Vilnius Literary House
Situated in the heart of the capital, the headquarters of "Vilnius UNESCO City of Literature"
offers a welcoming space for the city's literary community and guests. This historic building,
once owned by the painter and cultural patron Boleslovas Ruseckas, boasts a rich past: it housed
musicians from St. Johns' Church, served as a student dormitory, and, in the late 19th century,
was home to the popular Č. Makovskis bookstore. Since November 2022, this historic venue has
continued its cultural tradition, becoming a recognized and inviting hub for literature lovers. It
regularly hosts diverse literary and cultural events, provides a gathering place for young writers,
and is now firmly established on the capital's cultural map.
Vilnius is a city of literature for me primarily because studied literature here at the University. This is where metaphors became flesh. I saw Onė Baliukonytė, expecting a baby, wearing an elegant dress made of a fabric that resembled a sack. And Judita Vaičiūnaitė buying a cake in Žibutė cafe. Marcelijus Martinaitis, horrified by our “leaky”, as he would call them, sentences in our dissertations. The author of Tūla dropping by the residence hall to borrow money. Jonas Strielkūnas with jacket sleeves as long as time. And other unofficial individuals.
Your favourite quote about Vilnius, or a passage from a literary work.
Let it be a line from “it was all a long time ago”: “moonlight above Vilnius how wondrous the moon and the snowflakes”.
Giedra Radvilavičiūtė
Because a great deal of litterateurs have lived here, big and small. They have sung praises to this city, each in their own way, capturing its territories with their poems.
Your favourite quote about Vilnius, or a passage from a literary work.
I will wait by Vilnius, by the fairy tale city, where Neris flows in a red glow (Paulius Širvys) But this one might be cited by many, so here’s a backup: I could never leave you, my city (Czesław Miłosz).
Giedrė Kazlauskaitė
Vilnius is a city whose streets are covered in literary quotes, both literally and metaphorically, a city delightfully rife with multilingual literary tradition and people who read, write and love books. I’m surprised every time at how much is happening here. It’s a city which serves as a source of inspiration, a city which contains every literary genre. The status of Vilnius as a city of literature is probably merely a confirmation of something that literary Vilnians have always been aware of.
Your favourite quote about Vilnius, or a passage from a literary work.
„Nuo Vilniaus niekur nepabėgsi. Nėra pasauly kito tokio miesto...“ “There’s no running away from Vilnius. There’s no other city like it in the world…” (Ričardas Gavelis, Vilnius Poker)
Akvilina Cicėnaitė
Vilnius Literary House
Šv. Jono g. 11-16,
LT-01123 Vilnius, Lietuva
ruta@vilniusliterature.lt
marija@vilniusliterature.lt
+370 686 10981
Opening Hours:
I–V, 9:00 – 17:00