Vilnius
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{{Distinguish|Vilnius city municipality}}{{Redirect|Vilna}}
{{Infobox Settlement<!--more fields are available for this Infobox--See Template:Infobox Settlement-->
|subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]]
|subdivision_name = {{LTU}}
|timezone=[[Eastern European Time|EET]]
|utc_offset=+2
|timezone_DST=[[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
|utc_offset_DST=+3
|map_caption = Location of Vilnius|
|area_total_km2 = 401
|leader_title =
|postal_code_type =
| official_name = Vilnius
| nickname =
| |pushpin_map =
|pushpin_label_position =<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption =Location of Vilnius
|image_skyline = Vilnius Skyline 2.jpg
|image_caption = Downtown Vilnius
|pushpin_mapsize =
|image_map = LietuvaVilnius.png
| image_shield = Grand Coat of arms of Vilnius.png
| |subdivision_type1=[[Regions of Lithuania|Ethnographic region]]|
subdivision_name1 = Aukštaitija
| |subdivision_type2=[[Counties of Lithuania|County]]|
subdivision_name2 = {{Autolink|Vilnius County}}
| |subdivision_type3=[[List of municipalities of Lithuania|Municipality]]|
subdivision_name3 = Vilnius city municipality
| subdivision_name4 =
|latd=54|latm=41|lats=|latNS=N|longd=25|longm=17|longs=|longEW=E|
| |subdivision_type6=[[Capital|Capital of]]|
subdivision_name6 = [[Lithuania]]<br> [[Vilnius County]]<br> [[Vilnius city municipality]]<br> [[Vilnius district municipality]]
| established_date = 1323|established_title=First mentioned|
| established_date2 = 1387|established_title2=Granted [[Magdeburg rights|city rights]]|
| subdivision_name5 = 20
| population_total = 542 809
| population_as_of = 2007
| population_blank1 = 1st|population_blank1_title=[[List of cities in Lithuania|Rank]]|
}}
'''Vilnius''' ({{IPAudio|Vilnius.ogg|['vilɲus]}}; also known by [[#Names|alternative names]]) is the largest [[city]] and the [[capital]] of [[Lithuania]], with a population of 553,904 (850,700 together with Vilnius County) as of December 2005.<ref>[http://www.stat.gov.lt/en/pages/view/?id=1712 Number of population by county, city (town) and municipality |Statistics Lithuania] © Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania (Statistics Lithuania). Accessed [[May 2]], [[2006]].</ref> It is the seat of the [[Vilnius city municipality]] and of the [[Vilnius district municipality]]. It is also the capital of [[Vilnius County]].
== Names ==
Vilnius has also been known by many names in different languages throughout its history. Most notable non-Lithuanian names for the city include: {{lang-pl|Wilno}}, {{lang-be|Вiльня (''Vilnia'')}}, {{lang-de|Wilna}}, {{lang-la|Vilna}}, {{lang-lv|Viļņa}}, {{lang-ru|''Вильнюс''}}, {{lang-yi|ווילנע (''Vilne'')}}.
== History ==
{{main|History of Vilnius}}
{| class="toccolours" style="float: left; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:30em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
| style="text-align: left;" | "Legend has it that the Grand Duke of Lithuania, [[Gediminas]], was hunting in the sacred forest near the Valley of Šventaragis. Tired after the successful day's hunt, the Grand Duke settled in nearby for the night. He fell soundly asleep and began to dream. A huge Iron Wolf was standing on top a hill and the sound of hundreds of other wolves inside it filled all of the surrounding fields and woods. Upon awakening, the Duke asked the pagan priest Lizdeika to interpret the meaning of the dream. And the priest told him: "What is destined for the ruler and the State of Lithuania, is thus: the Iron Wolf [[Vilnius Castles|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"
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | '' The Legend of the Founding of Vilnius''<ref> {{en icon}} [http://www.vilnius.lt/new/en/gidas.php?open=122&root=1&sub_cat1=127 Vilnius legend]</ref>
|}
===Early history===
Some historians identify the city with [[Voruta]], a legendary capital of [[Mindaugas]] who was crowned in 1253 as [[King of Lithuania]]. The city was first mentioned in written sources in 1323, in [[Letters of Gediminas|letters of Grand Duke Gediminas]] that were sent to German cities and invited Germans and members of the [[Jewish]] community to settle in the capital city. In 1387, the city was granted [[Magdeburg rights|city rights]] by [[Jogaila]], one of Gediminas' successors.
===Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth period ===
Between 1503 and 1522 the city was surrounded with [[Vilnius city wall|walls]] that had nine [[city gate]]s and three towers. Vilnius reached the peak of its development under the reign of [[Sigismund II Augustus|Sigismund August]], who moved his court there in 1544. In the following centuries, Vilnius became a constantly growing and developing city. This growth was due in part to the establishment of [[Vilnius University|Almae Academia et Universitas Vilnensis Societatis Jesu]] by the King [[Stefan Batory|Stephen Bathory]] 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 [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]]. Political, economic, and social activities were in full swing in the town. In 1769, the [[Rasos Cemetery]], one of the oldest surviving cemeteries in the city, was founded. During its rapid development, the city was open to [[migrants]] from both abroad and far reaches of territories of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Each group made its unique contribution to the life of the city, and crafts, trade and science prospered. During the [[Russo-Polish War (1654–1667)]], Vilnius was occupied by Russia for several years. The city was pillaged and burned, and its population was massacred. The city's growth lost its momentum for many years, but the population rebounded, and by the beginning of the 19th century city's population reached 20,000, making the city one of the largest in Northern Europe.
[[Image:Vilnius Alumni Yard.jpg|thumb|left|The Vilnius Alumni yard]]
=== In Russian Empire ===
After the [[Third Partition of Poland|Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]] in 15 April 1795, Vilnius was annexed by [[Russia]] and became the capital of a [[Vilna Governorate]]. During the Russian occupation the city walls were destroyed, and by 1805, only the [[Dawn Gate]] remained. In 1812, the city was seized by [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] on his [[Napoleon's Invasion of Russia|push towards Moscow]]. Following the [[November Uprising]] in 1831, [[Vilnius University]] was closed and Russian repressions halted the further development of the city. During the [[January Uprising]] in 1863 heavy fighting occurred within the city, but was brutally [[pacification|pacified]] by [[Mikhail Muravyov]], 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 [[Polish language|Polish]]<ref>[http://www.vdu.lt/staff/HMF/Aleksandravicius_an.htm Egidijus Aleksandravičius], 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 [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]] languages was banned. in early 20th century Lithuanian speaking population constituted only a small minority then, with Polish, Jewish, and Russian speakers being most of the population of the city.<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. — [[Timothy Snyder]], ''The Reconstruction of Nations. Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus 1569–1999''. Yale University Press 2003, p. 306.</ref>
[[Image:Vilnius St Anns church.jpg|thumb|right|[[St. Anne's Church, Vilnius|St. Anne's Church]] and the church of the Bernardine Monastery in Vilnius]]
=== In Poland ===
During [[World War I]], Vilnius — as with the rest of Lithuania — was occupied by the [[German Empire]] from 1915 until 1918. The ''[[Act of Independence of Lithuania]]'', that restored Lithuanian independence from any affiliation to any other nation was proclaimed in the city on [[February 16]] [[1918]]. After the withdrawal of German forces, Lithuanian forces were forced to retreat by advancing Russian occupation forces. Vilnius changed hands many times: for a while it was controlled by [[Lithuanian and Belarusian Self-Defence|Polish self-defence units]], who didn't want the city to be occupied by Russian-[[Bolshevik]] forces. Then the [[Polish Army]] regained control, then [[Soviet]] forces again. Shortly after its defeat in the [[Battle of Warsaw (1920)]], the retreating [[Red Army]] ceded the city back to [[Lithuania]] by signing [[Soviet-Lithuanian Treaty of 1920|a peace treaty]] on [[July 12]], [[1920]]. On [[October 9]] of the same year, the Polish Army under General [[Lucjan Żeligowski]] broke the treaty and seized Vilnius after [[Żeligowski's Mutiny|a staged coup]]. The city and its surroundings were proclaimed the separate state of [[Central Lithuania]]. On [[February 20]] [[1922]] after [[Election in Central Lithuania|elections]], the whole area was annexed to Poland, with Vilnius as the [[capital]] of the [[Wilno Voivodeship (1923–1939)|Wilno Voivodship]] (Wilno being the name of Vilnius in [[Polish language|Polish]]). The predominant languages of the city were still [[Polish language|Polish]] and, to a lesser extent, [[Yiddish language|Yiddish]].
