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51-737: The Vilnia is 79.6 km long and its basin covers 624 sq. km. The river's steepness is 124.6 metres from the source to the mouth. For 13 km, its flow marks the Belarus-Lithuania border , and the remaining 69 km are in Lithuania where it flows into the Neris River at Vilnius . Eventually, its waters, via the Neris draining into the Neman River , reach the Baltic Sea . Its confluence with

102-580: A council of Lithuania , and an Act of Independence of Lithuania proclaimed an independent Lithuanian state with its capital in Vilnius. The Lithuanian government, however, failed to recruit soldiers among the Vilnius area inhabitants and was unable to organize the defence of the region against the Bolsheviks . During November and December 1918, local Polish self-defence formations were created in Vilnius and many surrounding localities. They were formally included into

153-503: A Polish majority. Vilnius at that point was divided nearly evenly between Poles and Jews, with Lithuanians constituting a mere fraction (about 2–2.6%) of the total population. These censuses and their organisation were heavily criticized by contemporary Lithuanians of the region as biased. At the end of the First World War, 50% of the Vilnius inhabitants were Polish and 43% were Jewish. According to E. Bojtar, who cites P. Gaučas,

204-557: A project of the proposed barrier for the entire Belarus-Lithuania border which would be 4 m (13 ft) high and would use multiple layers of the Concertina wire . The cost of the project was estimated at €150 million and the Lithuanian parliament approved it as a matter of urgency. Lithuania completed the 502 km (312 mi) barrier in August 2022 and the modern surveillance equipment

255-701: Is an international border almost 678.8 km (421.8 mi) in length between the Republic of Belarus ( CIS member ) and the Republic of Lithuania ( EU member ). It is an external border of the European Union as well as the western border of the Commonwealth of Independent States . 379.9 km (236.1 mi) of the border is on land, while 298.9 km (185.7 mi) are on water, crossing lakes, e.g. Lake Drūkšiai and following some rivers, e.g. Dysna River and Neman River . In August 2022, Lithuania completed

306-541: Is now part of Lithuania. It constitutes about one-third of the total Vilnius Region. Lithuania gained about 6,880 km (2,660 sq mi) on October 10, 1939, from the Soviet Union and 2,650 km (1,020 sq mi) (including Druskininkai and Švenčionys ) on August 3, 1940, from the Byelorussian SSR. The Eastern Vilnius Region became part of Belarus. No parts of the region are in modern Poland. None of

357-496: Is the basis of the current border which had remained largely stable since 1940. The border is defined by the treaty of 6 February 1995 between the two countries. The demarcation of the border was completed in 2007. Since 2004 the border has served as the external border of the European Union and, since 2007, the Schengen Area . These developments brought increased border controls and stricter visa requirements for crossing between

408-772: The Middle Ages , Vilnius and its environs had become a nucleus of the early ethnic Lithuanian state, the Duchy of Lithuania , also referred to in Lithuanian historiography as a part of the Lithuania Propria , that became Kingdom of Lithuania and later Grand Duchy of Lithuania . After the Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the late 18th century it was annexed by the Russian Empire which established

459-801: The Polish–Lithuanian War and Polish–Soviet War . It was similar to the present border, but the Vilnius region was de facto controlled by Second Polish Republic . Following the World War II and the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states , a new border was established between the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic and Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union . It

510-526: The Russian Empire , claimed the Vilnius Region based on this historical legacy. Poland argued for the right of self-determination of the local Polish-speaking population. As a result, throughout the interwar period the control over the area was disputed between Poland and Lithuania. The Soviet Union recognized it as part of Lithuania in the Soviet-Lithuanian Treaty of 1920 , but in 1920 it

561-611: The Russian census of 1897 (which studied the linguistic situation, but didn't include the category of ethnic affiliation) ) the Vilna Governorate was occupied predominantly by Belarusian speakers (56,05%), while Polish speakers amounted to only 8,17% of the population. The Russians maintained that the local Polish population consisted mainly of nobles, while the region's peasantry could not be Polish. The later German (1916) and Polish (1919) censuses showed that Vilnius and its environs had

