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Vilnius UNESCO
City of Literature

Operating under the Vilnius City Municipality, is dedicated to activating the city’s potential as a UNESCO City of Literature. This involves bringing together the local literary community, making literature more accessible to all, promoting the joy of reading, and promoting Lithuanian literature nationally and globally. It also manages the Vilnius Literary House, the museum spaces within the Professors’ House and Pamėnkalnis Villa, organizes literary events and writers’ residencies, and actively participates in the global UNESCO Cities of Literature Network.

Vilnius Literary House

Professors' House

Pamėnkalnis Villa

18 public libraries are operating in Vilnius, which had employed 121 professional librarian and which annually attract over 1 million visitors.

Vilnius also has specialized libraries as well as the National Martynas Mažvydas Library, and libraries of the city’s universities. In seeking to increase access to literature for all social groups, the city oversees the establishment of little libraries and outdoor reading spaces in parks and other public areas.

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Why is Vilnius a city of literature? 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
Why is Vilnius a city of literature?
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

Why is Vilnius a city of literature? 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
Why is Vilnius a city of literature?
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

Why is Vilnius a city of literature? 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
Why is Vilnius a city of literature?
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 UNESCO City of Literature

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.

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