Tower St. (Bokšto g-ve) in Vilnius

Hostel Courtyard of the Old Campus of the Vilnius UniversityIn the late 19th century all houses of the courtyard were reconstructed and in the early 21st century water supply and sewerage systems were installed. Apartments were rented in those housesInterior of the present-day Faculty of Philosophy. After the reconstruction was completed in the spring of 2005, the Faculty of Philosophy was relocated hereAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2023

In the mid-19th century, Russian architect Nikolaj Chagin added a portal with statues of the Atlantes. In this palace Eustachy Tyszkiewicz held part of his archaeological collections that constituted the basis of the Museum of Antiquities (the first public museum in Vilnius) In 1863, it was a secret gattering place of the Lithuanian-Polish rebels against the Russian administration There is the Tyszkiewicz family coat of arms on the pediment - an aristocratic family who owned extensive estates in Lithuania. At the present time, the building is occupied by the Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU)All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

A monument to dr. Jonas Basanavičius in Vilnius in front of the building of the Lithuanian National PhilharmonicDr. Jonas Basanavičius chaired the session of Lithuanian Council that adopted the Act of Independence of Lithuania on 1918-02-16. He was the first to sign the Act of the Proclamation of the Lithuanian IndependenceBalancing between Lithuanian and Polish interests, he refused to participate in the opening of the Polish Stefan Batory University (today Vilnius University)All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

Wonderful panoramic view can be seen from the roof (platform) of Gediminas Tower (Upper Castle Tower)Despite wars and destructions, the architectural ensemble of Vilnius Old Town remains unique. Baroque domes and towers of Vilnius Old Town coexist with an irregular medieval city plan Vilnius Old Town is lacking German or Scandinavian features, rather reminiscent of Prague or Rome, Vilnius differs greatly from the other Baltic capitalsAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

A former Gothic façade that was uncovered at Karmelitų Str. around Rūdninkų Square in the Old Town of VilniusThe back-side façade from the inner courtyardThe back-side façade from the inner courtyard. The house is located on the territory of WWII Large Jewish GhettoAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

The chapel was built in 1624-1636 to hold the remains of St. Casimir who was canonized in 1604. The chapel is part of the Cathedral Basilica in Vilnius The construction of the Early Roman Baroque-style chapel was funded by rulers Sigismund and Vladislaus Vasa. It was a place where the Grand Dukes of Lithuania prayed and could be reached by a corridor joined to the Lower CastleThe chapel is the work of Italian masters and one of the most beautiful Baroque mausoleums in Lithuania All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

The small garden between the church and the street used to be a cemetery. It is still occupied by a mausoleum built in 1708 for the Suzin's familyThe Suzin's family chapel was functioning as a souvenir shop during the Soviet administration The Suzin's family mausoleum chapel is located on the corner of Trakų St. and Franciscan St. in the Old Town in VilniusAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

One house in Augustijonų Street in Vilnius Old Town. Behind the house is the Church of Our Lady, Comfort of the AfflictedA view from Augustijonų Street on the top of the tower of the Church of Our Lady, Comfort of the Afflicted. This church used to be known for its lavish decoration, but the altars, pulpit, and organ were removed in 1852 when it was transformed into a Russian Orthodox Church   One courtyard in Augustijonų Street in front of the Church of Our Lady, Comfort of the AfflictedAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

The Church of the Heart of Jesus is a significant monument of Baroque (finished in 1756). It is the only Roman Catholic church in Lithuania to be built along a Greek Orthodox cross designThe church has a large octagonal cupola (dome) and a very reach the elegant exterior. The interior is no less magnificent, although it was severely damaged during the Soviet timeAfter 1945, a prison was established in the church and convent buildings. The church interior and the plan of the convent buildings were transformed. After 1990, the sacral buildings are returned to their former ownersAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

It was built from 1633 to 1654 under the patronage of the Vice-Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Stephen Pac. Most probably the exterior was designed by Italian Constantino Tencalla. The exterior of the Church of St. Theresa is designed according to the models of Roman architecture: it is noble and harmonious, built along with the vertical principle with volutes and side obelisksThe St. Theresa Church (left) is located at Dawn St. nearby the Gate of Dawn (at the top) that is famous for its miraculous image of the Mother of Mercy (or Mary of Vilnius)The chapel is built by the Barefoot Carmelite monks for the miraculous picture of Mary of Vilnius in 1671. The St. Theresa Church was built with a large Barefoot Carmelite Monastery, established near Vilnius' defensive wall All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

