the coat of arms of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the privy marks of Podskarbi wielki litewski Hieronim Wołłowicz

Iron tools, weapons, brass, glass and silver jewelry have been produced in present-day Lithuania since the first century. Pottery wood products, and weaving became widespread in the second and fourth centuries. During the feudal era, home crafts were components of a subsistence 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 fine glassware 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. European goldsmiths worked in the Vilnius Goldsmiths' Workshop (established in 1495), which controlled trade in precious metals and gemstones and served the Daugava and Dnieper regions, the Catholic Church, the Grand Duke, the nobility, and townspeople. The Vilnius Mint, the main mint of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, minted the Lithuanian denarius, shillings, groschen, thalers, ducats, and other coins from 1387 to 1666.

Crafting declined in the second half of the 17th century due to the Russo-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 of serfdom, craft schools were established in Lithuanian cities; crafts have prevailed in clothing manufacturing, goldsmithing, woodworking, food processing, and other fields. Under Soviet occupation, craftspeople worked in artels until 1960 and then in combines. After independence, crafts were produced by small and medium-sized businesses.

Language

See also: Demographic history of Vilnius § Historic ethnic makeup, and Lithuanian language
An old manuscript
Edict issued by Vytautas the Great in Vilnius on 16 February 1410 in Latin
Title page of an old book1783 Lithuanian language primer, published in VilniusAn old manuscriptManuscript of the Constitution of 3 May 1791 in Lithuanian

A multicultural city, Vilnius' language changed over the centuries. The predominant spoken language in medieval Lithuania was Lithuanian. It had no literary tradition, however, and was not used in writing except for religious texts such as the Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary. Vytautas the Great spoke in Lithuanian with Jogaila, whose son Casimir IV Jagiellon also spoke Lithuanian. Saint Casimir, the patron saint of Lithuania, knew Lithuanian, Polish, German and Latin. Fifteenth-century Byzantine historian Laonikos Chalkokondyles reported that the Lithuanians had a distinct language.

Ruthenian was used after the incorporation of Kievan Rus', forming the basis of 19th-century Ukrainian and Belarusian. Written Ruthenian stemmed from the interaction of Old East Slavic with Ruthenian dialects, becoming the main language of the chancery of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 14th and 15th centuries and maintained its dominance until the mid-17th century.

Latin and Polish 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.

At the Vilnius court of Sigismund II Augustus, the last Grand Duke of Lithuania before the Union of Lublin, Polish and Lithuanian were spoken. In 1552, Sigismund ordered that orders from the Magistrate of Vilnius be announced in Lithuanian, Polish, and Ruthenian. Minorities such as Jews, Lipka Tatars, and Crimean Karaites were ruled by the Grand Duke of Lithuania, and their languages were only used among themselves. According to Article 14 of the Lithuanian constitution, Lithuanian is the official language; however, interpreter assistance is sometimes provided.

Fashion

Painting of a man, standingPainting of a smiling woman in masculine clothingJanusz Radziwiłł (left), wearing a żupan and kontush belt; Emerencjanna Pociej, wife of Ludwik Pociej, in Western European clothing

According to historian Antanas Čaplinskas, wives of merchants and craftsmen wore rings decorated with gemstones. Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century property inventories list long, wide-sleeved jackets (known as kontusz), żupans decorated with fur, and kontush belts. Buttons, made of pearl, coral, brilliant-cut diamonds and emeralds, were decorated with diamonds and enamel. Delias and dolmans were popular with townspeople and nobles.

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 and brooches. Broader restrictions were imposed by the Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, which adopted the 1613 Act of Thrift forbidding non-noble townspeople from wearing expensive furs in public. Payment of a fee later removed the limitations.

During the late 18th century, almost all men shaved; their hair was short, and they wore open-front blue, green or black tailcoats and waistcoats with white or light-yellow trousers; women's clothing echoed West European styles. In the early 20th century, clothing followed West European fashion trends. The State Art Institute of Lithuania introduced clothing-design studies, and the Vilnius Model House (popularizing apparel and footwear) was established in 1961.

The annual Vilnius spring Mados infekcija (Fashion Infection), Lithuania's largest fashion show, began in 1999. Lithuanian clothing designer Juozas Statkevičius usually presents his shows in the city.

Holidays and festivals

A crowded street scene
Kaziuko mugė is held each March to honor Saint Casimir.

Catholic holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Saint John's Eve) are widely celebrated. On 16 February (anniversary of the Act of Independence of Lithuania) and 11 March (anniversary of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania), festive and religious events take place in Vilnius. On the evening of 12 January, bonfires are lit to commemorate the January Events.

Kaziuko mugė (Saint Casimir's Fair), held annually in the city's markets and streets on the Sunday nearest to 4 March (the feast of Saint Casimir), attracts many visitors and Lithuanian and foreign craftspeople. Easter palms (Lithuanian: Verbos) are symbolic of the fair. Capital Days (Lithuanian: Sostinės dienos), Vilnius' largest festival of music and culture, is held from 30 August to 1 September. The river Vilnia is dyed green every year for Saint Patrick's Day. During the annual Vilnius Culture Night, artists and cultural organisations hold events and performances throughout the city.

Administration

Government

See also: Voivode of Vilnius and Mayor of Vilnius
Painting of an older, bearded man
Krzysztof "Piorun" Radziwiłł was Voivode of Vilnius from 1584 to 1603. After his victories against Ivan the Terrible during the Livonian War, he was nicknamed "the Thunderbolt".

Before Magdeburg rights were granted to Vilnius in 1378, the city was ruled by vicegerents. Government was later granted to a magistrate or a city council, subordinate to the ruler. In wartime, it was led by a voivode. The government headquarters was at Vilnius Town Hall.

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 a notary in transactions and testaments, a judge 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 by Sigismund 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.

Exterior of a large, white building, with a church in the background
The neoclassical Town Hall, designed by Laurynas Gucevičius in 1799

The chief city administrator was a Catholic vaitas (a vicegerent of the Grand Duke of Lithuania), most of whom were beginning their careers in the magistracy, and chaired city-council meetings. He adjudicated criminal cases, with the right to impose capital punishment. Originally examining cases alone, two suolininkai also began examining important cases in the 16th century. At that time, the city council consisted of 12 burgomasters and 24 councilors; half were Catholics, the other half Orthodox). 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.

A large, modern building
The Vilnius City Municipality Building in Konstitucijos Avenue, which houses the city's municipal council and administration

Under the Russian Empire, the city council was replaced with a city duma. Vilnius was the capital of the Lithuania Governorate from 1797 to 1801, the Vilna Governorate-General from 1794 to 1912, and the Vilna Governorate from 1795 to 1915. After the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, Vilnius was the capital of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Vilnius City Municipality

The Vilnius City Municipality is the representative self-government organ, one of 60 municipalities of Lithuania. In addition to Vilnius proper, it includes the town of Grigiškės, as well as the villages and rural areas of the Grigiškės eldership [lt].

The Vinius City Municipal Council [lt], established in 1990, is elected to four-year terms, and candidates are nominated by political parties and committees. Beginning with the 2011 elections, independent candidates are permitted. Its executive organ is the Vilnius City Municipality Administration [lt].

Before 2015, mayors were appointed by the council. Beginning that year, mayors were elected in a two-round system. Remigijus Šimašius was the city's first directly elected mayor.

Subdivisions

Elderships, a statewide administrative division, are municipal districts. The 21 elderships are based on neighbourhoods:

Numbered map of Vilnius
Map of Vilnius elderships. Numbers on the map correspond with numbers on the list.
  1. Verkiai – includes Baltupiai, Jeruzalė, Santariškės, Balsiai, and Visoriai
  2. Antakalnis – includes Valakampiai, Turniškės, and Dvarčionys
  3. Pašilaičiai – includes Tarandė
  4. Fabijoniškės – includes Bajorai
  5. Pilaitė
  6. Justiniškės
  7. Viršuliškės
  8. Šeškinė
  9. Šnipiškės
  10. Žirmūnai – includes Šiaurės miestelis [lt] and Tuskulėnai [lt]
  11. Karoliniškės
  12. Žvėrynas
  13. Grigiškės – a town
  14. Lazdynai
  15. Vilkpėdė – includes Vingis Park
  16. Naujamiestis – includes bus and train stations
  17. Senamiestis (Old Town) – includes Užupis
  18. Naujoji Vilnia – includes Pavilnys and Pūčkoriai
  19. Paneriai – includes Trakų Vokė and Gariūnai
  20. Naujininkai – includes Kirtimai, Salininkai, and Vilnius International Airport
  21. Rasos – includes Belmontas and Markučiai
Eldership Area (km) Population Density (per km)
Antakalnis 77.2 39,257 510
Fabijoniškės 4.1 37,006 9,000
Grigiškės 7.1 10,335 1,500
Justiniškės 3.0 25,956 8,700
Karoliniškės 4.0 24,751 6,200
Lazdynai 9.9 30,945 3,100
Naujamiestis 4.9 28,157 5,700
Naujininkai 41.1 30,030 730
Naujoji Vilnia 39.3 36,800 940
Paneriai 84.8 11,149 130
Pašilaičiai 7.9 40,384 5,100
Pilaitė 13.9 28,234 2,000
Rasos 16.3 10,230 630
Senamiestis (Old Town) 4.5 21,782 4,800
Šeškinė 4.4 28,137 6,400
Šnipiškės 3.1 16,474 5,300
Verkiai 55.7 50,754 910
Vilkpėdė 10.8 19,325 1,800
Viršuliškės 2.5 13,877 5,600
Žirmūnai 5.7 43,453 8,600
Žvėrynas 2.6 12,089 4,700

Vilnius District Municipality

Further information: Vilnius District Municipality
Aerial view of an old fortress
Medininkai Castle, built in the first half of the 14th century. It is the largest enclosure-type defensive castle in Lithuania and a primary landmark in the district.
See caption
Map of Vilnius district

Vilnius District Municipality (Lithuanian: Vilniaus rajono savivaldybė), one of the country's largest municipalities, covers 2,129 square kilometres (822 sq mi) and has 23 elderships. There are over 1,000 villages and five towns (Nemenčinė, Bezdonys, Maišiagala, Mickūnai and Šumskas) in the district. It borders Belarus and the Švenčionys, Moletai, Širvintos, Elektrėnai, Trakai and Šalčininkai districts.

The district has a multinational population, of which 52 percent are Poles, 33 percent Lithuanians, and the remainder Russians, Belarusians and other nationalities (including Ukrainians). It has a population of over 100,000; 95 percent live in villages, and five percent live in towns. Vilnius district has Lithuania's highest terrain, with the Aukštojas, Juozapinė and Kruopinė Hills over 290 metres (950 ft) above sea level.

Palm Sunday is celebrated in the district, and Vilnian Easter palms (verbos) are made from dried flowers and herbs. Palm-making dates to the time of St. Casimir.

Medininkai Castle, the Liubavas Manor mill and Bareikiškės Manor are the district's best-known historic landmarks. From 1769 to 1795, Vilnius Voivodeship surrounded the independent Republic of Paulava. The microstate, known for its Enlightenment values, had its own president, peasant parliament, army and laws.

With its large Polish population, the Vilnius District Municipality Council primarily consists of members of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania party. Its mayor is Robert Duchniewicz of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Union.

