BULLETIN of gEogRAPhy SOCIO–ECONOMIC SERIES No. 13/2010 SAULIUS STANAITIS, DARIUS ČESNAVIČIUS VILNIUS PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY, LITHUANIA DYNAMICS OF NATIONAL COMPOSITION OF VILNIUS POPULATION IN THE 2ND HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/v10089-010-0003-4 ABSTRACT. The article presents changes of national composition of Vilnius population in the 2nd half of the 20th century. The changes of Vilnius population are analyzed with respect to nationality, including the smallest territorial administrative units of Vilnius. The growth of the city population was associated with an intensive all- round city development. Based on the data of the censuses of 1989 and 2001, the article focuses on the dynamics of national composition, which took place after the restoration of independence. The analysis encompasses not only the intensity of dynamics of different nationalities but also the portion of national minorities residing in Vilnius (Poles and Russians in particular) on a country scale. KEY WORDS: Lithuania, Vilnius, Lithuanians, Poles, Russians, population dynamic in Vilnius, national groups of Vilnius population, national composition of Vilnius population. INTRODUCTION AND SELECTION OF STATISTICAL DATA Vilnius is Lithuania‘s capital but also the largest city of the country and its main centre of economic, political, and cultural life. The past of the capital, like that of the country in general, was difficult and included many tragic periods. The first half of the 20th century was especially hard time for the city. It was devastated by two world wars, and suffered tsarist Soviet occupations. The administrative status of the city, political system, and the number of population changed a few times. In the second half of the 20th century, the city was rapidly rebuilt and expanded and after regaining the status of the capital of Lithuania its population has been steadily increasing. The national composition of Vilnius population has changed. After World War II, representatives of various nationalities moved to Saulius Stanaitis, Darius Česnavičius DYNAMICS OF NATIONAL COMPOSITION OF VILNIUS POPULATION … the depopulated city. There remained a few old local Vilnius residents. Especially the slowest among other largest Lithuanian cities (Table 1). In recent years, the marked changes of some national groups took place in the last decade of the highest rates of depopulation have been observed in the second largest Lithuanian 20th century after the restoration of independence. The present article represents city, Kaunas, which has lost as much as 17.1% of its population. It is followed a discussion of the dynamics of national composition of Vilnius city in the second by Šiauliai (-15.0%) and Panevėžys (–12.3%) (Table 1). The depopulation after half of the 20th century. the restoration of independence (1990) was predetermined by emigration. In The most reliable data about the national composition are obtained during the first years after the restoration of independence, Russian-speaking citizens population censuses. The author used the data of the 5 last (1959, 1970, 1979, emigrated from Vilnius to the former Soviet Union. In later years, people of 1989, and 2001) population censuses (Statistikos…, 2000) and statistical data for different nationalities emigrated to the West. Besides, some families moved to the current year (2009). Not all mentioned censuses were correct and exhaustive. other Lithuanian areas, especially to rural localities. The data of the first three censuses (Centrinė…, 1963; Centralnoje…, 1973, 1980) are rather loose whereas the data of 1989 and 2001 are full-scale (Statistikos…, Table 1. Changes in the number of the population in 1950–2009 1991, 2002). Number of population, thousand Change, % City Based on the data of the censuses of 1989 and 2001, the article focuses on 1950 1989 2009 1950–1989 1989–2009 the dynamics of national composition, which took place after the restoration Vilnius 171.4 582.5 546.8 +339.8 –6.5 of independence. The analysis encompasses not only the intensity of dynamics Kaunas 159.0 412.6 352.3 +259.5 –17.1 of different nationalities but also the portion of national minorities residing in Klaipėda 50.1 204.2 183.4 +407.6 –11.3 Vilnius (Poles and Russians in particular) on a country scale. Šiauliai 44.2 145.1 126.2 +328.3 –15.0 Panevėžys 35.7 126.4 112.6 +354.1 –12.3 Alytus 11.7 73.1 67.5 +624.8 –8.3 PATTERNS OF POPULATION DYNAMICS Marijampolė 15.5 50.6 46.7 +326.5 –8.4 Other cities 241.9 892.3 805.1 +368.9 –10.8 Total urban population 729.5 2,486.8 2,240.6 +340.9 –11.0 During 1950–1989, the total population number of Vilnius and other cities Total population 2,573.4 3,674.8 3,350.1 +142.8 –9.7 increased equally, i.e., by 3.4 times. Meanwhile, in the same time span, the Source: own compilation on the basis of data of