How to Explore Vilnius? To Know and to See: Proposals by Kirkor (1856) and Bułhak (1936)

Abstract

The aim of the article is to compare two original proposals for the exploration of Vilnius, depicted in the publications by the historian Adam Kirkor (1818–1886) Przechadzki po Wilnie i jego okolicach and the photographer Jan Bułhak (1876–1950) Pejzaż Wilna. The juxtaposition of both works highlights the difference between the perception of the city as a historical configuration of the urban layout and architecture ‘told’ from the perspective of historical events and the lives of famous inhabitants, and the city as a space combining the values of the natural environment, urban planning, architecture, and the living culture of its inhabitants.