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612-617: The Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty with Lithuania on 12 July 1920. According to it, all area disputed between Poland and Lithuania, at the time controlled by the Bolsheviks, was to be transferred to Lithuania. However, the actual control over the area remained in the Bolsheviks' hands. After the Battle of Warsaw of 1920 it became clear that the advancing Polish Army would soon recapture the area. Seeing that they could not secure it,

663-634: The Vilna Governorate there. As a result of World War I , it was seized by Germany and given to the civilian administration of the Ober-Ost . With the German defeat in World War I and the outbreak of hostilities between various factions of the Russian Civil War , the area was disputed by the newly established Lithuanian, Polish and Belarusian states. Poles based their claims on demographic grounds and pointed to

714-555: The temporary capital in Kaunas , and the states officially remained at war. It was not until the Polish ultimatum of 1938, that the two states resolved diplomatic relations. Some historians speculated, that the loss of Vilnius might have nonetheless safeguarded the very existence of the Lithuanian state in the interwar period. Despite an alliance with the Soviets (Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty) and

765-550: The Belarusian-Lithuanian border. It was assumed that the state support of illegal migration could be carried out for political reasons. Illegal migration from Belarus forced Lithuania to declare state of emergency on 7 July 2021. Lithuania decided to build a border barrier to stem the flow of illegal crossings. On 5 August 2021, the chief of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service presented

816-641: The Bolshevik authorities started to transfer the area to Lithuanian sovereignty. The advancing Polish Army managed to retake much of the disputed area before the Lithuanians arrived, while the most important part of it with the city of Vilnius was secured by Lithuania. Due to Polish-Lithuanian tensions, the allied powers withheld diplomatic recognition of Lithuania until 1922. Since the two states were not at war, diplomatic negotiations were begun. The negotiations and international mediation led to nowhere and until 1920

867-506: The Neris lies within the city of Vilnius , and the river's name is regarded to have been the source of the city's name. The springs along the Vilnia's length contribute to its flow. Locals refer to the river's starting source as the Holy Stream. A series of wells accessing the river's groundwaters , drilled in the early 20th century, remained a major source of potable water for the city into

918-654: The Polish Army by the end of the year. The Lithuanian Taryba left Vilnius together with the German garrison at the start of January 1919, when the first Polish-Soviet military clashes occurred east of the city. After the outbreak of the Polish–Soviet War , during the summer offensive of the Red Army , the region got under Soviet control as the part of planned Lithuanian–Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (Litbel). Following Lithuanian–Soviet War , Bolshevik Russia signed

969-400: The Polish population was repatriated from Lithuanian SSR to Poland. The area was originally inhabited by Lithuanian Balts . It was subjected to East Slavic and Polish cultural influences and settlement , which led to its gradual Ruthenization and Polonization. According to Polish historian Norman Davies , Vilnius was culturally Polish by the 17th century. By the 18th and 19th centuries,

1020-650: The Polish–Lithuanian border of 1918–1920 as permanent nor did they ever acknowledge the sovereignty of the puppet Republic of Central Lithuania. In 1922 the Republic of Central Lithuania voted to join Poland and the choice was later accepted by the League of Nations, The area granted to Lithuania by the Bolsheviks in 1920 continued to be claimed by Lithuania, with the city of Vilnius being treated as that state's official capital and

1071-627: The Russo-Lithuanian convention of July 12, 1920, that granted the latter state territory seized from Poland by the Red Army during the Polish–Soviet War, then promised to Lithuania as the Soviet forces were retreating under the Polish advance; particularly as the Soviets had previously renounced claims to that region in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk . In turn, the Lithuanian authorities did not acknowledge