National government

Seimas Palace in Vilnius, where the parliamentarians of Lithuania convenes
A large room with horseshoe-shaped seating, seen from above
A Seimas plenary session

Vilnius is the seat of Lithuania's national government. The country's two chief officers have their offices in Vilnius. The president resides at the Presidential Palace in Daukanto Square, and the prime minister's seat is at the Government of Lithuania office in Gediminas Avenue. According to law, the president has a residence in Vilnius' Turniškės district near the Neris. The prime minister is also has entitled to a residence in Turniškės district during their term in office. Government ministries are located throughout the city, many in the Old Town.

The Seimas of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania primarily gathered in Vilnius. The present-day Seimas meets at the Seimas Palace in Gediminas Avenue.

Lithuania's highest courts are in Vilnius. The Supreme Court of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Aukščiausiasis Teismas), which reviews criminal and civil cases, is in Gynėjų Street. The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos vyriausiasis administracinis teismas), which adjudicates litigation against public bodies, is in Žygimantų Street. The Constitutional 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. The Lithuanian Tribunal, the highest appellate court for the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and established by Stephen Báthory in 1581, was in Vilnius until the Third Partition of Poland in 1795.

Special services

A police officer on a motorized scooterA police officer patrolling with a SegwayExterior of a large, gray, modern buildingThe Emergency Response Center in Antakalnis, which handles emergency calls in Vilnius

Security in Vilnius is primarily the responsibility of the Vilniaus 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. In 2016, the city had 1,500 police officers. The Public 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.

Vilniaus apskrities priešgaisrinė gelbėjimo valdyba is the primary governing body of Vilnius's firefighters. There were 1,287 fire incidents in the first nine months of 2018, killing six people and injuring 16.

Vilniaus greitosios medicinos pagalbos stotis is responsible for emergency medical services in the city, and the EMS telephone number is 033. Established in 1902, it is one of eastern Europe's oldest EMS institutions. Many doctors and other personnel received medals for their assistance to victims of the 1991 January Events. The common number for contacting emergency services in Vilnius and other parts of Lithuania is 112.

Cityscape

See also: Vilnius Central Business District Large photo of Vilnius, seen from above Panorama of Vilnius Old Town, seen from Gediminas' Tower at dusk. Vilnius has one of the largest and best-preserved old towns in northern, eastern, and central Europe. Its skyline is dominated by spires of churches dating to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Urbanism and architecture

Exterior of two old, red churches
St. Anne's Church and the Church of St. Francis and St. Bernard are examples of Gothic architecture in Lithuania.
Interior of a large Baroque church
The Baroque Church of St. Peter and St. Paul was built by Michał Kazimierz Pac to commemorate victory over the Muscovites and their expulsion from Vilnius after six years of occupation.

The Old Town covers about 3.6 km (1.4 sq mi), and its history dates to the Neolithic. The glacial hills were intermittently occupied, and a wooden castle was built at the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia c. 1000 AD to fortify Gedimino Hill. The settlement developed into a town in the 13th century, when the pagan Baltic people were invaded by Western Europeans during the Lithuanian 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 the Baltic to the Black Sea (primarily present-day Belarus, Ukraine and Russia). The historic centre consists of three castles (Upper, Lower and Curved) and the area previously encircled by the Wall of Vilnius. It is mainly circular, centered on the original castle site. Streets are small and narrow, with large squares later developed. 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.

Historic buildings feature Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and classical architecture. The variety of preserved churches and former palaces of the Lithuanian nobility exemplifies Vilnius' multicultural heritage.

Lithuanians and others shaped the development of the capital, with Western and Eastern influences. Lithuania was Christianized in 1387, but Eastern Orthodoxy and the growing importance of Judaism led to construction of the Orthodox Cathedral of the Theotokos and the Great Synagogue of Vilna).

An ornate chapel, seen from the side
The 17th-century Chapel of Saint Casimir, the patron saint of Lithuania and its youth, in Vilnius Cathedral

Disasters resulted in building reconstructions in Vilnian Baroque style, which later influenced the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Artists such as Matteo Castelli and Pietro Perti) from the present-day Canton of Ticino were preferred by the Grand Duke and local nobility, and designed the Chapel of Saint Casimir. The Lithuanian Laurynas Gucevičius was a noted classical architect in the city.

The 352-hectare (870-acre) Old Town was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The Vilnius Historic Centre is noted for maintaining its medieval street pattern with no significant gaps. Some places were damaged during Lithuania's occupations and wars, including Cathedral Square (demolished in 1795) and a square east of the Church of All Saints where the Convent of the Barefoot Carmelites stood with Vice-Chancellor Stefan Pac's Baroque Church of St. Joseph the Betrothed (both demolished by the tsar. The Great Synagogue and part of the buildings in Vokiečių Street were demolished after World War II.

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.

Crypts

Notable Lithuanian Catholics are interred in the crypts of Vilnius Cathedral. Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon, Queen Elizabeth 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.

Housing

Pedestrians on a narrow street
Pilies Street has a medieval atmosphere.

Vilnius Old Town (Lithuanian: Vilniaus senamiestis), with medieval stone-paved streets, and Užupis have prestigious housing, with apartments featuring views of iconic churches and urban landmarks (particularly Gediminas Tower), enclosed inner courtyards, high ceilings, attics, non-standard layouts and luxurious interiors; Flats in these neighbourhoods may cost millions of euros. Traffic jams, expensive parking, air pollution, high maintenance costs and limitations on renovation, however, also encourage wealthy Vilnians to buy or build private houses in outlying parts of the city such as Balsiai, Bajorai, Pavilnys, Kalnėnai and Pilaitė or the nearby Vilnius District Municipality. Around 21,000 residents live in the Old Town, and 7,000 in Užupis.

A scenic riverside neighborhood, seen from above
Part of the Valakampiai neighborhood in Antakalnis on the Neris, seen from Verkiai Palace
Helios City complex in Naujamiestis with shopping mall and apartments

Valakampiai and Turniškės are prestigious neighborhoods, with private houses on large lots surrounded by pine 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. Part of the Žvėrynas neighbourhood has luxurious private houses near Vingis Park, but it also has Soviet-era apartment buildings and wooden houses in poor condition.

Neighbourhoods around the Old Town (Antakalnis, Žirmūnai, Naujamiestis, and Žvėrynas) have a variety of flats and green space, and are popular with middle-class residents. Wealthier people live in a new construction or renovated Soviet-era apartments. The government is supportive of renovation, and reimburses 30 percent or more of the cost. Poorer residents and low-income pensioners, however, foster regionalism.

More-distant neighbourhoods, such as Lazdynai, Karoliniškės, Viršuliškės, Šeškinė, Justiniškės, Pašilaičiai, Fabijoniškės and Naujininkai, have more-affordable housing. Their disadvantages are a longer commute, unrenovated Soviet-era high-rise buildings, traffic congestion and a shortage of parking spaces near older apartments.

19th-century painting of a large church on a river
Mid-19th-century painting of the Chapel of Jesus of Šnipiškės

The Šnipiškės eldership has received significant investment during the 2010s. The area was first mentioned in 1536, when Grand Duke Sigismund I the Old ordered Ulrich Hosius to build a wooden bridge over the Neris and a suburb developed around the bridge. That century, a building for Muscovite and Tatar messengers was built by the magistrate of Vilnius north of Šnipiškės. The Jesuit Church 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, has late-19th-century wooden houses. Nearby Piromontas was built at the same time.

During the 1960s, Šnipiškės was renamed the New 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. Šnipiškės north of Konstitucijos Avenue was underdeveloped until the early 2000s, when the new Vilnius 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.

Aerial view of dense riverside housing
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. 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.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Vilnius Further information: Demographic history of Vilnius and Demographic history of the Vilnius region
A red-and-blue graph
Vilnius population pyramid in 2021

In the eldership of Vilkpėdė, remnants of a Magdalenian settlement were found which date to c. 10000 BC. Kairėnai, Pūčkoriai and Naujoji Vilnia had large settlements during the first millennium AD. The most densely-populated area was the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia, which had fortified homesteads.

According to some historians, Vilnius could have been a city during the Kingdom of Lithuania times: King Mindaugas did not permanently live there, however, may have built Lithuania's first Catholic church for his coronation there. It is well established, however, that Vilnius existed as a city during the times of Traidenis and Vytenis. The first mention in the historical sources as a capital in 1323 in the letters to the Western cities of Gediminas.

It became a multicultural city, with 14th-century sources noting that it consisted of a Great (Lithuanian) city and a Ruthenian one. By the 16th century, German merchants, artisans, Jews and Tatars had also settled in Vilnius. During the 16th– and 17th-century Reformation and Counter-Reformation, the city's Polish-speaking population began to grow; by the middle of the 17th century, most writing was in Polish. City was inhabited by a large number of Italian and Swiss artisans as well and generally all the European nations were presented to an extent (those included Vilnius university professors and students among whom there were French, Spanish, Swedes and even some Croatians as Tomaš Zdelarius, musicians at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania or such military servants as Hungarian Gáspár Bekes). Because of many nations inhabiting the city, in the 16th-18th. centuries it was known and nicknamed in Western sources as Babylon of Europe.

By the inter-war period, after the brief Polish–Lithuanian War and the annexation of the so-called Republic 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 with Sovietization, 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.

Evolution

Demographic evolution of Vilnius between 1766 and 2024:

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
176660,000—    
1796¹17,500−4.02%
180025,400+9.76%
181156,300+7.50%
1818²33,600−7.11%
182243,900+6.91%
183042,000−0.55%
183452,400+5.69%
183656,100+3.47%
183954,700−0.84%
184654,200−0.13%
185265,400+3.18%
186060,000−1.07%
187064,200+0.68%
187582,700+5.19%
1885102,900+2.21%
1897154,500+3.44%
1909205,200+2.39%
1911238,600+7.83%
1916140,800−10.01%
1919³128,500−3.00%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1923167,400+6.83%
1931195,100+1.93%
1939209,400+0.89%
1941⁴270,000+13.55%
1944⁵110,000−25.87%
1959236,100+5.22%
1970372,100+4.22%
1979481,000+2.89%
1985544,400+2.09%
1989576,700+1.45%
1990597,000+3.52%
1992644,600+3.91%
1995578,327−3.55%
1996571,164−1.24%
1997565,881−0.92%
1998562,353−0.62%
1999558,816−0.63%
2000554,281−0.81%
2001550,924−0.61%
2002550,213−0.13%
2003548,729−0.27%
YearPop.±% p.a.
2004546,773−0.36%
2005542,525−0.78%
2006541,732−0.15%
2007541,596−0.03%
2008542,969+0.25%
2009543,191+0.04%
2010536,127−1.30%
2011533,279−0.53%
2012537,152+0.73%
2013539,707+0.48%
2014542,626+0.54%
2015543,493+0.16%
2016545,280+0.33%
2017547,484+0.40%
2018552,131+0.85%
2019561,836+1.76%
2020569,729+1.40%
2021563,012−1.18%
2022576,195+2.34%
2023593,436+2.99%
2024602,430+1.52%
Source: ¹ Sharp decline after the Vilnius uprising (1794); ² Decline of population due to Napoleonic wars and the aftermath; ³ Sharp decline of population of Vilnius because of World War I and the aftermath during the clashes around Vilnius. 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; ⁴ Rise of population due to influx of Polish and Jewish war refugees and migration of Lithuanian bureaucracy, students from temporary capital Kaunas and other localities in Lithuania; ⁵ Sharp decline of population after atrocities of World War II and The Holocaust

Economy

Aerial view of the skyline and a bridge A number of international companies have local or regional headquarters in the Vilnius Central Business District.
Aerial view of the city
The skyline at dusk, with the new city centre (Šnipiškės) housing banks, financial services and businesses headquarters
Europa Tower, the tallest building in the Baltics, is a symbol of modern Vilnius.

