Of all the former Soviet Repbulics, Lithuania seems the most keen to rid itself of any remnants of its formidable past. Within the center of Vilius there are very few clues that this city was once in the depths of the USSR. However, as you move outwards, the concrete monoliths of post soviet suburbia dominate the landscape.
However, don't be put off as it's not nearly as grim as it sounds. In fact, much of the architecture is quite intriguing and the planning certainly well ahead of its time.
To get a good vantage point, it's worth scaling the dizzying heights of the TV and Radio Tower. More importantly, the TV Tower was really the focal point of the Lithuanian independance movement. It was here, in 1991, that Soviet troops killed 12 independance campaigners sparking a revolution which quickly overthrew the soviet regime.
The memorial to these political martyrs is all the more touching in its simplicity. What is even more striking is that the majority of those killed were only 18 or 19 years old - poignant when you think that so recently these folk had to fight for democratic reforms which we have always been able to take for granted.