Vilnius County
Encyclopedia
Vilnius County is the largest of the 10 counties
of Lithuania
, located in the east of the country around the city
Vilnius
. On 1 July 2010, the county administration was abolished, and since that date, Vilnius County remains as the territorial and statistical unit.
. In Russian Empire
it belonged to the Northwestern Krai
and approximately corresponded to its Vilna Governorate
(as of 1843). During World War I
, following the German offensive of 1915, it was occupied by the German
army. After the war, some parts of the area was ruled by local Polish
self-government established after the German Ober-Ost army withdrew from the area.
Following the start of the Polish-Bolshevik War, in 1919 it was occupied by the Red Army
, which was pushed back by the Polish Army. In 1920 it was again occupied by the Red Army, but Soviets officially recognized the sovereignty of Lithuanian Republic
over the city immediately after defeat during Battle of Warsaw
. During their retreat, the Bolsheviks passed the sovereignty over the area to Lithuania. The Polish commander Józef Piłsudski ordered his subordinate general Lucjan Żeligowski
to "rebel" his Lithuanian-Belarus
ian division and capture the city of Vilnius
, without declaring war on Lithuania. The area of the future Vilnius County was seized by the Polish forces without significant opposition from Lithuanian forces and Gen. Żeligowski created a short-lived state called Republic of Central Lithuania
. Following the elections held there in 1922 the state was incorporated into Poland (see Vilnius region
, Central Lithuania
).
In the effect of the Nazi-Soviet Alliance and the Polish Defensive War
of 1939, the area was captured by the Soviet Union
, which transferred parts of present Vilnius County and Utena County
to Lithuania
, only to annex it the following year. In 1941 it was conquered by the Nazi Germany
. During the World War II
the area saw formation of many resistance units, most notably the Polish Home Army and, since 1943, the Soviet partisans
.After the war Vilniaus Apskritis existed as a relic of the pre-war independent state in Lithuanian SSR
between 1944 and 1950. In this period, significant part of its population moved to Poland
during so called repatriation
.
After the reestablishment of Lithuania in 1990, Vilnius county was established differently in 1994. This entity has different boundaries than any previous entity and is not directly related to previous entities in this area; mission of the county is different as well, its primary goal (same as that of other counties of Lithuania) is to oversee that municipalities in its area follow the laws of Lithuania.
Counties of Lithuania
The territory of Lithuania is divided into 10 counties , all named after their capitals. The counties are divided into 60 municipalities : 9 city municipalities, 43 district municipalities and 8 municipalities...
of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, located in the east of the country around the city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. On 1 July 2010, the county administration was abolished, and since that date, Vilnius County remains as the territorial and statistical unit.
History
Until the Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in late 18th century the area belonged to the Vilnius Voivodship and Trakai Voivodship of the Polish-Lithuanian CommonwealthPolish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
. In Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
it belonged to the Northwestern Krai
Northwestern Krai
Northwestern Krai was a subdivision of Imperial Russia in the territories of the present day Belarus and Lithuania. Together with the Southwestern Krai it formed the Western Krai...
and approximately corresponded to its Vilna Governorate
Vilna Governorate
The Vilna Governorate or Government of Vilna was a governorate of the Russian Empire created after the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795...
(as of 1843). During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, following the German offensive of 1915, it was occupied by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
army. After the war, some parts of the area was ruled by local Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
self-government established after the German Ober-Ost army withdrew from the area.
Following the start of the Polish-Bolshevik War, in 1919 it was occupied by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, which was pushed back by the Polish Army. In 1920 it was again occupied by the Red Army, but Soviets officially recognized the sovereignty of Lithuanian Republic
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
over the city immediately after defeat during Battle of Warsaw
Battle of Warsaw (1920)
The Battle of Warsaw sometimes referred to as the Miracle at the Vistula, was the decisive battle of the Polish–Soviet War. That war began soon after the end of World War I in 1918 and lasted until the Treaty of Riga resulted in the end of the hostilities between Poland and Russia in 1921.The...
