The origin of the name Lukiškės has been interpreted in various ways. Some believe it derives from the words ‘field’ (‘laukas’) and ‘other’ (‘kitas’), while others prefer the explanation that it comes from the word ‘luknas’, meaning ‘one whose horns turn sideways’ in the sense of the meandering River Neris distorting the area into horns of sorts. In the past, this place was called Tartaria or Tartary. It is said that at the end of the 14th or the beginning of the 15th century, Duke Vytautas the Great of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania granted lands to his favourite Tartar, Lukas Petravičius, which could have given the whole place its name. Another legend is also related to the Tatars: the Polish word ‘luk’ means ‘bow’, and Vytautas allegedly promised the Tatars as much land as an arrow shot with a bow would reach.
In the place where Lukiškės is today, in pagan times, there was a forested grove whose wood was used to fuel the eternal fire in the Temple of Perkūnas, the pagan god of thunder. In written sources, Lukiškės was first mentioned in the privilege of Duke Casimir of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1447.At that time, Tatars brought by Vytautas at the end of the 14th century were already settling and living here. They built wooden houses in the quarter, were active in gardening, fishing, trade and crafts, and controlled the Neris harbour, which was used for active trade with Kaunas and Königsberg. Lukiškės was often affected by fires, plague and other disasters. In 1642 (or 1624), the Dominican monks built the first wooden church. The church burnt down several times and was rebuilt several times before the Church of the Apostles St. Philip and St. Jacob was rebuilt as a stone church. The first secular hospital in Vilnius was built nearby. An impressive prison-fortress was completed in 1904.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Tsarist Russia banned the construction of wooden houses and drew up new development plans for the town. During the Soviet era, straight roads and streets were built in Lukiškės, and old buildings were demolished and rebuilt for new purposes.
Today, Lukiškės is the heart of the city and the centre of democracy; the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, the National Martynas Mažvydas Library are nearby, and Lukiškės Square itself has become a symbol of statehood, historical memory, and the capital.
What you’ll learn/see on the route:
- What is a ‘balaganas’
- Where was the biggest skating rink in Vilnius?
- Where was the most expensive prison in the Russian Empire?
- Where did the last mosque in Vilnius go?
