tv tower

From Wikipedia:

The Vilnius TV Tower (Lithuanian: Vilniaus televizijos bokštas) is a 326.5 metre-high (1071 ft) of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is the tallest building in Lithuania, and is occupied by the SC Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre.

The TV tower played a major role in the events of January 13, 1991, when 14 unarmed civilians lost their lives and 700 were injured opposing the Soviet military seizure of the tower.

The observation deck 160 m from the ground houses the cafe "Paukščių takas" (Lithuanian for Milky Way), offers a picturesque view of the city and its surroundings, and sports a rotating platform that revolves once every 45 minutes. High-speed elevators reach the cafe from ground level in 40 seconds. On clear days, visibility can extend as far as Elektrėnai, a city about 40 km west, where power plants produced much of the electricity for Vilnius in Soviet times.

A small museum dedicated to the January 1991 battle is housed on the ground floor, and various markers in the surrounding area indicate places where Lithuanian citizens died while trying to maintain the blockade against Soviet troops.

Since 2000, the tower has been decorated like a huge Christmas tree each Christmas season. During the 2006 World Basketball Championship it was decorated with a huge basketball net.

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