Things to do in town: Some more galleries to vist while it's cold outside #VilnusGallery

#Vilniusgallery

You can visit: the Rooster Gallery
or
(AV)17 Gallery

while it's stil cold outside     

Day 86. #Jewish Vilnius. Station District. #CityTours

#citytours

#JewishVilnius

series of: #CentralStation

On a way to the train station where the starting point of the tour called Jewish Vilnius, beyond the traditional Jewish Quarter, by Jūsų gidas (Donatas).

Floral shop near All Saints' Church

Near Jamaica Hostel, Visų Šventųjų str. 9

A lot of information.

1) Why the train station?

Without you it's only a piece of furniture @Vilnius train station

Because precisely here Theodor Herzl, entered Vilnius  on 16-17 August, 1903, on his way to Saint Petersburg (in LT).

2) we stopped @ the corner of Stoties str. and V. Sopeno str. A house of famous actor Abraham Morewski once stood here.

3) Vilhelmas Šopen str. and building no 8, where Vilnius Varpas Adults Gymnasium is located, and where former Jewish Boys Gymnasium in 1926-1940 was located. ( No 46 in a book)

Balcony of the school described above 

Informational board 

of Vilnius Varpas Adults Gymnasium

4) Borisas Kleckinas (LT) and his print house, where the Talmuds were printed. It printed the biggest quantity of books in Yiddish.

The Cat of Nobody or of Somebody

@ Raugyklos str. near Boris Kleckin print house building

5) Sv. Stepono str. 15 and Miriam Deiches 

6) Candy shop @ Sv. Stepono str. 

And some discoveries beyond Jewish Vilnius topic.

#RenaissanceinVilnius

Since I already was in the Station District, I have decided that it is a perfect day to finally find Saint Stephens Church (in LT).

I was searching for that church few years ago, but I couldn't find the access (the entrance) to the church.

The church is seen from Paneriu str. but you can can not easily find it. The right way to find it is go Sv. Stepono str. till the yard with trucks of UAB Grinds stand and to enter the yard, and, here, up the hill the church stands.

The Entrance door to the church

Let's walk sv. Stepono street till the Pylimo Egg. :)

Sv. Stepono str.  

It seems that people have found some inspirations in the Easter Islands

Table Bord of Candy Shop in Polish & Yiddish

Some facts:

The tour with Jusu gidas - 9 eur. 

Duration 2 - 2,5 hour

Further reading recommendations: Paskutinis Vilniaus pranasas.

Day 85. Orthodox churches in Vilnius. #CityTours #VilniusConfessions

#VilniusConfessions

#OrthodoxVilnius

On Last Sunday I took the second tour tour with Gabija which was called Rusenu Vilnius. (Vilnius of Orthodox Christians).

#citytours

#VilniusStreetNames

Orthodox Christians of Vilnius historically lived on the left side of Pilies street  / Didzioji street / Ausros Vartu street (direction from the Castle towards the City Hall.). And Rusenai in Vilnius are not Russians, but hictorical Orthodox Christians of Vilnius.

We started the tour near Bridge of Uzupis and we visited Cathedral of the Theotokos first.

As Wiki states, and as Gabija mentioned it is the main Orthodox Christian Church of Vilnius, and of entire Lithuania. And it is the second oldest Orthodox Church of Vilnius dated in 1348. (#GothicArchitecture

A view from the roof

One of tree bell towers

One of the bells

We enetered into the Church (I have visited it for the first time in my life)  and Jevgenyi, who tolls the bells of the church every Sunday, took us on the roof and showed us how he tolls teh bells. It is really amazing to be on the roof of the main Orthodox Christian church of Lithuania.

The second church we visited is Church of St. Paraskeva, the oldest Orthodox church in Vilnius, dated 1345.

The legend that Abram Petrovich Gannibal, the great- granfather of Alexander Pushkin, was baptized in the church is very popular and vivid.

Let me just remind you Alexander Pushin nor he has ever visited Vilnius neither has visted Markuciai Manor (Day 32).  #Pushkin

The third church we visited is Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas.
Inside the church Gabija told us shortly about Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus.

It is very interesting that this church is the only church in Vinius where the holy mass is celebrated in Lithuanian for Lithuanian Orthodox Christians.

The Church seems so mystic and secret to me.

The last Church to vist was Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit.

It's baroque interiour is so striking! You can see the presence of Vilnius Baroque master and father Johann Christoph Glaubitz here!

Brother Nikita took us to the cellar of the church where the tiny chapel is located.

To sum up: there are 14 Orthodox Churches in Vilnius, 12 of them - operating.
Gabija introduced us 5 of them, located in the old town.

Things to do in town: A Planet of people by Julijonas Urbonas @ Gallery Vartai

A Planet of People by Julijonas Urbonas @ Gallery Vartai

Time to visit: 13 December 2018 - 25 January 2019.

Day 84. Feast of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn. #VilniusConfessions

#VilniusConfessions

The Indulgence Feast of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn usually is celebrated during the eight days of the week in which November 16 fall (Source).

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn is on the European Marian Network.

This year the feast was exceptional since the miracolous painting of Our Lady was coronated with a new crown which was blessed by Pope Francis on his visit to Lithuania on September 22-23.

Pope Francis prayed at the Gate of Dawn Chapel of Our Lady of Mercy

Lady with Swallow Birds. Appendix to Day 25 and Day 45. #VilniusSculptures

#VilniusSculptures

Who's that Lady with swallow birds in front of the National Gallery of Arts? You can ask this while while visiting the Gallery or the Sakura park.

#NDG

That's why, the post comes not as a separate post but as an appendix to Day 25 Exhibition Man with Saukas face and Day 45 Sakura Park.

