National processes in Vilnius in 1989-2003

The aim of this work is to reveal the national processes taking place in Vilnius after restoration of Lithuania’s state self-dependence and predict the future trends. The work presents the ethnic problems in Vilnius in 1989-2003. The demographic and ethnic processes within the lands of Lithuania and Vilnius have had a definite, quite distinct specificity in terms of their historical and geographic aspects. Each of the historical periods mentioned exerted definite influence on the formation of the definite ethnic situation in Vilnius. The territory of Lithuania and Vilnius was inhabited, side by side with Lithuanians, by Poles, Jews, Russians, Germans and Belorussians. Under the influence of changing political conditions the proportions of numbers of particular ethnic groups changed as well, and the especially strong fluctuations concerned the relations among the representatives of various nations, languages and religious denominations. The works demonstrates that the change of political conditions and of the socio-economic system caused a change in the demographic and ethnic trends. After the regaining of independence the share of Lithuanian population started to increase systematically. Many Russians, Belorussians and Ukrainians would leave Vilnius. The differences between 1989 and 2001 are big, and they indicate that the new tendencies emerged, strengthening the position of Lithuanians in relation to the remaining ethnic groups, the minorities. The ethnic question will remain, through, one of the key and also most difficult problems facing the Lithuanian state.Švietimo akademijaVytauto Didžiojo universiteta