The church was originally Gothic but in 1750-1755 it was restored according to design by Franz Ignatius Hoffer and acquired some late Baroque and Rococo featuresNearby the church building stand the 17th-18th-century buildings of the Carmelite Monastery which had a rich archive and library. A study centre opereted there. In 1797-1944 it housed the Ecclesiastical Seminary  Today the buildings are used by the Centre for Book Research and Libraries, and the church is closed to the publicAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

It was built by the Benedictine Sisters near their convent. It acquired its present-day appearance after a great fire in Vilnius in 1737. The church has a rich interior decorated with stucco mouldings and artificial marble. Today the church is restored and adapted for concerts. It also hosts the International Christopher Summer Music FestivalFlanking the church on Vilniaus Street, a particularly elegant Chapel of Providence was erected in 1641 and rebuilt in 1746The single-nave church has 9 magnificent Late Baroque altars and a pulpitAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

The organ, made by famous German master Adam G. Casparini in 1776, is one of the most valuable cultural monuments of Lithuania. The organ itself is the only surviving original 18th-century instrument in LithuaniaThe church has many Baroque frescoes. In the cupola, there is a multi-figural composition "Apotheosis of the Holy Spirit" (neo-Baroque, 19th century)The altars and the pulpit are lavishly decorated with round and relief sculptures and ornamentation All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

The Church of the Assumption is one of the Vilnius' most beautiful Baroque churches and most mature building of the Vilnius' Baroque schoolConstruction on the church began in 1695 and the final work was carried out by Vilnius' Baroque architect Johann Christoph Glaubitz (1700-1767) in 1750-1756The front façade is adorned by a domical rotunda vestibule, and two elegant towers with clocks All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

In Old Town in Vilnius, at the Church of the Holy Spirit, on St. Ignatius St., a Dominican monastery was established in 1501At the time of Napoleonic Wars (in 1812) the Dominican monastery of the Church of the Holy Spirit was used by the French army as a hospitalThe monastery was converted into a prison by the Russian authorities in 1807. Corridors are decorated by frescoes from the 18th centuryAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2021

The founder of the church was a Grand Hetman and Vilnius Voivode of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The 17th-century church's façade is modest, however the interior is richly ornate with a number of stucco mouldings The church was built to mark the liberation of Vilnius from Moscow (The 1655-1661 War) and the founder's own escape from the hands of rebellious soldiers. The interior was created by the Italians G. P. Perti and G. M. Galli, who decorated it with more than 2,000 stucco mouldings The chandelier was created in 1905 in Riga and represents the Biblical Noah's arkAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

The garden reminiscent of a so-called secret garden (giardino segreto) could have been planned in the style of an Italian parkThe Renaissance Garden was located between the Royal Palace and the Upper Castle with the Tower of Gediminas. The stairs and other elements were designed by the Italian architect and sculptor Bernardino Zanobi da Gianottis. An Italian priest, Francesco, took care of the garden plantsEvidence of the history of the garden lies in the relics from various periods that survived in the cultural layers of the Lower Castle with the Renaissance Royal PalaceAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

Universiteto St. 3 - The oldest building of Vilnius University with Gothic elements stands there dating from early 16th centuryThe Brzostowski estate. In 1667-69, a plot of land with buildings was bought by a diplomat, later the Trakai voivode Cyprian Pawel Brzostowski. The exterior and interior of the palace was decorated by architect Martin Knackfuss in 1769Alumni house. It was the Ecclesiastical Seminary founded by Pope Gregory XII in 1582. A three-storey palace with arccades was built in 1622All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

The building of Vilnius Gymnasium of Vytautas the Great - the first gymnasium in Lithuanian language est. in Vilnius at the beginning of the 20th centuryThe backside of the Church of Our Lady, Comfort of the Afflicted seen from Augustijonų Street in Vilnius Old Town. In Soviet times the church was used as a warehouse, and in 1967 the interior was divided into several shops by the construction of concrete floors. The building is today in urgent need of restorationThe entrance to the Jesuit Gymnasium in Augustijonų Street in Vilnius Old Town. Behind the gymnasium is St. Casimir ChurchAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

One of Baroque gates of the Sapieha ParkAmong the surviving details of the palace are Baroque façades with stucco relief works by Pietro Perti and three Baroque gates. The park is the only one in Vilnius Vilnius with features of a regular Baroque park The palace and the gates were decorated with sculptures and frescoes created by masters who had worked in the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul and St. Casimir's Chapel of the Cathedral Basilica in VilniusAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019