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1122-500: The Soviets proposed to sign the Soviet–Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty . According to this treaty, about one-fifth of the Vilnius Region, including the city of Vilnius itself, was returned to Lithuania in exchange for stationing 20,000 Soviet troops in Lithuania. Lithuanians at first did not want to accept this, but later the Soviet Union said that troops would enter Lithuania, anyway, so Lithuania accepted

1173-449: The Vilnius Region did not possess exact borders per se, but encompassed Vilnius and the surrounding areas. This territory was disputed between Lithuania and Poland after both countries had successfully reestablished their independence in 1918. Later, the western limit of the region became a de facto administration line between Poland and Lithuania following Polish military action in autumn 1920. Lithuania refused to recognize this action or

1224-481: The border. The eastern limit was defined by the Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty . The eastern line was never turned into an actual border between states and remained only a political vision. The total territory covered about 32,250 km (12,450 sq mi). Today the eastern limit of the region lies between the Lithuanian and Belarusian border. This border divides the Vilnius Region into two parts: western and eastern. The Western Vilnius Region, including Vilnius,

1275-401: The city was almost completely surrounded by Slavs , while the Vilnius region became exceptionally ethnically diverse Belarusian-Polish-Lithuanian territory. The Belarusian population moved into the areas devastated by wars of the 17th and the early 18th centuries (Northern Ashmyany , Trakai , Švenčionys and Vilnius counties) and only a few Lithuanian settlements remained there. According to

1326-552: The construction of a new border barrier to stop illegal migration. On 18 January 2023, the Lithuanian government renounced the agreement signed with Belarus 16 years ago on the principles of cross-border cooperation. The historical borders of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and later, following the partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , governorates of the Russian Empire varied significantly throughout

1377-411: The countries have any further territorial claims. The term Central Lithuania refers to the short-lived puppet state of the Republic of Central Lithuania , proclaimed by Lucjan Żeligowski after his staged mutiny in the annexed areas. After eighteen months of existing under Poland's military protection, it was annexed by Poland on 24 March 1922 thus finalizing Poland's claims over the territory. In

1428-518: The current, and further following Mara river to the border tripoint of Belarus, Lithuania and Poland ( 53°57′22″N 23°30′54″E  /  53.95611°N 23.51500°E  / 53.95611; 23.51500 ). On 18 January 2023, Lithuanian government renounced the agreement signed with Belarus on the principles of cross-border cooperation. The bill terminated the agreement signed by the governments of Lithuania and Belarus in Vilnius on 1 June 2006, to set out areas of cross-border cooperation between

1479-550: The deal. 1/5 of the Vilnius region was ceded, even though the Soviet Union always recognised the whole Vilnius region as part of Lithuania previously. Vilnius Region was under Lithuanian administration unitl June 1940, when the entire Lithuania was annexed by the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was awarded the Vilnius region during the Yalta Conference , and it subsequently became part of the Lithuanian SSR . About 150,000 of

1530-474: The disputed territory remained divided into a Lithuanian and a Polish part. In the 1920s, League of Nations twice attempted to organise plebiscites, although neither side was eager to participate. After a staged mutiny by Lucjan Żeligowski Poles took control over the area, and organised elections , which were boycotted by most Lithuanians, but also by many Jews and Belarusians because of strong Polish military control. The Polish government never acknowledged

1581-484: The east, and further to Adutiškis railway station. It further goes north of Belarusian settlement Lyntupy, east of the Lithuanian settlement Šumskas , across the road Vilnius - Maladzyechna , goes around the area of Lithuanian settlement Dieveniškės from the east, south and west, goes to the North of Belarusian settlement Bieniakoni, crosses the road Vilnius- Lida and further follows Šalčia river. It further continues to

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1632-505: The entire region was occupied by the Soviet Union. About one-fifth of the region, including Vilnius, was ceded to Lithuania by the Soviet Union on 10 October 1939 in exchange for Soviet military bases within the territory of Lithuania as part of the Soviet–Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty . The remaining part of the region was given to the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic . The conflict over Vilnius Region

