Vilnius District Municipality

Vilnius District Municipality ( lt, Vilniaus rajono savivaldybė) is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It surrounds the capital city of Vilnius on 3 sides, while the rest borders the Trakai District Municipality.

At the 2011 Census, Poles amounted to 52.07% out of 95,348 inhabitants. 32.47% were Lithuanians, 8.01% Russians, 4.17% Belarusians, 0.65% Ukrainians and 0.11% Jews.

In 2021, according to the census results, ethnographic composition was the following: Lithuanians – 38.52%, Lithuanian Poles – 46.75%, Lithuanian Russians – 7.35%, Lithuanian Belarusians – 3.26%, Ukrainians – 0.63%, Other – 0.86% and 2.64% of inhabitants did not declare their ethnographic identity.

The population grew to 108,948 in January 2022 because of migration of Vilnius citizens to the suburbs.

History

left, 250px, Tumuli of Karmazinai

Vilnius district municipality is situated in the territory once settled by the Baltic East Lithuanian Barrow Culture (c. 3/4th–11/12th century AD), and numerous archaeological sites from this period are situated within its borders. During the formation of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the major part of what is now Vilnius district municipality was the nucleus of the Duchy of Lithuania, while the territory to the north of Maišiagala belonged to Neris land. There is some evidence that Bukiškis just north of Vilnius whose historic name was Gedvydžiai could be associated with Duke Gedvydas and through this link – with Mindaugas. According to Jan Długosz, the pagan ruler of Lithuania Algirdas was cremated in the sacred forest of Kukaveitis near Maišiagala after his death in Maišiagala castle in 1377. Nemenčinė (1338), Maišiagala (1254, 1365) and Medininkai (1387), known from written sources from the 13th-14th centuries, were among the oldest settlements in Lithuania. These were trade and defense centers with castles as well as religious centers – after the Christianization of Lithuania, early churches were built here. As Vilnius was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the territory around the city was forming the very center of the state, so-called Lithuania proper. It was the major part of a much larger Vilnius Duchy and later – Vilnius Voivodeship. After the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Vilna Governorate was formed and Vilensky Uyezd occupied all of what is now Vilnius district municipality. When Vilnius and its suburbs in 1923 were incorporated into Interwar Poland, what is now Vilnius district municipality was the core of Wilno - Troki powiat (county). After World War II, Vilnius district municipality was formed. The initially small Vilnius district (938 km²) was soon significantly enlarged, absorbing Naujoji Vilnia district (in 1959) and Nemenčinė district (in 1962) and parts of Ukmergė district, but transferring some smaller administrative territories to Molėtai district and Švenčionys district, including Pabradė (in 1962). After 1962 (then 2313 km²), there were only minor administrative reforms, attaching some territories from Vilnius district municipality (now 2129 km²) to Vilnius city. In March 1987, the villages of Pašilaičiai, Fabijoniškės, Kelmija, Raisteliai and parts of the villages of Pavilionys, Baltoji Vokė, Prašiškės, Bajorai, Buivydiškės, Grigaičiai and Vanaginė were attached to Vilnius city. Almost all of the municipality belongs to the Vilnius urban belt, forming suburban environs of the capital city.

Elderships

The municipality is divided into 23 elderships:

Structure

District structure.
* 1 city – Nemenčinė;
* 4 small towns – Bezdonys, Maišiagala, Mickūnai, Šumskas
* 1091 villages.

Largest residential areas by population (2011Lietuvos statistikos departamentas. http://web.stat.gov.lt/uploads/docs/Gyventojai_gyvenamosiose_vietovese.xls):
* Nemenčinė – 5,054
* Skaidiškės – 4,133
* Rudamina (Vilnius) – 3,981
* Pagiriai (Vilnius) – 3,451
* Didžioji Riešė – 2,520
* Nemėžis – 2,498
* Avižieniai – 2,125
* Valčiūnai – 1,874
* Juodšiliai – 1,744
* Zujūnai – 1,660
* Maišiagala – 1,636
* Kalveliai – 1,592
* Galgiai – 1,426
* Mickūnai – 1,389
* Grigaičiai – 1,325
* Buivydiškės – 1,314
* Vaidotai – 1,287
* Riešė – 1,234
* Gineitiškės – 1,093
* Kalviškės – 974
* Bukiškis – 922
* Paberžė – 919
* Šumskas – 919
* Marijampolis – 870
* Rukainiai – 770
* Bendoriai – 764
* Bezdonys – 743
* Didžiosios Kabiškės – 716
* Mostiškės – 631
* Lavoriškės – 621
* Anavilis – 574
* Rastinėnai – 556
* Glitiškės – 549
* Sudervė – 523
* Vėliučionys – 516
* Medininkai – 493
* Keturiasdešimt Totorių – 451

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Vilnius District Municipality is twinned with:
* Radom, Poland

Gallery

Skardis_netoli_Airėnų.JPG, Neris river outcrop near Airėnai village
Šventasis_Daubų_ąžuolas.JPG, Sacred Daubos Oak in Neris Regional Park
Šaltinis_"Akis",_Šilėnai_2.JPG, Swamp near Šilėnai
Buivydai (Vilnius) hillfort 2011 (1).jpg, Buivydai hillfort
Ilgutis.jpg, Ilgutis lake near Keturiasdešimt Totorių
Akmenys Trys broliai.JPG, Stones "Three Brothers" near Sudervė
Medininku pilis 2012.jpg, Medininkai Castle
Paberze_church.JPG, Catholic church in Paberžė
Žemaitėliai,_sentikių_cerkvė_3.JPG, Wooden Old Believers church in Žemaitėliai
Geisiškių_Šv._kankinio_Jurgio_Nugalėtojo_cerkvė._Vartai.JPG, Orthodox church in Geisiškės village
Keturiasdešimt Totorių, mečetė.JPG, Wooden mosque in Keturiasdešimt Totorių
Sudervė,_koplytėlė.JPG, Tower chapel in Sudervė
Kelias_106.JPG, Road near Marijampolis
Lithuania_Centre_of_Europe.jpg, Geographical Center of Europe
Vilnoja_stone_sculptures_in_the_lake.JPG, Stone sculptures in Vilnoja lake near Sudervė
Liubavo malunas2011.jpg, Liubavas mill-museum
Bareikiškės, Sirokomlės muziejus.JPG, Museum of Władysław Syrokomla in Bareikiškės
Kelias 103, Lavoriškės .JPG, Road near Lavoriškės

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vilnius district municipality

Municipalities of Vilnius County
Municipalities of Lithuania