Empire vs. Lithuania. A Walk That Will Change How You See Your City

Do you think you know Vilnius? Have you lived here for years – or do you just walk past the same buildings without looking up? This tour is for those who finally want to *see* the city, not just walk through it. We start in Žvėrynas – the historical lands of the Radziwiłł family. Looking at a map of Žvėrynas, you should see something unexpected – something you don't notice every day walking the streets of this district. Let's leave that for discovery on site. In Žvėrynas, we will also uncover another secret. Here are two completely different buildings – a Karaite kenesa and an Orthodox church. Two different communities, two different faiths, two different styles. And one person behind both. Who he was – and why the tsarist government entrusted him with building what was meant to become a counterbalance to the Archcathedral Basilica – you will only find out when you come. Then we will stop where Gediminas Avenue opens up a view that we pass by every day without noticing. At one end – the Archcathedral Basilica, one of the symbols of Lithuanian statehood and faith. At the other – an Orthodox church, deliberately oriented towards the avenue. Not by chance. Such is the government, such are its religious priorities. Žvėrynas Bridge – the oldest in the city, built in 1902 using metal structures manufactured in Warsaw. When it was closed for reconstruction in the 1980s and the new Liubartas Bridge appeared, no one thought that a few years later concrete slabs and anti-tank hedgehogs would appear on the old bridge. And in January 1991, it would be rediscovered. The people who brought them here still live among us. However, a little further on, a new bridge is emerging. Do you know about it? What history it will be marked by and whose name it will be given depends solely on us. Gediminas Avenue – not just a place for fairs and celebrations. Here stands a monument that had to be built secretly from the tsarist government. There are buildings whose facades hide more than meets the eye. And here – the palace where Independence was reborn in March 1990. We conclude in Lukiškės Square – a place that over a hundred years has been a market, a starting point for deportations, and an arena for freedom rallies. The heart of the capital, which still needs to be understood. Duration: approx. 2 hours · Pace: relaxed, with stops · Language: Lithuanian Ticket prices: €15 Event starting point: Tbilisi Square (Kęstučio St. 11, Vilnius) Contacts: Email: dioniziusx@gmail.com Mobile: +37062566344

Adresas: Žvėrynas