1683-527: The history and at times bore little resemblance to the modern borders. The formation of the current border began after the World War I , following the establishment of the Republic of Lithuania and the Lithuanian–Soviet War . The Soviet-Lithuanian Peace Treaty was signed on 12 July 1920, defining and recognizing the eastern border of Lithuania, even though it was de facto controlled by Poland due to

1734-608: The late 20th century. The name of the river derives from the Lithuanian language word vilnis ("a surge") or vilnyti ("to surge"). Beneath it stands the Indo-European root wel-/wl- meaning "to roll", "to spin". Vilnelė , the diminutive form of the original hydronym Vilnia , came into popular use in Lithuanian and in Soviet times largely replaced the latter because of Polish language influence — Poles translated Lithuanian name of

1785-459: The leading Lithuanian national activists, Mykolas Biržiška , "the issue of belonging to a certain nationality is not decided by everyone at will, it is not a matter that can be resolved according to the principles of political liberalism, even one cloaked in democratic slogans." Another leading activist, Petras Klimas , had already declared in September 1917: "Giving the right of self-determination to

1836-624: The north of Švenčionys . The majority of the population was composed of Poles (roughly 60%) according to the latter three censuses. and the Lithuanian government claimed that the majority of local Poles were in fact Polonised Lithuanians. Today, the Po prostu dialect is the native language for Poles in Šalčininkai District Municipality and in some territories of Vilnius District Municipality ; its speakers consider themselves to be Poles and believe Po prostu language to be purely Polish. The population, including those of "the locals" (Tutejshy) who live in

1887-439: The other part of Vilnius region that was occupied by the Soviet Union and passed on to Belarus, still has a strong presence of Polish identity. After the extermination of Jews , displacements and migrations, Lithuanians became the undisputed ethnic majority in the Vilnius region in 1989 (50,5%). The share of Lithuanians in the Vilnius city grew from 2% in the first half of the 20th century to 42.5% in 1970, 57.8% in 2001 (while

1938-448: The other part of Vilnius region that was occupied by the Soviet Union and passed on to Belarus, still has a strong presence of Polish identity. Despite the fact, that this language is the uncodified Belarusian vernacular with substrate relics from Lithuanian language, its speakers consider themselves to be Poles and believe Po prostu dialect to be purely Polish. The population, including those of "the locals" ( Tutejszy ) who live in

1989-444: The reasons behind the decision. Vilnius region Vilnius Region is the territory in present-day Lithuania and Belarus that was originally inhabited by ethnic Baltic tribes and was a part of Lithuania proper , but came under East Slavic and Polish cultural influences over time. The territory included Vilnius , the historical capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . Lithuania, after declaring independence from

2040-454: The river with such diminutive form (Wilenka). Within the river basin, approximately 30 living species of fish and birds have protected status. In an effort to restore the upstream migration of salmonids in the basin, a fish ladder was constructed on the Vilnia in 2000. This article related to a river in Lithuania is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Belarus-Lithuania border The Belarus–Lithuania border

2091-412: The south of Lithuanian city Eišiškės , follows Načia river, goes to the south of Lithuanian settlement Dubičiai , reaches the source of Kotra River and further follows this river, then across lakes Grūda ir Dubas. It further crosses the railroad Vilnius- Grodno next to the stop Senovė, and the railroad to Druskininkai to the north of the stop Pariečė, continuing west towards Neman river and up against

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2142-405: The surrounding villages were mainly inhabited by Belarusian speakers who considered themselves Poles. There was also a large group who chose their self-declared national identification in accordance with the particular political situation. According to the 1916 census conducted by the German authorities Lithuanians constituted 18.5% of the population. However, during this census the Vilnius region

2193-787: The total population of the city expanded several times). and 67.1% in 2021. The Poles are still concentrated in the area around Vilnius, and constituted 63.6% of the population in Vilnius District Municipality and 82.4% of the population in Šalčininkai District Municipality in 1989, By 2011 the number had shrunk to 52.07% of the population in Vilnius District Municipality and 77.75% in Šalčininkai District Municipality . a. Lithuanian : Vilniaus kraštas or Vilnija ; Polish : Wileńszczyzna ; Belarusian : Віленшчына . Also formerly known in English as Vilna Region or Wilno Region . b. According to one of