the Department of Statistics to the government of number of rural population reduced by more than one third. The number of Vilnius the Republic of Lithuania as the Central Statistical office’s (http://www.stat.gov.lt). Basic population was rapidly increasing in the first years after the war. The national information from the 1989 National Census of the Population composition of the population changed. Not only Lithuanians but also Russians, Byelorussians, Ukrainians, and persons of other nationalities moved to Vilnius in the stead of Jews, who had been killed during the war, and Poles, who emigrated DYNAMICS OF THE LARGEST NATIONAL GROUPS after the war. Most rapidly Vilnius population was increasing in the seventh and eighth decades of the 20th century by 12–13 thousand every year (Lietuvos…, Vilnius has always been a multi-national city yet the proportions of the largest 1990; Statistikos…, 2002). The growth of the population was associated with national groups in it have varied. The population of those national groups also has an intensive all-round city development. It was predetermined by natural and varied: some national groups have reduced considerably, some others increased. migration increments. The role of the migration increment was decisive. Usually The dynamics of the national composition of the city was predetermined by it accounted for about two thirds of the total population increase (Stanaitis, 1971; political circumstances and administrative subordination. Stanaitis, Stankūnienė, 1981). Usually, the absolute majority of Vilnius population would be composed of The population growth that lasted throughout the Soviet years stopped after representatives of 2 or 3 nationalities. In 1897, they were Jews and Poles, in 1931 the restoration of Lithuania’s independence. Before 1991, Vilnius population had Poles and Jews, in 1942 Poles and Lithuanians (Eberhardt, 1997). Similar dynamic been steadily increasing and in 1991 it reached its maximum of 591.9 thousand pattern of the ratio between national majorities of Vilnius was characteristic of people. In the last two decades (1989–2009), Vilnius population has been steadily the second half of the 20th century. Throughout the Soviet years, representatives decreasing (by 35.7 thousand or 6.5% in 20 years) though the reduction rates were of three nationalities dominated in Vilnius: Lithuanians, Russians and Poles. The — 34 — — 35 — Saulius Stanaitis, Darius Česnavičius DYNAMICS OF NATIONAL COMPOSITION OF VILNIUS POPULATION … ratio of these national groups was constantly changing yet they were always in city increased by 61.0 thousand or by 2.1 times. In 1989–2001, emigration and the absolute majority. In 1959, they accounted for 83.0%, in 1997 for 87.5 %, and assimilation reduced the number of Poles only by 6.7 thousand. In 2001, for the in 2001 for 90.5% of the total population. first time in the post-war years Poles represented the second largest national group At the end of World War II, people of different nationalities moved to depopu- of Vilnius (18.7% of the total). lated Vilnius: mainly Russians, Lithuanians, Byelorussians, and representatives of other Soviet nationalities. The changes of the national composition of the city after the war were reflected by the first population census in 1959. In later years, DYNAMICS OF OTHER NATIONAL GROUPS the national composition of Vilnius continued to change at slower rates. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, the number of Lithuanians Byelorussians have been living in Vilnius since long ago. In 1959, they has been increasing in Vilnius (Table 2). Today, their portion approaches 60%. accounted for 6.2% of the total city population. Until 1989, their number had been The permanent growth of the number of Lithuanians is associated with Vilnius increasing and after this year it has been reducing. In 1959–1989, the number of development as a capital and strengthening of national identity. In 1959–2001, Byelorussians increased by 15.6 thousand or by 2.1 times. In later years, it has the number of Lithuanians increased by 234.0 thousand, from 79.4 to 313.4 reduced by 8.8 thousand. During the population census of 2001, Byelorussians thousand or by 3.9 times. The number of Lithuanians also was increasing in the amounted to 21.5 thousand accounting for 4.0% of Vilnius population (Table 2). last decade of the 20th century though the total number of population reduced. The A similar dynamic pattern was followed in the case of Ukrainians yet their rapid development of the city in the first years of the 21st century will increase its number and portion were smaller (Table 2). In 1959–2001, the number of population in the future. Ukrainians increased from 6.6 thousand to 13.3 thousand, more than two-fold. After the restoration of independence, their number had reduced by 6.6 thousand Table 2.