Vilnius residents among the happiest people in Europe

Every three years the European Comission seeks to measure how city-dwellers perceive their quality of life. For its latest Eurobarometer survey, 40,000 in 79 cities were asked about their perception about transportation, health service, safety, pollution and foreigners. Among 79 cities incuded in the survey,  Oslo, Zurich (both 99 %), Aalborg, Vilnius and Belfast (98%) record the highest levels of satissfaction. All results of the survey here.
The same in Lithuanian here.

NICE :)

How HAPPY you are?

Day 24. A. Vassiliev exhibitions. Part II. Exhibition Beauty Secrets.

It's time to talk about the 2nd A. VAsiliev exhibition I've visited last week -  an exhibition called Beauty Secrets (in Lithuanian).

Location: the Shopping and Entertainment Centre OZAS.

FYI: In OZAS you can find the biggest ZARA in Vilnius, and a really huge Reserved. 

About exhibition: Exhibition consist of 30 wedding dresses of the last centuries that were worn by famous ladies on one of the most important days in their life. Also A. Vasiliev  presents a wedding dress by Juozas Statkevicius created for Asta Valentaite for her wedding in 2008. A dress is presented in publicity for the first time.

More info (but in Lithuanian) here. 

a dress by Juozas Statkevicius

I've noticed that Collection cointains some dresses by Oleg Cassini. 

Part III comes here.

Day 23. A. Vassiliev exhibitions. Part I. Exhibition Invitation to the Ball 1915 -2015.

series of #VilniusINdoors

On February 25, my work collegues and I have visited one of  Alexandre Vasilyev exhibitions.
This time it was Exhibition Invitation to the Ball 1915-2015 The most glamorous evening gowns from collection of Alexandre Vassiliev.
Location: the Museum of Applied Arts which is a part of the Lithuanian Art Musem.

The Museum of Applied Arts was established in 1987 in the reconstructed historical Arsenal, mentioned in the middle of 16th century annals as a part of the Lower Castle complex. In the middle of 15th century the eastern masonry wall of the Lower Castle was built. The bottom of the wall was mostly large stone masonry. At the confluence of the rivers Neris and Vilnele the eastern wall terminated in a square brickwork tower. The fragments of this tower can bee seen upon entering the museum on the right side the stairs. The eastern defensive wall was found to contain four-meter tall and three-meter wide pointed arch castle gate, which obviously led to the so called Crooked castle. Today thsi gate admits the visitors of the exhibition.

The museum hosts temporary exhibitions as well as international projects, educational sessions, and concerts.  (info taken from a ticket):)

It's not the first exhibition of Alexandre Vassiliev hosted by the Museum of Applied Arts. 

Accessories

My favourite dress <3 <3

and a model Lauren Bacall (on the third photo)

the most expensive gown in the exhibition ( by Dior)

Do you see the what I see? 

Yellow-Green-Red <3 <3 <3 

Three dresses by Lithuanian designers:

From the left ( my left and the left of a reader)

by Juozas Statkevicius, the middle one by Liutauras Salasevicius,

and by Ramune Piekautaite.

More about the opening of the exposition and more photos of the gowns ( in Lithuanian ) here , and here, and a wide comment on the exhibition (in Lithuanian) here.

We had a guided tour ( duration: 1, 5 hour) with a guide Vygintas Malinauskas who was such amazing and funny guide in the world of the gowns. Thank you!

Admission - 1,80  EUR (adults), a guided tour - 10 EUR.

Part III comes here.

Day 22. Walk along the embankment of the Neris. Part II. Right side. Upstream.

#walksinVilnius


So, we come from the left bank of the river we cross the Neris by passing the Mindaugas Bridge, 

and now we have two possibilities: either to go towards Žvėrynas (the same route we have just walked, only the other side), or to go towards the Žirmūnai district.

we woul go towrds Žirmūnai, but first, I suggest to go a little back till  the Green Bridge.

Just near the bridge we see the headquarters of  Lithuanian Architects' Association which is located in Raduškevičius Palace (geocachers call it Kalvariju Castle) :)

Few meters away we encounter the famous and controversial contemporary sculpture

The Embankment Arch (Krantinės arka) by a sculptor Vladas Urbonavičius.

#ControversialVilnius

Let's go towards Žirmūnai.

the Lithuanian Energy and Technology Museum (with a statue on it)

and the Ship Ryga (offcial: here) on its daily tour

A paved path is divided into a foothpath and a bikes path.

First, we pass by the legendary Palace of Concerts and Sports.
Later we pass the Žirmūnai Bridge.

