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130-820: When Soviet Union occupied Lithuania on 15 June 1940, the Lithuanian Ministry of Internal Affairs was liquidated and replaced by the Soviet NKVD . Many former employees of the Ministry were arrested and imprisoned as " enemies of the people ". Foreseeing the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union , Lithuanians organized the June Uprising , hoping to regain Lithuanian independence in the clash of

260-481: A Provisional Government to function for over a month. The Latvian Central Council was set up as an underground organisation in 1943, but it was destroyed by the Gestapo in 1945. In Estonia in 1941, Jüri Uluots proposed restoration of independence; later, by 1944, he had become a key figure in the secret National Committee . In September 1944, Uluots briefly became acting president of independent Estonia. Unlike

390-614: 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

520-633: A brief period, Nazi Germany occupied the Baltic states after it invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. The initial Soviet invasion and occupation of the Baltic states began in June 1940 under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact , made between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany in August 1939 before the outbreak of World War II . The three independent Baltic countries were annexed as constituent Republics of

650-504: 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

780-428: 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

910-581: 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

1040-541: 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. Vilnius has

1170-650: A number of years. The Soviets had previously carried out mass deportations in 1940–41, but the deportations between 1944 and 1952 were even greater. In March 1949 alone, the top Soviet authorities organised a mass deportation of 90,000 Baltic nationals. The total number deported in 1944–55 has been estimated at over half a million: 124,000 in Estonia , 136,000 in Latvia and 245,000 in Lithuania. The estimated death toll among Lithuanian deportees between 1945 and 1958

1300-578: A puppet regime set up by the Soviets on the first day of the Winter War . The Soviets organised a press campaign against the allegedly pro-Allied sympathies of the Baltic governments. In May 1940, the Germans invaded France , which was overrun and occupied a month later. In late May and early June 1940, the Baltic states were accused of military collaboration against the Soviet Union by holding meetings

1430-599: A separate commissariat for right-wing organizations. The initial task of LSP was to identify and arrest Communists. In the first months of German occupation, the Communist Commissariat of the Vilnius branch, headed by Juozas Bagdonis , was especially active. In 1941 documents this commissariat is sometimes referred to as the Communist-Jewish section (Lithuanian: Komunistų-žydų sekcija ). It

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1560-513: A size of roughly 10,000 men. Its goal was to fight the approaching Red Army, provide security and conduct anti-partisan operations within the territory claimed by Lithuanians. After brief engagements against Soviet and Polish partisans, the force self-disbanded. Its leaders were arrested and sent to Nazi concentration camps , and many of members were executed by the Nazis. Latvian Legion , created in 1943, consisted of two conscripted divisions of

1690-623: 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

1820-533: 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 . Since the 16th century, the Lithuanian Metrica has been kept at

1950-855: Is active in Vilnius; in 1970–71, the Ganelin/Tarasov/Chekasin trio founded the Vilnius Jazz School. The Vilnius Jazz Festival is held annually. 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

2080-557: Is also located at the Slushko Palace in Antakalnis . Singers who have lectured at the academy include tenors Kipras Petrauskas and Virgilijus Noreika . 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

2210-519: Is still used in German with Vilnius . 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

2340-733: 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

2470-586: The Battle of Velikiye Luki in winter 1942/43. It participated in the capture of Tallinn in September 1944. About 20,000 Lithuanians, 25,000 Estonians, and 5000 Latvians died in the ranks of the Red Army and labor battalions. The Nazi administration also conscripted Baltic nationals into the German armies. The Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force , composed of volunteers, was formed in 1944. The LTDF reached

2600-483: The Constitution of Lithuania , "the capital of the State of Lithuania shall be the city of Vilnius, the long-standing historical capital of Lithuania". 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

2730-586: 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. Vilnius is at the confluence of the Vilnia and Neris rivers in southeastern Lithuania. Several countries say that

