Vilnius Cathedral plans royal pantheon

Vilnius Cathedral is preparing for a royal pantheon as part of a broader vision to honor Lithuania’s historical rulers, reports BNS.

The project, led by the Ministry of Culture, aims to create a unified concept for the cathedral and its underground spaces, integrating a pantheon that would commemorate not only the kings buried in the Royal Mausoleum and Grand Duke Vytautas the Great but also all known Grand Dukes of Lithuania, members of royal families, nobles, and other historically significant figures interred in the cathedral.

The pantheon will also symbolically honor those whose graves or remains have not yet been found or identified but whose burials are confirmed or may be verified through future scientific research.

Before any memorial or architectural decisions are made, comprehensive scientific and applied research will be conducted in consultation with historians, archaeologists, architects, heritage conservation specialists, and other experts.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has initiated a project to install a commemorative plaque for Vytautas the Great’s brother, Butautas, in St. Thomas Church in Prague. The Lithuanian Embassy in the Czech Republic has already approached the church leadership and launched historical research into Butautas’ possible burial site there. The ministry noted that preliminary consultations with the Augustinian Order, which oversees the church, and the St. Thomas Church Council have been positive, with formal approval expected in the coming weeks.

Additionally, consultations will soon begin with Ukrainian institutions regarding research into the burial sites and remains of the Gediminid (Olelkaičiai) dynasty in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

Last week, the government approved a plan for complex scientific research at Vilnius Cathedral to test hypotheses about the possible location of Vytautas the Great’s remains. The estimated cost for the research, cathedral restoration, and creation of the pantheon between 2027 and 2029 is approximately €7.5 million. The cost of the commemorative plaque in Prague will be determined once the project is finalized.