Jewish cemeteries of Vilnius

The Jewish cemeteries of Vinius are the three Jewish cemeteries of the Lithuanian Jews living in what is today Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, which was known to them for centuries as Vilna, the principal city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Pale of Settlement of the Russian Empire.

[citation needed] The oldest and the largest Jewish cemetery was established in the 15th century in Šnipiškės suburb, now in Žirmūnai elderate, across the Neris River from the Gediminas Tower.

The Vilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports (Lithuanian: Koncertų ir sporto rūmai) was built in 1971 right in the middle of the former cemetery.

In August 2009, the Lithuanian government reached an agreement with Jewish organizations on the boundaries of the cemetery and granted it protected status.

Some graves of famous people, including that of the Vilna Gaon, were relocated to the new place from the old cemeteries before the destruction.