The Complex of Vilnius Old Cemetery, popularly known as the Rasos Cemetery (; , , ) is the oldest and most famous cemetery in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is situated in the , Rasos district and referred to after the latter. It is separated into two parts, the old and the new cemeteries, by a narrow Sukilėliai Street. The total area is 10.8 ha. Since 1990 new burials are allowed only to family graves.
History The year 1769 is cited in many sources as the date when the cemetery was founded. However, some historians believe it is a typo and the real date should be 1796. On April 24, 1801, the new cemetery was consecrated. Two days later Jan Müller, the Burgomaster of Vilnius, became the first person to be buried there. A formal document was signed in July 1801. It specified that the cemetery received of land and that the cemetery will be free of charge to all city residents. It was the first cemetery in Vilnius not located next to a church.
In 1802–1807 two columbariums were built. They reached up to five stories in height and were joined at a right angle. At the end of the 19th century the columbariums began deteriorating. In between the columbariums, a neo-Gothic red brick chapel was built in 1844–50. In 1888 a matching belltower was added to the chapel. At first the cemetery was surrounded by a wooden fence, but it burned down in 1812. A brick fence was rebuilt in 1820 and portions of it survive to this day.
In 1814 the cemetery was expanded as authorities bought additional land from a city resident. The addition is now known as the Hill of the Literati (Lithuanian: Literatų kalnelis). In 1847, members of the Eastern Orthodox church opened their own cemetery next to Rasos. It was used to bury soldiers from a nearby monastery hospital and poor city residents. Therefore, it became known as the Cemetery of Orphans (Lithuanian: Našlaičių kapinės).
After World War II, the Soviet authorities demolished the right columbarium and in the 1970s razed the left columbarium. The whole necropolis was to be destroyed in the 1980s as the Soviet authorities planned a major motorway to be built directly through the cemetery. Due to a press campaign led by the Polish-language (Red Banner) newspaper and economic difficulties, the destruction was halted. After Lithuanian independence (1990) and the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991), Lithuanian and Polish authorities collaborated in a restoration of the cemetery.
Polish war cemetery In 1920 a war cemetery was built near the entrance for 164 Polish soldiers who fell in the city during the Polish–Soviet War and Polish–Lithuanian War. It was rebuilt in 1935–1936 by Wojciech Jastrzębowski, who also designed the tombstone where the heart of Józef Piłsudski is enshrined.
Until September 18, 1939, when the Red Army entered the city, an honorary guard of three soldiers stood there at all times. Three unknown soldiers who refused to give up their arms to the Soviets in 1939 were shot on the spot and are now buried next to Marshal Piłsudski's heart. Part of the cemetery contains graves of Polish Home Army soldiers, who fell during the Wilno Uprising. Their graves, demolished after World War II, were rebuilt by the funds of the Republic of Poland in 1993.
