Last modified: 2024-04-06 by 
zachary harden
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image by Zachary Harden, 03 January 2021
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Above is the city flag: The Coat of Arms
depicts St Christopher and Jesus (as a baby). The city also
uses a triangular pennant, red with a small yellow horizontal
stripe in the middle. On the square in front of the old
Town Hall, an impressive number of flag poles all had this
pennant. On other occasions (as shown on local post cards)
these are used for various rectangular flags.
One restaurant showing the city flag had a dark-red background
with a bright red shield but I'm inclined to believe this was an
error in manufacturing.
Festive cream-coloured hanging banners celebrating Mindaugas's
coronation, 750 years ago, were to be seen in a few places.
They consisted basically of a dark, crowned capital letter
"M" ; the largest I saw, a white one (in Knatterfahne
fashion) flew in front of the (Catholic) Cathedral showing some
additional text and accompanied by a city pennant.
In Vilnius and Kaunas, a "Nigerian" flag turned out to
be that of Vilniaus Banka, the difference being the addition of
the bank's name (and symbol?) in what seemed to be grey
lettering... not easy to decipher.
Jan Mertens, 15 August 2003
Vilnius city casual - WRONG colour on FOTW: the main field must be purpure
(dark red), not red. On purpure field with narrow yellow fess the small arms of
Vilnius city: St. Christopher with infant Jesus. Flag proportions the same as of
representational flag. No decorations. I have no picture, because in the book
there is only the representational flag shown. Also the statement about
proportions is intentionally citated: see below about ambiguity.
Virginijus Misiunas, 05 November 2009
The answer from Vilnius City municipality is very reliable and comprehensive:
they've sent a copy of Vilnius City Municipal Council's 18/07/2007 act No.1-120
"About the confirmation of description of Vilnius City heraldry digital variant,
arms and flag usage".
The answer is sent by Violeta Kolonaitiene, the senior specialist of Culture and
art division. Also I acknowledge Vitas Karciauskas, the manager of Culture and
heritage division, and Kristina Uleviciute, the director of Culture, sport and
tourism department, for the care about my request.
The proportions of flag are 2:3, i.e. the description in the "Heraldry of
Lithuania" book is wrong in this detail, but the picture is correct. The fess is
1/10 of height, i.e. the horizontal stripes are purpure-yellow-purpure 9-2-9.
The main field shall be purpure / dark red (Pantone 188). The fess is yellow
(Pantone 130). Colours of arms (Pantone): golden 123 C, yellow 1235 C, silver
427 C, red 1795 C, and codes of green and brownish (both used only on the
greater arms) are not described.
The Vilnius City casual and representational flags are of the same proportions,
and the same elements have the same sizes. Just the additional elements of
greater arms (supporters, motto and wreath) and of representational flag itself
(border, fringe, finial and bands) should be added.
So the actual picture of Vilnius City casual flag is not correct, neither the
proportions not the colors. I think the flag of country capital should have a
little higher priority than usual.
Virginijus Misiunas, 18 May 2010
image by Virginijus Misiunas, 27 February 2010
Vilnius city representational - on a purpure (dark red) field
with a narrow yellow fess the great arms of Vilnius city: St.
Christopher with the infant Jesus, arms has supporters, wreath
and motto. Free edges bordered with a narrow green stripe, fringe
is golden, finial is a golden charge of arms on a knob and golden
bands. There is a serious ambiguity about the proportions of this
flag: the description says 1:2, but the picture shows 2:3.
Virginijus Misiunas, 27 February 2010
vil.gif)
image from <Wikimedia Commons>,
located by Zachary Harden, 02 April 2024
From <www.vilnius.lt>:
"The Vilnius coat of arms is St. Christopher (Kristupas)
wading in the water and carrying the Infant Jesus on his
shoulders. The coat of arms was given to the city in the seventh
year of its existence, i.e. in 1330.
In pagan times, i.e. until the end of the 14th century, the
Vilnius coat of arms featured Titan Alkis, hero of Lithuanian
ancient tales, carrying his wife Janteryte; on his shoulders
across the river".
Jan Mertens, 23 August 2003
