Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Mindaugas

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of about 600.000. Before WWII, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centers in Europe which led to the nickname "the Jerusalem of the North". The city was first mentioned in written sources as Vilna in 1323 as the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, built a wooden castle on a hill in the city. The city became more widely known after he wrote a circular letter of invitation to Germans and Jews to the principal Hansa towns in 1325, offering free access into his domains to men of every order and profession. At this time Vilnius was facing raids of the Teutonic Order, although they never captured the castle, large portions of the town were burned down between 1365 and 1383. English king Henry IV spent the full year of 1390 supporting the unsuccessful siege of Vilnius by Teutonic Knights with his 300 fellow knights. Between 1503 and 1522, the city was surrounded by a city wall to protect it from Crimean Tatar attacks. The city reached the peak of its development during the reign of Sigismund II. Augustus, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, settled here in 1544. After the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, the city experienced a further boom, as Stephen Báthory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, founded the Jesuit College of Vilnius (= Vilnius University) in 1579. The university soon developed into one of the most important scientific and cultural centers in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Today, the university still offers degree programs with internationally recognized content. There are even 3 Bachelor's and 16 Master's programs in English, which attract many "international" students. Today there are more than 20,000 students. Georg Forster who had accompanied his father, Johann Reinhold Forster on James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific, taught at this university from 1783 - 1787. His report "A Voyage Round the World", contributed significantly to the ethnology of the people of Polynesia, and made him a kind of celebrity. His lectures were popular not only among students but as well the city´s aristocraty He donated a couple of his collections to the university when he left. Here are seashells from the Pacific

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of about 600.000. Before WWII, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centers in Europe which led to the nickname "the Jerusalem of the North". The city was first mentioned in written sources as Vilna in 1323 as the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, built a wooden castle on a hill in the city. The city became more widely known after he wrote a circular letter of invitation to Germans and Jews to the principal Hansa towns in 1325, offering free access into his domains to men of every order and profession. At this time Vilnius was facing raids of the Teutonic Order, although they never captured the castle, large portions of the town were burned down between 1365 and 1383. English king Henry IV spent the full year of 1390 supporting the unsuccessful siege of Vilnius by Teutonic Knights with his 300 fellow knights. Between 1503 and 1522, the city was surrounded by a city wall to protect it from Crimean Tatar attacks. The city reached the peak of its development during the reign of Sigismund II. Augustus, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, settled here in 1544. After the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, the city experienced a further boom, as Stephen Báthory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, founded the Jesuit College of Vilnius (= Vilnius University) in 1579. The university soon developed into one of the most important scientific and cultural centers in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Today, the university still offers degree programs with internationally recognized content. There are even 3 Bachelor's and 16 Master's programs in English, which attract many "international" students. Today there are more than 20,000 students. The Church St. John the Baptist and St. John the Apostle is part of the university ensemble. Professors and students used to pray here, and theologians gave sermons. Władysław II. Jagiełło had built the church in 1388 on the occasion of his conversion to Christianity. It was reconstructed in the 16th and 17th centuries. The tower, separate from the church itself, was built in the 16th century. After the great fire in 1737, the church got completely reconstructed in the style of late Baroque. During the 19th century reconstruction, the bulk of the sumptuous Baroque interior was destroyed. In Soviet times the church was closed down and severely damaged. During Hitler's occupation, the Reverend Alfonsas Lipniūnas, who later was killed in a concentration camp, delivered rebellious sermons here. In 1991 the church was returned to its parishioners.

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of about 600.000. Before WWII, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centers in Europe which led to the nickname "the Jerusalem of the North". The city was first mentioned in written sources as Vilna in 1323 as the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, built a wooden castle on a hill in the city. The city became more widely known after he wrote a circular letter of invitation to Germans and Jews to the principal Hansa towns in 1325, offering free access into his domains to men of every order and profession. At this time Vilnius was facing raids of the Teutonic Order, although they never captured the castle, large portions of the town were burned down between 1365 and 1383. English king Henry IV spent the full year of 1390 supporting the unsuccessful siege of Vilnius by Teutonic Knights with his 300 fellow knights. Between 1503 and 1522, the city was surrounded by a city wall to protect it from Crimean Tatar attacks. The city reached the peak of its development during the reign of Sigismund II. Augustus, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, settled here in 1544. After the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, the city experienced a further boom, as Stephen Báthory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, founded the Jesuit College of Vilnius (= Vilnius University) in 1579. The Astronomical Observatory of Vilnius University was founded in 1753 and hence is the fourth oldest observatory in Europe. The sentence under the Zodiac signs reads "Addidit antiquo virtus nova lumina coelo" which translates to "New lights in the sky added to old prowess". Due to light pollution in Vilnius the observatory is no longer able to make astronomical observations, but it continues scientific research.