[[Image:Vilnius HMG Orthodox church.jpg|thumb|left|Orthodox [[Cathedral of the Theotokos, Vilnius|Cathedral of the Theotokos]], with Gediminas Tower in background]]
In the meantime, for yet another time in its history, the city enjoyed a period of fast development. Vilnius University was reopened under the name [[Stefan Batory University]] and the city's [[infrastructure]] was improved significantly. By 1931, the city had 195,000 inhabitants, making it the fifth largest city in Poland with vibrant industries, such as [[Elektrit]], a factory of a popular make of radio receivers. Some dispute this picture of economic growth and point out that the standard of living in Vilnius at that time was considerably lower compared to that in other parts of contemporary Lithuania.{{Fact|date=March 2008}}
[[Image:Vilnius Gediminas tower.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gediminas Tower]]]]
=== World War II===
Following the secret protocol of the [[Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact]], on [[September 19]] [[1939]], Vilnius was seized and annexed by the [[Soviet Union]]. There were plans to include the city and the region as a part of the [[Belarusian SSR]], but eventually it was decided that Vilnius might be used as a way to exert significant influence on [[Lithuania]].{{Fact|date=September 2007}} On [[October 10]] [[1939]], after a Soviet [[ultimatum]], the Lithuanian government accepted the presence of Soviet [[military base]]s in various parts of the country in exchange for restoring the city to Lithuania. On [[October 28]] [[1939]] the Red Army withdrew from the city to its suburbs (to Nowa Wilejka) and Vilnius was taken over by the Lithuanian Army. A parade took place on [[October 29]] [[1939]] through the city center. Though the process of transferring the capital from Kaunas to Vilnius started soon after, the whole of Lithuania was occupied by the [[Soviet Union]] in June 1940 before the transfer was completed. A new Communist government was installed, with Vilnius as the capital of the newly created [[Lithuanian SSR]]. Up to 40,000 of the city's inhabitants were arrested by the [[NKVD]] and sent to [[gulag]]s in the far eastern areas of the Soviet Union. The Soviets devastated city industries, moving the [[Elektrit]] radio factory along with a part of its labor force to [[Minsk]] in [[Belarus]], where it was renamed the [[Vyacheslav Molotov]] Radio Factory, after Stalin's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
[[Image:Wilno katedra.jpg|thumb|left|[[Vilnius Cathedral|Cathedral]] in Vilnius, seen in 1912]]
==== German Occupation====
In June 1941, the city was occupied by [[Germany]], when it invaded Lithuania as part of [[Operation Barbarossa|its campaign against the Soviet Union]]. Two [[ghetto]]s were set up in the [[Vilnius Old Town|old town]] center 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 what became known as "[[Aktionen]]". A failed [[ghetto uprising]] on [[September 1]], [[1943]] organized by the [[Fareinigte Partizaner Organizacje]] (the United Partisan Organization, the first Jewish partisan unit in Nazi-occupied Europe),{{Fact|date=June 2008}} was followed by the final destruction of the ghetto. During the [[Holocaust in Lithuania|Holocaust]] about 95% of the 265,000-strong Jewish population of Lithuania was murdered by the German units and their local collaborators, many of them in [[Paneriai]], about 10 km west of the old town centre.
=== In Soviet Union ===
In July 1944 Vilnius was taken from the Germans by the Soviet Army and the Polish [[Armia Krajowa]] (see [[Operation Ostra Brama]]). The [[NKVD]] arrested the Polish soldiers. Vilnius was incorporated into the Soviet Union as the capital of the [[Lithuanian SSR]] shortly thereafter. Immediately after [[World War II]], large numbers of Poles were expelled from Soviet-occupied Lithuania to Poland. Coupled with migration of the Lithuanians into Vilnius, this development resulted in a change to the city demographics.{{Fact|date=March 2008}}
=== Independence ===
[[Image:Vilnius downtown in spring.jpg|181 px|thumb|right|The new Vilnius City Center]]
On [[March 11]], [[1990]], the [[Supreme Council of the Lithuanian SSR]] announced its independence from the Soviet Union and restored the independent [[Republic of Lithuania]]. The Soviets responded on [[January 9]] [[1991]], by sending in troops. On [[January 13]] during the [[Vilnius massacre|Soviet Army attack]] on the State Radio and Television Building and the [[Vilnius TV Tower]], at least fourteen civilians were killed and more than 700 were seriously injured. The Soviet Union finally recognized Lithuanian independence in August 1991.
