History
Vilnius is often referred to as one of the greenest capital cities in Europe. It is a city with a lot of history. This is one of the reasons why the Vilnius Historical Centre was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. It is one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe.
Lithuania emerged as a state in the 13th century. Between 1219-1236, many Lithuanian tribes united into one state, under the leadership of King Mindaugas. In the 14th century, it was Vytautas the Great who turned Lithuania into one of the biggest countries in Europe. The territories of the grand duchy of Lithuania reached so far as Belarus, Ukraine and parts of Poland and Russia. Lithuania adopted Christianity late, in the end of the 14th century.
One of the most well-known Lithuanian artist is M. K. Ciurlionis. During is short life, he composed about 400 pieces of music and created a total of 300 paintings. This wasn’t all he did. He also created many literary works and poems. He was interested in science, history, philosophy and astronomy. The majority of his work is now displayed in the M.K. Ciurlionis Narional Art Museum in Kaunas.
Uzupis, one district of Vilnius, declared itself an independent republic on April 1st, 1997. The statue of the Angel (Romas Vilciauskas) was placed there on the 4th of April 2001. Before the angel, a sculpture of an egg took its place. The egg was sold for 10 000 Litas as a symbol of rebirth.
The Stalinist period was shorter in Lithuania than in Moscow or Minsk. Many pre-war buildings were torn down in order to form wide boulevards and empty squares. This was done because the original buildings did not fit with the socialistic way of life. Between the second Soviet occupation (1944) and the death of Stalin, some monumental buildings were built. This so called “city-improvement” made some serious changes to the city. Other monuments were torn down. Many of these monuments were replaced or rebuilt at the end of the 20th century.
The Hill of Crosses became of special importance during Soviet regime. The hill itself was many times destroyed. The crosses would always reappear after each attack. Later strategies included the destruction of crosses because they had no stylistic value or announcing different epidemics to forbid people to visit the hill. The Hill of Three Crosses in Vilnius was created as a monument in 1916. It was demolished in 1950 by the Soviet Government but a new monument was designed and placed on the same place in 1989.
The best way to experience Vilnius and its history is by just walking around town and visiting place like the KGB museum.