Coat of arms of Vilnius

Coat of arms of Vilnius
The greater coat of arms of Vilnius
Versions
The lesser coat of arms of Vilnius
Armiger	City of Vilnius
Adopted	April 17, 1991 (current version)
Motto	Unitas – Justitia – Spes (Latin for "Unity – Justice – Hope")

The coat of arms of Vilnius is the coat of arms of the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is also used as coat of arms of Vilnius city municipality. The modern version was created in 1991 by Arvydas Každailis, the same artist who drew the modern coat of arms of Lithuania. The design is based on the oldest seals of the Vilnius City Council dating back to the 14th century.

There is a great version and a small version. The great version incorporates the small version, which depicts Saint Christopher (sometimes also called Saint Christophorus) with the infant Jesus on his shoulder. This coat of arms was originally given to Vilnius in 1330. It was speculated that in pagan times, i.e., until the end of the 14th century, it featured Titan Alkis, a hero of ancient Lithuanian tales, carrying his wife Janterytė on his shoulders across the Vilnia River.

The great coat of arms bears the Latin motto "Unitas – Justitia – Spes" ("Unity – Justice – Hope"). The words are echoed by objects held by the shield supporters: the axe and tied rods represent unity; the scale, justice; and the anchor, hope.

The coat of arms was abolished under the Lithuanian SSR. It was reinstated after Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990.

A separate design historically associated with the region surrounding Vilnius is the image of a horse-rider with a shield featuring a two-barred cross. In the present day, the coat of arms of Vilnius district municipality and the coat of arms of Vilnius County incorporate this symbol.

• Historical coats of arms of Vilnius
• 
  Seal of Vilnius in 1387
• 
  Coat of arms of the Vilnius Voivodeship in the 1430s, depicted in the Armorial Lyncenich
• 
  Seal of Vilnius in 1548
• 
  Coat of arms of Vilna from 1845
• 
  Coat of arms of Vilna from 1859
• 
  Coat of arms of Vilna in 1875–1900
• 
  Coat of arms of Vilna in a 1910 book
• 
  Coat of arms of Vilnius with crown (early 20th century)
• 
  Coat of arms of Wilno on a 1920 postcard
• 
  Coat of arms on a 1920 stamp by Republic of Central Lithuania

Flag

The flag of Vilnius has the arms in the centre.

Flag of Vilnius

Sources

• Rimša, Edmundas (2005). Heraldry: Past to Present. Translated by Vijolė Arbas. Versus aureus. pp. 163, 189. ISBN 9955-601-73-6.
• "Vilniaus herbas". Vilnius city municipality. Archived from the original on 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
• "What is the Coat of Arms of Vilnius?". Baol. Archived from the original on 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2019-03-31.