2244-526: The two countries. An agreement signed in 2010 aims to implement simplified traveling for people living within 50 km (31 mi) of the border. The treaty defines the border as starting at the border tripoint of Lithuania, Latvia and Belarus, where there is a monument ( 55°40′50″N 26°37′48″E  /  55.68056°N 26.63000°E  / 55.68056; 26.63000 ). It goes southeast across Lake Drūkšiai, following river Apyvardė, across lakes Apvardai and Prūtas, further following Dysna River to

2295-623: The two neighbouring countries. On 23 May 2021, Ryanair Flight 4978 , an intra-EU flight with 171 passengers on board, crossing the Belarusian airspace, was intercepted by a Belarusian MiG-29 and forced to land at Minsk Airport , where two of the passengers were arrested. The incident was condemned by many governments and described as air hijacking by a state. In June 2021, Lithuanian officials claimed that Belarusian authorities could encourage illegal migration from Iraq and Syria to Lithuania by organizing groups of refugees and helping them to cross

2346-488: The war with Poland, Lithuania was very close to being invaded by the Soviets in the summer of 1920 and having been forcibly converted into a socialist republic. They believe it was only the Polish victory against the Soviets in the Polish–Soviet War (and the fact that the Poles did not object to some form of Lithuanian independence) that derailed the Soviet plans and gave Lithuania an experience of interwar independence. In 1939,

2397-524: The will of the inhabitants. Lithuanians used geographical and historical arguments and underlined the role Vilnius played as the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. According to Lithuanian national activists, Poles and Belarusians of the region were " Slavicized Lithuanians". Their view is confirmed by both Polish and Lithuanian research. The Vilnius Conference of September 1917, organized by Lithuanian activists under German auspices , elected

2448-467: Was expanded greatly and ended near Brest-Litovsk , and included the city of Białystok . Due to the addition of further Polish regions, the percentage of the Lithuanian population was diluted. The questioned by Lithuanian side post-war Polish censuses of 1921 and 1931, found 5% of Lithuanians living in the area, with several almost purely Lithuanian enclaves located to the south-west, south ( Dieveniškės enclave), east ( Gervėčiai enclave) of Vilnius and to

2499-838: Was installed by the end of the year. In March 2023, the Lithuanian authorities announced that the 100% of the border is surveilled. There are the following border crossings between Lithuania and Belarus: Medininkai –Kamienny Loh, Lavoriškės –Kotlovka, Šalčininkai –Byenyakoni, Šumskas –Losha, Raigardas–Privalka, Tverečius – Vidzy . As of March 2024 , only two of the six road border crossing are open. Two border crossings, Šumskas and Tverečius, were closed by Lithuania on 18 August 2023 due to concerns over Wagner Group mercenaries and smuggling. In January 2024, Lithuania decided to impose movement restrictions and close two more border crossings, Lavoriškės and Raigardas, effective 1 March 2024. The Lithuanian government cited national security concerns, smuggling and violations of international sanctions as

2550-605: Was seized by Poland and became part of the short-lived puppet state of Central Lithuania , and was subsequently incorporated into the Second Polish Republic . Direct military conflicts ( Polish–Lithuanian War and Żeligowski's Mutiny ) were followed up by fruitless negotiations in the League of Nations . After the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, as part of the Soviet fulfilment of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact ,

2601-649: Was settled after World War II when both Poland and Lithuania were in the Eastern Bloc , as Poland was the Soviet satellite state of the Polish People's Republic and Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union as the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , and Poles were repatriated to Poland . From the late 1940s to 1990, the region was divided between the Lithuanian SSR and Byelorussian SSR, and since 1990 between modern-day independent Lithuania and Belarus. Initially,

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