Go back to route1918, a year of progress and hope. On 16 February, Vilnius is proclaimed the capital of Lithuania, even though the city is still occupied by the Germans and fought over by both the Poles and the Russian Bolsheviks. From the press at the time: “Everyone wants Vilnius. The solution is to make Vilnius an object of peace, not of dispute.”
The former House of the Polish Postal Savings Bank building and the Polish National Economy Bank, both built at the same time. The sandstone used in the facades is one of the most unique stones quarried in Poland. The interiors of both buildings were decorated by Liudomiras Slendzinskis, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Stefan Batory University. Together with a Polish expert, we unexpectedly discovered the central fresco of the House of the Savings Bank, which has never been exhibited in public before. It is not visible from the main hall but it can be seen from the corridor on the second floor. On the facade of the former Polish National Economy Bank, there is a sculptural relief titled Fortune, which was made by sculptor Tadeusz Godziszewski for his diploma work.
The House of Public Insurance Company has not changed its function to this day, and now houses a clinic and a pharmacy. Experts criticise the modern glazing of the ground floor, which hides the rounded corner of the house and destroys the idea of the public purpose and openness of the building.