Vilnius is Lithuania's economic centre, with a per-capita GDP in the metropolitan area of almost €30,000. The city's budget reached €1.0 billion in 2022. In the second quarter of 2024, the average monthly salary in Vilnius was €2,501.1 (gross) and €1,526.2 (net).

Aerial view of a modern, oval building
The K29 business centre is the first office in the Baltic states to receive an excellent BREEAM rating.

Lithuania's economic growth has been uneven, with GDP per capita at nearly 110 percent of the EU average in Vilnius but from 42 to 77 percent in other regions. The country's convergence is fuelled by two regions (Vilnius and Kaunas County) which produce 42 and 20 percent of the national GDP, respectively. From 2014 to 2016, the Vilnius region grew by 4.6 percent.

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. Most foreign direct investment and productive public investment in Lithuania is concentrated on Vilnius and Kaunas. Vilnius Industrial Park, 18.5 kilometres from the city, is intended for commercial and industrial use.

Science and research

An old university courtyard
The Vilnius University Astronomical Observatory

Vilnius resident Tito Livio Burattini published Misura universale in 1675, in which he first suggested the term metre as a unit of length. The Vilnius University Astronomical Observatory, established in 1753 at the initiative of Thomas Zebrowski, was one of Europe's first observatories and the first in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Marcin Odlanicki Poczobutt led the reconstruction of the observatory, designed by Marcin Knackfus, from 1770 to 1772. Poczobutt began his astronomical observations in 1773, recording them in the journal (French: Cahiers des observations), and created the constellation Taurus Poniatovii. Jean-Emmanuel Gilibert established the Botanical Garden of Vilnius University in 1781 with over 2,000 plants, and provided the first herbariums, collections of stuffed animals and birds, fossil plants, animal remains, and a collection of minerals to Vilnius University., The observatory published the Russian Empire's first exact sciences journal, the Journal of Mathematical Sciences (Russian: Вестник математических наук), after the Third Partition of Poland.

Aerial view of modern buildings and green space
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 and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University facilities in Sunrise Valley, and 5,000 scientists conduct research in its science centres.

The Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology (Lithuanian: Fizinių ir technologijos mokslų centras, FTMC) is the country's largest scientific research institution, specialising in laser technology, optoelectronics, nuclear physics, organic chemistry, bio and nanotechnology, electrochemical materials science, and electronics. 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. With 250 laboratories (24 open to the public), it can accommodate over 700 researchers and students. The centre has a PhD program and hosts annual conferences of PhD students and young researchers. FTMC is the founder and sole shareholder of the Science and Technology Park of Institute of Physics in Savanorių Avenue, which assists companies with research and development.

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 in laser physics, nonlinear optics, optical-component characterization, biophotonics and laser microtechnology. Lithuania has over 50 percent of the world's market share in ultrashort pulses lasers produced by Vilnius-based companies. A laser system was produced in 2019 for the Extreme Light Infrastructure laboratory in Szeged which produces high-intensity, ultra-short pulses with a peak power up to 1,000 times that of the most powerful nuclear power plant in the United States. Corning Inc. bought a glass-cutting licence from the Vilnius-based laser company Altechna and for manufacturing Gorilla Glass.

A smiling, bespectacled man speaking into a microphone
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. It has a technology business incubator for small and medium businesses in the life sciences or related fields. 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.

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. Santara Valley (Lithuanian: Santaros slėnis) is a science and research facility which focuses on medicine, biopharmaceutical and bioinformatics. The Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine Science Centre was scheduled for completion in Santara Valley in 2021.

Vilnius University rector Jonas Kubilius, known for probabilistic number theory, the Kubilius model, the Theorem of Kubilius and Turán–Kubilius inequality, successfully resisted attempts to Russify Vilnius University. Vilnius' Marija Gimbutas was the first to formulate the Kurgan hypothesis. In 1963, Vytautas Straižys and his colleagues created the Vilnius photometric system used in astronomy. Kavli Prize laureate Virginijus Šikšnys invented CRISPR-Cas9 genetic editing.

Information technology

Aerial view of modern buildings
The Green Hall business complex in Žvėrynas, which houses IT companies and Europe's first international Blockchain Centre

Vilnius is attractive for foreign companies because of its qualified employees and good infrastructure. Several schools are preparing skilled specialists, including the Vilnius University Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University Faculty of Fundamental Sciences. Information technology jobs are well-paid. The 2018 output of the Lituanian IT sector was €2.296 billion, much of which was created in Vilnius.

Vilnius Tech Park in Sapieha Park, the largest IT startup hub in the Baltic and Nordic countries, unites international startups, technology companies, accelerators, and incubators. fDi Intelligence ranked Vilnius number one city on its 2019 Tech Start-up FDI Attraction Index.

Vilnius had the world's fastest internet speed in 2011 and, despite its fall in the rankings, remains one of the world's fastest. Vilnius Airport has one of Europe's fastest airport Wi-Fi speeds. The National Cyber Security Centre of Lithuania was established in Vilnius to address internet attacks on Lithuanian government organizations.

Bebras, an international informatics and IT contest, has been held annually for pupils in grades three through 12 since 2004. Since 2017, computer programming is taught in primary schools.

Vilnius is a popular fintech hub due to Lithuania's flexible e-money licence regulations. The Bank of Lithuania granted an e-money licence in 2018 to Vilnius-based Google Payment Lithuania. The startup Revolut also has an e-money licence and headquarters in Vilnius, and began moving its clients to the Lithuanian company Revolut Payments in 2019. On 23 January 2019, Europe's first international blockchain centre opened in Vilnius.

Finance and banking

Aerial view of an old, square building with trees in front
Bank of Lithuania headquarters in Gediminas Avenue

Vilnius is Lithuania's financial centre. The Ministry of Finance in Vilnius is responsible for an effective public financial policy to ensure the country's economic growth. The Bank of Lithuania fosters a reliable financial system and ensures sustainable economic growth. The Nasdaq Vilnius stock exchange is in The K29 business centre.

The National Audit Office of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublikos valstybės kontrolė) helps the government manage public funds and property, and the State Tax Inspectorate (Lithuanian: Valstybinė mokesčių inspekcija) is responsible for collecting and refunding taxes.

In 2023, 13 banks 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. The two largest banks registered in Lithuania (SEB bankas and Swedbank) are supervised by the European Central Bank and the Bank of Lithuania.

Education

Primary and secondary education

Exterior of a large building with steps and columns
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 the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, headquartered in Vilnius.

Cathedral School of Vilnius, first mentioned in a 1397 source, is the earliest known Lithuanian school. Vilnius Vytautas the Great Gymnasium, established in 1915, is the first Lithuanian gymnasium in eastern Lithuania. In 2018, the city had 120 schools (not including preschools) with 61,123 pupils and 4,955 teachers. Four out of five best rated schools in Lithuania are in Vilnius, and the Vilnius Lyceum is number one.

Ethnic minorities in Lithuania have their own schools. Vilnius has seven elementary schools, eight primary schools, two progymnasiums 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. Vilnius has 11 vocational schools.

The National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art is the country's only 12-year art school. The Vilnius Justinas Vienožinskis Art School is another art school in Vilnius.

Most school graduates in Vilnius later study at universities or colleges. According to the OECD, 57.5 percent of 25– to 34-year-olds in Lithuania had a tertiary education in 2021. 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.

Tertiary education

Old buildings and a church
The Great Courtyard of Vilnius University and the Church of St. Johns

On 14 October 1773, the Commission 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 first ministry of education and an example of the Enlightenment in the Commonwealth.

Vilnius has a number of universities, the largest and oldest of which is Vilnius University. With its main campus in the Old Town, it has been ranked among the top 500 universities in the world by QS World University Rankings. The university participates in projects with UNESCO and NATO. It has master's programs in English and Russian, and programs in cooperation with other universities throughout Europe. The university has 14 faculties.

Other universities include Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences, which merged with Vytautas Magnus University in 2018. Specialized tertiary schools with university status include the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, and the Vilnius Academy of Arts. The museum associated with the Vilnius Academy of Arts contains about 12,000 artworks.

Libraries

A long, ornate reading room
A 16th-century central Vilnius University Library reading room, decorated in 1803 with portraits of the 12 most prominent figures in antiquity, art and science

The Vilnius city municipality central library (Lithuanian: Vilniaus miesto savivaldybės centrinė biblioteka) operates public libraries in the city. It has 16 branches, one (Saulutė) dedicated to children's literature. Many libraries offer free computer literacy courses. The public libraries require a free LIBIS (integrated information system of Lithuanian libraries) card.

The Martynas 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. By 1 July 2019, its electronic catalog had 1,140,708 bibliographic records.

The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences (Lithuanian: Lietuvos mokslų akademijos Vrublevskių biblioteka) is open to all. The library had 3,733,514 volumes by 1 January 2015, and 12,274 registered users.

Every Lithuanian university and college has a library for students, professors and alumni. The National 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 m (151,164.2 sq ft). Central Vilnius University Library, 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.

Religion

See also: List of churches in Vilnius
Religious groups in Vilnius (2011 census)
Religion People %
Roman Catholic 350,797 65.5%
Eastern Orthodox 47,827 8.9%
Old Believers 5,593 1.0%
Evangelical Lutheran 1,594 0.3%
Evangelical Reformed 1,186 0.2%
Sunni Muslim 798 0.2%
Jewish 796 0.2%
Greek Catholic 167 <0.1%
Karaites 139 <0.1%
Other 5,050 0.9%
None 47,655 8.9%
No response 74,029 13.8%
A small brick church, surrounded by trees
Vilnius' Church of Saint Nicholas, built before 1387, is Lithuania's oldest surviving Catholic church.
Exterior of a large, ornate, light-coloured church
The Church of St. Casimir, Vilnius' first Baroque church, is known for its acoustics and organ concerts.

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; According to Lewkenor, Vilnius' population included Catholics, Orthodox, followers of John Calvin and Martin Luther, Jews and Tartar Muslims.

During that century, Vilnius had a reputation as a city unrivaled in Europe for its number and variety of churches. Robert Morden wrote in Geography 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.

Vilnius is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vilnius, housing major church institutions and the archdiocesan Vilnius Cathedral. A number of Christian beatified people, martyrs, servants of God and saints are associated with the city. They include the Franciscan martyrs of Vilnius, the Orthodox martyrs Anthony, John, and Eustathius, Saint Casimir, Josaphat Kuntsevych, Andrew Bobola, Raphael Kalinowski, Faustina Kowalska, and Jurgis Matulaitis-Matulevičius. There are a number of Roman Catholic churches in the city, small monasteries, and religious schools. Church architecture includes Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and neoclassical styles, with examples of each in the Old Town. Eastern Rite Catholicism has also had a presence in Vilnius since the Union of Brest. The Baroque Basilian Gate is part of an Eastern Rite monastery.

