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| 0174 Vilnius Historic Center - St. Anne's Church |
Posted on 17.04.2012, 05.10.2012, 05.03.2016
Raised in the late 13th century around a castle, Vilnius, situated at the confluence of the rivers Neris and Vilnia, became capital of Grand Duchy of Lithuania under Gediminas (r. 1316-1341), and increased in importance along with the expansion of the Duchy, which at its height it covered the territory of modern-day Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, and portions of Poland and Russia. After the formation of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569), it was one of the state capitals (together with Warsaw), opening its doors to migrants and reaching a real Babylon, where are spoke a variety of languages, from Lithuanian, Polish, Ruthenian, Russian and Old Slavonic, to Latin, German, Yiddish, Hebrew and even Turkic.
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| 0352 Vilnius Historic Center - The tower and the monument of Gediminas |
Following centuries proved to be malefic for the city. During the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667), Vilnius was pillaged and burned by Russians, and its population was massacred, during the Great Northern War it was looted by the Swedish, in 1710 the bubonic plague killed about 35,000 residents, and devastating fires occurred repeatedly. In 1795 Vilnius was annexed by the Russian Empire, and in 1812 it was taken by Napoleon, for a short period. The numerous uprisings of the population were harshly suppressed by the Russians, who eventually banned the use of the Polish and Lithuanian languages. Disputed after WWI by Lithuanians, Poles and Russians, the city passed from one hand to another, eventually being won by Poland.
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| 2349 Vilnius Historic Center - The Cathedral and its bell tower |
Occupied by Soviet Union in 1939, was given to Lithuania, again annexed by the soviets, then by the Germans, and again by the soviets. Only in 1991 Lithuania became again independent. Despite the whole devastation that the city suffered over time, Vilnius is one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe, an impressive Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and classical complex, with 70 streets and lanes numbering 1487 buildings.As political centre of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, it has had a profound influence on the cultural and architectural development of much of eastern Europe.
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