The first skyscraper and a shopping mall: how the face of Vilnius changed during the Soviet era

A skyscraper, modern shopping centre, home service complex and leisure space in Vilnius. This was the vision of the new Vilnius that was drawn in 1964 in a project by brothers Algimantas and Vytautas Nasvyčius, which was to fundamentally change the face of Vilnius. Without the foreign Lenin monuments, but with full shop shelves and an influx of foreign tourists.

During the occupation period, this project was only partially implemented. The continuation of this huge project can still be seen today in the skyscrapers of Konstitucijos Avenue. The project on the right bank of the Neris River was meant to reflect the improving living conditions and progress.

Architectural historian Prof. Marija Drėmaitė points out that the formation of the new centre of Vilnius marked a transition from centres of ideological purpose to the implementation of more practical districts for everyday life. However, the planning of the new face of Vilnius was not without its problems, which led to the failure of this complex.

“For a Vilnius resident, it was a place to go to on purpose, but not a place of everyday life, a place to walk past, to pass by, to run to. Its remoteness and more difficult accessibility outside the city centre limited its active use”, states M. Drėmaitė.

The Vilnius Central Department Store, which opened 50 years ago and was considered the most modern shopping centre at the time, became the first operational facility in the new centre. Of course, this first created the illusion of an improving quality of life, progress and approaching western standards.

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Photo: The right bank of the Neris River / LCVA photo.