So, the sculpture of the lady with swallow birds is First Swallow Birds by Juozas Mikėnas (in LT)

Short history of the sculpture

it was created (from gipsas) in 1964 (long time ago :))))) as a monument to soviet cosmonauts and it was presented at World Expo in Montreal, Canada in 1967. The Sculpture, now from bronze, was erected near former Museum of Revolution (in LT)  in 1980 or 1987 (my info is not precise).

Nowadays, the sculpture,  looking from the other side of Neris, may symbolize Lithuania letting out of her hands birds of freedom.

All the info is taken from http://vilniusinlove.lt post. (in LT).

And accidentally I just found http://vilniusinlove.lt, a blog of a of a person who loves our city.

Things to do in a town: Oldie Vilnius on Jozef Czechowicz photos

#VilniusGallery

The exhibition of Jozef Czechowicz photos of oldie Vilnius is waiting in Vilnius Picture Gallery till the end of February 2019.

Photo from day 13.

Day 83. Some other graffities around the town. #VilniusGraffities

#StreetArt

Quite a new graffiti in Zverynas on Seliu str. / Kestucio str. corner.

photo taken on 06 12 2018

& the building with the graffiti in January 2019 is already gone :)

so I'm glad that I've captured the picture

#VilniusBy209

A ZOO of humans. D. Morris

A graffiti on sidewalk to 

a new passage over Narbuto str.

Opened just this September (2018)

I guess that graffiti is by 209. (His style Post on Day 34)

Some facts and opinions about 209 you can find in the article: ko-gali-ismokyti-klajones-gatvemis-tapant-graficius-767076

One graffiti which is alreday done is also worth mentioning.

It was created, if I'm not mistaken, on Vilnius Street Art Festival 2016, which was  actually the last Street Art Festival,  on the deserted building near The Energy and Technology Museum on Rinktines str. 2 as you see on the screenshot of some site website, or maybe even the interview with the artist ASYLUM. 

The Graffiti by ASYLUM.

#VilniusStreetArtFestival

The building used to be an illegal hostel for artists and the ASYLUM himself says that he used to live here.

The whole story and some more photos of gone graffiti you can find on 15min.lt (in LT).

In 2019 The building is gone. A brand new hotel of Hilton Hotels franchize will be constructed soon. 

to be continued ...

So the graffiti is also gone, and it belongs to a group of so called Gone Vilnius Graffities. Nobody will recall it in few years. 

Everything changes and the only constant idea is a continuous change. 

The city is like a living organism and it never stops progressing. 

#GoneVilniusGraffities

More about street pictures from festivals you can find on  day-14-vilnius-street-art-festival-2015. 

Krioklys aka The Waterfall on the Seimas garage building

Also one of the paintings created on Vilnius Sreet Art Festival 2016.

It is, or rather was, a huge photocollage on the Seimas garage building, on Zveju str. on the ringht enbankment of Neris, scandouslly costing 10 000 eur.

The whole story and the photos could be found in the article on lrytas.lt

And, in June 2019 the Krioklys is already gone.



One more graffiti created on Vilnius Street Art Festival:

by SEIKON, KRIK KONG, SZYMA

#VilniusStreetart

@Drujos street

#VilniusStreetArtFestival

Three works by three Polish artists 

The picture in the middle is by Krik Kong. He frequently depicts a bold man.

The picture on the left is by SZyman and

on the right - by Seikon.

Day 82. The Hales Market/ #TastesofVilnius

#TastesofVilnius

I discovered that place just recently.  Thanks to my collegue Toma.

The Hales Market - great place, indeed!

You can find a lot of interesting places there and taste a lot of good food. 

Jegaine - great coctails.

Vynas, sraige ir varle  - French frogs, snails and and French wine.

 frog legs on a plate

a snail on a slice of baguette

The Roots - Lithuanian handmade cheese and Lithuanian handmade drinks.

Day 81. 100 years of the Lithuanian Armed Forces 23/11/2018! 100 years of Lithuania.

On November 23,  2018 the Lithuanian Armed Forces celebrated its 100 anniversary.

A spectacular parade took place on 24 November on Konstitucijos street.

The whole record of the parade could be found on http://www.lrt.lt/mediateka/irasas.

Day 80. Dr. Jonas Basanavicius is back in town! (23/11/2018)

series of #VilniusSculptures

#DrBasanavičiusIsBACK

So, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, finally Dr Jonas Basanavičius is back in town!

Yesterday, on November 23, the inauguration of the monument to Jonas Basanavicius took place. It was the 167th birthday of our father of the nation. 

The monument is erected in the front of The National Philharmonic on Ausros Vartu street and the square, where the monument stands, optained the name of Jonas Basanavicius.

 The President Dalia Grybauskaitė is delivering a speech

 The President Valdas Adamkus is delivering a speech

The architect Gediminas Piekuras is delivering a speech

The moment of inauguration 

of the monument to Dr. Jonas Basanavicius.

Kur giria žaliuoja is performed by the Ažuoliukas Choir

Some facts and numbers: 

1) the project derived from its original schedule for six months

2) the price of the works of the preparation of the square - 500 thousand eur.

3) the price of the monument itself - 100 thousand eur

4) the height og the monument - about 3 metres, the pedestal - about 0,5 metres

Some thoughts before the inauguaration came on Embrace yourself, Basanavicius is coming back to town! 

The genesis of the idea to erect the monument was on post from Day 60. 

Embrace yourself, Basanavicius is coming to town!

series of #DrBasanavičiusIsBACK

Folks, Embrace yourself, Basanavicius is coming back. Already on this Friday, November 23.

The post about genesis of the Monument to Basanavicius was on Day 60.

Memorial plaque to Jonas Basanavicius

on Bokšto str. 2

Basanavičius on 23 November, 

At noon.

just few hours before the inauguration