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of about 600.000. Before WWII, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centers in Europe which led to the nickname "the Jerusalem of the North". The city was first mentioned in written sources as Vilna in 1323 as the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, built a wooden castle on a hill in the city. The city became more widely known after he wrote a circular letter of invitation to Germans and Jews to the principal Hansa towns in 1325, offering free access into his domains to men of every order and profession. At this time Vilnius was facing raids of the Teutonic Order, although they never captured the castle, large portions of the town were burned down between 1365 and 1383. English king Henry IV spent the full year of 1390 supporting the unsuccessful siege of Vilnius by Teutonic Knights with his 300 fellow knights. Between 1503 and 1522, the city was surrounded by a city wall to protect it from Crimean Tatar attacks. The city reached the peak of its development during the reign of Sigismund II. Augustus, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, settled here in 1544. After the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, the city experienced a further boom, as Stephen Báthory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, founded the Jesuit College of Vilnius (= Vilnius University) in 1579. The Cathedral of the Assumption was originally built in 1346 by Grand Duke Algirdas for his Orthodox wife Uliana of Tver. It was then dedicated to St. Alexius. It was actually erected before the Christianization of Lithuania and it became one of the most important spiritual centers in the Grand Duchy. After the Catholicization of the country, the princes Ostrogsky put the church under protection. They also covered the repair costs after the dome collapsed in 1606. In 1609 the cathedral was transferred to the Greek Catholic Church and was rebuilt. After the great fire in the city in 1748, the cathedral was was abandoned In 1785 it was rebuilt in baroque style and was destroyed again by the Russian army during the Kościuszko Uprising. The badly damaged building was sold to Vilnius University in 1808. It modernized the building and for half a century the church was used as an anatomical theater, library and for other university facilities. The old Orthodox church was converted back into a Russian Orthodox church during the Russification period.and got reconstructed from 1865 to 1868. During WWII the cathedral was severely damaged. It was restored and by now belongs to the Russian Orthodox community.

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of about 600.000. Before WWII, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centers in Europe which led to the nickname "the Jerusalem of the North". The city was first mentioned in written sources as Vilna in 1323 as the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, built a wooden castle on a hill in the city. The city became more widely known after he wrote a circular letter of invitation to Germans and Jews to the principal Hansa towns in 1325, offering free access into his domains to men of every order and profession. At this time Vilnius was facing raids of the Teutonic Order, although they never captured the castle, large portions of the town were burned down between 1365 and 1383. English king Henry IV spent the full year of 1390 supporting the unsuccessful siege of Vilnius by Teutonic Knights with his 300 fellow knights. Between 1503 and 1522, the city was surrounded by a city wall to protect it from Crimean Tatar attacks. The city reached the peak of its development during the reign of Sigismund II. Augustus, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, settled here in 1544. After the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, the city experienced a further boom, as Stephen Báthory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, founded the Jesuit College of Vilnius (= Vilnius University) in 1579. The Cathedral of the Assumption was originally built in 1346 by Grand Duke Algirdas for his Orthodox wife Uliana of Tver. It was then dedicated to St. Alexius. It was actually erected before the Christianization of Lithuania and it became one of the most important spiritual centers in the Grand Duchy. After the Catholicization of the country, the princes Ostrogsky put the church under protection. They also covered the repair costs after the dome collapsed in 1606. In 1609 the cathedral was transferred to the Greek Catholic Church and was rebuilt. After the great fire in the city in 1748, the cathedral was was abandoned In 1785 it was rebuilt in baroque style and was destroyed again by the Russian army during the Kościuszko Uprising. The badly damaged building was sold to Vilnius University in 1808. It modernized the building and for half a century the church was used as an anatomical theater, library and for other university facilities. The old Orthodox church was converted back into a Russian Orthodox church during the Russification period.and got reconstructed from 1865 to 1868. During WWII the cathedral was severely damaged. It was restored and by now belongs to the Russian Orthodox community.

