Vilnius Historic Centre

World Heritage Research

Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Vilnius Historic Centre from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.

• The HuT Virtual Field Visits in Demonstrator 4 (Vilnius, Lithuania)

  Virtual Field Visits (VFVs) for Vilnius, Lithuania, offer an innovative approach to studying urban flood risks in UNESCO-listed historic centers. These digital tools analyze preconditions and spring runoff flood events, providing a scalable model for other European cities. By leveraging high-resolution data and interactive visualizations, researchers can assess vulnerabilities in the Neris River valley's urban fabric—one of Eastern Europe's best-preserved medieval Old Towns. This study bridges gap between conservation and climate resilience, demonstrating how VFVs enhance risk assessment without physical site disturbance.

  Stankūnavičius, G., Kapilovaitė, J., & Skorupskas, R. (2026). The HuT Virtual Field Visits in Demonstrator 4 (Vilnius, Lithuania). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.18916373

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• Development of Orientation Skills in Second Grade: Experiences of Participants in the Educational Process

  An orienteering hike for second-grade students in Vilnius Old Town successfully developed their orientation skills, including navigation, spatial thinking, and map reading. The activity, designed during a teaching practice, engaged 11 stations with exercises that enhanced attentiveness, teamwork, and environmental connection while maintaining optimal time management. Analysis of worksheets and student reflections highlighted the hike's effectiveness in fostering historical, cultural, and natural awareness. However, future implementations should refine exercise formulation for clarity and provide structured resources to ensure equal participation opportunities.

  Teresevičiūtė, A. (2026). DEVELOPMENT OF ORIENTATION SKILLS IN SECOND GRADE: EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS. Natural Science Education in a Comprehensive School (NSECS), 32(1), 123. https://doi.org/10.48127/gu/26.32.123

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• ‘To entirely recreate its authenticity’: the transition in Lithuanian urban conservation in the 1980s–1990s

  The inscription of the Vilnius Historic Centre onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 marked a pivotal moment, symbolizing international recognition of Lithuania's urban heritage and its re-established independence. This study reveals how Soviet-era conservation practices, despite their flaws—such as ineffective implementation and methodological principles like 'sanation' that undermined authenticity—were paradoxically validated post-independence. The research explores the transition from centralized Soviet approaches to emerging civic rights and romantic reconstruction ideas, highlighting the interplay between heritage conservation, national identity, and global recognition. By analyzing the 1987 Vilnius Old Town Regeneration Project, this work provides a nuanced understanding of how heritage practices shape post-Soviet landscapes.

  Janušauskaitė, V. (2026). ‘To entirely recreate its authenticity’: the transition in Lithuanian urban conservation in the 1980s–1990s. Built Heritage, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43238-026-00289-1

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• The earliest development of the Vilnius Franciscan Church and monastery area

  Recent archaeological excavations, including those conducted in 2023, have provided new insights into the chronology and earliest development of the Vilnius Franciscan Church and monastery area. This study challenges previous broad dating estimates, which ranged from the early 14th to the beginning of the 15th century, by integrating radiocarbon dating, analysis of archaeobotanical remains, and architectural research. The findings suggest a more precise timeline for human activity in this territory, contributing significantly to our understanding of the evolution of Vilnius' Catholic community and its urban landscape during the late Middle Ages.

  Kaplūnaitė, I., Jonaitis, R., Indrulėnaitė-Šimanauskienė, V., & Veževičienė, V. (2025). Ankstyviausia Vilniaus pranciškonų bažnyčios ir vienuolyno teritorijos raida. Archaeologia Lituana, 25, 156–176. https://doi.org/10.15388/archlit.2024.25.6

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• Preserving and Creating Urban Heritage in 20th-Century Lithuania

  A significant shift in Lithuanian urban heritage protection occurred during the second half of the 20th century, transitioning from preserving historical sites to recognizing Soviet modernism as cultural heritage. The study highlights how post-1956 reconstruction efforts in Vilnius established a dual-tiered protection system and institutional framework, achieving both local and international recognition by the mid-1980s. However, the collapse of the Soviet state in the 1990s posed challenges, forcing a transition from state-controlled regeneration to private property regulations while questioning the long-term success of these efforts.

  Janušauskaitė, V. (2025). Preserving and Creating Urban Heritage in 20th-Century Lithuania. Architecture in the Baltic States, 29–46. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003345671-4

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• Imperialization of street names as part of the cultural appropriation of urban space in late imperial Vilnius

  Late imperial Vilnius saw a systematic yet largely unsuccessful attempt by the tsarist elite to 'imperialize' its urban landscape, particularly through street names, as part of broader cultural appropriation efforts. This study reveals that despite intense state-led interventions—aimed at countering Polish influence—the local public resisted these changes, clinging to traditional place-names. The research combines critical place-name studies with the 'imperial turn,' demonstrating how imperial power dynamics shaped urban space in borderland towns, with Vilnius serving as a key case study of failed cultural assimilation.

  Staliūnas, D. (2025). Imperialization of street names as part of the cultural appropriation of urban space in late imperial Vilnius. Urban History, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0963926825100576

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• Obraz dziedzictwa litewskiego w mikronarracjach Polaków – spojrzenie turystyczne

  Polish tourists' micro-narratives on Tripadvisor reveal a nuanced image of Lithuanian heritage, shaped by experiences at Vilnius Old Town, Gediminas Castle Tower, and Užypis. The study identifies key themes in cultural tourism narratives, highlighting how visitors perceive and construct the significance of these sites. By analyzing 180-word reviews through a three-phase travel model, researchers uncovered patterns in tourist perceptions, contributing to understanding the co-creation of heritage imagery in digital spaces.

  Plichta, P. (2025). The Image of Lithuanian Heritage in Polish Micro-narratives: a Tourist Perspective. Bibliotekarz Podlaski Ogólnopolskie Naukowe Pismo Bibliotekoznawcze I Bibliologiczne, 69(4), 255–272. https://doi.org/10.36770/bp.1103

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