Antakalnis

“I pushed back the mountains, calmed Vilija’s whirlpools, I rose like a victor above the peaks of the hills without leaning on them, I became a haven of peace and the first monument of Antakalnis. Let the guest enter this palace and leave behind his toga of office and his military insignia, where he will be soothed by the goddess of peace and protected by the companionship of the moon.“ These are the lofty words inscribed on the palace, whose owner, the Governor of Polotsk, Dominik Michal Słuszko, was indeed a man of extraordinary ambition.  In 1690, he bought the palace from other noblemen, but demolished it and built a new palace in the Italian  style of Mannerism. The palace was surrounded by a park with ponds, canals, fountains and exotic vegetation, a staircase with balustrades leading up to the River Neris, and one of the palace’s halls was decorated with a glass ceiling with an aquarium above it.  When visiting Vilnius, rulers with a taste for luxury often stayed at the Sluškų residence.  However, D. M. Słuszko himself is remembered for having spent his life plundering, attacking, and litigating in the courts, which led to his violent death and indebtedness.  The palace began to pass through the hands of various owners, and in the 1840s it was adapted into a military fortress, which began to be formed around Gedimino Castle. Barracks, an infirmary, and some warehouses were set up here. In 1872, the complex became a hard-labour prison, and remained a place of confinement until the 1950s.  The German prisoners of war who had been imprisoned in the former palace were transported across the river and contributed to various (re)construction projects throughout the city. Later, the building became a polytechnic school, and since 2002 has housed the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. The interior decor has been destroyed over the centuries, but the Sluškų coat of arms has remained on the outside of the building  and can be seen in decorative wall surface over the entrance known as the tympanum.

When we think about modernist architecture, we mostly hear about Kaunas, but this style also had a unique and equally interesting life in interwar Vilnius.  One example is the complex of terraced houses between M. Dobužinskio and Olandų Street, probably designed by the Polish architect F. Wojciechowski between 1930 and 1931. This is a rare constructivist block of houses in Lithuania, which perfectly reflects the idea of rational, functional design.  In terms of colour and aesthetics, it has sometimes been referred to as an example of ‘white modernism’. It attempts to separate the spacious, green courtyards from the busy streets by forming a connection of blocks parallel to the road. Although the block was originally designed as townhouses, it was reconstructed in 1985 and converted into apartments. 

In the cheerful streets named after the seasons and the Sun (Pavasario, Vasaros, Rudens and Saulės), you can enjoy the old quarter of wooden houses that fully justifies the name Antakalnis.  Here the villas built in the early 20th century for living and relaxing have been preserved. Neither walking nor driving is easy, but the tranquillity of the streets and lovely houses hidden behind the hills is enchanting.  The nearby Saulės Cemetery, so-called because of the street of the same name, was previously named after the parish The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. 

In the past, there were speculations that the hill may have been the site of a temple of the pagan goddess Milda.  Although we do not have any firm evidence of this, Mildos Street is a reminder of the possible pagan past of this place. It is known that it was soon replaced by a church, and the hill was also named Tauro Hill, after the name of the initiator of its construction, Albertas Tauras.  The most significant changes took place in 1668, the year in which the Grand Hetman of Lithuania, Mykolas Kazimieras Pacas, decided to rebuild it.  M.K. Pacas undertook this pompous plan on the occasion of the war with Moscow, which had finally ended. However, the 7-year gap between the end of the war and the start of the construction process suggests an alternative version, which states that the shrine arose as a token of appreciation to the Antakalnis Lateran monks. They had taken care of Pacas when the nobleman had become indebted to the mercenary army and when he was being persecuted, he went into hiding with the monks.   Although the outside of the church is rather modest, the interior looks stunning. From 1678 onwards, the famous Italian sculptors Pietro Perti and Giovanni Maria Galli worked on the interior decoration, creating some 2,000 stucco mouldings, which were intended to create the image of a baroque sculpture theatre while also strengthening piety. In 1682, after the death of the founding donor (Pacas was buried under the threshold at his own request), the construction was put on hold, but in 1701 the church was consecrated. Due to a lack of funds, the splendid wooden altar had to be sold and was replaced by a more modest painting by Pranciškus Smuglevičius.  Inside the church, notice the contrast – the minimalist main altar against the backdrop of a veritable rain of statues.  After visiting the church, it is worth visiting the courtyard of the former monastery behind it.