=== Today ===
Since then, 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 Center'', expected to become the city's main administrative and business district on the north side of the [[Neris]] river. This area includes modern residential and retail space, with the [[municipality]] building and a 129-metre (423') [[Europa Tower]] as its most prominent building. While a number of modern business and retail centers have been built during recent years, many other projects are waiting to be implemented.{{Fact|date=March 2008}}
In 2009 Vilnius will be the capital of European Culture. Among the initiatives promoted by Lithuania for this event, the historical centre of the city has been restored and its main monuments have been renewed.<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.webjournal.unior.it/Dati/17/41/Articolo%20Lituania.pdf O. Niglio, ''Restauri in Lituania. Vilnius Capitale della Cultura Europea 2009'',]|810 [[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 829925 bytes -->}} in "Web Journal on Cultural Patrimony", 1, 2006
</ref>
==Geography==
[[Image:Lituania Vilnius.jpg|180px|thumb|left|Central Vilnius in winter.]]
[[Image:Europa Tower.Vilnius.Lithuania.JPG|thumb|178 px|[[Europa Tower]]- the tallest skyscraper in the [[Baltic States]].]]
Vilnius is situated in southeastern Lithuania ({{coor dm|54|41|N|25|17|E|}}) at the [[Confluence (geography)|confluence]] of the [[Vilnia River|Vilnia]] and [[Neris]] Rivers. It is believed that Vilnius, like many other cities, was named after a crossing river, Vilnia.
Lying close to Vilnius is a site some claim to be the [[Geographic Center of Europe|Geographical Centre of Europe]].
Vilnius' non-central 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 center of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]].
Vilnius lies 312 [[kilometre]]s (194 [[Mile|mi]]) from the [[Baltic Sea]] and [[Klaipėda]], the chief Lithuanian [[seaport]]. Vilnius is connected by highways to other major Lithuanian cities, such as [[Kaunas]] (102 km/63 mi away), [[Šiauliai]] (214 km/133 mi away) and [[Panevėžys]] (135 km/84 mi away).
The current area of Vilnius is 402 [[square kilometre]]s (155 [[Square mile|sq mi]]). Buildings cover 20.2% of the city and in the remaining areas, greenery (43.9%) and waters (2.1%) prevail.<!-- 20.2+43.9+2.1=66.2% !!! -->
==Climate==
The climate of Vilnius is considered as [[continental climate|Humid Continental or Hemiboreal]] by [[Köppen climate classification]].<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> The average annual temperature is +6.1 °C (43 °[[Fahrenheit|F]]); in January the average temperature is −4.9 °C (23 °F), in July it is +17.0 °C (62.6 °F). The average [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] is about 661 millimetres (26.0 [[Inch|in]]) per year.
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 and cafés become very popular during the daytime.
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 ice-fishing, whereby fishermen drill holes in the ice and fish with baited hooks.
{{Infobox Weather
|location = Vilnius, Lithuania
|single_line =Yes
|metric_first=Yes
|Jan_Hi_°F = 25.7
|Feb_Hi_°F = 28.9
|Mar_Hi_°F = 37.9
|Apr_Hi_°F = 51.3
|May_Hi_°F = 64.8
|Jun_Hi_°F = 70
|Jul_Hi_°F = 71.8
|Aug_Hi_°F = 70.9
|Sep_Hi_°F = 61.5
|Oct_Hi_°F = 50.4
|Nov_Hi_°F = 38.3
|Dec_Hi_°F = 31.1
|Year_Hi_°F = 50.2
|Jan_Hi_°C = -3.5
|Feb_Hi_°C = -1.7
|Mar_Hi_°C = 3.3
|Apr_Hi_°C = 10.7
|May_Hi_°C = 18.2
|Jun_Hi_°C = 21.1
|Jul_Hi_°C = 22.1
|Aug_Hi_°C = 21.6
|Sep_Hi_°C = 16.4
|Oct_Hi_°C = 10.2
|Nov_Hi_°C = 3.5
|Dec_Hi_°C = -0.5
|Year_Hi_°C = 10.1
|Jan_Lo_°F = 16.3
|Feb_Lo_°F = 18.3
|Mar_Lo_°F = 25.2
|Apr_Lo_°F = 34.9
|May_Lo_°F = 45.5
|Jun_Lo_°F = 51.4
|Jul_Lo_°F = 54.1
|Aug_Lo_°F = 52.7
|Sep_Lo_°F = 45.9
|Oct_Lo_°F = 38.1
|Nov_Lo_°F = 30.4
|Dec_Lo_°F = 22.6
|Year_Lo_°F = 36.4
|Jan_Lo_°C = -8.7
|Feb_Lo_°C = -7.6
|Mar_Lo_°C = -3.8
|Apr_Lo_°C = 1.6
|May_Lo_°C = 7.5
|Jun_Lo_°C = 10.8
|Jul_Lo_°C =12.3
|Aug_Lo_°C =11.5
|Sep_Lo_°C =7.7
|Oct_Lo_°C =3.4
|Nov_Lo_°C =-0.9
|Dec_Lo_°C =-5.2
|Year_Lo_°C =3.4
|Jan_Precip_inch = 1.61
|Feb_Precip_inch = 1.49
|Mar_Precip_inch = 1.53
|Apr_Precip_inch = 1.81
|May_Precip_inch = 2.44
|Jun_Precip_inch = 3.03
|Jul_Precip_inch = 3.07
|Aug_Precip_inch = 2.83
|Sep_Precip_inch = 2.56
|Oct_Precip_inch = 2.09
|Nov_Precip_inch = 2.24
|Dec_Precip_inch = 2.17
|Year_Precip_inch = 26.9
|Jan_Precip_cm = |Jan_Precip_mm = 41
|Feb_Precip_cm = |Feb_Precip_mm = 38
|Mar_Precip_cm = |Mar_Precip_mm = 39
|Apr_Precip_cm = |Apr_Precip_mm = 46
|May_Precip_cm = |May_Precip_mm = 62
|Jun_Precip_cm = |Jun_Precip_mm = 77
|Jul_Precip_cm = |Jul_Precip_mm = 78
|Aug_Precip_cm = |Aug_Precip_mm = 72
|Sep_Precip_cm = |Sep_Precip_mm = 65
|Oct_Precip_cm = |Oct_Precip_mm = 53
|Nov_Precip_cm = |Nov_Precip_mm = 57
|Dec_Precip_cm = |Dec_Precip_mm = 55
|Year_Precip_cm = |Year_Precip_mm = 683
|source =The World Meteorological Organization<ref name=WMO>{{cite web
| url =http://www.worldweather.org/105/c00204.htm|title = {{en icon}} Weather Information for Vilnius
| accessmonthday = Dec 12
|accessyear =2006
| language = }}</ref>
|accessdate = Nov 2006
}}
== Demographics==
According to the 2001 [[census]] by the Vilnius Regional Statistical Office, there were 542,287 inhabitants in the [[Vilnius city municipality]], of which 57.8% were [[Lithuanians]], 18.7% [[Poles]], 14% [[Russians]], 4.0% [[Belarusians]], 1.3% [[Ukrainians]] and 0.5% [[Jews]]; the remainder indicated other nationalities or refused to answer.
==Tourism==
[[Image:Lithuania Vilnius Cathedral.jpg|thumb|left|View over the Cathedral roof]]
Vilnius is a [[Multiculturalism|cosmopolitan]] city with diverse [[architecture]]. There are more than 40 [[church]]es in Vilnius. [[Restaurant]]s, [[hotel]]s and [[museum]]s have sprouted since Lithuania declared independence. [[Image:Vilnius Ostrobramska.jpg|thumb|right|Aušros Vartai Street. The icon of [[Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn|The Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy]] is venerated in a chapel at the medieval gate at the top of this street.]]
Like most [[Middle Ages|medieval]] towns, Vilnius was developed around its [[Town Hall, Vilnius|Town Hall]]. The main artery, [[Pilies Street]], links the royal palace and the Town Hall. Other streets meander through the palaces of [[Feudalism|feudal]] lords and landlords, churches, shops and craftsmen's workrooms. Narrow, curved streets and intimate [[courtyard]]s developed in the radial layout of medieval Vilnius.
The [[Vilnius Old Town|Old Town]], the historical centre of Vilnius, is one of the largest in [[Europe]] (3.6 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 splendid blend of many different architectural styles. Although Vilnius is known as a [[Baroque]] city, there are examples of [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] (e.g. [[St. Anne's Church, Vilnius|St Anne's Church]]), [[Renaissance]], and other styles. The main sights of the city are [[Gediminas Castle]] and [[Cathedral Square]], symbols of the capital. 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 [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage List]] in 1994. In 1995, the first [[bronze]] [[Sculpture|cast]] of [[Frank Zappa]] in the world was installed near the center of Vilnius with the permission of the government.
On [[2007]] [[November 10]] [[Jonas Mekas Visual Arts Center]] was opened by acclaimed [[avant-garde]] film-maker [[Jonas Mekas]]. First premiere exhibition futures ''The Avant-Garde: From [[Futurism]] to [[Fluxus]]''.
