If you’re interested in the history of Vilnius and enjoy imagining what the city once looked like, here’s a journey just for you – back to the early 20th century. If you look closely, you might even catch a fleeting glimpse of the painter and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis turning a corner.
It was 31 December 1906 (according to the Julian Calendar, which was in use at that time) when, after an eleven-hour train ride, Čiurlionis arrived at Vilnius railway station from Warsaw. He came for the first ever exhibition of Lithuanian art, having already sent his selected paintings ahead.
We can only imagine the route Čiurlionis took to reach the Vileišių Palace (named after the noble Vileišis family) in Antakalnis, where preparations for the exhibition were underway. Perhaps he hailed a waiting carriage at the station or hopped onto one of the horse-drawn trams that were popular at the time. He might have changed to a carriage marked ‘3’ at the Cathedral and continued slowly up what is now T. Kosciuškos Street. Along the way he would have passed the barracks, the Sluškų Palace – then a hard labour prison – and the empty hill, where the music school bearing his name would open a few decades later in 1945.
We cannot be sure of the exact details, but what is clear is that this exhibition marked the beginning of Čiurlionis’ Vilnius chapter. His most significant period here was between 1907 and 1908, when he lived in the city, created new work, and became deeply involved in the activities of Lithuanian cultural societies.
When discussing early 20th-century Vilnius, we do not follow directly in the footsteps of M. K. Čiurlionis; although he lived in this city, many of the sites included in the route are not directly related to him, but are nevertheless important in terms of the history of the city. These sites at least partially reflect early 20th-century Vilnius – popular or new sites and events that were significant in the life of the city. Many of them appeared precisely when M. K. Čiurlionis was living or visiting Vilnius, so they could easily have caught his eye or formed part of the backdrop of his everyday life.
Some of the sites no longer exist, others remain but have changed their purpose entirely, and a few didn’t yet exist when he arrived – but they all help us imagine Čiurlionis’ Vilnius.
What kind of city did Čiurlionis find when he rented a room on what was then Šv. Andriejaus (now Savičiaus) Street?
