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94-546: In the elections in 2004, 70 members of the parliament were elected on proportional party lists and 71 in single member constituencies. Elections took place on 10 October 2004. Run-off elections were held on 24 October in the single-seat constituencies where no candidate secured a seat in the first round. After the elections, Social Democrats led the coalition together with the New Union (Social Liberals) , Labor and Peasants and New Democratic Party Union . Artūras Paulauskas

188-536: A Marxist political party in Lithuania began early in 1895, with a number of informal gatherings bringing together social democrats of various stripes resulting in a preparatory conference in the summer of that year. Differences in objectives became clear between ethnic Jews and ethnic Lithuanians and Poles , with the former seeing themselves essentially as Russian Marxists while the latter two groups harboured both revolutionary and national aspirations. Moreover,

282-563: 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

376-465: 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 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

470-428: 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

564-540: A leading role in the Butkevičius Cabinet , it was criticized by left-wing intellectuals such as Andrius Bielskis and Arkadijus Vinokuras for lacking allegiance to left-wing ideas and for its neoliberal policies, such as reforms to the Labour Code in 2016 which strengthened the position of employers in workplace relations. In 2017, after Gintautas Paluckas was elected as the party's chairman, LSDP declared

658-541: 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

752-651: A place in the opposition until 2001, when the collapse of the ruling coalition between Liberals and New Union allowed ex-President Algirdas Brazauskas to form a government with New Union. In 2001, the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania and the Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania merged. The merged party kept the Social Democratic name, but was dominated by former Democratic Labour Party members (ex-Communists). After

846-486: A renewal of its ideology and values, reforming closer to a Western social democratic party. It introduced a new program, in which it affirmed commitment to progressive taxation , encouragement of worker cooperatives , women's rights and LGBT rights , and support for NATO and the European Union , while at the same time opposing European austerity policies. Several of the party's former leaders and members of

940-623: 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

1034-618: 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 the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . Vilnius flourished under the commonwealth, especially after the 1579 establishment of Vilnius University by King Stephen Báthory . The city became

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1128-533: 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

1222-910: 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

1316-557: 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

1410-692: 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 the river Vilnia , the Lithuanian word for ripple . Its name has had a number of derivative spellings in various languages throughout its history; Vilna

1504-518: 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 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

1598-619: Is the oldest extant party in Lithuania . During the time of the Soviet Union , the party went into exile, emerging once again after the end of communist rule in 1989. The party led a government in the unicameral Seimas , Lithuania's parliament from 2001 to 2008 and from 2012 to 2016. It has been the ruling party of Lithuania since 2024 . The party is a member of the Party of European Socialists (PES), Progressive Alliance , and Socialist International . Initial discussions about forming

1692-642: 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 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

1786-512: The 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état . The authoritarian regime of Antanas Smetona banned all political parties in 1936. During the Soviet occupation era, no democratically constituted political parties existed within Lithuania. Therefore, between 1945 and the 1989 restoration of independence, the party was assembled and worked covertly in exile. In 1989, the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania

1880-586: 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

1974-532: The Homeland Union -led government. On 7 March 2009, the party's congress elected a new leader, Algirdas Butkevičius . He was the party's candidate at the 2009 Lithuanian presidential election , coming in second place with 11.83% of the vote. At the 2012 parliamentary elections , the party took 38 seats and became the largest party in Parliament (although it lost in popular vote). Butkevičius became

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2068-705: The Israeli embassy. Roth, the chair of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany , commented that "an alliance with an anti-semitic party is incompatible with [Social Democratic] values", and urged the LSDP to reconsider their choice if they desired to remain within the Party of European Socialists . LSDP is generally described as a centre-left party. Historically,

2162-574: 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

2256-611: 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

2350-755: 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

2444-647: 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

2538-719: The Polish and Lithuanian Uprising of 1863 , the Tsarist regime had banned publication of all newspapers which used the Latin alphabet , a measure which amounted to a de facto ban of the entire Lithuanian press. This proscription extended for the rest of the 19th Century; in 1898 of 18 newspapers appearing in Lithuanian, 11 were published by Lithuanians in emigration in America and the other 7 were published in East Prussia. The LSDP

2632-522: The Social Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania . After this split, the party lost a lot of support, but in 2019 it partly recovered. At the 2020 parliamentary elections , the party achieved worse results than expected. Due to this, Gintautas Paluckas received criticism from party's board and resigned in 2021. After a leadership election , Vilija Blinkevičiūtė (between 2002 and 2006 she was New Union (Social Liberals) member)

2726-497: The Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" . The founder of Dawn of Nemunas, Remigijus Žemaitaitis , is known for making antisemitic statements, and his party's inclusion sparked backlash from Lithuanian civil society groups, as well as from lawmakers and ambassadors abroad, including US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair Ben Cardin , German MPs Roderich Kiesewetter and Michael Roth , Polish senator Michał Kamiński , and

2820-563: 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

2914-474: The prime minister , forming a coalition government with the Labour Party , Order and Justice and Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance . At the 2016 parliamentary elections , the party took 21 seats and formed a coalition with Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union . In 2017, the Social Democratic Party withdraw from coalition. In 2018, some party members left and formed