. During their retreat, the Bolsheviks passed the sovereignty over the area to Lithuania. The Polish commander Józef Piłsudski ordered his subordinate general Lucjan Żeligowski
Lucjan Zeligowski
Lucjan Żeligowski , was a Polish general, and veteran of World War I, the Polish-Soviet War and World War II. He is mostly remembered for his role in Żeligowski's Mutiny and as head of a short-lived Republic of Central Lithuania.-Biography:...
to "rebel" his Lithuanian-Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
ian division and capture the city of Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, without declaring war on Lithuania. The area of the future Vilnius County was seized by the Polish forces without significant opposition from Lithuanian forces and Gen. Żeligowski created a short-lived state called Republic of Central Lithuania
Central Lithuania
Central Lithuania may refer to:*Republic of Central Lithuania, a short-lived puppet state created in 1920 in the Vilnius Region*Geographical region of Lithuania, the central region in Lithuania around Kaunas, Kėdainiai, and Jonava...
. Following the elections held there in 1922 the state was incorporated into Poland (see Vilnius region
Vilnius region
Vilnius Region , refers to the territory in the present day Lithuania, that was originally inhabited by ethnic Baltic tribes and was a part of Lithuania proper, but came under East Slavic and Polish cultural influences over time,...
, Central Lithuania
Central Lithuania
Central Lithuania may refer to:*Republic of Central Lithuania, a short-lived puppet state created in 1920 in the Vilnius Region*Geographical region of Lithuania, the central region in Lithuania around Kaunas, Kėdainiai, and Jonava...
).
In the effect of the Nazi-Soviet Alliance and the Polish Defensive War
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
of 1939, the area was captured by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, which transferred parts of present Vilnius County and Utena County
Utena County
Utena County is one of ten counties in Lithuania. It is the most sparsely-populated county in Lithuania. The capital and the largest city in the county is Utena, which is located from Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania...
to Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, only to annex it the following year. In 1941 it was conquered by the Nazi Germany
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. During the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the area saw formation of many resistance units, most notably the Polish Home Army and, since 1943, the Soviet partisans
Soviet partisans
The Soviet partisans were members of a resistance movement which fought a guerrilla war against the Axis occupation of the Soviet Union during World War II....
.After the war Vilniaus Apskritis existed as a relic of the pre-war independent state in Lithuanian SSR
Lithuanian SSR
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Lithuanian SSR, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union...
between 1944 and 1950. In this period, significant part of its population moved to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
during so called repatriation
Repatriation
Repatriation is the process of returning a person back to one's place of origin or citizenship. This includes the process of returning refugees or soldiers to their place of origin following a war...
.
After the reestablishment of Lithuania in 1990, Vilnius county was established differently in 1994. This entity has different boundaries than any previous entity and is not directly related to previous entities in this area; mission of the county is different as well, its primary goal (same as that of other counties of Lithuania) is to oversee that municipalities in its area follow the laws of Lithuania.
Municipalities
The county is subdivided into 6 district municipalities, 1 municipality and 1 city municipality:- Elektrėnai municipalityElektrenai municipalityElektrėnai municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania....
- Šalčininkai district municipalityŠalcininkai district municipalityŠalčininkai district municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania.It has one of biggest Polish minority populations in Lithuania, with 31,223 or over 80% of the population claiming Polish ethnicity. Šalčininkai is the largest town in and the center of the region.-References:...
- Širvintos district municipalityŠirvintos district municipalityŠirvintos district municipality is a municipality in Lithuania, it is in territory of Vilniaus Apskritis and its capital is Širvintos.-Geography:...
- Švenčionys district municipalityŠvencionys district municipality-Twin towns — Sister cities:Švenčionys district municipality is twinned with the following towns: Świdnica, Poland...
- Trakai district municipalityTrakai district municipality-History:The Trakai district became significant early in its history due to the Old Trakai Castle built by the Grand Duke Gediminas in the 13th century. Many other castles were built in the area soon after this one, including the Trakai Peninsula Castle and the Trakai Island Castle...
- Ukmergė district municipalityUkmerge district municipalityThe Ukmergė district municipality is a municipality in Vilnius County, Lithuania. The capital of the municipality is Ukmergė, the largest settlement and only city in the municipality...
- Vilnius city municipalityVilnius city municipalityThe Vilnius city municipality , is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It is in the southeastern part of country, in Vilnius County and consists of the city of Vilnius, the town of Grigiškės and some rural areas.- History :...
- Vilnius district municipalityVilnius district municipalityVilnius district municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It surrounds the capital on 3 sides, and the Trakai district municipality touches it on one....