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Vilnius (['vil?us]&_160;(help·info)) is the largest city and the capital of Lithuania, with a population of 555,613 (847,954 together with Vilnius County) as of 2008.[1] It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County. Vilnius has also been known by many derivate spelling in different languages throughout its history. Most notable non-Lithuanian names for the city include Polish Wilno, Belarusian ?i???? (Vilnia), Slovene Vilna, German Wilna, Latin Vilna, Latvian Vilna, Russian ???????, Yiddish ?????? (Vilne). An older Russian name is ?????? / ?????? (Vilna/Vilno), although ??????? (Vil'njus) is now used. The names Wilno and Vilna have also been used in older English and French language publications. The name Vilna is still used in Finnish and Hebrew languages. Historian Romas Batura tend to identify the city with Voruta, one of castles of Mindaugas who was crowned in 1253 as King of Lithuania. The city was first mentioned in written sources in 1323, in letters of Grand Duke Gediminas that were sent to German cities and invited Germans and members of the Jewish community to settle in the capital city. In 1387, the city was granted city rights by Jogaila, one of Gediminas' successors. Between 1503 and 1522 the walls were built to protect the city, and at the time it had nine city gates and three towers. Vilnius reached the peak of its development under the reign of Sigismund August, who moved his court there in 1544. In the following centuries, Vilnius became a constantly growing and developing city. This growth was due in part to the establishment of Almae Academia et Universitas Vilnensis Societatis Jesu by the King Stephen Bathory in 1579. The university soon developed into one of the most important scientific and cultural centres of the region and the most notable scientific centre of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Political, economic, and social activities were in full swing in the town. In 1769, the Rasos Cemetery, one of the oldest surviving cemeteries in the city, was founded. During its rapid development, the city was open to migrants from both abroad and far reaches of territories of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Each group made its unique contribution to the life of the city, and crafts, trade and science prospered. During the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667), Vilnius was occupied by Russia for several years. The city was pillaged and burned, and its population was massacred. The city's growth lost its momentum for many years, but the population rebounded, and by the beginning of the 19th century city's population reached 20,000, making the city one of the largest in Northern Europe.
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