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3008-634: The 141 seats in the Seimas (other 11 seats were won by the New Union), but managed to stay at the helm of successive coalition governments, including the minority government between 2006 and 2008 . During the minority government, party's parliamentary group became the largest one in parliament, mainly due to defections from the Labour Party and the New Union (Social Liberals). Brazauskas resigned as

3102-722: 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

3196-726: 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 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

3290-736: 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

3384-674: 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 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

3478-637: 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

3572-576: The Mixed Group of Members of the Seimas (MSNG). The term of the Seimas was noted for particularly significant shifts among parliamentary groups. For example, only 20 Social Democrats were elected to the Seimas, but Social Democratic Party political group in the Seimas had 38 members at the end of the term. Parliamentary groups formed during the term included Liberals (LF), Order and Justice Liberal Democrats (TTLDF), Civic Democratic (PDF), as well as Peasant Popular and Civic Democratic (VLPDF) groups. By

3666-619: 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,

3760-723: 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 ,

3854-438: 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

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3948-458: The Seimas left the party in 2017 and 2018, including two former Prime Ministers, Gediminas Kirkilas and Algirdas Butkevičius . Most of them then established the Social Democratic Labour Party, later renamed to the Lithuanian Regions Party . However, this renewal was also criticized as incomplete and straddling the fence between progressiveness and the party's previous non-ideological populism . After Paluckas' resignation, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė

4042-423: 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 the Constitution of Lithuania , "the capital of the State of Lithuania shall be

4136-486: The Speaker of the Seimas after a corruption scandal in April 2008 and Česlovas Juršėnas was elected in his stead. This parliament passed legislation for possible introduction of euro . During the first session of the Seimas the following parliamentary groups were registered: Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDPF), Labour Party (DPF), Liberal and Centre (LCSF), Liberal Democrats (LDF), New Union (NSF), Homeland Union (TSF), Peasant and New Democracy (VNDF, later VLF) and

4230-409: 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 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,

4324-402: 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

4418-497: 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

4512-399: The campaign, she declined the role after the election, leading instead to the nomination of deputy chair Gintautas Paluckas. This unexpected change in leadership was criticized by the LSDP's potential coalition partners. After the election, further controversy arose when the Social Democrats invited the newly created nationalist party Dawn of Nemunas to join the ruling coalition, along with

4606-468: The central organisers of the new political entity—and the future President of Lithuania, Kazys Grinius , as well as a number of worker activists. Also in attendance as a representative of the radical youth movement was an 18-year-old ethnic Pole named Felix Dzerzhinsky , later the head of the Soviet secret police . As Lithuania was then part of the Russian Empire , the LSDP was inevitably an illegal organisation, meeting in secret and seeking to bring about

4700-405: The chairman of the party on 19 May 2007 and was replaced by Gediminas Kirkilas . At the 2008 elections the party won 11.73% of the national vote and 25 seats in the Seimas , five more than in the previous elections. However, its coalition partners, the Labour Party , the New Union (Social Liberals) and the Lithuanian Peasants Popular Union, fared poorly and the party ended up in opposition to

4794-443: 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

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4888-623: 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

4982-414: 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 the New City Centre , the main administrative and business district on

5076-441: 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 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

5170-534: 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

5264-461: 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

5358-457: The country to avoid being swept up in the Okhrana's dragnet. With the party leadership jailed or chased from the country, the LSDP very nearly ceased to exist as the 19th century drew to a close. From 1900 to 1902 the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania began to tentatively rise from the ashes behind a new crop of young revolutionaries. Chief among these were a pair of Lithuanian students in Vilnius, Vladas Sirutavičius and Steponas Kairys. It

5452-438: 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

5546-467: 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

5640-457: 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 ,

5734-461: The end of decade, LSDP increased their support in Radviliškis District Municipality (probably, at expense of Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania (LDDP)). After merger of these two parties, LSDP gained support from most supporters of LDDP. In early 2010s, the party lost support due to deindustrialisation, rise of public election committees and Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (e. g. in Kaunas by 2011 got over 12 per cent of votes, but in 2019

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5828-440: The end of the term of the Seimas, the following parliamentary groups were active. A total of 158 members served on the Ninth Seimas. Social Democratic Party of Lithuania The Social Democratic Party of Lithuania ( Lithuanian : Lietuvos socialdemokratų partija , abbr. LSDP ) is a centre-left and social democratic political party in Lithuania . Founded as an underground Marxist organisation in 1896, it

5922-490: The ethnic Poles and Lithuanians saw themselves divided over the question of alliance with non-Marxist liberals. As a result, not one but three Marxist political organisations would emerge in Lithuania between 1895 and 1897. The Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) was founded on 1 May (19 April O.S.) 1896 at a secret congress held in an apartment in Vilnius . Among the 13 delegates were Andrius Domaševičius and Alfonsas Moravskis —a pair of intellectuals regarded as