A large white church against a blue sky
The Orthodox Cathedral of the Theotokos, built in the 14th century by Grand Duke Algirdas for Ruthenians in the city's Ruthenian quarter

Vilnius has had an Eastern Orthodox presence since the 12th century, and the Russian Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Spirit is near the [Gate of Dawn. St. Paraskeva's Orthodox Church in the Old Town was the site of the 1705 baptism of Hannibal, the great-grandfather of Alexander Pushkin, by Tsar Peter the Great. Many Old Believers, who split from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1667, settled in Lithuania; a Supreme Council of Old Believers is based in Vilnius. The Orthodox Church of St. Constantine and St. Michael was built in 1913. A number of Protestant and other Christian denominations are represented in Vilnius, notably Lutheran Evangelicals and Baptists.

Lithuania's pre-Christian religion, centred on the forces of nature and personified by deities such as Perkūnas (the thunder god), is experiencing increased interest. Romuva established a Vilnius branch in 1991.

Judaism and Karaism

See also: History of the Jews in Lithuania
Large, cream-coloured synagogue
The Choral Synagogue

Known as "Yerushalayim D'Lita" (the Jerusalem of Lithuania), Vilnius had been a world centre for Torah study and had a large Jewish population since the 18th century. A major scholar of Judaism and the Kabbalah was Rabbi Eliyahu Kremer, known as the Vilna Gaon, whose writings significantly influence Orthodox Jews. The Vilna Shas, the most widely used version of the Talmud, was published in the city in 1886. Jewish life in Vilnius was destroyed during the Holocaust, and a memorial stone dedicated to victims of Nazi genocide is in the centre of the former Jewish Ghetto on present-day Mėsinių Street. The Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History is dedicated to the history of Lithuanian Jewish life. The site of Vilnius's largest synagogue, built in the early 1630s, destroyed by Nazi Germany during its occupation of Lithuania and later demolished by Soviet authorities, was found by ground-penetrating radar in June 2015. Archaeologists began excavating the site in 2016, and that work continues as of July 2024.

The Karaites 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 their kenesas (including the Vilnius Kenesa).

Pilgrimage sites

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 whole being. And so it stayed – and in Rome.

— Pope John Paul II at the Dominican Church of the Holy Spirit during his 1993 visit to Lithuania
An ornate Baroque chapel
Interior of the Chapel of the Gate of Dawn, with its eponymous painting

Since the 1387 Christianization of Lithuania, Vilnius has become a centre of Christianity in the country and a pilgrimage site. The Vilnius Pilgrimage Centre (Lithuanian: Vilniaus piligrimų centras) coordinates pilgrimages, assists with their preparation, and performs pilgrimage pastoral care. A number of places in Vilnius are associated with miracles 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 the Carmelites in the 16th century, who installed a chapel in the gates with a 17th-century Catholic painting: Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn. The painting was later decorated with gold-plated silver and is associated with miracles and a legend.

A painting of Jesus
The first Divine Mercy painting by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski (1934) at the Divine Mercy Sanctuary

The Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy is a pilgrimage site which has a Divine Mercy image. Vilnius was the birthplace of the Divine Mercy devotion when Saint Faustina Kowalska began her mission under the guidance of Michał Sopoćko, her spiritual director. The first Divine Mercy image was painted in 1934 by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski under the supervision of Kowalska, and it hangs in the Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Vilnius. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place in the shrine around the clock. The House of St. Faustina, in Antakalnis' V. Grybo Street, is open to pilgrims.

The Church of St. Philip and St. Jacob, near Lukiškės Square, has the painting of the Mother of God of Lukiškės which has reportedly attracted miracles. The icon, painted in the 15th or 16th century, is one of the country's oldest examples of easel painting. 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 the Dominicans in 2012.

Three Crosses is a monument in the city. According to a legend in the Bychowiec Chronicle, fourteen Franciscan friars were invited to Vilnius from Podolia by Petras Goštautas. The friars preached the gospel 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 were crucified and thrown into the Neris or Vilnia.

Painting of a church at the top of many steps
Verkiai Calvary c. 1840s, built in gratitude for victory in the Second Northern War

Verkiai Calvary (or Vilnius Calvary), Lithuania's second-oldest calvary, is in the neighborhood of Verkiai. The calvary was built from 1662 to 1669 in gratitude for victory in the Second Northern War (1655–60). The consecration ceremony of the Stations of the Cross took place for Pentecost on 9 June 1669. The calvary includes 20 brick chapels, seven wooden gates and a brick one, and a bridge with a wood chapel. The path ends at the Church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross. All the chapels except the four closest to the church were destroyed by Soviet authorities overnight with dynamite in 1962. The calvary was reconstructed from 1990 to 2002, and the chapels were consecrated on Pentecost in 2002. Pilgrimages to the calvary are organized regularly with the clergy.

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. Vilnius is the only city in the Baltic states with an Apostolic Nunciature, where Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis stayed during their visits to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Parks, squares and cemeteries

Three white stone crosses, surrounded by vegetation
The Three Crosses in Kalnai Park

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 annual Vilnius 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.

Aerial view of a large square
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: the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Polish Embassy and the Genocide Victims' Museum, where the KGB tortured and killed opponents of the communist regime. A large statue of Vladimir Lenin in its centre was removed in 1991. Town Hall Square has been a centre of trade fairs, celebrations and events, including the Kaziukas Fair. The city's Christmas tree is displayed there. State ceremonies are often held in Daukanto Square, facing the Presidential Palace.

Aerial view of a large green area with many trees
Bernardinai Garden

Bernardinai Garden, near Gediminas Tower (previously known as Sereikiškės Park), opened on 20 October 2013 after it was restored to its 19th-century Vladislovas Štrausas environment. It is a venue for concerts, festivals, and exhibitions. Chiune Sugihara Sakura Park was established in 2001, and a Japanese garden (both in Šnipiškės) was opened in 2023.

Rasos Cemetery, consecrated in 1801, is the burial site of Jonas Basanavičius and other signatories of the 1918 Act of Independence and the heart of Polish leader Józef Piłsudski. Two of the city's three Jewish 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. The Bernardine 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.

Tourism

A group of tourists in cool weather
Tourists in the Old Town
Aerial view of an urban neighborhood with some trees
Užupis, a self-proclaimed republic, has Bohemian culture and art.

According to Lithuanian 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. 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). Nineteen percent of the guests were Lithuanian, 18 percent more than in 2017.

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. 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. Many Belarusians (about 200,000 travel visas annually) visit the city's shopping malls and submit half-meter-long receipts to customs officials.

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. The city's highest-rated tourist services are restaurants (cafés), old-town attractions, hotels or other accommodations, trips to Trakai, parks and other green zones, connections to Vilnius Airport, and food in hotels, restaurants and cafés. Vilnius is one of a few European capitals which allows hot air ballooning through the city, with nearly 1,000 trips in 2022. In the City Costs Barometer 2019, Vilnius was ranked number one of European capitals for offering the best value to visitors. The controversial Vilnius 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.

Hotels

Exterior of a large, old building
The Kempinski Hotel

Lithuania is a member of the European Hotelstars Union. Vilnius has six five-star hotels, all in the Old Town, and 27 four-star hotels. The Kempinski Hotel, with a view of Cathedral Square, is considered the city's most luxurious hotel.

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. 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.

Sports

A large group of young people in green T-shirts
2015 Vilnius Marathon volunteers
Downtown spectators, on foot and on bicycles
The 2024 CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup tournament was held in the central business district.

Several basketball teams are based in the city. BC Wolves began competing in the 2022–23 season of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). The largest team is BC Rytas, who participates in the international Basketball Champions League (BCL) and the LKL; they won the ULEB Cup (predecessor to the EuroCup) in 2005 and the EuroCup in 2009. Their home arena is the 2,500-seat Jeep Arena; all European matches and important domestic matches are played at the 10,000-seat Twinsbet Arena.

Vilnius also has several football teams; FK Žalgiris, the main team, plays at the 5,000-seat LFF Stadium. The multi-use Lithuania National Stadium is under construction. The 28-court SEB Arena is the largest tennis complex in central Europe and home of the Lithuanian tennis and squash teams.

Olympic swimming champions Lina Kačiušytė and Robertas Žulpa are from Vilnius. The city has several public swimming pools, with the Lazdynai Swimming Pool the only Olympic-size swimming pool. Vilnius is home to the Lithuanian Bandy 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. The annual international Vilnius Marathon has thousands of participants.

Transport

A large, white building, seen from a parking lot
Vilnius Airport main entrance

Navigability of the Neris is limited; no regular water routes exist, although it was used for transport in the past. Vilnius Airport, Lithuania's largest, serves about 50 cities in 25 countries. The airport, 5 km (3.1 mi) from the city centre, has a direct link to the Vilnius railway station. The station is a rail hub with direct passenger service to Minsk, Kaliningrad, Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and is part of the Pan-European Corridor IX's Branch B.

Vilnius is the starting point of the A1 motorway which runs across Lithuania, connecting its three major cities (Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda), and is part of European route E85. The A2, connecting Vilnius and Panevėžys, is part of the E272. Other highways out of the city include the A3, A4, A14, A15, and A16. Vilnius' southern bypass is the A19.

Bus service

The bus and trolleybus networks are operated by Vilniaus viešasis transportas. There are over 60 bus, 18 trolleybus, six rapid bus and one night bus routes. The trolleybus network is one of Europe's most extensive; over 250 buses and 260 trolleybuses transport about 500,000 passengers every workday. The first bus routes were established in 1926, and the first trolleybuses were introduced in 1956.

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. 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.

Buses are low-floor Volvo and Mercedes-Benz buses, and trolleybuses are manufactured by Solaris. Older Škoda 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.

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. On 5 September 2017, 50 new Isuzu buses were introduced. Vilnius City Municipality accepted bids for 41 new trolleybuses; Solaris contracted to provide the trolleybuses by autumn 2018, with free Wi-Fi and chargers. On 13 November of that year, the municipality signed a contract with Solaris for the remaining 150 fourth-generation Solaris Urbino buses (100 standard and 50 articulated) with free Wi-Fi and USB charging. Five electric Karsan Jest Electric buses were introduced on 20 September 2019 for the number 89 route's narrow streets.

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.

Vilnius Metro and an electric tram have been proposed. In 2018, the Seimas and the president approved a metro project.

Healthcare

When Vilnius was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the city had public bathhouses; one-fourth the city's houses had individual bathhouses, and almost half had alcohol distilleries. In 1518, doctor and canon Martynas Dušnickis established the first špitolė in Vilnius: Lithuania's first hospital-like institution which treated people unable to care for themselves due to health, age, or poverty.

The Brotherhood of Saint Roch maintained basic hospitals and shelters for the sick and disabled in Vilnius from 1708 to 1799, although it is unknown if the brothers had any medical education. They hired paramedics, doctors, surgeons, and female nurses for female patients. A significant number of patients had sexually transmitted diseases which other Catholic hospitals refused to treat. The brotherhood sheltered pregnant women, abandoned children and patients with injuries, tuberculosis, rheumatism and arthritis.

