As Vilnius celebrates the 30th anniversary of its historic centre being included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, it is important to acknowledge the contributions of the individuals who helped preserve and restore the heritage of the Old Town.
Pranciškus Smuglevičius (Franciszek Smuglewicz, 1745–1807) – a renowned painter whose historical paintings and architectural drawings became important sources for restoring Vilnius’ architectural heritage. He was one of the first to systematically document the city’s views.
First Half of the 20th Century
Juozas Kamarauskas (Józef Komorowski, 1874–1946) – a famous painter and architect, who studied art in Saint Petersburg and lived in Vilnius from 1922. Kamarauskas worked in the Vilnius Chief Engineer and Architect’s Office from 1939. Some of his most important works include drawings and plans of Vilnius Old Town streets destroyed during World War II (1944–1945). His artistic work became a crucial resource for restoring Vilnius’ Old Town.
Julius Klos (Juliusz Kłos, 1881–1933) – an engineer, architect, and art historian who made significant contributions to the study of Vilnius’ architecture. He studied civil engineering in Warsaw and architecture at Vienna’s University of Technology. From 1920 to 1933, he worked at Vilnius University (then known as Stefan Batory University) as a professor, where he founded and led the Department of Architecture. He researched and inventoried Vilnius’ architectural monuments, including studies of Vilnius Cathedral and its underground (1932). He was involved in their protection and restoration, including the Polish Theatre building (1925, now Vilnius Old Theatre), and the churches of St. Ignatius (1926) and St. Theresa (1929). Klos’s detailed architectural drawings and research were essential in accurately restoring historical buildings and understanding their historical development.
Zygmunt Mieczysław Czaykowski (1887–1950) – an architect and urban researcher, who graduated from the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. He worked as a heritage architect in Mazovia and later moved to Vilnius, where he worked in the city’s municipal architecture department. Czaykowski worked on the inventory of Vilnius buildings and on reconstructing the western – Gediminas – tower of the Upper Castle. He created numerous historical reconstructions during World War II, collaborating with the renowned artist Juozas Kamarauskas and architect Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis.
Jerzy Remer (1888–1979) – a Polish art historian and heritage conservationist who studied art history in Kraków, museology, and heritage preservation in Paris. From 1918, he worked as a heritage conservator in various Polish cities. From 1922 to 1928, as the Vilnius District Heritage Conservator, he taught art history and restoration at Vilnius University’s (then Stefan Batory University) Faculty of Fine Arts, where he headed the Department of Art History. He published an essay collection focused on the cultural heritage of Vilnius.
Second Half of the 20th Century
Sigitas Benjaminas Lasavickas (1925–1998) – a painter and architect who made significant contributions to preserving Vilnius’ architectural sacred and defensive heritage. He conducted architectural research and, together with other architects, prepared the following conservation and restoration projects in Vilnius: the Sulistrovski (Lopacinski) Palace on Skapo Street (1953), the Chapter House on Pilies Street (1956), the Church of St. Casimir (1955–1982), the Cathedral (1956), the ruins of the Upper Castle (1956–1960), the New Arsenal (with architect Kazys Napoleonas Kitkauskas, 1958–1965), the defensive wall near Strazdelio and Subačiaus Streets (1961), and the Old Arsenal (with architect Evaldas Purlys, 1975–1985). He also created the first reconstruction project for Vilnius Old Town (with architects J. Šeibokas and K. Šešelgis, 1958–1959).
Kazys Napoleonas Kitkauskas – one of the most distinguished restoration architects, an engineer, and a cultural and public figure, holding a PhD in humanities. He has worked on many of Vilnius’ most important sites, overseeing studies of Vilnius Cathedral (1968–1986), preparing its repair and maintenance projects (1970–1982), and leading architectural research into the remains of the Grand Dukes’ Palace in Vilnius Lower Castle (1987–2001). He was one of the initiators of the restoration of the Royal Palace, serving as the scientific director of the restoration project (1995–2010).
Romanas Jaloveckas – an architect and restorer specialising in the restoration of historical buildings and monuments. He conducted comprehensive architectural research on the 34–36 and 54 blocks of Vilnius Old Town, and, with others, prepared restoration projects for these blocks (1961–1968). He also conducted architectural research and prepared a restoration project for St. John’s Church in Vilnius (1965–1979). Since 2003, he has been a member of the Valdovų Rūmai Restoration and Use Expert Commission of the State Heritage Preservation Commission.
Evaldas Purlys – a recognised restoration architect. His restoration projects include the house on Aušros Vartų Street 8, the Jesuit Novitiate on Šv. Ignoto Street 6, the front and side facades of St. Nicholas Church, and the eastern facade of the Church of the Most Holy Mother of God. He has conducted architectural research and restored parts of buildings or facade elements of the Benedictine Monastery on Šv. Ignoto Street 3 and 5, the Bailiff’s House in Vilnius Lower Castle, and buildings on Pilies Street 6, Skapo Street 8, and Didžioji Street 35.
Marija Nemunienė – an architect and heritage preservation specialist who has been the author or co-author of over 150 projects of various scales. Key projects include the reconstruction and adaptation of the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum on Pylimo Street 4 for use as a cultural centre (2014), the complete renovation of Vilnius Town Hall on Didžioji Street 31 (2012), restoration, conservation, and adaptation of the town hall’s cellars (2016), and the complete renovation of the eastern pavilion and southern wing of the Jonušas Radvila Palace on Vilniaus Street 24 (2018–2019).
Neringa Šarkauskaitė-Šimkuvienė – a restoration architect who led the restoration of the wall paintings at the Faculty of History at Vilnius University (2006) and conducted polychromatic research on the eastern facade of the Church of St. James the Apostle and St. Philip (2020).
For more information about other restorers of the Old Town, refer to the table (in Lithuanian language): Senamiesčio restauratoriai