6016-440: 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

6110-432: The former Communist Party of Lithuania (which had broken away from Moscow in 1989) began. Members of the party opposing the merger left to establish "Social democracy 2000" (later renamed " Social Democratic Union of Lithuania "). The SDPL-LDDP coalition won 51 of the 141 seats in the elections in 2000 (with 19 going to the Social Democrats). However, despite success in the elections, the coalition parties had to settle for

6204-699: 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

6298-436: 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

6392-456: 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

6486-455: 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

6580-806: 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

6674-430: The merger, Algirdas Brazauskas was elected leader of the Social Democratic Party. By the beginning of 2004 negotiations between the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania and various other parties to form electoral coalition. They managed to form electoral coalition called "Working for Lithuania" with their coalition partners, New Union. At the 2004 legislative elections , the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania won 20 of

6768-422: 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 was built and expanded. Over 75,000 flats were built from 1995 to 2018, making

6862-466: 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

6956-593: The opposition. The decision was affected by the decision of the leader of the Party Viktor Uspaskich to resign as the Minister of the Economy after being accused of conflicts of interest. Opposition Liberal and Centre Union joined the minority government that ruled with some support of other opposition parties. At the beginning of 2008 New Union rejoined the coalition. Viktoras Muntianas resigned as

7050-518: The party received just over 3 per cent of the votes). Social Democratic Party of Lithuania won 17 seats in the 2016 election, but the party split in October 2017. 9 members of the party were subsequently removed from the party. Vilnius Vilnius ( / ˈ v ɪ l n i ə s / VIL -nee-əs , Lithuanian: [ˈvʲɪlʲnʲʊs] ), previously known in English as Vilna ,

7144-534: The party was criticized for lacking commitment to social democracy . According to political scientist Ainė Ramonaitė  [ lt ] , "before their split, the Social Democrats never managed to be a left-wing party. Although they said they were, their policies were right-wing, even the vocabulary was closer to the right." During the Eleventh Seimas from 2012 to 2016, when the party played

7238-432: The party's program was in favor of same-sex partnerships. The Left Alliance was founded in 2022 in response to the Social Democrats' alleged betrayal of left-wing values. The party supports lowering voting age to 16 in local elections. In early 1990s, the party had between 3 and 5 per cent support nationally. It got most support from areas with light industry (e. g. Marijampolė , Vilkaviškis , Miklusėnai ). By

7332-826: The revolutionary overthrow of the Tsarist regime. The LSDP was a dual language organisation, publishing its illegal newspapers both in Lithuanian and Polish . Newspapers were published abroad, printed in East Prussia (or sometimes Switzerland or France ) and smuggled across the border. Technical assistance was occasionally provided by the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania party, headed by Julian Marchlewski . This smuggling of Lithuanian newspapers had historical antecedents. Following

7426-567: 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 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

7520-508: 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

7614-463: 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

7708-464: 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 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

7802-436: 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

7896-447: Was elected as LSDP's new chairman. The party's program was retained, and conservative former party members such as Artūras Skardžius were not accepted back into the party. However, the party has since focused most on criticism of the Homeland Union and progressive economic proposals over social justice and social reforms. 5 of 13 of the party's members of the Seimas voted against a proposed same-sex partnership law in 2021, even though

7990-403: Was elected as the new leader. After election of Blinkevičiūtė, the party's support nearly doubled thanks to her personal popularity. In the 2024 parliamentary elections , the party achieved a "historic victory", finishing in first place with 19.32% of the popular vote and 52 out of 141 seats. While party chair Vilija Blinkevičiūtė had expressed her willingness to serve as prime minister during

8084-492: 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

8178-465: 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

8272-619: 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 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

8366-858: 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

8460-566: Was reelected as the Speaker of the Ninth Seimas, having served as the Speaker in the previous term. In April 2006 the parliament expressed no confidence in the Speaker and Paulauskas was forced to resign, taking New Union out of the coalition. He was replaced as the Speaker of the Seimas by Viktoras Muntianas of Labor Party, who soon left the party to form Civic Democratic Party . After another disagreement in May 2006, Labor Party joined

8554-446: Was restored. Kazimieras Antanavičius was elected to be party's leader. The party had 9 seats in the Supreme Council – Reconstituent Seimas and was not successful in substantially increasing the number in the following elections, with 8 seats won in 1992 and 12 in 1996 . In 1999, the party's congress elected a new leader, Vytenis Andriukaitis and merger negotiations with the Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania (LDDP)–the bulk of

8648-408: Was the first Lithuanian political party and one of the major parties who initiated the assembly called Great Seimas of Vilnius in 1905. The party was one of the major political powers during the Lithuanian independence period between 1918 and 1940. Following the election of 1926, the party formed a left-wing coalition government with Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union. This government was dismissed after

8742-474: 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

8836-537: Was very nearly obliterated at birth by the Okhrana , which over the course of 1897 to 1899 managed to arrest a number of the party's leading activists. Approximately 280 socialist and trade union organisers were apprehended during this period, with subsequent trials leading to the Siberian exile of more than 40 people, including Domaševičius and Dzerzhinsky. Other top leaders, including Moravskis, were forced to flee

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