In 1805, the Vilnius Medical Society was established by Joseph Frank (son of Johann Peter Frank) as the first medical society in eastern Europe. The same year, the society established a teaching hospital (clinic) as part of the Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine. From 1918 to 1941, the Lithuanian Sanitary Aid Society operated in Vilnius.

The Ministry of Health, in Vilnius, is responsible for Lithuanian health care. Vilnians pay compulsory health 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.

Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos and the Vilnius City Clinical Hospital are the city's primary hospitals. Vilnius also has eight polyclinics, the Medical Centre of the Ministry of the Interior, and a number of private health-care facilities.

  • Large, green two-story building Building in which the Vilnius Medical Society was established in 1805
  • A large white building in winter Building which housed Vilnius' first clinic

Media

Title page of a 1760 newspaper
Title page of Kurier Litewski (1760)

The first Lithuanian weekly newspaper, Kurier Litewski, was published in Vilnius from 1760 to 1763. Vilnius is home to a number of newspapers, magazines and other publications, including Lietuvos rytas, Lietuvos žinios, Verslo žinios, Respublika, Valstiečių laikraštis, Mokesčių žinios, Aktualijos, 15min, Vilniaus diena, Vilniaus Kraštas, Lietuvos aidas, Valstybė, Veidas, Panelė, the Franciscan Bernardinai.lt, the Russian Litovskij kurjer and the Polish Tygodnik Wileńszczyzny.

The Vilnius TV Tower in Karoliniškės broadcasts to the city. The most-viewed networks in Lithuania are headquartered in Vilnius and include LRT televizija, TV3, LNK, BTV, LRT Plius, LRT Lituanica, TV6, Lietuvos rytas TV, TV1, TV8, Sport1, Liuks!, Info TV.

Very tall transmission tower, surrounded by smaller buildings
Vilnius TV Tower

Vilnius' first radio station, Rozgłośnia Wileńska, began broadcasting in the Žvėrynas microdistrict on 28 November 1927 and was moved to present-day Gediminas Avenue in 1935. 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 the Vilnius Press House. The Lithuanian Union of Journalists (Lithuanian: Lietuvos žurnalistų sąjunga) and the Lithuanian Society of Journalists (Lithuanian: Lietuvos žurnalistų draugija) are headquartered in Vilnius.

Twin towns and sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Lithuania

Vilnius is twinned with:

Twin and friendly towns until 2022:

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Vilnius See also: List of honorary citizens of Vilnius