Notable interments
There are many famous Lithuanians, Poles, and Belarusians buried there, including over fifty Vilnius University professors. Those interred there include: Vladas Abramavičius (1909–1965), Lithuanian cultural historian, poet, journalist, translator Adam Ferdynand Adamowicz (1802–1881), one of the pioneers of Polish veterinary, president of the Medical Society of Vilna Frantsishak Alyakhnovich (1883–1944), Belarusian writer, journalist Jonas Ambrozaitis (1856–1916), Lithuanian cultural figure, organizer of secret plays of then banned Lithuanian theater, Lithuanian book smuggler and distributor Juozapas Ambraziejus–Ambrozevičius (1855–1915), Lithuanian composer, poet, founder of Lithuanian orchestra in Šnipiškės Saint Raphael church in 1897, member of the secret society Twelve Apostles of Vilnius (1895–1904) Andrius Ašmantas (1906–1941), Lithuanian linguist, scholar, Lithuanian cultural activist of Lithuania Minor Bolesław Bałzukiewicz (1879–1935), Polish sculptor, professor at the Vilnius University Józef Bałzukiewicz (1867–1915), Polish painter Jonas Basanavičius (1851–1927), Lithuanian physician, scientist, patriot, activist, editor of Lithuanian newspaper Aušra, signer of the Act of Independence of Lithuania August Bécu (1771–1824), Polish physician, stepfather Juliusz Słowacki Jonas Bendorius (1889–1954), Lithuanian composer Cenotaph to Kazys Bizauskas, (1893–1941) Lithuanian statesman, diplomat, author, one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania Kazys Boruta (1905–1965), Lithuanian writer and poet Janina Burchardówna (1883–1924), Polish journalist, teacher Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875–1911), Lithuanian painter, photographer and composer Petras Cvirka (1909–1947), Lithuanian writer Kristupas Čibiras (1888–1942), Lithuanian priest, cultural figure, political activist, active member of Lithuanian cultural and educational organization Lietuvių švietimo draugija "Rytas" Aleksander Dalewski (1827–1862), Polish political activist, founder of "Związek Bratni" Viktoras Dasys (1895–1944), Lithuanian cultural activist Rimantas Daugintis (1944–1990), famous Lithuanian sculptor; committed suicide by self-immolation protesting Soviet regime in Lithuania Borisas Dauguvietis (1885–1949), Lithuanian playwright, actor Mečislovas Davainis–Silvestraitis (1849–1919), Lithuanian journalist, poet, specialist in Lithuanian folklore, book smuggler, Lithuanian cultural activist Cenotaph to Pranas Dovydaitis (1886–1942), Lithuanian politician, teacher, encyclopedist, editor, professor, Signatory of the Act of Independence of Lithuania, Prime Minister of Lithuania Wacław Dziewulski (1882–1938), Polish physician, professor at Vilnius University Antonina Fiszer (1824–1840), Polish actress Liudas Gira (1884–1946), Lithuanian poet, writer, and literary critic Antoni Józef Gliński (1818–1865), Polish writer Antanas Gudaitis (1904–1989), Lithuanian painter Władysław Horodyjski, Polish philosopher, professor at Vilnius University Czesław Jankowski (1857–1929), Polish poet Ludwik Janowski (1878–1921), Polish cultural historian, professor Rapolas Jakimavičius (1893–1961), Lithuanian painter and sculptor Stasys Jasilionis (1892–1950), Lithuanian American poet, writer, cultural figure Wacław Jasiński (1881–1936), Polish pediatrician, professor at the University of Vilnius Jonas Jašmantas (1849–1906), Lithuanian cultural figure, founder of the Lithuanian and Samogitian Charitable Society in Saint Petersburg, member of the secret society Twelve Apostles of Vilnius Adam Jocher (1791–1860), Polish librarian, founder of the first public library in Vilnius Aleksandras Jurašaitis (1859–1915), Lithuanian photographer, one of the first Lithuanian filmmakers, founder of his own photographic studio ("Jurašaičio ateljė") on Gediminas Avenue of Vilnius (1902–1922), Lithuanian cultural activist Konstanty Kalinowski (1823–1864), Polish-Belarusian military commander of insurgents during the January Uprising Aldona Didžiulytė–Kazanavičienė (1892–1968), Lithuanian children's literature writer Vincas Kisarauskas (1934–1988), Lithuanian painter, graphic artist, scenographer. One of initiators of ex-librīs movement, one