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of about 600.000. Before WWII, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centers in Europe which led to the nickname "the Jerusalem of Lithuania". The city was first mentioned in written sources as Vilna in 1323 as the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, built a wooden castle on a hill in the city. The city became more widely known after he wrote a circular letter of invitation to Germans and Jews to the principal Hansa towns in 1325, offering free access into his domains to men of every order and profession. At this time Vilnius was facing raids of the Teutonic Order, although they never captured the castle, large portions of the town were burned down between 1365 and 1383. English king Henry IV spent the full year of 1390 supporting the unsuccessful siege of Vilnius by Teutonic Knights with his 300 fellow knights. Between 1503 and 1522, the city was surrounded by a city wall to protect it from Crimean Tatar attacks. The city reached the peak of its development during the reign of Sigismund II. Augustus, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, settled here in 1544. After the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, the city experienced a further boom, as Stephen Báthory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, founded the Jesuit College of Vilnius (= Vilnius University) in 1579. The first building was probably erected after King Mindaugas had converted to Christianity in 1251. After Mindaugas was killed by his nephew in 1263, pagan priests took over again, and a pagan temple may have stood here. The actual Christianization of Lithuania did not take place until the end of the 14th century when Grand Prince Jogaila was baptized. He had a church built again in 1387. On the occasion of Jogaila's appointment as King of Poland in 1388, Archbishop Bodzanta from Gniezno consecrated the new church as the seat of the Bishop of Vilnius. Jogaila's church burned down in 1419 and Jogaila's cousin, Grand Duke Vytautas, had a new church built. The war with Moscow in 1654-1657 left severe damage to the cathedral, so extensive interior works were carried out in 1666-1676. In 1769, lightning caused the collapse of one of the two church towers erected at the portal during the Baroque reconstruction, and the church had to be closed. The building of the present classicist cathedral was realized from 1783 to 1801. Even before the completion, however, the Vilnius diocese had been abolished after the incorporation of Lithuania into the Russian Empire in 1795-1798, after which it was subordinated to the Mogilev archbishopric. Looted by the Germans during WWI, cracks were discovered in the walls in 1931, extensive renovation work was carried out in 1932-1939. After WWII, the cathedral was closed by the Soviets in 1949 and later converted into an art gallery. In 1989, the cathedral was returned to the Catholic Church and rededicated.

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of about 600.000. Before WWII, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centers in Europe which led to the nickname "the Jerusalem of Lithuania". The city was first mentioned in written sources as Vilna in 1323 as the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, built a wooden castle on a hill in the city. The city became more widely known after he wrote a circular letter of invitation to Germans and Jews to the principal Hansa towns in 1325, offering free access into his domains to men of every order and profession. At this time Vilnius was facing raids of the Teutonic Order, although they never captured the castle, large portions of the town were burned down between 1365 and 1383. English king Henry IV spent the full year of 1390 supporting the unsuccessful siege of Vilnius by Teutonic Knights with his 300 fellow knights. Between 1503 and 1522, the city was surrounded by a city wall to protect it from Crimean Tatar attacks. The city reached the peak of its development during the reign of Sigismund II. Augustus, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, settled here in 1544. After the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, the city experienced a further boom, as Stephen Báthory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, founded the Jesuit College of Vilnius (= Vilnius University) in 1579. The first building was probably erected after King Mindaugas had converted to Christianity in 1251. After Mindaugas was killed by his nephew in 1263, pagan priests took over again, and a pagan temple may have stood here. The actual Christianization of Lithuania did not take place until the end of the 14th century when Grand Prince Jogaila was baptized. He had a church built again in 1387. On the occasion of Jogaila's appointment as King of Poland in 1388, Archbishop Bodzanta from Gniezno consecrated the new church as the seat of the Bishop of Vilnius. Jogaila's church burned down in 1419 and Jogaila's cousin, Grand Duke Vytautas, had a new church built. The war with Moscow in 1654-1657 left severe damage to the cathedral, so extensive interior works were carried out in 1666-1676. In 1769, lightning caused the collapse of one of the two church towers erected at the portal during the Baroque reconstruction, and the church had to be closed. The building of the present classicist cathedral was realized from 1783 to 1801. Even before the completion, however, the Vilnius diocese had been abolished after the incorporation of Lithuania into the Russian Empire in 1795-1798, after which it was subordinated to the Mogilev archbishopric. Looted by the Germans during WWI, cracks were discovered in the walls in 1931, extensive renovation work was carried out in 1932-1939. After WWII, the cathedral was closed by the Soviets in 1949 and later converted into an art gallery. In 1989, the cathedral was returned to the Catholic Church and rededicated.

