Lietuvos istorijos institutas

The article discusses the nature and significance of the settlement of the area bordered by Ašmenos, Mėsinių and Dysnos Streets in early Vilnius, and the links with the German Town. The period of research was chosen - from the first traces of human activity in this part of Vilnius to the 16th century, with particular emphasis on the earliest period - late 14th century - the first half of the 15th century, which is the least covered in Vilnius studies.

Lithuania was the country to remain pagan longest in Europe, but it was not isolated from the rest of Europe. Although the locals in the late 13th – late 14th centuries were still mostly pagans, Lithuania’s grand dukes appreciated the benefits of Christian immigrants. These Christians brought not only their religion, but also a knowledge of crafts, their culture, and their own traditions. Although Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox, mainly wished to settle in Lithuania for economic reasons rather than from a desire to Christianise it, their presence in pagan Vilnius left traces, one of which, visible archaeologically, is the inhumation cemetery on Bokšto Street, where Orthodox Christians began to bury their dead in the last decades of the 13th century. By supplementing the historical context with this cemetery’s material, it is possible to talk about how the Orthodox community influenced the city’s urban landscape, burial traditions, and crafts.