The Old Theatre of Vilnius

The Great Theatre Palace – Pohulianka – is the first building in Lithuania that was established through private initiative, specifically for a theater, in 1913. And although at that time, the theater, which could seat 850 spectators, seemed “too big for provincial Vilnius”, according to architectural historian Gerda Prancūzevičienė, it has lived through a very eventful history of change.

However, for more than a century, the building has not changed its purpose: it has housed the Vilnius Polish Theater, the National Opera and Ballet Theater, the National Drama Theater, the National Youth Theater, and the Lithuanian Russian Drama Theater, and currently, this sanctuary houses the Old Theatre of Vilnius.

The theater hosted not only cultural events. In September 1917, during the German occupation, the Lithuanian Conference was held in the theater hall, and the Council of Lithuania was elected during it, which signed the Act of Independence on February 16, 1918.

Architectural historians attribute this building to the styles of historical eclecticism and Art Nouveau. The building’s volume is compact, with efficient use of space. The facades have symmetrical compositions, and the main facade features a portico supported by arcades. Previously, theater attendees, arriving in carriages, could drive right up to the entrance doors under the portico.

The theater, which has changed little to this day, still bears the name of the oldest theater in Vilnius.