of the first Lithuanian artists, who popularized collage, assemblage, photomontage techniques Franciszka Kleczkowska (1827–1889), Polish educational activist Juliusz Kłos (1881–1933), Polish architect, author of the guidebook to Vilnius Felicjan Kochanowski (1831–1887), Polish priest, educational activist Kazys Kriščiukaitis (1870–1949), famous Lithuanian wood sculptor, author of wooden altars, restorer, establisher of his own workshop in Vilnius (1890) Kazimiera Kymantaitė (1909–1999), Lithuanian film and actress and stage director Jonas Kruopas (1908–1975), Lithuanian linguist, scholar Marcelė Kubiliūtė, the only Lithuanian woman awarded all major Lithuanian orders Antanas Kučas (1909–1989), Lithuanian graphic artist, book illustrator, professor Gabrielius Landsbergis–Žemkalnis (1852–1916), Lithuanian playwright, publicist, book distributor, administrator of Vilniaus žinios Sigitas Benjaminas Lasavickas (1925–1998), Lithuanian architect and theorist, architectural restorer, who contributed greatly to conservation and restoration of Vilnius castles, Trakai castles, Medininkai Castle Anton Lavicki aka Jadvihin Š. (1869–1922), Belarusian playwright, opinion journalist, specialist in literature, translator and poet Joachim Lelewel (1786–1861), Polish historian, professor at Vilnius University Cenotaph to Anton Luckievich (1884–1942), Belarusian politician, historian, cultural figure, head of Belarusian museum in Vilnius Ivan Luckievič (1881–1919), Belarusian cultural figure, bibliophile, collectionner, historian, archaeologist, whose collection was a base for Belarusian museum in Vilnius (established in 1921) Józef Łukaszewicz (1863–1928), Polish professor at Stefan Batory University and revolutionist Wacław Leon Makowski (1854–1929), Polish publisher Mikołaj Malinowski () (1799–1865), Polish-Lithuanian historian, archaeologist Jonas Marcinkevičius (1900–1953), Lithuanian writer, journalist Alfonsas Mikulskis (1909–1983), Lithuanian composer, musical conductor, choirmaster of Lithuanian National Art Ensemble "Čiurlionis" in Cleveland Ona Mikulskienė (1905–2008), cultural figure of Lithuanian Americans, conductor of kanklės ensembles Cenotaph to Vladas Mironas (1880–1953), Lithuanian priest, cultural figure, politician, member of the Council of Lithuania, Signatory of the Act of Independence of Lithuania, Prime Minister of Lithuania. Józef Montwiłł (1850–1911), Polish humanist and sponsor of hospitals, orphanages and museums, sponsor of separate suburbs of houses in Vilnius (so-called colonies, most notable Lukiškės/Montvila colony near Lukiškės Square) Povilas Pakarklis (1902–1955), Lithuanian historian, professor of Vilnius University Augustinas Paškevičius (1844–1914), Lithuanian doctor, cultural figure, chairman (1909–14) of Lithuanian cultural Rūta Society of Vilnius Vincas Mykolaitis–Putinas (1893–1967), Lithuanian writer Jan O'Connor (1760–1802), physician, professor at Vilnius University Jerzy Orda (1905–1972), Polish historian, social activist Elena Žalinkevičaitė-Petrauskienė (1900–1986), famous Lithuanian actor, poet, playwright Kipras Petrauskas (1885–1968), Lithuanian tenor, founder of Lithuanian opera Mikas Petrauskas (1873–1937), Lithuanian composer, musical conductor, cultural figure, author of the first Lithuanian opera Birutė The heart of Józef Piłsudski (1867–1935), Polish statesman. Also his mother, two brothers, and first wife are buried at Rasos cemetery Onufry Pietraszkiewicz (1793–1863), Polish poet Maria Piłsudska (née Koplewska; 1865–1921), first wife of Józef Piłsudski Adam Piłsudski (1869–1935), Polish politician, vice-president of Vilna, brother of Józef Piłsudski Stasys Pinkus (1925–1992), Lithuanian art historian Karol Podczaszyński () (1790–1860), Polish-Lithuanian architect, professor at Vilnius University Rafał Radziwiłłowicz (1860–1929) Polish psychiatrist, social activist, professor at the University of Stefan Batory, co-founder of the Society for Social Medicine, co-founder of the Polish Psychiatric Association (1920) Albinas Rimka (1886–1944), Lithuanian economist, publicist, journalist, politician, Finance minister (1926) of Interwar Lithuania, Kaunas and Vilnius university professor