Coat of arms of Vilnius

There is a great version and a small version. The great version incorporates the small version, which depicts Saint Christopher (sometimes also called Saint Christophorus) with the infant Jesus on his shoulder. This coat of arms was originally given to Vilnius in 1330. It was speculated that in pagan times, i.e., until the end of the 14th century, it featured Titan Alkis, a hero of ancient Lithuanian tales, carrying his wife Janterytė on his shoulders across the Vilnia River.

The great coat of arms bears the Latin motto "Unitas – Justitia – Spes" ("Unity – Justice – Hope"). The words are echoed by objects held by the shield supporters: the axe and tied rods represent unity; the scale, justice; and the anchor, hope.

The coat of arms was abolished under the Lithuanian SSR. It was reinstated after Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990.

A separate design historically associated with the region surrounding Vilnius is the image of a horse-rider with a shield featuring a two-barred cross. In the present day, the coat of arms of Vilnius district municipality and the coat of arms of Vilnius County incorporate this symbol.

Flag

The flag of Vilnius has the arms in the centre.