See also

References

  1. "Vilnius: In Search of the Jerusalem of Lithuania – Lithuanian Jewish Community". lzb.lt. 18 November 2016. Archived from the original on 14 April 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  2. 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 figure Dionizas 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
  3. Cultural newspaper, It has been published in Vilnius since 1990, is named "Šiaurės Atėnai" (The Athens of the North) as a reference to one of Vilnius's nicknames, which was widespread in the first half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, mostly because of Vilnius University. During the interwar period, a Polish scientific newspaper published in Vilnius was also named "Atheneum Wileńskie".
  4. ^ Especially 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.
  5. This nickname was very popular among the Lithuanian nobility, citizens of Vilnius, and poets, especially during the Baroque period. Many poets of the period, including Maciej 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.
  6. with Vilnius county
  7. "GYVENTOJAI PAGAL TAUTYBĘ, GIMTĄJĄ KALBĄ IR TIKYBĄ : Lietuvos Respublikos 2011 metų visuotinio gyventojų ir būstų surašymo rezultatai" (PDF). Ops.stat.gov.lt. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  8. "Eurostat". eurostat.ec.europa.eu.
  9. "Resident population on 1 July". osp.stat.gov.lt. 19 July 2024.
  10. "Gross domestic product by region in 2023 M." osp.stat.gov.lt.
  11. 2024 metų asignavimai pagal valdytojus
  12. Sub-national HDI. "Area Database – Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org.
  13. "Vilnius Historic Centre". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  14. "Resident population by county and municipality at the middle of the year". Vilnius. Statistics Department of Lithuania. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  15. "Lithuania". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018.
  16. ^ "The capital – Vilnius". Lithuania.travel. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  17. ^ "Vilnius Historic Centre, Lithuania". VisitWorldHeritage.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  18. ^ "Main facts about Lithuania". Lithuanian University Rectors' Conference. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Baroque Vilnius". VisitWorldHeritage.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  20. ^ "Vilnius Historic Centre". UNESCO. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  21. Steele, Jonathan (19 June 2008). "In the Jerusalem of the North, the Jewish story is forgotten". Opinion. The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  22. "Ex-Post Evaluation of 2009 European Capitals of Culture" (PDF). ECOTEC Research and Consulting Ltd. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 January 2018.
  23. "fDi's Global Cities of the Future 2021/22 — overall winners". fdiintelligence. fDi Intelligence A service from The Financial Times Ltd. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  24. The Global Financial Centres Index 28, September 2020, page 5
  25. "EUROCITIES – the network of major European cities". Eurocities. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  26. "Union of Capitals of the European Union". Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU). Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  27. "Portrait of the Regions of Lithuania – Vilnius city municipality". Department of Statistics. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  28. Лавринец, Павел (20 October 2004). Русская Вильна: идея и формула. Балканская Русистика (in Russian). Вильнюс. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  29. Васютинский, А.М.; Дживелегов, А.К.; Мельгунов, С.П. (1912). "Фон Зукков, По дороге в Вильно". Задруга Французы в России. 1812 г. По воспоминаниям современников-иностранцев. (in Russian). Vol. 1–3. Москва: Задруга. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  30. "The Legend of the Founding of Vilnius - Gediminas Dream". Ironwolf.lt. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  31. Gudmantas, Kęstutis (9 December 2013). "LDK istorija: Metraščių pasakojimas apie Vilniaus įkūrimą – mitas ir istorija". 15min (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  32. "Lietuvos Nepriklausomos Valstybės Atkūrimas (1990 M. Kovo 11 D.)" (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  33. Siaurusevicius, Audrius (14 January 1991). "Soviet tanks crush the human shield of Vilnius". World. The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018.
  34. Schmemann, Serge (7 September 1991). "Soviet Turmoil; Soviets Recognize Baltic Independence, Ending 51-year Occupation of 3 Nations". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  35. "Vilnius intends to deregister about 90 village names: Pašilaičiai, Rokantiškii and Tarandė will no longer exist". MadeinVilnius.lt. 4 February 2024. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  36. "Vilnius išregistruos apie 90 prie jo prijungtų kaimų pavadinimų". LRT (in Lithuanian). 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  37. "Cultural capitals of Europe". Chicago Tribune. 11 January 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
  38. O. Niglio. "Restauri in Lituania. Vilnius Capitale della Cultura Europea 2009" [Restorations in Lithuania. Vilnius Capital of European Culture 2009] (PDF). Web Journal on Cultural Patrimony (in Italian). ISSN 1827-8868. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2006.
  39. Greenhalgh, Nathan. "Capital of Culture: success or failure?". Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  40. "A.Gelūnas: prokuratūra nusikaltimo rengiant Bjork koncertą neįžvelgė". Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  41. "Vilnius: artists protest 'breakdown of culture' in EU cultural capital". cafebabel.com. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  42. Burke, Jason (18 January 2009). "Eastern Europe braced for a violent spring of discontent'". The Guardian. London.
  43. "Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius begins" (Press release). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. 29 November 2013.
  44. "Balsavimo rezultatai". 2013.vrk.lt. 22 March 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  45. "Lithuania to host 2023 NATO summit, first event 'of such a scale'". Lrt.lt. 15 June 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  46. ^ "The geographical Centre of Europe". visitlithuania.net. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  47. Krogh, Jan S. "Other Places of Interest: Central Europe".
  48. "The City". City of Vilnius. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  49. "Gamtos paveldo apsauga". vilnius.lt. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  50. Kottek M, Grieser J, Beck C, Rudolf B, Rubel F (2006). "World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated" (PDF). Meteorol. Z. 15 (3): 259–263. Bibcode:2006MetZe..15..259K. doi:10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130.
  51. Bradley, Raymond S.; Jones, Philip D. (1995). Climate Since A.D. 1500. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-12030-2.
  52. "Climate change in Lithuania". Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service under the Ministry of Environment. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  53. "Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service". meteo.lt. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  54. "World Weather Information Service – Vilnius". World Meteorological Organization. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  55. "Vilnius Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  56. "Météo Climat 1991–2020 averages for Lithuania". Météo Climat. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  57. "Climate & Weather Averages in Vilnius". Time and Date. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  58. "Vilnius, Lithuania – Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast". Weather Atlas. Yu Media Group. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  59. ^ "Lietuvos tapyba". vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  60. ^ "Lietuvos skulptūra". vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  61. "Vilniaus meno mokykla". alka.mch.mii.lt. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  62. "Lietuvių dailės draugija". vle.lt. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  63. "Vilniaus dailės draugija". vle.lt. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  64. Griffin, Joanna (8 August 2016). "Just Back: Inside Uzupis, Lithuania's free-thinking republic". Travel. The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018.
  65. "Frank Zappa Memorial". lonely planet.
  66. "Vilnius Talking Statues". vilnius-tourism.lt. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  67. ^ "Museums". GoVilnius.lt. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  68. "The Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania". GoVilnius.lt. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  69. "The New Arsenal". GoVilnius.lt. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  70. "The Old Arsenal". GoVilnius.lt. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  71. "The Museum of Applied Arts and Design". GoVilnius.lt. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  72. "M.K. Čiurlionio namai". Ciurlioniokelias.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  73. "Collections". ldm.lt. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  74. "Permanent exhibitions". ldm.lt. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  75. "Collection". ndg.lt. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  76. "About the CAC". cac.lt. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  77. "About us". mekas.lt. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  78. "About MO". mo.lt. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  79. "Biography of Skaryna". Web1.mab.lt. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  80. "Vilnius University Press – History". vu.lt. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  81. "Zawadzkio spaustuvė". vle.lt. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  82. "Adomas Mickevičius". vle.lt. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  83. Lebedys, Jurgis. "Mikalojus Daukša". postilla.mch.mii.lt. Archived from the original on 24 April 2007. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  84. "Vilnius University Hinc Itur Ad Astra" (PDF). 20 October 2015. p. 25. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  85. "Lietuvos Statutas". vle.lt. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  86. ^ Dubonis, Artūras. "Lietuvių kalba: poreikis ir vartojimo mastai (XV a. antra pusė – XVI a. pirma pusė)". viduramziu.istorija.net (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  87. "Lietuvos Metrika". vle.lt. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  88. "Literatų Gatvė (Literature Street)". atlasobscura.com. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  89. "About". llti.lt. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  90. "Lithuanian Writers Union". rasytojai.lt. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  91. "Vilnius Book Fair". vilniausknygumuge.lt. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  92. ^ "Vilniaus kino istorija: pirmasis seansas tik pusmečiu atsiliko nuo pirmojo istorijoje". Lrt.lt (in Lithuanian). 27 November 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  93. ^ "Vilniaus kino teatrai 1905–1985 metais". MadeinVilnius.lt (in Lithuanian). 1 May 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  94. "Vilniuje neliko istorinio kino teatro "Lietuva"". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  95. "About Festival". kinopavasaris.lt. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  96. "About us". lkc.lt. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  97. "Operą Vilnius išvydo pirmiau negu Londonas ir Paryžius". valdovurumai.lt. 12 April 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  98. "Lietuvos muzika". vle.lt. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  99. "Žygimantas Liauksminas". vle.lt. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  100. "Operos dieną Valdovų rūmuose vainikuos pasaulinis šedevras – K. Monteverdžio opera "Orfėjas"". valdovurumai.lt. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  101. "Repertoire". opera.lt. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  102. "History – Largest Concert Institution in Lithuania". Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  103. "About us". lvso.lt. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  104. Murauskaitė, Rasa. "Trys meilės chorui dešimtmečiai. Pokalbis su Vaclovu Augustinu". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  105. "Lithuanian Song Festival". DainuSvente.lt. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  106. Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (PDF). UNESCO. 2005. p. 50.
  107. "Jazz in Lithuania". Vilniusjazz.lt. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  108. "Street Music Day". gmd.lt. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  109. "Dainavimo katedra". lmta.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  110. "Seniausių laikų Lietuvos teatras". vle.lt. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  111. "Mokyklinis teatras Lietuvos teritorijoje". vle.lt. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  112. ^ "Lietuvos teatras". vle.lt. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  113. "Vilniaus miesto teatras". vle.lt. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  114. "Juliusz Osterwa". vle.lt. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  115. "Events". teatrai.lt. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  116. ^ "Lietuvos meninė fotografija". vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  117. "Stanislovas Filibertas Fleris". limis.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  118. ^ Klimka, Libertas (20 June 2001). Senosios Vilniaus astronomijos observatorijos instrumentarijus (PDF) (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences. p. 44. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  119. "Vilniaus fotoklubas". vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  120. "Lobyno vertybės". katedra.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  121. ^ "Amatai". vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  122. "Vilniaus auksakalių cechas". vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  123. "Vilniaus monetų kalykla". vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  124. "Lituanistica". lietuvos.istorija.net (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 12 October 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  125. ^ "Raštas ir kalbos viduramžių Lietuvoje". viduramziu.istorija.net (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 27 September 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  126. Pancerovas, Dovydas. "Ar perrašinėjamos istorijos pasakų įkvėpta Baltarusija gali kėsintis į Rytų Lietuvą?". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  127. Statkuvienė, Regina. "Jogailaičiai. Kodėl ne Gediminaičiai?". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  128. "Kurie Lietuvos valdovai mokėjo protėvių kalbą, kurie – ne? / Laida "Lietuva – mūsų lūpose"". YouTube (in Lithuanian). Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. 22 February 2021. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  129. "Šventojo Kazimiero gyvenimo istorija". Vilnius Cathedral (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 3 March 2023. Autorius akcentuoja, kad Kazimieras mokėjęs lietuvių, lenkų, vokiečių ir lotynų kalbas, turėjęs nemažai dorybių: buvo teisingas, susivaldantis, tvirtos dvasios, išmintingas.
  130. Baronas, Darius. "LDK istorija: Lietuviai bizantiečių akimis". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  131. Zinkevičius, Zigmas. "Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės kanceliarinės slavų kalbos termino nusakymo problema". viduramziu.istorija.net (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  132. Stone, Daniel (2001). The Polish-Lithuanian State, 1386-1795. University of Washington Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-295-98093-5. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  133. Menelis, E.; Samavičius, R. "Vilniaus miesto istorijos chronologija" (PDF). vilnijosvartai.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  134. "Žydų padėtis LDK". zydai.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  135. "Valstybinės kalbos teisinė informacija". vilnius.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  136. ^ "Vilniečiai mėgo meną, puoštis ir išgerti". bernardinai.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  137. ^ Ragauskas, Aivas. "LDK istorija: Miestiečių apranga". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  138. "Drabužiai". vle.lt. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  139. "Fashion Infection". madosinfekcija.lt. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  140. "J.Statkevičius Vilniuje pristatė savo 2020 m. šiltojo sezono kolekciją: kuo nustebino dizaineris?". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  141. "Valstybinės šventės". vilnius-tourism.lt (in Lithuanian). 1 September 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  142. "Vasario 16-osios renginių programa". madeinvilnius.lt (in Lithuanian). 28 January 2019.
  143. "Ką veikti kovo 11-ąją Vilniuje?". madeinvilnius.lt (in Lithuanian). 11 March 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  144. Jačauskas, Ignas. "Vilniuje pagerbiant žuvusius Sausio 13-ąją uždegti atminimo laužai". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  145. "Kaziuko mugė". kaziukomuge.lt. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  146. ""Sostinės dienų 2019" programa". vilnius.lt (in Lithuanian). 22 August 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  147. "Švento Patriko dieną Vilnelė vėl nusidažys žaliai". madeinvilnius.lt (in Lithuanian). 13 March 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  148. "Kulturos Naktos About us". Kulturos Naktos. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  149. ^ Antanas Rimvydas Čaplinskas (21 March 2010). "Vilniaus istorija: kas vadovavo miestui?". Klaipeda.diena.lt. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
  150. "History". Vilniausrotuse.lt. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  151. "Magistratas". Vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  152. "Vaitas". Vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  153. ^ "Vilniaus miesto savivaldybės istorija". LRvalstybe.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  154. "Lietuvos gubernija". Vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  155. "Vilniaus generalgubernatorija". Vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  156. "Vilniaus miesto savivaldybės taryba". Vilnius.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  157. "Kandidatų kėlimas". Vrk.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  158. ^ "Nuo šiol merai Lietuvoje bus renkami tiesiogiai". TV3.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  159. Pocytė, Kristina (18 March 2019). "Lithuania makes its choice: odd unions raise some, side-line others". Delfi: The Lithuania Tribune. Lithuania. Retrieved 16 April 2019. R. Šimašius to remain as mayor in Vilnius for another term
  160. "Vilniaus seniūnijos". vilnius.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  161. 2021m. gyventojų ir būstų surašymas
  162. "Medininkai Castle". exploretrakaivilnius.lt. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  163. ^ "Vilnius District Municipality – About Us". vrsa.lt. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  164. "Vilniaus verbos – spalvingiausios". diena.lt (in Lithuanian). 13 April 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  165. "Paulavos respublika". vle.lt. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  166. "Vilniaus rajono savivaldybės taryba (rezultatai 2023 m.)". Vrk.lt. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  167. "Vilniaus rajono mero ir tarybos priesaika: laimino ir kunigas, ir Č.Juršėnas, R.Duchnevičius tiki derybomis". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian).
  168. "Presidential Palace". lrp.lt. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  169. "Kaip mus rasti?". lrvk.lrv.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  170. "Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidentas – Rezidencija". archyvas.lrp.lt. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  171. "I-56 Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidento įstatymas". e-seimas.lrs.lt. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  172. "Skvernelis su šeima persikraustė į rezidenciją Turniškėse". DELFI. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  173. "Ministries of Lithuania". lrv.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  174. "Seimas of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania before 1569". lrs.lt. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  175. "Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania". lrs.lt. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  176. "About the Court". lat.lt. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  177. "The Court". lvat.lt. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  178. "Constitutional Court of The Republic of Lithuania". lrkt.lt. Archived from the original on 25 June 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  179. "Istorija". lat.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  180. "Veiklos sritys". vilnius.policija.lrv.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  181. "L. Pernavas: Vilniuje dirba 1 tūkst. 500 policininkų". DELFI. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  182. "Veiklos sritys". vstarnyba.lrv.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  183. "Vilniaus apskrities priešgaisrinė gelbėjimo valdyba". vilnius.ugniagesiai.lrv.lt. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  184. "2018 metų devynių mėnesių gaisrų ir gelbėjimo darbų statistika Vilniaus mieste" (PDF). vilnius.ugniagesiai.lrv.lt. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  185. "Viešoji įstaiga Greitosios medicinos pagalbos stotis". vgmps.lt. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  186. ^ "Apie mus". vgmps.lt (VGMPS). Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  187. "112 – Skubi Pagalba". 112.lt. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  188. Bideleux, Robert; Jeffries, Ian (1998). A history of Eastern Europe: crisis and change. Routledge. p. 122. ISBN 978-0415161114.
  189. "Gotika". iVilnius.lt. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  190. "Renesansas". iVilnius.lt. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  191. "Barokas". iVilnius.lt. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  192. "Klasicizmas". iVilnius.lt. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  193. "Vilniaus architektūra". vle.lt. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  194. "Ar žinojote, kad Vilniaus barokinės architektūros perlus sukūrė šveicarai, o ne italai?". lrytas.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  195. "Laurynas Gucevičius: kaip formavosi žymiausio architekto vardas". ldkistorija.lt. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  196. "About Vilnius". vaspvt.gov.lt. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  197. "Crypts". bpmuziejus.lt. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  198. ^ "Patraukliausi Vilniaus rajonai". asa.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  199. "Flats in Vilnius Senamiestis and Užupis". aruodas.lt. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  200. ^ "Mikrorajonai". iVilnius.lt. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  201. "Houses in Vilnius Valakampiai and Turniškės". aruodas.lt. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  202. "Keičiasi renovacijos rėmimo tvarka". renovacija.lt. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  203. "Šilti namai ne visur: kodėl kai kurios savivaldybės neskuba atnaujinti daugiabučių?". alfa.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  204. "Didmiesčiai liko be naujų renovacijos planų". vz.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  205. "Prestižiniai Vilniaus rajonai: ar išlaikys miestiečių išbandymą?". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  206. "Šnipiškės. Nuo skurdaus priemiesčio iki patogaus centro". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  207. "Šnipiškių dalis, vad. Skansenu". kvr.kpd.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  208. "Šnipiškių dalis, vad. Piromontu". kvr.kpd.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  209. "Statyba ir architektūra", 1964, 2, pp. 1–2