Žirmūnai bridge

 Here, under the bridge we also can notice one of the sculptures of signs of Vilnius  - the Royal Apple.

The Royal Apple

Well, and here, you can get on the bridge, cross the river and get to Antakalnis and have a long long walk on the left bank upthe river throught Antakalnis, Valakampiai and reach Turniškės (Day 71. Walk by Neris. Antakalnis).

Walking path starting in Žvėrynas can last for around 30 km. 

Or or can keep following the right bank.

A little bit later we pass Vilnius Culture, Entertainment and Culture Palace (subjective: an ugly soviet building :(((( )

 A little bit later, we pass by the Memorial complex of the Tuskulenai-peace-park/ with the Tuskulėnai Manor and a museum located in it (official website).

Also, on a way we pass by one more bridge the Šilas bridge, which connects Žirmūnai with Antakalnis.

Šilas bridge

and  later - Zirmunai beach,

 and the Valakampiai Bridge (the first bridge on Neris in Vilnius).

A path, starting at the Mindaugas Bridge continues for approximately 6 km (over 1 hour walk on foot) till the point where the Verkiai Regional Park begins.

 But the Verkiai Regional Park should be a topic for a separate post.

Day 21. Walk along the embankment of the Neris River. Part I. Left side. Upstream.

#walksinVilnius


Today we will have a walk along the embankment of the Neris River.

Let's begin with the left enbankment of the Neris. And let's start our walk at the Žvėrynas Bridge, and walk towards the the city centre.  The Žvėrynas Bridge connect the city centre, i.e. Gediminas avenue with the Žvėrynas district and it was build in 1906. Before that, the Žvėrynas district wasn't even concerned as a part of the city and it was just a suburb -  a resort district with luxury villas to rest in.

the Žvėrynas Bridge

& Orthodox Church of Our Lady of the Sign (built in 1903).

(LT: Dievo Motinos ikonos „Ženklas iš dangaus“ cerkvė)

(#OrthodoxVilnius)

The brigde with a one of the sculptures of the Signs of Vilnius under it  - 

the Ship - Screscent (Laivas - Pusmėnulis) created by Kunotas Vildžiūnas

Let us turn a little back and just go under the proceeding brigde - Liubartas Bridge (the new Žverynas Bridge). Here, under the bridge from the left enbankment you can see two amazing Atlants by Ernest Zacharevic.

#VilniusStreetArt

PS. sorry for poor quality of the last photo :(

As we walk towards the city centre, we pass The Seimas buidings.

DEVIATION to the right: the Seimas fountain

Later, we pass a strange figure (a monument or a sculpture) called  Puskalnis  (Half Mountain) by Robertas Antinis (  created for Vilnius2009) just in the front of Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences.

Puskalnis and two more sculptures (Two-Storey and The Enbankment Arch) were created in 2009 for Vilnius2009 - the Capital of European Culture.

We pass one more strange sculpture:

it's Dviaukštis (Two-Storey) by Mindaugas Navakas.

Here comes the serious Geležinio Vilko Bridge and guess what! That's right - a normal paved urban path is gone, and a simple foothpath begins. The unpaved footpath longs till aproximatelly the White Bridge ( Baltasis tiltas)  - our beloved bridge for pedestrians and a paved urban path returns.

the White Bridge at summer sunset

the White Bridge in the evening

The White Bridge with one of the sculptures of The Signs of Vilnius

Called The Ray-Spear (Spindulys - Ietis) (photos from the right bank)

We pass The White Bridge continue our walk till our the most controversial bridge the Green Bridge (in Lithuanian) :) :) 

Oh Well, we residents of Lithuania and Vilnius just love discussing this bridge and it's history!

More on the Green Bridge

#GreenBridge

One more sculpture The Chain under the Green Bridge (fron the right bank)

#the Green Bridge

This is the famous day 19th of July 2015 when all four statues were taken off from the bridge:

Then we pass under the newest Vilnius bridge ( built in 2003) - the Mindaugas Bridge.

on April 7 the ship Riga ready for a new season 2016

Few hundreds meters away we have  the confluence of the Neris and the Vilnele and the path is over.

the confluence of the Vilnelė and the Neris

the confluence and a view of a legendary Vilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports

(which is worth a separate post)

Since the path is gone, we move to the other side of the Neris. We use for this purpose use :) The Mindaugas Brigde. 

And here we continue our walk on the right side ( a separate post. Part II. Right side).

The enbankments of the Neris have a great potential to become a leasure and activity centre for all residents and visitors of Vilnius.

However, something is lacking. 

Perhaps money, political understanding, strong will or simply wish and determination.

Let's prolong our walk on the right embankment of the Neris