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of about 600.000. Before WWII, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centers in Europe which led to the nickname "the Jerusalem of Lithuania". The city was first mentioned in written sources as Vilna in 1323 as the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, built a wooden castle on a hill in the city. The city became more widely known after he wrote a circular letter of invitation to Germans and Jews to the principal Hansa towns in 1325, offering free access into his domains to men of every order and profession. At this time Vilnius was facing raids of the Teutonic Order, although they never captured the castle, large portions of the town were burned down between 1365 and 1383. English king Henry IV spent the full year of 1390 supporting the unsuccessful siege of Vilnius by Teutonic Knights with his 300 fellow knights. Between 1503 and 1522, the city was surrounded by a city wall to protect it from Crimean Tatar attacks. The city reached the peak of its development during the reign of Sigismund II. Augustus, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, settled here in 1544. After the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, the city experienced a further boom, as Stephen Báthory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, founded the Jesuit College of Vilnius (= Vilnius University) in 1579. The first building was probably erected after King Mindaugas had converted to Christianity in 1251. After Mindaugas was killed by his nephew in 1263, pagan priests took over again, and a pagan temple may have stood here. The actual Christianization of Lithuania did not take place until the end of the 14th century when Grand Prince Jogaila was baptized. He had a church built again in 1387. On the occasion of Jogaila's appointment as King of Poland in 1388, Archbishop Bodzanta from Gniezno consecrated the new church as the seat of the Bishop of Vilnius. Jogaila's church burned down in 1419 and Jogaila's cousin, Grand Duke Vytautas, had a new church built. The war with Moscow in 1654-1657 left severe damage to the cathedral, so extensive interior works were carried out in 1666-1676. In 1769, lightning caused the collapse of one of the two church towers erected at the portal during the Baroque reconstruction, and the church had to be closed. The building of the present classicist cathedral was realized from 1783 to 1801. Even before the completion, however, the Vilnius diocese had been abolished after the incorporation of Lithuania into the Russian Empire in 1795-1798, after which it was subordinated to the Mogilev archbishopric. Looted by the Germans during WWI, cracks were discovered in the walls in 1931, extensive renovation work was carried out in 1932-1939. After WWII, the cathedral was closed by the Soviets in 1949 and later converted into an art gallery. In 1989, the cathedral was returned to the Catholic Church and rededicated.

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of about 600.000. Before WWII, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centers in Europe which led to the nickname "the Jerusalem of Lithuania". The city was first mentioned in written sources as Vilna in 1323 as the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, built a wooden castle on a hill in the city. The city became more widely known after he wrote a circular letter of invitation to Germans and Jews to the principal Hansa towns in 1325, offering free access into his domains to men of every order and profession. At this time Vilnius was facing raids of the Teutonic Order, although they never captured the castle, large portions of the town were burned down between 1365 and 1383. English king Henry IV spent the full year of 1390 supporting the unsuccessful siege of Vilnius by Teutonic Knights with his 300 fellow knights. Between 1503 and 1522, the city was surrounded by a city wall to protect it from Crimean Tatar attacks. The city reached the peak of its development during the reign of Sigismund II. Augustus, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, settled here in 1544. After the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, the city experienced a further boom, as Stephen Báthory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, founded the Jesuit College of Vilnius (= Vilnius University) in 1579. The first building was probably erected after King Mindaugas had converted to Christianity in 1251. After Mindaugas was killed by his nephew in 1263, pagan priests took over again, and a pagan temple may have stood here. The actual Christianization of Lithuania did not take place until the end of the 14th century, when Grand Prince Jogaila was baptized. He had a church built again in 1387. On the occasion of Jogaila's appointment as King of Poland in 1388, Archbishop Bodzanta from Gniezno consecrated the new church as the seat of the Bishop of Vilnius. Jogaila's church burned down in 1419 and Jogaila's cousin, Grand Duke Vytautas, had a new church built. The war with Moscow in 1654-1657 left severe damage to the cathedral, so extensive interior works were carried out in 1666-1676. In 1769, lightning caused the collapse of one of the two church towers erected at the portal during the Baroque reconstruction, and the church had to be closed. The building of present classicist cathedral was realized from 1783 to 1801. Even before the completion, however, the Vilnius diocese had been abolished after the incorporation of Lithuania into the Russian Empire in 1795-1798, after which it was subordinated to the Mogilev archbishopric. Looted by the Germans during WWI, cracks were discovered in the walls in 1931, extensive renovation work was carried out in 1932-1939. After WWII, the cathedral was closed by Soviets in 1949 and later coverted into an art gallery. In 1989, the cathedral was returned to the Catholic Church and rededicated. Seen here from the tower of the St, John´s church (Šv. Jono apaštalo ir evangelisto bažnyčia). The left the bell tower, to the right the (new) castle.