  210. articles in "Statyba ir architektūra", 1964, 11
  211. "Statyba ir architektūra", 1973, 8, pp. 1–3
  212. "Lietuvos TSR istorijos ir kultūros paminklų sąvadas. 1 dalis Vilniaus paminklai", 1988, 383. Naujasis miesto centras; pp. 506–509
  213. Marija Drėmaitė, "Baltic modernism Architecture and housing in soviet Lithuania", pp. 220–224,
  214. "Vilniaus naujojo miesto centro transformacijos". sa.lt (in Lithuanian). 13 September 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  215. "Vilniuje būsto įperkamumas ir butų sandorių skaičius muša rekordus". swedbank.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  216. "Tyrimas: lietuviai tėvų namus palieka vėliausiai Baltijos šalyse". swedbank.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  217. ^ "Vilniaus istorija". vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  218. Janušauskienė, Diana (1 October 2012). "Tolerancijos apraiškos Lietuvoje: vertybinės nuostatos tautinių mažumų atžvilgiu" (PDF). p. 427. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  219. Snyder, Timothy (2003). The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569–1999. Yale University Press. pp. 92–93. ISBN 978-0-300-10586-5.
  220. Lietuvos gyventojai 2011 metais (2011 m. gyventojų surašymo rezultatai / Lithuanian 2011 Population Census in Brief) [Population of Lithuania in 2011 (Population Census 2011 results)]. Statistics Department of Lithuania. ISBN 978-9955-797-17-3. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  221. "Ethnic composition of Lithuania 2021". pop-stat.mashke.org.
  222. "Rodiklių duomenų bazė - Oficialiosios statistikos portalas". osp.stat.gov.lt.
  223. "Gyventoju skaicius pagal savivaldybes 2023" (PDF). Registrucentras.lt. 5 January 2023.
  224. Juozas Jurginis; Vytautas Merkys; Adolfas Tautavičius (1968). Vilniaus miesto istorija [Vilnius city history] (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Mintis.
  225. 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.
  226. Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom XIII [Geographical dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slavic countries, Volume XIII] (in Polish). Warsaw: Filipa Sulimierskiego i Władysława Walewskiego. 1893. p. 493. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  227. "The Great War in Lithuania 1914–1918".
  228. Pukienė, Vida. "Voronežas – lietuvių švietimo židinys Rusijoje Pirmojo pasaulinio karo metais". Istorija (in Lithuanian).
  229. Iš nežinios į nežinią: Antrojo pasaulinio karo atbėgėliai Lietuvoje [From one uncertainty to another uncertainty: World War II refugees in Lithuania] (in Lithuanian). Kaunas: National M.K. Čiurlionis Art Museum. 2015. ISBN 978-9955-471-55-4.
  230. "Resident population by city / town at the middle of the year". Vilnius. Statistics Department of Lithuania. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  231. "Resident population on 1 January". osp.stat.gov.lt. 22 January 2024.
  232. "Lietuvos statistikos departamentas". Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. 15 December 2020.
  233. "2022 m. Vilniaus miesto biudžetas" (in Lithuanian). 22 January 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  234. "Darbo užmokestis regionuose ir savivaldybėse" (in Lithuanian). 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  235. "Biurų pastatui Konstitucijos prospekte suteiktas aukščiausias Baltijos šalyse tvarumo įvertinimas". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  236. Country Report Lithuania 2019 (PDF). Brussels: European Commission. 27 February 2019. p. 10. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  237. Country Report Lithuania 2019 (PDF). Brussels: European Commission. 27 February 2019. p. 22. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  238. Country Report Lithuania 2019 (PDF). Brussels: European Commission. 27 February 2019. p. 42. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  239. "Vilnius Industrial Park". investmentpartner.lt. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  240. Lucendo, Jorge (23 April 2020). Centuries of Inventions: Encyclopedia and History of Inventions. Jorge Lucendo. p. 246. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  241. "Vilniaus universiteto Astronomijos observatorija". ff.vu.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  242. "Martynas Počobutas". vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  243. "Jean Emmanuel Gilibert". vle.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  244. "About us". ssmtp.lt. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  245. "About us". ftmc.lt. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  246. ""Open House Vilnius" open architecture weekend". ftmc.lt. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  247. "FTMC announces an annual Conference". ftmc.lt – FizTech 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  248. "Research center". fimtp.lt. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  249. "About". lasercenter.vu.lt.
  250. ^ "Lietuviai pagamino vieną galingiausių lazerių pasaulyje". DELFI. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  251. "Lithuanian R&D company signs major deal with US market leader". investlithuania.com. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  252. "About Us". gmc.vu.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  253. "Technologinis verslo inkubatorius". gmc.vu.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  254. "Research Centres". vgtu.lt. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  255. "About LCSS". lstc.lt. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  256. "R&D areas". santarosslenis.eu. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  257. ""Santaros" slėnyje duris atvers VU Medicinos fakulteto mokslo centras". naujienos.vu.lt. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  258. "Iš Vilniaus universiteto istorijos, 1955–1990" (PDF). 5 November 1995. pp. 1–2.
  259. "Vilniaus astrofotometrinė sistema". vle.lt. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  260. Guglielmi, Giorgia (31 May 2015). "Million-dollar Kavli prize recognizes scientist scooped on CRISPR". Nature. 558 (7708): 17–18. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-05308-5. PMID 29872189.
  261. "Kaip informacinės technologijos keičia Lietuvą". lrytas.lt (in Lithuanian). 25 October 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  262. "Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics". mif.vu.lt. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  263. "Faculty of Fundamental Sciences". vgtu.lt. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  264. "Didžiausi atlyginimai Lietuvoje: pirmoje vietoje – nesuvokiama suma". tv3.lt. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  265. Information technologies in Lithuania (2018 ed.). Vilnius: Department of Statistics (Lithuania). p. 8.
  266. "About". vilniustechpark.lt. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  267. Irwin-Hunt, Alex. "Tech Start-up FDI Attraction Index 2019". fdiintelligence.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  268. "Vilniuje internetas greičiausias pasaulyje". DELFI. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  269. "Monthly comparisons of internet speeds from around the world". speedtest.net. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  270. "Vilniaus oro uosto internetas – vienas greičiausių Europoje". investlithuania.com (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  271. "Veiklą pradeda Nacionalinis kibernetinio saugumo centras". DELFI. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  272. "Apie Bebrą". bebras.lt. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  273. "Lietuvos mokyklose – pirmoji nuo pradinių klasių programuoti mokančių vaikų karta". DELFI. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  274. "Lithuania sees flood of fintech firms apply for licences ahead of Brexit". Reuters. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  275. "Google grupės įmonei Lietuvoje suteikta elektroninių pinigų įstaigos licencija". lb.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  276. ""Revolut" nesikrausto – klientus perkelia į lietuvišką įmonę". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  277. Zalanskaite, Agne (8 February 2018). "Europe's First International Blockchain Centre Launches in Vilnius". bcgateway.eu. Archived from the original on 5 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  278. "Competence Areas". finmin.lrv.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  279. "Mission, vision, values". lb.lt. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  280. "Nasdaq Vilnius". nasdaqbaltic.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  281. "Vision Mission and Strategic Goal, Values". vkontrole.lt. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  282. "Public services". vmi.lt. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  283. "Lietuvos bankas: kaistanti NT rinka ir priklausomybė nuo Šiaurės šalių bankų kelia riziką". lrt.lt (in Lithuanian). 13 June 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  284. "Banks". lb.lt. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  285. "Lithuania Overview". eacea.ec.europa.eu. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  286. "Istorija". vytautodidziojo.vilnius.lm.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  287. Lietuvos švietimas skaičiais (PDF). Vilnius: Švietimo informacinių technologijų centras. 2018. pp. 65–74.
  288. "Paskelbti geriausių šalies mokyklų ir universitetų reitingai". Lrt.lt (in Lithuanian). 8 May 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  289. Lietuvos tautinių mažumų švietimo būklės analizė (PDF). NMVA Švietimo politikos analizės skyrius. 2018. pp. 8 & 11.
  290. "Profesinės mokyklos Vilniuje". studijos.lt. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  291. "Population with tertiary education". OECD. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  292. "Find the best International School in Vilnius, Lithuania". International-schools-database.com. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  293. Davies, Norman (28 February 2005). God's Playground: 1795 to the present. Columbia University Press. p. 167. ISBN 978-0-231-12819-3. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  294. ^ "Facts and Figures". Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  295. "Breaking News for Lithuania: VU – Among the Top 500 Universities in the World". Vilnius University. 7 September 2016. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  296. "Programmes in English". Vilnius University. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  297. "About MRU". mruni.eu. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  298. "About University". vgtu.lt. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  299. "History". svietimas.vdu.lt. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  300. "Vilnius Art Academy Museum". muziejai.lt. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  301. Mačiulytė-Kasperavičienė, Audronė (1979). Vilniaus universiteto rūmai. Vilnius: Vaga. p. 112.
  302. "Mission and vision". vcb.lt. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  303. "Libraries". vcb.lt. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  304. "Kompiuterinio raštingumo kursai". vcb.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  305. "Paid and free services". vcb.lt. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  306. "Misija ir tikslai". lnb.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  307. "LNB elektroninis katalogas". lnb.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  308. ^ "About the Library". mab.lt. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  309. "Scholarly Communication and Information Centre (SCIC)". biblioteka.vu.lt. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  310. "Unikalios architektūros, moderni Vilniaus universiteto biblioteka atveria duris". naujienos.vu.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  311. "Central Library". biblioteka.vu.lt. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  312. "Lietuvos bibliotekos". vle.lt. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  313. "Gyventojai pagal religinę bendruomenę, kuriai jie save priskyrė, savivaldybėse" [Residents according to the religious community they attributed themselves to, by municipalities] (.xls) (in Lithuanian). Statistics Lithuania. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  314. 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)
  315. 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"
  316. Gintautas Sliesoriūnas, "The image of Lithuania in XVII c. English publications", Lithuanian Historical Studies, 2011, vol. 16
  317. Baronas, Darius (29 March 2013). "Knyga, kuri išliks: Gedimino Vaitkevičiaus Vilniaus įkūrimas". bernardinai.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  318. "Religion by Location". Adherents.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2000. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  319. Ignatow, Gabriel (2007). Transnational Identity Politics and the Environment. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-0-7391-2015-6.
  320. "Romm | Encyclopedia.com". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  321. Geggel, Laura (1 August 2015). "Remains of Nazi-Destroyed Synagogue Found Using Radar". Live Science. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  322. "Lithuania: this month's excavations at the site of the destroyed Great Synagogue of Vilna yielded exciting discoveries including polychrome decoration". jewish-heritage-europe.eu. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  323. 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. ISBN 1850653119. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  324. "Ką perskaitysime šv. Jono Pauliaus II gyvenimo knygoje?". vaticannews.va (in Lithuanian). 2 May 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  325. "Apie mus". piligrimyste.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  326. ^ "Pilgrimage in Vilnius". vilnius-tourism.lt. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  327. "The House of St. Faustina". gailestingumas.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  328. "Senąją Lukiškių Dievo Motinos ikoną atidengiant". bernardinai.lt. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  329. "Restauruota Lukiškių Dievo Motinos ikona grąžinama dominikonams". DELFI. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  330. ^ Gidžiūnas, Viktoras (1955). "Legendariškieji pranciškonų kankiniai Vilniuje". Aidai.eu (in Lithuanian). 10. ISSN 0002-208X.
  331. "Vilnius Calvary. Origins". vilniauskalvarijos.lt. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  332. "Traditions of Piety". vilniauskalvarijos.lt. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  333. "The route of Christ's suffering". vilniauskalvarijos.lt. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  334. "20th – 21st centuries". vilniauskalvarijos.lt. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  335. "Bendruomeninis Kryžiaus kelio apvaikščiojimas". vilniauskalvarijos.lt. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  336. "Treasury". bpmuziejus.lt. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  337. Garškaitė, Rosita (12 September 2018). "Kaip popiežiaus atvykimui ruošiasi latviai ir estai?". bernardinai.lt. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  338. "Lukiškių aikštė". Vle.lt (in Lithuanian).
  339. "Vilniuje vartus atvėrė restauruotas Bernardinų sodas" [The renovated Bernardinai Garden opened its gates in Vilnius]. Suprasti Akimirksniu (in Lithuanian).
  340. "Čijunės Sugiharos sakurų parkas". GoVilnius.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  341. "Pasižvalgykite: Vilniuje atidaroma nauja erdvė sakurų mėgėjams – japoniškas sodas". Lrt.lt (in Lithuanian). 21 April 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  342. "Užupis Old Jewish Cemetery [Užupio Senosios Žydų Kapinės]". In Your Pocket. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  343. ^ "City Tourism Statistics". vilnius-tourism.lt. 30 August 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  344. "Vilniaus miesto turizmo tyrimas ir turistų pasitenkinimo indeksas" (PDF). 2018. pp. 10–11. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  345. "Vilniaus miesto turizmo tyrimas ir turistų pasitenkinimo indeksas" (PDF). 2018. pp. 12–14. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  346. "Apsipirkti į Lietuvą miniomis traukia ne eiliniai baltarusiai". DELFI. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  347. "Vilniaus miesto turizmo tyrimas ir turistų pasitenkinimo indeksas" (PDF). 2018. p. 26. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  348. Šepetytė, Eglė (4 September 2022). "Vilniuje gali nebelikti oro balionų? Kuriamos naujos taisyklės – viskas dėl saugumo". TV3 (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  349. "City Costs Barometer 2019" (PDF). postoffice.co.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  350. "D. Matulionis: džiugu, kad pavyko sutarti mūsų valstybei ir Lietuvos žydų bendruomenei svarbiu klausimu". lrv.lt (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on 26 December 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  351. "Lithuania". hotelstars.eu. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  352. "5 stars hotels in Vilnius, Lithuania". booking.com. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  353. "4 stars hotels in Vilnius, Lithuania". booking.com. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  354. "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects". imf.org. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  355. "Už prezidentinę naktį Vilniaus "Kempinski" – 3 tūkst. eurų, pietūs – 25 eurai". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  356. "Vilniaus miesto turizmo tyrimas ir turistų pasitenkinimo indeksas" (PDF). 2018. p. 21. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  357. "Vilnius back on the global Beach Volleyball map". CEV. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  358. "LFF stadionas". Lietuvos futbolo federacija. Archived from the original on 14 May 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  359. "Atsinaujinusioje "SEB arenoje" – gausybė aukščiausio lygio teniso ir pirmasis išmanus kortas" (in Lithuanian). Vilnius Open. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  360. "Go Swimming". Vilnius Monthly. No. 11. 2005. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  361. "Olimpinio sporto federacijos". ltok.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  362. "About Vilnius Marathon". Vilniausmaratonas.lt. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  363. Vanagas, Jurgis. "Navigation on the Neris River and its importance for Vilnius". Journal of Sustainable Architecture and Civil Engineering. 4 (13): 62–69. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  364. "Vilnius International Airport – Flight map". vilnius-airport.lt. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  365. "Routes and Timetables". Susisiekimo paslaugos.
  366. "Routes and Timetables". stops.lt. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  367. "Ištyrė, kur kasdien keliauja Vilniaus viešojo transporto keleiviai". Gazas.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  368. Skrebė, Edgaras. "Vilniaus viešasis transportas: praeitis ir dabartis". DELFI. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  369. "Dažniausiai užduodami klausimai apie pokyčius viešojo transporto bilietų sistemoje" [Frequently asked questions about changes in public transport ticketing]. Susisiekimo paslaugos (in Lithuanian). Visos teisės saugomos. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2008.
  370. Černiauskas, Šarūnas. "Vilniečio kortelė keliasi į išmaniuosius telefonus. Kaip tai atrodys?". DELFI. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  371. "Vilnius perka 90 naujų "Volvo" autobusų". DELFI. Retrieved 4 June 2004.
  372. Grigaliūnaitė, Violeta (5 September 2017). "Vilniaus savivaldybė pakvietė "išpakuoti naują pergalę": pristatė 250 naujų autobusų" [The municipality of Vilnius called for "unpacking a new victory": introduced 250 new buses]. 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  373. "Į sostinės gatves išrieda 50 naujų autobusų" [There are 50 new buses in the capital's streets]. DELFI (in Lithuanian). 5 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  374. Jačauskas, Ignas (17 September 2017). "Vilniaus savivaldybė perka per 40 naujų "Solaris" troleibusų" [Vilnius municipality buys 40 new "Solaris" trolleybuses]. 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  375. "Vilnius perka 150 autobusų: toks užsakymas lenkams – unikalus" [Vilnius buys 150 buses: this order is unique for the Poles]. lrytas.lt (in Lithuanian). 13 November 2017. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  376. "Ekologiška viešojo transporto revoliucija – Vilniuje pristatyti pirmieji Lietuvoje elektriniai autobusai". DELFI. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  377. "ME "Susisiekimo paslaugos" / Public transport : Ticket Prices". vilniustransport.lt. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  378. 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 from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  379. ""Metro sąjūdžio" žiniai – trys geros naujienos | Vilniaus Metro". vilniausmetro.lt. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  380. Paknys, Mindaugas. "LDK istorija: Vilnius 1636 metais". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  381. "Špitolė". vle.lt. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  382. Jakulis, Martynas (2010). "Rokitai: santvarka ir veikla XVIII–XIX a. I pusėje" (PDF). Lietuvių katalikų mokslo akademijos metraštis (in Lithuanian). XXXIII: 75, 77–78, 95. ISSN 1392-0502.
  383. "Vilniaus medicinos draugija". vle.lt. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  384. "Klinika". vle.lt. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  385. ^ "Medicinos mokslų svarba Lietuvai bei iškiliausi medikai ir jų pasiekimai". Savaite.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  386. Vaišvilienė, Regina. "Vilniaus fenomenas – lietuvių sanitarinės pagalbos draugija, ligoninė ir poliklinika (1918–1941)". MoksloLietuva.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  387. "Health Care". sam.lrv.lt. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  388. "Lietuvos Respublikos sveikatos draudimo įstatymas". e-seimas.lrs.lt. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  389. "About us". santa.lt. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  390. "VšĮ Vilniaus miesto klinikinė ligoninė". vmkl.lt. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  391. "Vilniaus miesto įstaigos". vilniaustlk.lt. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  392. "Kurier Litewski". vle.lt. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  393. "Laikraščiai, žurnalai Vilniuje". info.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  394. "TV bokštas". tvbokstas.lt. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  395. "Lietuviški TV kanalai". tv24.lt. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  396. Žilionis, Sigitas. "Radiofonija Vilniuje 1927–1939". zilionis.lt. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  397. "Vilniaus radijo stotys". radiomap.eu. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  398. "Lietuvos žurnalistų sąjunga". vle.lt. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  399. "Lietuvos žurnalistų draugija". vle.lt. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  400. "Miestai partneriai". ivilnius.lt (in Lithuanian). Vilnius. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  401. "Vilniaus ir Gdansko draugystė tęsiasi – vienuoliktąjį kartą vyks kultūros mainų festivalis "Gdanskas Vilniuje"" (in Lithuanian). Vilnius City Municipality. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  402. "Vilnius nutraukė sutartis su Rusijos, Baltarusijos miestais, įkūrė Ukrainos Didvyrių gatvę". Baltic News Service (in Lithuanian). 9 March 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.

