Vilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports
Sporto Rūmai | |
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| Full name | Vilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports |
|---|---|
| Location | Vilnius, Lithuania |
| Coordinates | 54°41′27″N 25°17′28″E / 54.69083°N 25.29111°E |
| Capacity | 4,400 |
| Opened | 1971 |
| Closed | 2004 |
Vilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports, also known as the Sporto Rūmai, is an arena in Vilnius, Lithuania. It is located on the site of the Piramónt cemetery, the oldest Jewish cemetery in Vilnius, which dates back to the late fifteenth century, when Vilnius was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. [1] Russian authorities closed the cemetery in 1831. In 1935, the Vilna Board of Rabbis and the Vilna Gaon Synagogue in Tel Aviv protested the Polish municipal authorities' plans to construct a sports stadium there. [2] [3] Soviet authorities destroyed the cemetery in 1949-1950 during the construction of Žalgiris stadium. The Vilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports was opened in 1971. It was closed in 2004 because it was unsafe.
The arena was capable of holding 4,400 spectators. It was primarily used for volleyball and basketball. This is one of the few remaining sports arenas left of this particular communist style modernism. Two other examples of this design style is the Hala Olivia in Gdansk Poland, and the now destroyed Volgar Sports Palace in Tolyatti, Russia.[4]
References
- ^ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/lithuanias-liveliest-cemetery/
- ^ http://defendinghistory.com/document-unearthed-1935-tel-aviv-protest-against-plans-to-defile-the-old-vilna-jewish-cemetery/81800
- ^ http://defendinghistory.com/document-unearthed-1935-tel-aviv-protest-against-plans-to-defile-the-old-vilna-jewish-cemetery/81800
- ^ http://www.alfa.lt/straipsnis/191218/Vilniaus.koncertu.ir.sporto.rumu.renovacijai.reikes.apie.100.mln..litu=2008-07-22_15-14/
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