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2860-756: The French and the Poles , the Baltic states had no governments in exile located in the West. Consequently, Great Britain and the United States lacked any interest in the Baltic cause while the war against Germany remained undecided. The discovery of the Katyn massacre in 1943 and callous conduct towards the Warsaw uprising in 1944 had cast shadows on relations; nevertheless, all three victors still displayed solidarity at

2990-763: The German security system . The former State Security Department was reorganised into the Lithuanian Security Police. The police in German-occupied Lithuania consisted of separate German and Lithuanian units. The most important German police organizations were the SiPo (security police, German : Sicherheitspolizei ) and SD (security service, German : Sicherheitsdienst ), commanded by Karl Jäger and headquartered in Kaunas, and

3120-574: 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

3250-611: 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. Choral music is popular in Lithuania, and Vilnius has three choir laureates (Brevis, Jauna Muzika, and

3380-755: 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

3510-647: 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

3640-594: The NKVD . In addition, destruction battalions were formed under the command of the NKVD. Hence, Baltic nationals fought in both German and Soviet army ranks. There was the 201st Latvian Rifle Division. The 308th Latvian Rifle Division was awarded the Red Banner Order after the expulsion of the Germans from Riga in the autumn of 1944. An estimated 60,000 Lithuanians were drafted into the Red Army. During 1940, on

3770-479: 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

3900-409: 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

4030-542: The Red Army 's Baltic Offensive , trapping the remaining German forces in the Courland Pocket until their formal surrender in May 1945. During the 1944–1991 Soviet occupation many people from Russia and other parts of the former USSR were settled in the three Baltic countries, while the local languages, religion and customs were suppressed in an "extremely violent and traumatic" occupation. Colonization of

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4160-665: 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

4290-546: The Skrunda-1 radar station until it was decommissioned on 31 August 1998. The Russian Government then had to dismantle and remove the radar equipment; this work was completed by October 1999 when the site was returned to Latvia. The last Russian soldier left the region that month, marking a symbolic end to the Russian military presence on Baltic soil. During the 1940–1941 and 1944–1991 occupations 605,000 inhabitants of

4420-466: 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

4550-653: The Yalta conference in 1945. By 1 March 1944 the siege of Leningrad was over and Soviet troops were on the border with Estonia . The Soviets launched the Baltic Offensive , a twofold military-political operation to rout German forces, on 14 September. On 16 September the High Command of the German Army issued a plan in which Estonian forces would cover the German withdrawal. The Soviets soon reached

4680-606: The dissolution of the Soviet Union . Russia started to withdraw its troops from the Baltics starting with Lithuania in August 1993. However, it was a violent process and Soviet forces killed several Latvians and Lithuanians. The full withdrawal of troops deployed by Moscow ended in August 1994. Russia officially ended its military presence in the Baltics in August 1998 by decommissioning the Skrunda-1 radar station in Latvia. The dismantled installations were repatriated to Russia and

4810-631: The escape of an interned Polish submarine on 18 September. On 24 September, the Estonian foreign minister was given an ultimatum : The Soviets demanded a treaty of mutual assistance to establish military bases in Estonia. The Estonians were coerced to accept naval, air and army bases on two Estonian islands and at the port of Paldiski . The corresponding agreement was signed on 28 September 1939. Latvia followed on 5 October 1939 and Lithuania shortly thereafter, on 10 October 1939. The agreements permitted

4940-418: 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

5070-582: 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

5200-536: The 1917 October Revolution in Russia. However, many of them were killed during the Great Purge in the 1930s. The new regimes of 1944 were established mostly by native communists who had fought in the Red Army . However, the Soviets also imported ethnic Russians to fill political, administrative and managerial posts. The period of stagnation brought the crisis of the Soviet system. The new Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in 1985 and responded with glasnost and perestroika . They were attempts to reform

5330-410: The 26th Cavalry Regiment was disbanded. During the 1941 June deportations over 320 officers and soldiers of 29th Corps were arrested and deported to concentration camps or executed. The 29th Corps collapsed with the German invasion into Soviet Union: on June 25–26 a rebellion broke in its 184th Rifle Division. The other division of the 29th Corps, the 179th Rifle Division lost most of its soldiers during

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5460-487: The Baltic area, was the most effective of four units. German policy forced the Jews into ghettos . In 1943 Heinrich Himmler ordered his forces to liquidate the ghettos and to transfer the survivors to concentration camps . Some Latvians and Lithuanian conscripts collaborated actively in the killing of Jews, and the Nazis managed to provoke pogroms locally, especially in Lithuania. Only about 75 percent of Estonian and 10 percent of Latvian and Lithuanian Jews survived

5590-424: The Baltic national armies at the wake of the occupation in 1940. Most of the senior officers were arrested and many of them murdered. During the German invasion, the Soviets conducted a forced general mobilisation that took place in violation of the international law . Under the Geneva Conventions , this act of violence is seen as a grave breach and war crime, because the mobilised men were treated as arrestants from

5720-424: The Baltic states argued that the entire occupation process violated both international law and their own law. Therefore, they argued, they were merely reasserting an independence that still existed under international law. By mid-June, after unsuccessful economic blockade of Lithuania , the Soviets started negotiations with Lithuania and the other two Baltic republics. The Soviets had a bigger challenge elsewhere, as

5850-413: The Baltic states. Vilnius Vilnius ( / ˈ v ɪ l n i ə s / VIL -nee-əs , Lithuanian: [ˈvʲɪlʲnʲʊs] ), 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 . The city's estimated July 2024 population was 605,270, and the Vilnius urban area (which extends beyond

5980-620: The Baltic states. In 1992 there were still 120,000 Russian troops there, as well as a large number of military pensioners, particularly in Estonia and Latvia. During the period of negotiations, Russia hoped to retain facilities such as the Liepāja naval base, the Skrunda anti-ballistic missile radar station, the Ventspils space-monitoring station in Latvia and the Paldiski submarine base in Estonia, as well as transit rights to Kaliningrad through Lithuania. Contention arose when Russia threatened to keep its troops where they were. Moscow tied its concessions to specific legislation guaranteeing

6110-428: The Baltic territories into the Third Reich where "suitable elements" would be assimilated and "unsuitable elements" exterminated. In practice, the implementation of occupation policy was more complex; for administrative convenience the Baltic states were included with Belorussia in the Reichskommissariat Ostland . The area was governed by Hinrich Lohse who was obsessed with bureaucratic regulations. The Baltic area

6240-430: 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

6370-399: The Estonian Supreme Soviet declared the Soviet Union an occupying power and announced the start of a transitional period to independence. On 4 May 1990, the Latvian Supreme Soviet made a similar declaration. The Soviet Union immediately condemned all three declarations as illegal, saying that they had to go through the process of secession outlined in the Soviet Constitution of 1977 . However,

6500-415: The Estonian capital Tallinn, where the NKVD 's first mission was to stop anyone escaping from the state; however, many refugees did manage to escape to the West. The NKVD also targeted the members of the National Committee of the Republic of Estonia . German and Latvian forces remained trapped in the Courland Pocket until the end of the war, capitulating on 10 May 1945. After reoccupying the Baltic states,

6630-435: The German took Lithuania, it became apparent that they had no intention of granting autonomy to Lithuania. Instead, on 25 July 1941, they established a civil administration known as Generalbezirk Litauen under Generalkommissar Adrian von Renteln , and dissolved the Provisional Government on 5 August 1941. But they found the police and intelligence agencies created in the transitional period useful and incorporated them into

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6760-556: The Germans invaded the Soviet Union . The Baltic states, recently Sovietized by threats, force, and fraud, generally welcomed the German armed forces. In Lithuania, a revolt broke out and an independent provisional government was established. As the German armies approached Riga and Tallinn , attempts to reestablish national governments were made. Baltic citizens hoped that the Germans would reestablish Baltic independence. Such hopes soon evaporated and Baltic cooperation became less forthright or ceased altogether. The Germans aimed to annex

6890-407: The LSP collected at least some evidence to support the charge. However, that quickly changed and Jews became persecuted solely because of their ethnicity. The LSP targeted Jews and suspected Jews, supporters of Jews, people evading imprisonment in the ghettos, escapees from ghettos, or those who violated the Nazi racial laws . The activities of the LSP offices in major cities (Vilnius, Kaunas) and in

7020-420: 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

7150-511: 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. On 4 June 1924,

7280-452: The Paneriai Memorial visitor information centre. 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 ,

7410-438: 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

7540-446: The Red Army occupied the state. On 16 June 1940, Latvia and Estonia also received ultimata. The Red Army occupied the two remaining Baltic states shortly thereafter. The Soviets dispatched Andrey Vyshinsky to oversee the takeover of Latvia and Andrey Zhdanov to Estonia. On 18 and 21 June 1940, new " popular front " governments were formed in each Baltic country, made up of Communists and fellow travelers . Under Soviet surveillance,

7670-480: The Russian Federal Republic proclaimed sovereignty in June. Simultaneously the Baltic republics also started to negotiate directly with the Russian Federal Republic. After the failed negotiations the Soviets made a dramatic but failed attempt to break the deadlock and sent in military troops killing twenty and injuring hundreds of civilians in what became known as the " Vilnius massacre " in Lithuania and " The Barricades " in Latvia during January 1991. In August 1991,

7800-429: The Soviet Union duly accepted the requests in August, thus sanctioning them under Soviet law. Lithuania was incorporated into the Soviet Union on 3 August, Latvia on 5 August, and Estonia on 6 August 1940. The deposed presidents of Estonia and Latvia, Konstantin Päts and Kārlis Ulmanis , were deported to the USSR and imprisoned. They died later in the Tver region and Central Asia respectively. In June 1941,

7930-408: The Soviet Union in August 1940. Most Western countries did not recognise this annexation, and considered it illegal. In July 1941, the occupation of the Baltic states by Nazi Germany took place, just weeks after its invasion of the Soviet Union . The Third Reich incorporated them into its Reichskommissariat Ostland . In 1944, the Soviet Union recaptured most of the Baltic states as a result of

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8060-565: The Soviet Union during World War II. After that war, Vilnius became the capital of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic . 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

8190-456: The Soviet Union that changed the demographics dramatically. Lithuania also received immigration but on a smaller scale. Ethnic Estonians constituted 88 percent before the war, but in 1970 the figure dropped to 60 percent. Ethnic Latvians constituted 75 percent, but the figure dropped 57 percent in 1970 and further down to 50.7 percent in 1989. In contrast, the drop in Lithuania was only 4 percent. Baltic communists had supported and participated

8320-418: The Soviet Union to establish military bases on the Baltic states' territory for the duration of the European war and to station 25,000 Soviet soldiers in Estonia , 30,000 in Latvia and 20,000 in Lithuania starting October 1939. In May 1940, the Soviets turned to the idea of direct military intervention, but still intended to rule through puppet regimes . Their model was the Finnish Democratic Republic ,

8450-418: The Soviet system from above to avoid revolution from below. The reforms occasioned the reawakening of nationalism in the Baltic republics. The first major demonstrations against the environment were Riga in November 1986 and the following spring in Tallinn . Small successful protests encouraged key individuals and by the end of 1988 the reform wing had gained the decisive positions in the Baltic republics. At

8580-422: The Soviets implemented a program of sovietization , which was achieved through large-scale industrialisation rather than by overt attacks on culture, religion or freedom of expression. The Soviets carried out massive deportations to eliminate any resistance to collectivisation or support of partisans . Baltic partisans, such as the Forest Brothers , continued to resist Soviet rule through armed struggle for

8710-485: The United States, where he obtained citizenship, of which he was stripped in 1996. In Lithuania, Lileikis's trial was postponed several times due to his poor health; he died at age 93 without having been tried. Lileikis gave interviews to the press and published a memoir Pažadinto laiko pėdsakais ( ISBN   9789986847281 ) in which he denied any wrongdoing. Kazys Gimžauskas, Lileikis' deputy, returned to Lithuania after US authorities began to investigate him in 1996, and

8840-402: 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

8970-497: 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

9100-403: The Waffen-SS. On 1 July 1944 the Latvian Legion had 87,550 men. Another 23,000 Latvians were serving as Wehrmacht "auxiliaries". Among other battles, they participated in the Siege of Leningrad , in the Courland Pocket fighting,the defence of the Pomeranian Wall , at the Velikaya River for Hill "93,4" and in the defence of Berlin . The 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian)

9230-599: The basis of disbanded Lithuanian Army, Soviet authorities organized 29th Territorial Rifle Corps. Decrease in quality of life and service conditions, forceful indoctrination of Communist ideology, caused discontent of recently Sovietized military units. Soviet authorities responded with repressions against Lithuanian officers of the 29th Corps, arresting over 100 officers and soldiers and subsequently executing around 20 in Autumn 1940. By that time allegedly near 3,200 officers and soldiers of 29th Corps were considered "politically unreliable". Due to high tensions and soldiers' discontent

9360-865: The biggest manifestation of opposition to the Soviet rule. In December 1989, the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union condemned the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and its secret protocol as "legally untenable and invalid." On 11 March 1990 the Lithuanian Supreme Soviet declared Lithuania's independence . Pro-independence candidates had received an overwhelming majority in the Supreme Soviet elections held earlier that year. On 30 March 1990, seeing full restoration of independence not yet feasible due to large Soviet presence,

9490-769: 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

9620-415: 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

9750-828: The city. The Vilnius book fair is held annually at LITEXPO , the Baltics' largest exhibition centre. 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

9880-461: 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

10010-512: The civil rights of ethnic Russians, which was seen as an implied threat in the West, in the U.N. General Assembly and by Baltic leaders, who viewed it as Russian imperialism. Lithuania was the first to see complete the withdrawal of Russian troops—on 31 August 1993 —owing in part to the Kaliningrad issue. Subsequent agreements to withdraw troops from Latvia were signed on 30 April 1994, and from Estonia on 26 July 1994. Continued linkage on

10140-542: 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

10270-649: 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

10400-457: 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 ,

10530-410: The eastern parts of Estonia (5% of prewar territory) and Latvia (2%). The Soviets made large capital investments for energy resources and the manufacture of industrial and agricultural products. The purpose was to integrate the Baltic economies into the larger Soviet economic sphere. In all three republics, manufacturing industry was developed resulting in some of the best industrial complexes in

10660-1027: The fascist Iron Wolf organisation . For comparison, as of December 1943, the German SiPo and SD had 112 employees in Kaunas and 40 employees in Vilnius. The combined Lithuanian Security and Criminal Police had 886 employees in 1943. LSP was headquartered in Kaunas . The headquarters were divided onto several departments: Organization (recruitment and employee selection), Economical and Financial (general administration), and Information (reports from other departments and agencies, registry of state enemies, archive). LSP had six regional branches in Kaunas (headed by Albinas Čiuoderis), Vilnius ( Aleksandras Lileikis ), Šiauliai (Juozas Pakulis), Ukmergė (Aleksandras Braziukaitis), Marijampolė (Petras Banys) and Panevėžys (Antanas Liepa). Regional branches usually had seven commissariats: Regional branches sometimes had different set of commissariats, for example Kaunas's branch had

10790-440: 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

10920-700: 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. 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

11050-590: The hard-line members attempted to take control of the Soviet Union. A day after the coup on 21 August, the Estonians proclaimed full independence, after an independence referendum was held in Estonia on 3 March 1991, alongside a similar referendum in Latvia the same month. It was approved by 78.4% of voters with an 82.9% turnout. Independence was restored by the Estonian Supreme Council on

11180-699: 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

11310-550: 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

11440-456: 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. 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

11570-602: 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

11700-473: The majority of Lithuanian territory to the Soviet Union. Under the secret protocol, Lithuania would regain its historical capital Vilnius , previously subjugated during the inter-war period by Poland . Following the end of the Soviet invasion of Poland on 6 October, the Soviets pressured Finland and the Baltic states to conclude mutual assistance treaties. The Soviets questioned the neutrality of Estonia after

11830-926: The mature Baroque, with expressive forms and sensuality. Local sculptors emphasized Baroque decorative features, with less expression and emotion. 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

11960-409: The new Soviet governments carried out mass deportations of " enemies of the people ". Estonia alone lost an estimated 60,000 citizens. Consequently, many Balts initially greeted the Germans as liberators when they invaded a week later. The Soviet Union immediately started to erect border fortifications along its newly acquired western border — the so-called Molotov Line . On 22 June 1941

12090-447: The new governments arranged rigged elections for new "people's assemblies." Voters were presented with a single list, and no opposition movements were allowed to file candidates. To get the required turnout to 99.6%, votes were forged. A month later when the new assemblies met their sole item of business for each of them was a resolution to join the Soviet Union. In each case, the resolution passed by acclamation . The Supreme Soviet of

12220-466: The night of 20 August. The Latvian parliament made similar a declaration on the same day. The coup failed but the collapse of the Soviet Union became unavoidable. After the coup collapsed, the Soviet government recognised the independence of all three Baltic states on 6 September 1991. The Russian Federation assumed the burden and the subsequent withdrawal of the occupation force, consisting of about 150,000 former Soviet, now Russian, troops stationed in

12350-480: The north, Finland , Estonia and Latvia were assigned to the Soviet sphere. Poland was to be partitioned in the event of its "political rearrangement"—the areas east of the Narev , Vistula and San Rivers going to the Soviet Union while Germany would occupy the west. Lithuania, adjacent to East Prussia , would be in the German sphere of influence, although a second secret protocol agreed in September 1939 assigned

12480-415: The north-eastern outskirts of Vilnius. 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

12610-460: The part of Russia resulted in a threat by the U.S. Senate in mid-July to halt all aid to Russia in case the forces were not withdrawn by the end of August. Final withdrawal was completed on 31 August 1994. Some Russian troops remained stationed in Estonia in Paldiski until the Russian military base was dismantled and the nuclear reactors suspended operations on 26 September 1995. Russia operated

12740-420: The previous winter. On 15 June 1940, the Lithuanian government was extorted to agree to the Soviet ultimatum and permit the entry of an unspecified number of Soviet troops. President Antanas Smetona proposed armed resistance to the Soviets but the government refused, proposing their own candidate to lead the regime. However, the Soviets refused this proposal and sent Vladimir Dekanozov to take charge while

12870-544: The provinces differed in principle. LSP officers in major cities would most often study more complicated cases of political and strategic character, and so did not directly participate in mass killings of Jews. After interrogation, Jews were handed over either to the Gestapo or to the Ypatingasis būrys , which then transported them to the mass murder site at Paneriai or another places of mass execution. The LSP offices in

13000-518: The provinces took an active role in the Holocaust and, altogether, were more active. Here, the LSP officials would not only conduct interrogations, but also organize mass arrests, transport Jews to their imprisonment or execution, and carry out their execution. At the end of the war many members of the Lithuanian Security Police fled to Western Europe , notably to Germany. In 1955, the former commander of its Vilnius branch, Aleksandras Lileikis , emigrated to

13130-539: The public police ( German : Schutzpolizei ). The major Lithuanian police organisations were the Public Police, Lithuanian Security and Criminal Police (combined at the end of 1942 into one force), Lithuanian Auxiliary Police Battalions (Lithuanian Schutzmannschaft ), Railway Police and Fire Police. Lithuanian police organizations were subordinate to their respective German counterparts. Neighboring Latvia and Estonia did not have an equivalent to LSP. The LSP

13260-514: The retreat from Germans mostly to deserting of its soldiers. A total of less than 1,500 soldiers from initial strength of around 12,000 reached the area of Pskov by August 1941. By the second part of 1942, most of Lithuanians remaining in the Soviet ranks as well as male war refugees from Lithuania were organized into 16th Rifle Division during its second formation. 16th Rifle Division, despite officially called "Lithuanian" and mostly commanded by officers of Lithuanian origin, including Adolfas Urbšas ,

13390-507: 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

13520-815: The same time, coalitions of reformists and populist forces assembled under the Popular Fronts . The Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic made the Estonian language the state language again in January 1989, and similar legislation was passed in Latvia and Lithuania soon after. The Baltic republics declared their aim for sovereignty: Estonia in November 1988, Lithuania in May 1989 and Latvia in July 1989. The Baltic Way , that took place on 23 August 1989, became

13650-527: The site returned to Latvian control, with the last Russian soldier leaving Baltic soil in October 1999. Early in the morning of 24 August 1939, the Soviet Union and Germany signed a ten-year non-aggression pact, called the Molotov–Ribbentrop pact . The pact contained a secret protocol by which the states of Northern and Eastern Europe were divided into German and Soviet " spheres of influence ". In

13780-430: The sphere of electronics and textile production. The rural economy suffered from the lack of investments and the collectivization. Baltic urban areas had been damaged during wartime and it took ten years to recuperate housing losses. New constructions were often of poor quality and ethnic Russian immigrants were favored in housing. Estonia and Latvia received large-scale immigration of industrial workers from other parts of

13910-407: The three Baltic countries included mass executions, deportations and repression of the native population. While there has been a broad international consensus that the Baltic states were illegally occupied and annexed, the Soviet Union never acknowledged that they were forcefully taken over. The post-Soviet government of Russia maintains the claim that the incorporations of Baltic states

14040-827: The three countries in total were either killed or deported (135,000 Estonians, 170,000 Latvians and 320,000 Lithuanians). Their properties and personal belonging were confiscated and given to newly arrived colonists – economic migrants , Soviet military , NKVD personnel, as well as functionaries of the Communist Party . The estimated human costs of the occupations are presented in the table below. (2,409 executed) (9,400 died en route) (arrest, torture, political trials imprisonment or other sanctions) 300 Roma 1,900 Roma ~4,000 Roma 1948–49 3,000 died en route 8,000 died en route 1949: 32,735 11,000 perished 4,000 killed 3,000 killed The Soviet Union and its successors have never paid reparations to

14170-605: The two powers. They drew up plans to restore pre-Soviet state institutions under a Provisional Government of Lithuania . On 24 June 1941, the Provisional Government recreated the pre-war Ministry of Internal Affairs with three departments – State Security, Police, and Prisons. The State Security Department was headed by Vytautas Reivytis  [ lt ] . The government asked all those who had worked there prior to 15 June 1940 to report back for duty. Many of them had just been released from Soviet prisons. After

14300-420: The very beginning. In comparison with the general mobilisation proclaimed in the Soviet Union, the age range was extended by 9 years in the Baltics; all reserve officers were also taken. The aim was to deport all men capable to fight to Russia, where they were sent to convict camps . Almost half of them perished because of the transportation conditions, slave labour, hunger, diseases, and the repressive measures of

14430-582: The war continued, the focus shifted to operations against Soviet partisans and the Polish resistance , particularly active in eastern Lithuania. In February 1942, the SiPo and SD mandated registration of Polish intelligentsia (cf. proscription list). In the first weeks of German occupation, the LSP focused on persecuting Communists regardless of their nationality. At the time, Jews were persecuted only if they were involved in Communist activities. Members of

14560-428: The war. However, for the majority of Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians, the German rule was less harsh than Soviet rule had been, and it was less brutal than German occupations elsewhere in eastern Europe. Local puppet regimes performed administrative tasks and schools were permitted to function. However, most people were denied the right to own land or businesses. The Soviet administration had forcibly incorporated

14690-508: 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. Around 1520, Francysk Skaryna (author of the first Ruthenian Bible ) established eastern Europe 's first printing house in Vilnius. Skaryna prepared and published

14820-527: Was 20,000, including 5,000 children. The deportees were allowed to return after Nikita Khrushchev 's secret speech in 1956 denouncing the excesses of Stalinism , however many did not survive their years of exile in Siberia . After the war, the Soviets outlined new borders for the Baltic republics. Lithuania gained the regions of Vilnius and Klaipėda while the Russian SFSR annexed territory from

14950-793: 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). Vilnius' name originates from

15080-463: 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

15210-522: Was built and expanded. Over 75,000 flats were built from 1995 to 2018, making the city a Baltic construction leader. 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

15340-507: Was convicted in 2001 of participation in genocide. In 2006, Algimantas Dailidė was convicted in Lithuania of persecuting and arresting two Poles and 12 Jews while he was a member of Lithuanian Security Police. Occupation of Lithuania by Soviet Union 1940 The occupation of the Baltic states was a period of annexation of Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania by the Soviet Union from 1940 until its dissolution in 1991 . For

15470-436: 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. 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

15600-403: Was dependent on the German SiPo and SD. It had the authority to sentence suspects to up to three years. Longer sentences had to be reviewed and approved by Karl Jäger, who always increased the sentences. Wilhelm Fuchs , the new commander of Einsatzkommando 3 , wanted to liquidate LSP and incorporate it into the German police, but Stasys Čenkus wrote him a letter defending LSP's usefulness and it

15730-544: Was ethnically very mixed, with up to 1/4 of its personnel made of Jews and thus being the largest Jew formation of Soviet Army. Popular joke of those years said that 16th Division is called Lithuanian, because there are 16 Lithuanians among its ranks. The 7000-strong 22nd Estonian Territorial Rifle Corps got heavily beaten in the battles around Porkhov during the German invasion in summer 1941, as 2000 were killed or wounded in action, and 4500 surrendered. The 25,000—30,000 strong 8th Estonian Rifle Corps lost 3/4 of its troops in

15860-524: Was formed in January 1944 through conscription. Consisting of 38,000 men, it took part in the Battle of Narva , the Battle of Tannenberg Line , the Battle of Tartu , and Operation Aster . There were several attempts to restore independence during the occupation. On 22 June 1941 the Lithuanians overthrew Soviet rule two days before the Wehrmacht arrived in Kaunas, where the Germans then allowed

15990-674: Was in accordance with international law , and school textbooks state that the Baltic states voluntarily joined the Soviet Union after home-grown popular socialist revolutions . As most Western governments maintained that Baltic sovereignty had not been legitimately overridden, they thus continued to recognise the Baltic states as sovereign political entities represented by the Baltic Legations , which functioned in Washington and elsewhere as governments in exile . The Baltic states regained de facto independence in 1991 during

16120-495: 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

16250-413: 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

16380-838: Was left undisturbed. The head of the Lithuanian Security and Criminal Police was Stasys Čenkus  [ lt ] , an agent of the Abwehr . He kept this position until the end of the German occupation. His deputy assistants were head of the Security Police Kazys Matulis and his personal secretary Vytenis Stasiškis. Petras Pamataitis headed the Criminal Police. The LSP had a staff of approximately 400 people, 250 of them in Kaunas and about another 130 in Vilnius . Many of its members came from

16510-858: 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. 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

16640-503: Was responsible for spying on, arresting and interrogating Communists, members of Komsomol , former Soviet government workers, NKVD collaborators, Jews and supporters of Jews. In Kaunas, the LSP arrested about 200 Communists; about 170 of them were on a list of known Communists. On 26 June 1941, this group was transferred to the Seventh Fort and executed. The next day Germans forbade Lithuanians to order executions independently. As

16770-474: 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

16900-612: Was the only eastern region intended to become a full province of the Third Reich. Nazi racial attitudes to the peoples of the three Baltic countries differed between Nazi authorities. In practice, racial policies were directed not against the majority of Balts but rather against the Jews . Large numbers of Jews were living in the major cities, notably in Vilnius , Kaunas and Riga . The German mobile killing units slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Jews; Einsatzgruppe A , assigned to

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