Bibliography

  • References from vle.lt stands for the Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija.
  • Briedis, Laimonas (2009). Vilnius. City of Strangers. Baltos Lankos Publishers.
  • Brensztejn, Michał (1919). Spisy ludności m. Wilna za okupacji niemieckiej od d. 1 listopada 1915 r. (in Polish). Warsaw: Warsawin Drukarnos Wydawnice, Tamka 46.
  • Mačiulis, Dangiras; Staliūnas, Darius (2015). Lithuanian Nationalism and the Vilnius Question, 1883-1940.
  • Srebrakowski, Aleksander (2000). Polacy w Litewskiej SRR 1944-1989. Toruń: Wydawn. Adam Marszałek.
  • Srebrakowski, Aleksander (2020). "The nationality panorama of Vilnius". Studia z Dziejów Rosji i Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej. LV (3).
  • Weeks TR (2015). Vilnius between Nations, 1795–2000. Northern Illinois University Press.

External links

Articles related to Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius Coat of ArmsHistory Flag of Vilnius
Elderships
Government
Transport
Education
Landmarks
Capitals of European states and territories
Capitals of dependent territories and states whose sovereignty is disputed shown in italics.
Sovereign states
States with
limited recognition
Dependencies
United Kingdom
Constituent countries
Crown Dependencies and
Overseas Territories
Other
Federal states
Austria
Belgium
Communities
  • Brussels, Flemish Community and French Community
  • Eupen, German-speaking Community
Regions
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Germany
Russia
Republics
Autonomous okrugs
Krais
Oblasts
Federal cities
Switzerland
Autonomous
entities
Italy
Autonomous regions
Portugal
Autonomous regions
Spain
Other
European Union Capital cities of the member states of the European Union
Netherlands:
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Greece:
Athens
Athens
Germany:
Berlin
Berlin
Slovakia:
Bratislava
Bratislava
Belgium:
Brussels
Brussels
Romania:
Bucharest
Bucharest
Hungary:
Budapest
Budapest
Denmark:
Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Ireland:
Dublin
Dublin
Finland:
Helsinki
Helsinki
Portugal:
Lisbon
Lisbon
Slovenia:
Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Luxembourg:
Luxembourg
Luxembourg City
Spain:
Madrid
Madrid
Cyprus:
Nicosia
France:
Paris
Paris
Czech Republic:
Prague
Prague
Latvia:
Riga
Riga
Italy:
Rome
Rome
Bulgaria:
Sofia
Sofia
Sweden:
Stockholm
Stockholm
Estonia:
Tallinn
Tallinn
Malta:
Valletta
Valletta
Austria:
Vienna
Vienna
Lithuania:
Vilnius
Vilnius
Poland:
Warsaw
Warsaw
Croatia:
Zagreb
Zagreb
European Capitals of Culture
1985
Athens
1986
Florence
1987
Amsterdam
1988
West Berlin
1989
Paris
1990
Glasgow
1991
Dublin
1992
Madrid
1993
Antwerp
1994
Lisbon
1995
Luxembourg City
1996
Copenhagen
1997
Thessaloniki
1998
Stockholm
1999
Weimar
2000
Reykjavík
Bergen
Helsinki
Brussels
Prague
Kraków
Santiago de Compostela
Avignon
Bologna
2001
Rotterdam
Porto
2002
Bruges
Salamanca
2003
Graz
Plovdiv
2004
Genoa
Lille
2005
Cork
2006
Patras
2007
Luxembourg City
Sibiu
2008
Liverpool
Stavanger
2009
Linz
Vilnius
2010
Essen
Istanbul
Pécs
2011
Turku
Tallinn
2012
Maribor
Guimarães
2013
Košice
Marseille
2014
Umeå
Riga
2015
Mons
Plzeň
2016
San Sebastián
Wrocław
2017
Aarhus
Paphos
2018
Valletta
Leeuwarden
2019
Plovdiv
Matera
2020-April 2021
Rijeka
Galway
2022
Kaunas
Esch-sur-Alzette
Novi Sad
2023
Veszprém
Timișoara
Elefsina
2024
Tartu
Bad Ischl
Bodø
2025
Nova Gorica / Gorizia
Chemnitz
2026
Oulu
Trenčín
2027
Liepāja
Vilnius County
Municipalities
Cities
Towns
Villages
Municipalities of Lithuania
District municipalities
City municipalities
Municipalities
Lithuania articles
History
Early
Revival and
independence
WWII and
occupations
Restoration
Lithuania
Geography
Politics
Military
Economy
Society
Culture
Categories: