Our homeland is not only "memory and graves". It is also native architectural monuments, traces identifying the Polish cultural circle, testimonies of the life and work of thousands of compatriots. The POLONIKA Institute studies the former magnate residences and palaces of Vilnius.

The architectural fabric of Vilnius up to 1795 was impressive. The façades of the palaces in the streetsides were decorated with columned porticoes, risalits, gigantic Ionic pilasters, uszak window frames, acanthus friezes or rich stuccowork. Many of the Polish edifices in Vilnius were built by artists of the class of Constante Tencalla, Giovanni Battista Gisleni or Wawrzyniec Gucewicz. Over the centuries they were subjected to numerous reconstructions, their functions changed, and some suffered the sad fate of post-war demolition. Worth mentioning are the Polish Baroque palaces, such as the Słuszek Palace, which housed the insurgents' headquarters during the Kościuszko Uprising, the Sapieha Palace in Antokol, later converted into a hospital, and the Pacs' Palace - one of the most magnificent magnate residences in Vilnius since 1675.

The aim of the project 'Residence Modern Architecture of Vilnius until 1795', planned by Anna Sylwia Czyż, Ph.D., is to conduct field and source research in Poland and Vilnius. The queries will allow the preparation of a catalogue with a synthetic and analytical study. The work will cover more than 26 sites, including residences that no longer exist. The topic is important not only because of Vilnius' place in the historical and artistic landscape of the former Republic of Poland, but also because of the significant destruction of the former fabric of the city in the 19th and 20th centuries.

In 2019, some source and field research was carried out in Vilnius. A preliminary study showing the historical background, urban and architectural conditions, the circle of founders, artists and builders of modern Vilnius and the general characteristics of the city's residential architecture was prepared. A catalogue of 13 palaces has been compiled.

The materials will be the basis for the book "Residence Modern Architecture of Vilnius until 1795".