Heavy precipitation has caused a new landslide on Gediminas Castle Hill, the iconic symbol of Vilnius. The landslide was noticed on the southeastern slope on February 7.L ithuanian National Museum deputy director for infrastructure Vaidas Petrokas told LRT Radio that it is not a big one, but it is considered an emergency.
The museum has been monitoring the worsening situation on the hill since last week and prepared for possible landslides in advance. “Emergency response works have already started. The landslide does not pose a threat to the stability of the mountain,” the National Museum said in a press release.
The specialists who inspected the landslide are working on a plan to stabilize the slope and stop its disintegration from spreading. The other slopes of the mountain are currently stable. The museum is continuously monitoring the possibility of new cracks and landslides forming on the hill as water soaks the unstable soil.
The Gediminas Castle Hill had to be fortified several times in recent years after it started to disintegrate, threatening the structural integrity of the tower. The condition of the hill is constantly being monitored, while the dispute over the repair permits is being settled in the court, said Rūta Kačkutė, head of the National Museum, in December 2021. The repair work on the Gediminas Castle Hill was scheduled to be completed at the end of 2022. LRT.lt