[[Guggenheim-Hermitage Vilnius|Guggenheim-Hermitage museum]] will be built in Vilnius. The building is designed by [[Zaha Hadid]]. The museum will host: Guggenheim and Hermitage exhibitions, non commercial avant-garde cinema, library, museum of [[Lithuanian Jews|Lithuanian Jewish culture]], collection of Jonas Mekas and [[George Maciunas|Jurgis Mačiūnas]].
==Economy==
[[Image:Vilnius skyline at night.Lithuania.JPG|thumb|right|339px|Vilnius Financial Center]]
Vilnius is the major economic centre of Lithuania and one of the largest financial centres of the [[Baltic states]]. Even though it is home to only 15% of Lithuania's population, it generates approximately 35% of Lithuania's GDP [http://www.vilnius.lt/new/en/investicijos.php]. Based on these indicators, its estimated [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] per capita, based on [[purchasing power parity]], in 2005 is approximately $33,100, above the [[European Union]] average.
Vilnius contributed over 4.6 billion [[Lithuanian litas|litas]] to the national budget in 2004. That makes about 37% of the budget. [[Kaunas]], the second largest city, contributed only 1.5 billion. Vilnius received a return of 360 million litas in the budget, which is only 7.7% of its contribution. This disparity caused some conflicts with the central government because of Vilnius' demand for a greater share of the funds it generated.
==Education==
The city has many universities. The biggest are [[Vilnius University]], [[Vilnius Gediminas Technical University]], [[Mykolas Romeris University]] and [[Vilnius Pedagogical University]]. Specialized higher schools with the university status are [[General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania]], [[Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre]], [[Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts]].
There is also the [[National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art]].
==Culture==
[[Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania]] has 6 912 266 physical units.
==Religion==
:''For ecclesiastical history, see [[Archdiocese of Vilnius]]''
[[Image:Mikalojus Church.jpg|201 px|right|thumb|[[St. Nicholas Church, Vilnius|St. Nicholas]] is the oldest surviving church in Lithuania, built before 1387]]
Vilnius is the Roman Catholic center of the country, with the main church institutions and Archdiocesan Cathedral located here. There are quite a number of active and open churches in the city, along with small enclosed monasteries and religion schools. Church architecture includes [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]], [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]], [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] and [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] styles, with important examples of each found in the [[Vilnius Old Town|Old Town]]. Vilnius is considered one of the main centers of the [[Polish Baroque]] movement in ecclesiastical architecture. Additionally, [[Eastern Rite Catholicism]] has maintained a presence in Vilnius since the [[Union of Brest]]. The Baroque Basilian Gate is part of an Eastern Rite monastery.
Also, Vilnius has been home to an [[Eastern Orthodox]] [[Christian]] presence since the thirteenth century. A famous [[Russian Orthodox]] monastery, named for the [[Anthony, John, and Eustathios|Holy Spirit]], is located near the [[Gate of Dawn]]. St. Paraskeva's Orthodox Church in the Old Town is the site of the [[Gannibal#Early life|baptism]] of [[Abram Petrovich Gannibal|Hannibal]], the great-grandfather of [[Pushkin]], by [[Tsar]] [[Peter the Great]] in 1705.
Many [[Old Believers]], who split from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1667, settled in Lithuania. Today a [http://ldmuziejus.mch.mii.lt/naujausiosparodos/Old_Believers.en.htm Supreme Council of the Old Believers] is based in Vilnius.
A number of Protestant and other Christian groups<ref>[http://www.adherents.com/adhloc/Wh_186.html Adherents.com: By Location<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> are represented in Vilnius, most notably the [[Lutheran]] Evangelicals and the [[Baptist]]s.
[[Image:Synagogue of Vilnius.jpg|200 px|right|thumb|left|The Choral Synagogue of Vilnius, the only synagogue in the city to survive the [[Holocaust]].]]
Once widely known as ''Yerushalayim De Lita'' (the "Jerusalem of Lithuania"), Vilnius once was comparable only to [[Jerusalem]], [[Israel]], as a world center for the study of the [[Torah]], 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.<ref>[http://www.jmuseum.lt/index.asp?DL=E&TopicID=67 The Great Synagogue of Vilnius] The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum</ref> A major scholar of [[Judaism]] and [[Kabbalah]] centered in Vilnius was the famous Rabbi Eliyahu Kremer, also known as the [[Vilna Gaon]]. 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 [[Nazi]] genocide located in the center of the former [[Vilna Ghetto|Jewish Ghetto]] — now Mėsinių Street.