Originally from a family of farmers from the Pasvalys area, Petras Vileišis went to St Petersburg to study engineering. He brought back new construction technologies from Belgium before taking up a number of high positions soon afterwards in the field of transport in the Russian Empire, as well as working in private practice.  A demanding engineer, he designed many of the railway bridges that have survived to this day.  In 1898, he moved to Vilnius and decided to use his accumulated wealth to spread Lithuanian culture. P. Vileišis significantly contributed to the abolition of the ban on the Lithuanian press in 1904, opened the first Lithuanian bookstore and published the first legal Lithuanian newspaper ‘Vilniaus žinios’ (1904-1909). In 1900, P. Vileišis founded a mechanical workshop in Poltavos Street (present day Panerių g.) where metal structures were made for some of the most famous buildings in Vilnius, such as Halės Market.  From 1904 to 1906, the wealthy industrialist built the beautiful palace in Antakalnis.  Vileišis was attentive to the quality of the work and did not shy away from innovation: eco-friendly water treatment equipment was installed, reinforced concrete – not usual back then – was used in the construction, an elevator was installed in the kitchen, and the host met his guests with an electric light generated by a special motor brought from Belgium.  The 16 rooms, decorated in different styles, were heated by 28 stoves (13 have survived).  The ensemble also consists of two other buildings: the so-called ‘house by the street’ and an auxiliary annex.  The former was built as a space for national revival: it was here that the first Lithuanian art exhibition was held in 1907, with works by M. K. Čiurlionis and A. Žmuidzinavičius at the forefront, the editorial office of the ‘Vilniaus žinios’ was opened, and the issues of the Great Vilnius Seimas were discussed.  In the annex further from the street, there was a stable and the apartments of the groom and the caretaker, which for some time served as a place for book-binding.  Unfortunately, Vilešis’ patriotic activities caused him to suffer enormous losses, so after living in the palace for only two years, he left Vilnius.  Fortunately, this place later became home for people who were also interested in supporting Lithuanian culture.  The buildings now house the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore. After visiting the courtyard of the Institute on a working day, do not hesitate to go inside and admire the magnificent interiors.

The majestic ensemble in Antakalnis, as well as the one by the Sluškos family competitors, was founded at the end of the 17th century. The palace was not built on a vacant site, but on the ruins of an earlier building; therefore, unlike the Sluška Palace, the Sapiega Palace is symmetrical only on one side.  The main residence for K. J. Sapiega was designed by the architect G. B. Frediani and the architects P. Perti and M. Palloni, who flipped from working on one building to another in Antakalnis. A park with fountains and sculptures was created in the vicinity, stretching all the way to the current Military Academy.  From 1710 onwards, the ensemble began to deteriorate. Although the Sapiegas ruled the palace in Antakalnis until 1797, little was accomplished in those hundred years, especially as the family prioritised other residences.  In 1809, a military hospital was established in the ensemble, and during the reconstruction of 1843-1848, the towers were demolished and re-roofing work was completed. In 2010, reconstruction work began, giving the palace a touch of 17-18th century grandeur.  The interior preserves fragments of wall paintings and stucco mouldings from the Sapiegas period, all of which can be seen during guided tours of Antakalnis and/or the Sapiegų Palace organised by various organisations. The palace is managed by the Contemporary Art Centre as a trusteeship. The single-storey brick buildings scattered in the adjacent park are hospital blocks dating back to the second half of the 19th century and were used for this purpose until 2015. Currently, there are various technology companies operating in them, and the park itself is being reconstructed.

In the early 19th century, the Sapiegų Palace became a military hospital, and there was a need for a cemetery to be established nearby.  It was often referred to as the Hospital Cemetery, and later it acquired the name of the Soldiers’ and Garrisons’ Cemetery. Over the course of 200 years, Antakalnis has been the eternal resting place of the greatest number of fighters of all kinds – Lithuanians, Poles, Russians, Germans, French, Jews, Muslims, amongst others. After World War II, the Antakalnis cemetery became the final resting place of the most famous personalities of Lithuania – here you will find the so-called ‘Artists’ Hill’, where many national celebrities are buried: J. Ivanauskaitė, V. Kernagis, J. Marcinkevičius, P. Širvys, I. Simonaitytė, J. Mikėnas, E. Balsys, V. Šapranauskas, S. Geda, J. Degutytė, R. Gavelis, M. Martinaitis, and many others.In 2018, the remains of Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas, a post-war partisan leader, were sensationally found in the so-called Našlaičių (orphans’) Cemetery.

