Churches Everywhere

The Lithuanians are proud to be the last pagan people in Europe. However, once they converted to Christianity, Catholicism became an important part of their culture and national identity. Catholic churches are everywhere. Because Lithuania was part of the Russian empire for 150 years, there are also a lot of Russian Orthodox churches (green-domed church). Most churches were closed and neglected during the Soviet period. Since independence, the main churches in Vilnius have been restored and re-opened. When Napolean's army marched through Vilnius on its way to Moscow in the War of 1812, Napolean said that St. Anne's Church (the red brick one) was so beautiful that he wanted to take it back to Paris in the palm of his hand. St. Anne's is over 500 years old and built with 33 kinds of brick.