Scientific work is already under way inside Vilnius Cathedral Basilica, one of Lithuania’s most important religious and state heritage sites. Researchers are using non-invasive methods, including ground-penetrating radar, 3D scanning and X-ray fluorescence analysis, to examine layers usually hidden beneath floors, masonry and centuries of alteration.

The Lithuanian Government has approved proposals for complex scientific research, protection and conservation-related works at the Vilnius Cathedral Basilica. The plan was prepared by a working group formed by acting Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė.

The decision opens the way for a broader interdisciplinary programme covering history, architecture, archaeology, bioarchaeology, paleogenetics and art history. According to the working group, the cathedral has not previously been studied in such a systematic way, despite its importance to Lithuania’s statehood, Christianity and dynastic memory.

Vilnius Cathedral Basilica stands in the historic centre of Lithuania’s capital, close to the site associated with the residence of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. For international readers, the location is significant because it connects religious history with the political history of the medieval and early modern Lithuanian state.

Ruginienė said the plan reflects cooperation between government institutions and the research community.

“I thank the scientists and institutional representatives who devoted their time and knowledge. Thanks to you, one of the most significant symbols of the state’s historical memory will receive research more comprehensive than ever before, part of which is already taking place. This is an exceptional example of the Government, institutions and the scientific community coming together for the sake of the state, its future and the preservation of our historical memory,” she said.

The working group concluded that, although the cathedral is an exceptional symbol of statehood, Christianity and dynastic memory, previous research had not formed a single systematic programme.

The plan sets out five main research directions: historical and source-based research; architectural and masonry research; bioarchaeological and paleogenetic research; archaeological research; and art-historical research.

Historical and source studies are expected to help assess written records and their interpretation. Architectural and masonry research could clarify the development of the building, its construction phases and its earliest surviving layers.

Bioarchaeological and paleogenetic work may become important where human remains are concerned, including questions about origin, kinship and burial circumstances. Archaeological research would examine cultural layers beneath the cathedral, while art-historical research would look at works of art, iconography and memorial signs connected with the site.

The Government proposes that the Research Council of Lithuania organise the implementation of the interdisciplinary research programme. It also proposes that the Lithuanian Institute of History carry out a pilot minimally invasive investigation under heritage protection conditions and the principle of the least possible intervention.

One issue likely to attract public attention is the possible location of the remains of Vytautas the Great, one of the most prominent rulers in Lithuanian history. The source material does not state that the location is known. Instead, it says a controlled invasive investigation could provide new data and allow researchers to examine one hypothesis more thoroughly.

This distinction matters. The planned work is not presented as a confirmed discovery, but as a way to move from assumptions toward verifiable evidence.

Researchers from the Lithuanian Institute of History are already examining the cathedral using non-invasive methods, including ground-penetrating radar, 3D scanning and X-ray fluorescence analysis. Any invasive step would be a limited, technologically controlled check carried out within heritage protection requirements.

The Government has also instructed the Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the Vilnius Archdiocesan Curia, to coordinate the creation of a pantheon of Lithuanian rulers in the Cathedral Basilica.

The working group has noted that, for Lithuania, the cathedral’s significance may be compared with Wawel in Kraków, St Vitus Cathedral in Prague or Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The comparison is intended to explain the site’s national importance, not to suggest identical history or scale.

The pantheon proposal is linked to a broader aim: to present the cathedral’s connection with the residence of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania more clearly and to improve visitor access to the cathedral’s underground spaces. This could help visitors understand the site through a more coherent account of rulers, Christianisation, urban development and burial traditions.

The plan also extends beyond Lithuania’s borders. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to initiate the installation of a memorial plaque for Butautas, brother of Vytautas the Great, at St Thomas Cathedral in Prague, Czechia.

The Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs are also tasked with initiating agreements with responsible institutions in Czechia and Ukraine on research into the burial places and remains of Butautas and members of the Gediminid dynasty, including the Olelkovich branch, at St Thomas Cathedral in Prague and the Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv.

The working group that submitted the proposals included representatives of the Department of Cultural Heritage, the Government Chancellery, the Vilnius Archdiocese, the Office of the President, the Church Heritage Museum, the Ministries of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Culture, and Education, Science and Sport. Historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, architects and geologists were consulted.

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Updated2026-07-08 19:22

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Article contextPeople & topics3#4Inga RuginienėVytautas DidysisButautas