When the Polish government occupied the Vilnius region in the interwar period, it was decided to prepare the city for a 3-5 week defence in the event of possible isolation from the mainland of Poland.  Defensive bunkers, barracks, shooting ranges and warehouses were built in different parts of the city and  connected by new roads and narrow gauge railways. In the 1920s, 5 grey structures were built in Šilo g. to serve as armaments depots. Four of them were single-storey buildings and the middle one was double-storey with an elevator (fragments of the installation have been partially preserved). Inside each warehouse, there was good ventilation, drainage, gaps to cushion the surge of a blast in the event of a disaster, and narrow-gauge rail tracks for rolling wagons. During the cold season, rare species of bats hibernate in the bunkers, so those inquisitive to see inside are asked to refrain from visiting from late autumn to spring.

Until the Second World War, a convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy operated on the site, but only one wooden house remains from the architectural ensemble.  Catholic pilgrims from all over the world often visit the monastery, where Sister Faustina Kovalska, perhaps Vilnius’ most famous religious figure internationally, lived from 1933 to 1936. In 2000, Pope John Paul II canonised her a saint. In Antakalnis, she experienced mystical visions on several occasions, from which the artist E. Kazimirovsky painted a picture of the Merciful Jesus in 1934 under her constant supervision.  Later, copies of this famous painting spread throughout the Catholic world, while the original image was hidden, suffered various misfortunes, and was at one point even believed to have been lost. However, in 2005 it was returned to Vilnius to the Shrine of the Divine Mercy (Dominikonų g. 12, Vilnius).  The miraculously preserved convent building houses St Faustina’s restored room, as well as space for pilgrims to concentrate and take a short rest. The wooden house is open daily from 10-17.

The first trolleybus depot in Vilnius was located in Antakalnis. In 1956, the first 7.8 km long overhead contact line was laid and a fleet of 25 trolleybuses was built.  Seven trolleybuses rolled out of Žolyno Street on 3 November of the same year on the station-bound route No. 2 ‘Antakalnis-Stotis’.  Curiously, route No. 1 ‘Žvėrynas-Stotis’ was initially planned to be launched first, but the delayed construction of the overhead contact network forced the launch of the second route from Antakalnis before route 1.  It is said that the trolleybus era had a difficult start – when the city’s electricity supply was running low, it even had to be temporarily cut off for residents. Over more than 60 years, partly due to their longevity, Vilnius’ trolleybuses have changed relatively little, so the iconic Škoda 9Tr, which ran from 1961 to 2004, and the Škoda 14Tr, which has been in successful service from 1982 to the present day, are well preserved in the memory of citizens.   With the increase in the number of these vehicles, the second trolleybus depot was built in 1984-1985 in the western part of the city in Viršuliškės.

Imagine a hydroelectric power station at Valakampiai. What would this area of Vilnius look like – with villages underwater and small boats floating in a huge lagoon? Although this ambition was not realised, the plans were realistic and achievable. In 1938, it was decided to build a 14 MW hydroelectric power plant, and in 1939, the first poles of the dam were embedded. When the Soviets took control of Vilnius in 1940, they did not abandon the hydroelectric power project, but even conceived the idea of building a separate settlement for its builders. Unusually, these were quite comfortable and spacious, mostly 1-storey houses. They were to be surrounded by a complete infrastructural package: a school, a community centre, a shop, and a sports complex. However, political shifts and the hardships of the war meant that the hydroelectric power station was never built, and the houses of the workers’ colony on Švyturio Street were surrounded by larger and cheaper apartment blocks. Fortunately for history buffs, part of the colony remained here, as well as on the other side of Antakalnis Street (No 106, 112, 114).

If we go back to pre-war times, we could safely say that we are in Pospieška – that’s the name of the northern neighbourhood of Antakalnis Street with its famous roadside tavern of the same name.  The Neris riverside and the park are also linked to even older times; it is thought that Sigismund Augustus may have built a royal summer house here, known as Viršupis, complete with a menagerie and ponds. A babbling brook emerges from its concrete clutches just south of the building at Antakalnio g. 134, so could this be the exact spot where the palace once stood?  Unfortunately, the exact location of the former manor has not yet been determined. Local residents from Antakalnis love this green corner for the two springs that gush out of the picturesque ravine – they are called the Coloured Springs, because the water of the lower spring is brownish and ferrous due to iron deposits, while the upper spring is clear and odourless.  It is up to the individual to decide whether or not to drink this water.  Tests carried out by the ‘Vilniaus vandenys’ water company do not recommend it, but many people vouch for the water, claiming that it is deliciously tasty and even has curative properties.