Vilnius

Žemaitė was the pen name of Julija Beniuševičiūtė-Žymantienė (4 June 1845 – 7 December 1921). She was a Lithuanian/Samogitian writer, democrat and educator. Born to impoverished gentry, she became one of the major participants in the Lithuanian National Revival. She wrote about peasant life in the style best described as realism. In her lifetime Žemaitė wrote about 354 tales, […]

Head to the intersection of Mindaugo and J. Basanavičiaus streets to visit the famous 20th century French writer, pilot, diplomat and director Romain Garry (real name – Roman Kacew), who was born in Vilnius. You’ll find a statue of a tiny and fragile boy at the busy intersection near the house where the writer once

Do you know what Vilnius looked like with a defensive wall? Located in the niche of Trakų and Pylimo Streets, the City Gatekeeper sculpture depicts one of the city’s nine historical gates. Renowned sculptor Stanislovas Kuzma created this work when he was graduating from the Art Institute (now Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts). At the

Have you heard of the Juliet of Lithuania? If not, be sure to head over to Vokiečių Street to see the sculpture of Barbora Radvilaitė, created by Vladas Vildžiūnas (painter, sculptor, photo artist). Against the will of Queen Bona Sforza, Barbora married her beloved Žygimantas Augustas, Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish ruler, but she

Despite coming from a peasant family, architect Laurynas Gucevičius received an extensive education. He studied at the Royal Academy of Arts in Paris for one-and-a-half years, then went to Rome and spent four years abroad before returning to Lithuania. He has left a vivid legacy of Lithuanian Classical architecture. The architect designed structures like the

The bronze Užupis Mermaid sculpture, also known as the Užupis girl, was created in 2002 by sculptor Romas Vilčiauskas. It sits in a niche on the bank of the Vilnelė River, right across the river from the renowned Užupis Cafe. Whether you go over the Užupis Bridge or are enjoying the water flowing under it, you will surely

The Angel of Užupis stands on an 8.5-metre pedestal blowing its horn and announcing the revival and the artistic freedom of the Užupis district to the world. The Angel of Užupis Square is the perfect place to bask in the sun, drink water from the fountain or have a coffee from a nearby cafe. You can also talk

The first design proposed for a monument of Adam Mickiewicz for Vilnius was promoted by Zbigniew Pronaszko of Vilnius University (then, Stefan Batory University in the Second Polish Republic). However, in May 1925, a contest was declared for the proposed monument.  The period for submitting designs was extended a number of times thanks to the

Despite coming from a peasant family, architect Laurynas Gucevičius received an extensive education. He studied at the Royal Academy of Arts in Paris for one-and-a-half years, then went to Rome and spent four years abroad before returning to Lithuania. He has left a vivid legacy of Lithuanian Classical architecture. The architect designed structures like the

In 2007, a sculpture was erected to commemorate the legendary Jewish doctor Zemach Shabad, who was often referred to as Doctor Aiskauda. This doctor worked with many organizations that helped people get back on their feet. This unique personality has done so much for the region of Vilnius, which is why the people erected a