Let me introduce you to my Vilnius
When first snow fell in Lithuania several weeks ago I thought that I'll burst with envy. When it's snowing there you feel like being in a glass bubble with all those decorations from fairy-tales. And there is always exclusive Christmas period with bells, bizzar triffles and simple songs. Wonderful? Yes, it is. Vilnius drowned in white and light snow looks like a set for a romantic movie.
While there is still autumn at Queens Land, let me introduce you to Vilnius, capital of Lithuania.
As you probably heard there are many (and too many) books for travelers about this manifold and gorgeous city. For example, "Lost Vilnius", "Found Vilnius", "Best places in Vilnius", "Tourist guide to Vilnius", "Churches of Vilnius" and many other. But I always knew this city in my personal acquaintance. I'll try not to be too boring.
Vilnius is not a big (even it's biggest one in Lithuania) city, if we are talking about size, but large one if you are familiar with history of it. Peoples says that a capital of Lithuania has his unique architectural and ethnic diversity. In Vilnius you can find about 58 percent of ethnic Lithuanians, almost 19 percent of Poles, 14 percent of Russians, 4 percent of Belarussians and 0,5 percent of Jews. Of course, there is about 5 percent lef for people from other backgrounds. 58 [percent of ethnic Lithuanians also can be divided, because many of them weren't born in Vilnius. They came from different regions of Lithuania (Aukštaitija, Samogitia or Žemaitija, Dzūkija, Suvalkija and Lithuania Minor or Mažoji Lietuva).
How it feels to live with such a diversity? That's nice. That is the reason why it's so normal for me to hear many different languages in London. For example, I am traveling by trolleybus and I can hear two girls chatting in Polish, pensioner answering phone and talking in Russian and students from China communicating in their own language. That's usual and normal when people in shops comes to the cash registers and ask something in Russian and they are surprised that he doesn't not know their language. Actually, almost every ethnic Lithuanian in Vilnius who's more than twenty can talk Russian (thanks for our rich history). Sometimes both Russian and Polish. And those who where born in capital of Lithuania and attended Lithuanian school, can be a translators. With talent and luck on their side they become best multilingual translators in Europe. There was a history who made this. Happens that Russians, Polish and Lithuanians did not find a room for themselves in Vilnius and not very pleasant disputes arise. However, when there is a diversity of ethnics, opinions or whatever else disputes arise everywhere.
Old Town of Vilnius is one of the largest Old Towns in Easter Europe. There merges two rivers Vilnia and Neris, also legend says that Vilnius is built on 7 hills (you can discover Vilnius in bird's eye view from there). At the centre of Vilnius there was a crossroads of trade roads. Also you can find a ford, Vilnius castle, Vilnius University (open from 1579) and many other ages of history in architecture, streets, parks and even in people with their moods, faces and memory about quite recent times when all Lithuanians were struggling for freedom. As well as other former Soviet Union cities in Vilnius you can still find old relics from 20th century. When I am talking about relics I keep in my mind not only statues, theatres, halls, schools, administrative buildings or councrete parks and fountains. It's all about city districts, for example, Karoliniškės and Justiniškės was built at the end of 20th century and is very similar like kids wearing the same uniform, also grey and quit ugly-looking, especially on Fall and Spring periods. And if you will try to go further by bus or trolleybus you will find absolutely different regions of Pašilaičiai (part of) and Pilaitė (also part of) which is colorful and modern.
It doesn't matter which place of Vilnius you will visit, you will always see a tower of a church. In Vilnius there is about 40 churches and 23 monasterys. There would be even more if we count all destroyed during the wars. Before WWI Vilnius was called North Jerusalem, because there were really big population of Jews and their temples. As I mentioned, now there is only 0,5 percent Jews in Vilnius and many memorials for them around. You now why, that's a heartbreaking history not only of Jews, but also of all Europe.
On the other hand, please don't think that Vilnius is just for admirers of history and architecture. In the capital of Lithuania you can find large number of young people, especially, students from all Lithuania and other countries. Also shopping centres, clubs and bars - if you prefer nightlife. Even if we do not have old bars tradition as British people do, we can offer exciting sports, quite eccentric trips into dungeons and other mystical places. And you can send you parents to visit gorgeous castles to Kaunas or Trakai, to rest in Druskininkai or in Klaipėda (sea city with the port) and at the mean time discover Vilnius by yourself.
I lived in Vilnius for 5 years and I have not finished to discover it yet! - that is how real advertisement with undercurrent "go to Vilnius" should sound.
And this is what became of my world when I moved to London. I'll tell you more about it next time.
