Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania. The city is situated in southeastern Lithuania and is currently the largest city in the Baltic states. It is the seat of Lithuania’s national government and the Vilnius District Municipality.
Vilnius is known, among other things, for the architecture of its Old Town, one of the largest and best preserved old towns in northern, eastern, and central Europe, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Architectural style Vilnian Baroque is named after the city, which is the largest Baroque city north of the Alps, and the farthest one to the east.
The city was noted for its multicultural population already in the time of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, with contemporary sources comparing it to Babylon. Before World War II and the Holocaust, Vilnius was one of the most important Jewish centres in Europe. Its Jewish influence has led to its nickname “the Jerusalem of Lithuania”. Napoleon called it “the Jerusalem of the North” as he was passing through in 1812.
In 2009, Vilnius was the European Capital of Culture, together with Linz, Austria. Furthermore, in 2021, Vilnius was named as one of the 25 of fDi’s Global Cities of the Future. These fascinating photos were taken by
Levas Žiriakovas that show street scenes of Vilnius in the early 1990s.
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| Gedimino Avenue, Vilnius, circa early 1990s |
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| Cabbage, Vilnius, circa early 1990s |
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| Church of St. Archangel Raphael, Vilnius, circa early 1990s |
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| In the rain, Vilnius, circa early 1990s |
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| Žygimantų gatvė, Vilnius, circa early 1990s |
