#VilniusCemeteries
The first Jewish cemetery was established in Šnipiškės in the end of the 15th cent.
It functioned till 1831, when the the russian imperium authorities closed it because they needed the territory for building the fortress around the Vilnius castles.
Vilna Gaon was burried in Old Šnipiškės cemetery (LT) In 1948 his remains and those of his relatives were moved to a New Jewish cemetery at Olandų street.
And in 1963 remains moved to Sudervės Jewish cemetery.
The territory of Old Jewish cemetery was changing in size because the Jews aquired sites around the cemetery and they started to pay taxes for the sites.
All sites were merged and the cemetery gained its maximum territory equal to 4,3 ha in the end of 18th cent. - begging of 19th cent.
1/4 of the cemetery territory was used for the fortress building. The rest was left as a field for firing.
In 1935 Polish authorities declared the cemetery as having museum value.
After the WWII the soviets finally destroyed the cemetery. On the site they constructed the swimming pool and the Palace of Concerts and Sports.
#ControversialVilnius
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