Day 58: Vilnius

MAY 31 - As predicted from weather forecasts, today there is no rain and we are able to get a lot done in the Old Town of Vilnius. We see A LOT of churches, more than is practical to show and describe here. I will just pick a few things out of today’s exhausting tour.

The Dominican Church of the Holy Spirit. Originally constructed as a Gothic church 1408, but handed over to the Dominicans in 1501. It was destroyed by several fires in the 17th and 18th centuries, finally rebuilt, expanded, and lavishly decorated. Pope John Paul came here, of course, during his visit in 1993.

Interior of the Dominican Church of the Holy Spirit.

A lot of random murals on the sides of buildings in Old Town. I liked the one above for its suggestion of 3D. This was near the corner of Vilnaus and Benediktinių gatve.

The Orthodox Church of St. Parasceve. Legend has it that this was ordered to be built by Maria, wife of the Grand Duke Algirdas, in 1345, on the site of an old temple to the pagan god Ragutis. Obviously, like so many of the churches here, it has been heavily reconstructed in the last few hundred years.

The Church of St. Casimire and the Jesuit House. This is one of the earliest Baroque-style churches in Vilnius, built around 1604. It was destroyed several times in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1867 during one reconstruction, it was adapted for use as a Russian Orthodox church by adding some onion-shaped domes and lowering the towers. Again reconstructed after both WWI and WWII, it was made into a ‘museum of atheism’ until the departure of the Soviets in 1990, after which it was returned to the Jesuits.

One thing that has become noticeable here is the increasing connection to Poland. Nearly all the churches we visited give services in both Lithuanian and Polish, and often the notices posted in the buildings are in those two languages.

A different kind of shrine, dedicated to Frank Zappa. What it his connection to Lithuania? None, really, though I’m sure he has many fans here, like everywhere.

The Cathedral Basilica, with the Bell Tower of Vilnius Cathedral to the left, and an immense plaza in the foreground. The basilica was first built in 1387 by King Jogaila, and it, along with the bell tower, were situated along the walled periphery of the original city. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times since, obtaining its current form in the 19th Century.

This was the most unusual object I saw in the basilica. There was no reference to what it was, but I presume it is an arm bone from someone important, now encased in a somewhat jarring depiction of an arm sliced open with flesh pulled away. Now of course it is a holy relic.

Gediminas’ Castle, on a hill overlooking the city, with the Neris River just to the north. This was originally a wooden fort, built in the beginning of the 14th Century. It withstood many attacks over the years, but lost its strategic value over time and after sustaining damage during an attack by the Russians in 1655 it was abandoned. What is shown above is what was rebuilt starting in the 19th Century.

A view from Gediminas’ Castle over Old Town.

Looking southeast from Gediminas’ Castle, over the Kalnai (Hills) Park, which contains a few other monuments.

In the mid-afternoon we end up at a playground. There is a lot of English being spoken here, and it ends up that a Lithuanian-American family are there, with visitors from the US and Russia with them. We spend a few hours talking with them while the kids play. For the visitors from the US, this was only their second time visiting the country since independence in 1990. The difference, according to them, couldn’t be greater: In 1990, there were virtually no hotels, restaurants, or ways to get around, as the country was only then emerging from complete isolation as a ‘backwater’ SSR. I have read from accounts from other people traveling the country at that time, and the comments are usually along the lines of ‘no hot water, poorly lit streets, no transport’ etc.

It could hardly be more in contrast with our experience travelling here now. I have bought all of our train and bus tickets online, along with booking accommodation, and wifi is available for free in just about every restaurant, cafe, city bus, and often on the street. A great deal of effort has been expended to restore sites of historical interest. There is a sense of slick modernity intertwined with a deep care of history that pervades the two cities we’ve been to so far. I also read that Lithuania is amongst the top five countries for percent of population with post-secondary education. Putting it in context with what things were like in Soviet times, it seems almost an unimaginable change.

Between 2000-2017, Lithuania’s GDP grew by 308% (data from worldbank.org), and this is attributed mostly to membership into the EU, adoption of the Euro, and consequent ease of trade with other EU nations. Overall the GDP is small, just a fraction of Poland’s, but it has retained a positive outlook in recent times (excepting the credit crunch of 2008). However, Russia has been one of its largest trading partners (second after Latvia), so I suppose it remains to be seen how that plays out over the next year, given the political disconnect between the two nations. The EU, as of these last few weeks, have been preparing a host of restrictions on business deals with Russia, that include phasing out dependance on Russian gas imports (i.e. the Nord Stream).

Ready for this one? It is the Ensemble of the Church of St. Anne and Bernardine Church. A bit unusual in its neo-Gothic style, all in red brick. Originally built near the end of the 15th Century. It was used as a storage facility in Soviet times, and the herculean job of interior restoration only started in 1994.

Lithuania