The [[Karaim]] are a Jewish sect who migrated to Lithuania from the Crimea to serve as a military elite unit in the thirteenth century. Although their numbers are very small, the Karaim are becoming more prominent<ref>[http://www.euronet.nl/users/sota/karaim22.htm New Life in Karaim Communities<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> since Lithuanian independence, and have restored their [[kenesa]].
[[Islam in Lithuania|Islam]] came to Lithuania in the 14th century from [[Crimea]] and [[Kazan]], through the [[Tatars]]. Tatars in Lithuania have maintained their religious practices: currently, about 3,000 Tatar Muslims live in Lithuania. The [[Lukiškės]] mosque of the Lithuanian Tatars was a prominent 19th century feature of suburban Vilnius, but was destroyed during the Soviet era.
The pre-Christian [[pagan]] religion of Lithuania, centered around the forces of nature as personified by deities such as [[Perkūnas]] (the Thunder God), is experiencing some increased interest.
==Transport==
[[Image:Vilnius solaris.jpg|201px|thumb|Solaris Trollino 15AC trolleybus in Vilnius]]
===Motorways===
Vilnius is the starting point of the Vilnius-[[Kaunas]]-[[Klaipėda]] [[motorway]] that runs across Lithuania and connects the three major cities. The Vilnius-[[Panevėžys]] motorway is a branch of the [[European route E67|Via-Baltica]]. Though the river [[Neris]] is navigable at this point, no regular water routes exist. [[Vilnius International Airport]] serves most Lithuanian international flights to many major European destinations. The Vilnius [[Rail transport|railway]] station is an important hub as well.
===Public Transport===
Vilnius has a well-developed [[public transport]]ation system. There are over 60 bus and 19 [[trolleybus]] routes, the trolleybus network is one of the biggest 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. A single ride ticket costs up to 1.40 [[Lithuanian litas|litas]] (0,41 EUR) while monthly tickets cost 40-60 litas (14,50-17,40 EUR). The first regular bus routes were established in 1926, and the first trolleybus was introduced in 1956.
[[Image:VilniusE-TicketFrontside.jpg|thumb|left|A sample Vilnius Transport "E-Ticket"]]
In the end of year 2007 a new electronic monthly ticket system was introduced. It is possible to buy an electronic card in shops and newspaper stands and fill it with an appropriate amount of money. The prices for the monthly e-ticket are the same as for the paper tickets. The monthly e-ticket cards are bought once and might be filled with an appropriate amount of money in various ways including the Internet. Currently the monthly e-ticket system co-exists with paper monthly tickets until August of 2008 when a new system for electronic one-time tickets will be introduced.<ref>[http://www.vilniusticket.lt/ Vilnius public transport e-ticket system]</ref>
The public transportation system is dominated by the brand new low-floor [[Volvo Buses|Volvo]] and [[Mercedes-Benz buses]] as well as [[Solaris Bus & Coach|Solaris]] trolleybuses. The new Solaris vehicles (built in Poland) are 15 m long three-axle vehicles. There are also plenty of the traditional Skoda vehicles built in 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 [[Volvo Buses]] to buy 90 brand-new [http://www.vap.lt/volvo.htm 7700 buses] over the next 3 years.
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. There are also a number of different routes, for example from various neighborhoods to the [[Gariūnai]] market. In addition there are about 400 [[share taxi]]s that are usually faster but less comfortable and more expensive (3[[Lithuanian litas|litas]] — 0.87 EUR) than regular buses.
There are also plans to build a [[rapid transit]] system, [[Vilnius Metro]].
==Sister cities==
Vilnius has 14 [[Town twinning|sister cities]]. In addition, agreements on cooperation have been signed with 16 other cities.
