Vilnius Lithuania

Description: Vilnius, previously known in English as Vilna, is the capital of and largest city in Lithuania and the second-most populous city in the Baltic states. As of January 2024, Vilnius’ estimated population was 602,430, and the Vilnius urban area which extends beyond the city limits had an estimated population of 708,627. Vilnius is notable for the architecture of its Old Town, considered one of the largest and best-preserved old towns of Europe. Vilnius was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The architectural style known as Vilnian Baroque is named after the city, which is the easternmost Baroque city and the largest north of the Alps.

Population: 602,430

Demographics: Vilnius inhabitants by ethnicity are Lithuanians 338,758, Poles, 88,408, Russians, 63,991, Belarusians, 18,924.

History: Archeological findings indicate that this city was the capital of the Kingdom of Lithuania and later of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. After Lithuania formed a dual confederation with the Kingdom of Poland, Vilnius still remained Lithuania’s capital. The city was first mentioned in written sources in 1323 as Vilna, when the Letters of Grand Duke Gediminas were sent to German cities inviting Germans (including German Jews) to settle in the capital city, as well as to Pope John XXII. These letters contain the first unambiguous reference to Vilnius as the capital, Old Trakai Castle had been the earlier seat of the court of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In the 14th century, Lithuania was frequently invaded by the Teutonic Order. The future King of England Henry IV (then Henry Bolingbroke) spent a full year in 1390 supporting the unsuccessful siege of Vilnius by Teutonic Knights with his 300 knights. During this campaign, he bought captured Lithuanian women and children and took them back to Königsberg for conversion to Christianity. The city underwent a period of expansion in the 16th century. The Wall of Vilnius was built between 1503 and 1522 for protection from the attacks by the Crimean Khanate, comprising nine city gates and three towers. In 1547 Sigismund II Augustus moved his royal court from Kraków to Vilnius and it had a great influence on the intellectual life of the region. During its rapid development, the city was open to migrants from the territories of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy and further. Many languages were spoken: Polish, German, Yiddish, Ruthenian, Lithuanian, Russian, Old Church Slavonic, Latin, Hebrew, and Turkic languages; the city was compared to Babylon. Each group contributed uniquely to the city’s life, and crafts, trade, and science prospered. The 17th century brought a number of setbacks. The Commonwealth was involved in a series of wars, collectively known as The Deluge. The fortunes of the Commonwealth declined during the 18th century. Three partitions took place, dividing its territory among the Russian Empire, the Habsburg Empire, and the Kingdom of Prussia. Forces led by Jakub Jasiński expelled Russians from Vilnius during the uprising in 1794. However, after the third partition of April 1795, Vilnius was annexed by the Russian Empire and in 1797–1801 was the centre of the short-lived Lithuania Governorate, but after 1801, it become centre of the Vilna Governorate. During Russian rule, the city walls were destroyed, and by 1805 only the Gate of Dawn remained. At the end of 1918, Soviet Russia invaded Lithuania with massive forces, and the Lithuanian Army withdrew from Vilnius to the center of the country to form a defense line. The German Army withdrew together with the Lithuanian government. The Self-Defence of Lithuania, affiliated with the Second Polish Republic, briefly controlled the city and unsuccessfully tried to protect it against the invading Soviet forces. Vilnius changed hands again during the Polish–Soviet War and the Lithuanian Wars of Independence: it was taken by the Polish Army, only to fall to Soviet forces again. Shortly after the Red Army’s defeat at the 1920 Battle of Warsaw, in order to delay the Polish advance, the Soviet government ceded the city to Lithuania after signing the Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty on 12 July 1920. The League of Nations became involved in the subsequent Lithuanian self-defense from Poland after it attacked Lithuanian army positions in the southwest of Lithuania. In July 1944, Vilnius was once more occupied by Soviet Army with the Vilnius offensive, during which it defeated the German garrison. The town was once more the Lithuanian SSR’s capital. The NKVD began repressions against Lithuanians and Poles. Sovietization began in earnest. In November 1980, the number of inhabitants of Vilnius exceeded 500,000. On 11 March 1990, the Supreme Council of the Lithuanian SSR announced its secession from the Soviet Union and intention to restore an independent Republic of Lithuania. The majority of historical buildings in the city were renovated during the last 25 years, and a business and commercial area is being developed into the New City Centre, the main administrative and business district on the north side of the Neris river. More than 75,000 new flats were built between 1995 and 2018 (including almost 50,000 new flats between 2003 and 2018), making Vilnius an absolute leader in the construction sector in the Baltics for the last two decades. 88,408, Russians, 63,991, Belarusians, 18,924.

Elevation: 112 m

Climate: Humid continental climate. Average annual temperature in Vilnius is 7 C (45 F), the average for July is 18 C (64 F), the average for January is 4 C (25 F).

Attractions: Old Town, Lukiskes Prison, Gediminas Castle Tower, Museum Of Illusions, Uzupis, Gate Of Dawn, Paneriai, Hill Of Three Crosses, Vilnius Cathedral