St. Dvasios Street in the Vilnius old town will be rebuilt in a partnership between the Vilnius Municipal Government and Leidybos Centras in what Mayor of Vilnius Juozas Imbrasas calls a good example of what private and public cooperation can be.
The whole street and UNESCO stamped defensive wall will be reconstructed to make it more attractive for tourists and for residents of Vilnius alike. Heating and lighting are just some of the major concerns for the streets' reconstruction.
The street's reputation has suffered lately with people avoiding the street citing safety issues. Even tour guides say they won't take people there to the dimly lit way. This is all going to change with Leidybos Centras's contribution to the community.
The reconstruction of the street is in fact not a new idea with the Vilnius Municipal Government tabling the idea a few years ago. However it was not an available option until now according to Gediminas Rutkauskas, the director of the Old Town Renewal Agency. "There were plans to reconstruct the fragment of the defensive wall in St Dvasios Street, however it proved to be impossible without first reconstructing the street itself, so we waited for private capital to join in," Rutkauskas said.
The Vilnius Defensive Wall is a key feature of St. Dvasios street. This section of the once mighty wall is the longest remaining part still standing in Vilnius. St. Dvasios Street is a part of the Vilnius Tourist Route and belongs to the UNESCO preserved zone. Unfortunately at present, St. Dvasios Street is very derelict. The plans of Leidybos Centras for reconstruction are to make it a much better lit and much more attractive street. Tallinn is the only city in the Baltic States that has an intact defensive wall remaining.
The plans for the street are to make it as close as possible to the way it looked at the time when the wall was constructed 's beautiful cobble stones and good lighting will turn the street into a showpiece befitting of Vilnius. CEO of Leidybos Centras Sergej Kovaliov is excited about the project.
"Since we are not indifferent to the cultural heritage and want the city to remain a cultural masterpiece, we invest not only in the facade of our building, but also into the street," Kovaliov said.
The facade Kovaliov is excited about is of the Strazdelio Namai apartment construction that is at the centre of the project to be completed by the end of 2009. The luxury apartments will go on sale soon.
Gintare Kyburyte, a public relations specialist tending the project has already reported good results. "The restoration will include street pavement and illumination. Even now when the first block of Strazdelio Namai is finished this street became more attractive, partly illuminated," she said.
The reconstruction of the street will not be cheap, but Leidybos Centras and the Vilnius Municipality will work together in order to complete the task. Leidybos Centras announced the signed agreement with Vilnius Municipality for sponsorship of the renovation work on June 27. At the moment the investments of Leidybos Centras to the reconstruction of the St. Dvasios' infrastructure is in excess of two million litas.
Strazdelio Namai will be a major feature in the street covering a large section of the street. These luxury apartments are planned to compliment the natural charm of the street. A lot of the buildings that are already there will be reused in order to extend the history of the old town. "Modern technologies can be installed inside, but it is not necessary to build modern buildings in the most beautiful place of our city when we can reconstruct those that have stood there for centuries," Kovaliov explained.
The Strazdelio Namai Web site (www.strazdelishouse.lt) describes the new building project and its advantages. "This residential project is designed for those who dream about a luxurious apartment in the Old Town of Vilnius city, where the latest construction and interior design technologies perfectly fit in with the age-old facades and sacral environment. Not only a luxury interior is offered: Baroque architecture of Vilnius is seen through the windows of the building complex, while the upper floor opens a fine view to Gediminas Castle, the Hill of Three Crosses, and the tower of Church of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist," the Web site says.
Strazdelio Namai will be three, three-story buildings with an attic comprising a total of 103 apartments. The first two buildings that contain 70 apartments are intended to house people living in the Old Town of Vilnius. The third building that has 33 apartments is meant for tourists, city guests or foreign citizens who have come to Lithuania either for a long term visit or business trips.
The wall itself is of high historical significance to Vilnius. At the height of the wall's glory, there were a total of ten gates that gave entrance to the old town. Most of them have been closed or demolished, but after the renovation of St. Dvasios Street, there are plans for further development. "At the moment the possibility to restore Subacius Vartai (Subacius Gates, the part of Vilnius Defensive Wall) is discussed too. From the former 10 of Vilnius Gates only Ausros Vartai (Gate of Dawn or Medininkai Gate) remains," Kyburyte explained.
UNESCO has given high recognition to the old town of Vilnius labeling it a shining example of a preserved Eastern European city. Vilnius is a great example of a medieval town which had a huge impact on Eastern European architecture and on cultural developments.
The wall's construction commenced in the early 16th century and was noted complete in 1522 by Grand Duke Zygimantas. It was originally intended to be the first line of defense for Vilnius residents who were often attacked. Some say it was built for protection, but those who were well versed in the era say that it was used for control of who passed through the city. At the time the main source of income for the city were the taxes they imposed on traders who used the city to rest and travel through.
Other than monetary gain, the wall had several other notable uses such as defense against the Teutonic knights. It was also used as a quarantine area for the town's people during the plague of 1657. During this time, all but one gate to the town was closed.
When complete, the six meter high wall had a perimeter length of 3.2 kilometers, surrounding the area of Vilnius that is now known as the old town. With a width of 70 centimeters at the top, there were holes built into the wall uniformly around the town to allow gunpowder-loaded rifles to shoot out. Three towers were constructed where cannons were positioned.
Currently the exact cost of the project is unknown, but the public tender will be performed in July after which all details will be finalized.
Strazdelio Namai
St. Dvasios Street Vilnius
www.strazdelishouse.ltPhone: +370 5 2677 895
Mobile: +370 682 190 03