{|
|
* {{flagicon|Turkey}} [[Akhisar]], [[Turkey]]
* {{flagicon|Denmark}} [[Aalborg]], [[Denmark]]
* {{flagicon|Hungary}} [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Chicago]], [[United States]]
* {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Duisburg]], [[Germany]]
* {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Erfurt]], [[Germany]]
||
* {{flagicon|Finland}} [[Joensuu]], [[Finland]]
* {{flagicon|Ukraine}} [[Kiev]], [[Ukraine]]
* {{flagicon|Russia}} [[St.Petersburg]], [[Russia]]
* {{flagicon|Poland}} [[Kraków]], [[Poland]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]], [[United States]]
* {{flagicon|Norway}} [[Oslo]], [[Norway]]
||
* {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Pavia]], [[Italy]]
* {{flagicon|Greece}} [[Piraeus]], [[Greece]]
* {{flagicon|Austria}} [[Salzburg]], [[Austria]]
* {{flagicon|Taiwan}} [[Taipei]], [[Taiwan]]
* {{flagicon|Poland}} [[Warsaw]], [[Poland]]
* {{flagicon|Ukraine}} [[Donetsk]], [[Ukraine]]
|}
==Subdivisions==
[[Image:Vilniaus seniunijos numeracija.png|thumb|350px|Map of Vilnius elderates. Numbers on the map correspond with numbers in the list]]
The city of Vilnius is made up of 21 [[elderate]]s that are based on neighbourhoods:
#[[Verkiai]] — includes Baltupiai, Jeruzalė, Santariškės, Balsiai, Visoriai
#[[Antakalnis]] — includes Valakampiai, Turniškės, Dvarčionys
#[[Pašilaičiai]] — includes Tarandė
#[[Fabijoniškės]] — includes Bajorai
#[[Pilaitė]]
#[[Justiniškės]]
#[[Viršuliškės]]
#[[Šeškinė]]
#[[Šnipiškės]]
#[[Žirmūnai]] — includes Šiaurės miestelis
#[[Karoliniškės]]
#[[Žvėrynas]]
#[[Grigiškės]] — a separate town included in the [[Vilnius city municipality]]
#[[Lazdynai]]
#[[Vilkpėdė]] — includes Vingis park
#[[Naujamiestis]] — includes bus and train stations
#[[Vilnius Old Town|Senamiestis (Old Town)]] — includes [[Užupis]]
#[[Naujoji Vilnia]] — includes Pavilnys, Pūčkoriai
#[[Paneriai]] — includes Trakų Vokė, Gariūnai
#[[Naujininkai]] — includes Kirtimai, Salininkai, [[Vilnius International Airport]]
#[[Rasos (Vilnius)|Rasos]] — includes Belmontas, Markučiai
==Significant depictions in popular culture==
*Vilnius is one of the locations featured in the video game ''[[Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon]]'' (photographs comparing the game's locations with their real-life counterparts can be found [http://www.ghostrecon.net/html/real-locations.htm here]). However, although some of the architecture is relatively well-represented, it has to be said that most of the map is fictional and it does not feel like a particularly accurate representation of the city of Vilnius.
*Vilnius is the birthplace of the fictional character [[Marko Ramius]] in [[Tom Clancy|Tom Clancy's]] novel ''[[The Hunt for Red October]]''. Fictional character Jack Ryan calls Ramius "The Vilnius Schoolmaster" because Ramius trained nearly all the Russian submarine commanders.
*In Thomas Harris' novel "[[Hannibal]]," it is revealed that serial murderer [[Hannibal Lecter]] was born just outside Vilnius.
==Honors==
A [[minor planet]] [[3072 Vilnius]] discovered by [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] astronomer [[Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh]] in 1978 is named after the city. <ref>[http://books.google.com/books?hl=ru&q=3072+Vilnius+1978+RS1 Dictionary of Minor Planet Names - p.253]</ref>
==Other towns named for Vilnius==
*The rural town of [[Wilno, Ontario|Wilno]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]] was named after the Polish name for Vilnius in the 1860s. The village of [[Vilna, Alberta]] was also named for Vilnius.
==See also==
* [[Archdiocese of Vilnius]]
* [[Cathedral Square in Vilnius]]
* [[Coat of arms of Vilnius]]
* [[Gediminas Castle]]
* [[Elektrit]]
* [[Kaziuko mugė|Kaziuko fair in Vilnius]]
* [[Pilies Street]]
* [[Vilnius Cathedral]]
* [[Vilnius University]]
* [[List of Vilnians]]
* [[Vilna Gaon]]
* [[Vilna Ghetto]]
==Footnotes and references==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{commonscat|Vilnius}}
*[http://www.vilnaghetto.com Chronicles of the Vilna Ghetto: wartime photographs & documents — vilnaghetto.com]
*[http://www.vilnius.lt/new/en/gidas.php Official city guide]
*[http://www.holocaustresearchproject.net/ghettos/vilnius.html Vilnius during the Holocaust]
*[http://www.vilniustransport.lt/en.php/ Vilnius Public Transport System]
{{coor title d|54.7000|N|25.2695|E|region:LT_type:city}}
{{Capital cities of the European Union}}
{{European Capital of Culture}}
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[[Category:Capitals in Europe]]
[[Category:Cities in Lithuania]]
[[Category:Capitals of Lithuanian counties]]
[[Category:Historic Jewish communities]]
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