Editing Vilnius (section)

===Vilnius District Municipality===
{{further|Vilnius District Municipality}}
[[File:Medininkų pilis iš dangaus - www.aerialmedia.tv 02.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Aerial view of an old fortress|[[Medininkai Castle]], built in the first half of the 14th century. It is the largest enclosure-type defensive [[List of castles in Lithuania|castle in Lithuania]] and a primary landmark in the district.<ref>{{cite web |title=Medininkai Castle |url=https://exploretrakaivilnius.lt/en/manors-and-parks/medininkai-castle |website=exploretrakaivilnius.lt |access-date=14 August 2019}}</ref>]]
[[File:VilniausRajonas.png|thumb|alt=See caption|Map of Vilnius district]]
Vilnius District Municipality ({{langx|lt|links=no|Vilniaus rajono savivaldybė}}), one of the country's largest municipalities, covers {{convert|2129|km2|sqmi}} and has [[Vilnius District Municipality#Elderships|23 elderships]]. There are over 1,000 villages and five towns ([[Nemenčinė]], [[Bezdonys]], [[Maišiagala]], [[Mickūnai]] and [[Šumskas]]) in the district. It borders [[Belarus]] and the [[Švenčionys district|Švenčionys]], [[Molėtai district|Moletai]], [[Širvintos district|Širvintos]], [[Elektrėnai district|Elektrėnai]], [[Trakai district|Trakai]] and [[Šalčininkai district]]s.<ref name="district">{{cite web |title=Vilnius District Municipality – About Us |url=https://www.vrsa.lt/go.php/eng/About-us/1619/3/5271 |website=vrsa.lt |access-date=14 August 2019}}</ref>

The district has a multinational population, of which 52 percent are [[Poles in Lithuania|Poles]], 33 percent [[Lithuanians]], and the remainder [[Russians in Lithuania|Russians]], [[Belarusians in Lithuania|Belarusians]] and other nationalities (including [[Ukrainians in Lithuania|Ukrainians]]). It has a population of over 100,000; 95 percent live in villages, and five percent live in towns.<ref name="district" /> Vilnius district has Lithuania's highest terrain, with the [[Aukštojas Hill|Aukštojas]], [[Juozapinė Hill|Juozapinė]] and [[Kruopinė Hill]]s over {{convert|290|m}} above [[sea level]].<ref name="district" />

[[Palm Sunday]] is celebrated in the district, and Vilnian Easter palms (''verbos'') are made from dried flowers and herbs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus verbos – spalvingiausios |url=https://www.diena.lt/naujienos/miesto-pulsas/vilniaus-verbos-spalvingiausios-278853 |website=diena.lt |date=13 April 2011 |access-date=29 August 2019 |language=lt}}</ref> Palm-making dates to the time of St. Casimir.<ref name="district" />

[[Medininkai Castle]], the [[Liubavas Manor]] mill and Bareikiškės Manor are the district's best-known historic landmarks.<ref name="district" /> From 1769 to 1795, [[Vilnius Voivodeship]] surrounded the independent [[Republic of Paulava]]. The [[European microstates|microstate]], known for its [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] values, had its own president, [[peasant]] parliament, army and laws.<ref>{{cite web |title=Paulavos respublika |url=https://www.vle.lt/Straipsnis/Paulavos-respublika-2885 |website=vle.lt |access-date=29 January 2020}}</ref>

With its large Polish population, the Vilnius District Municipality Council primarily consists of members of the [[Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania]] party.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus rajono savivaldybės taryba (rezultatai 2023 m.) |url=https://rezultatai.vrk.lt/?srcUrl=/rinkimai/1304/1/1922/rezultatai/lt/rezultataiSavTarNariaiMeraiSavivaldybeje_rpgId-21950.html |website=Vrk.lt |access-date=29 April 2023 |archive-date=29 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429131128/https://rezultatai.vrk.lt/?srcUrl=/rinkimai/1304/1/1922/rezultatai/lt/rezultataiSavTarNariaiMeraiSavivaldybeje_rpgId-21950.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> Its mayor is [[Robert Duchniewicz]] of the [[Lithuanian Social Democratic Union]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Vilniaus rajono mero ir tarybos priesaika: laimino ir kunigas, ir Č.Juršėnas, R.Duchnevičius tiki derybomis |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/po-istorines-pergales-vilniaus-rajono-mero-ir-tarybos-priesaika-kol-kas-nera-nei-pozicijos-nei-opozicijos-56-2041362 |website=15min.lt |language=lt}}</ref>