Lithuania intends to prove that the remains of Duke Vytautas lie in the crypt of Vilnius Cathedral
A historian claims that they were in the same crypt as the remains of Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon and, most likely, still remain there.
Lithuanian researcher Saulius Poderis stated during a press conference in the Seimas of Lithuania that the remains of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great might have been found as early as 1931 in Vilnius Cathedral. According to his version, they were located in the same crypt along with the remains of Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon and, most likely, still remain there, writes LRT.
Poderis claims that there is a specific place where these remains might be located, but political will and appropriate permits are needed to conduct research.
He also noted that after the great flood in 1931 in the cathedral, probably not three, as officially reported, but four royal burials were found: Alexander, Elisabeth of Habsburg, Barbara Radziwill, and Vytautas the Great. However, the Polish authorities, who governed Vilnius at that time, reported only three, possibly concealing information about the fourth.
This version is supported by archival documents and old photographs found in Gdańsk, Poland. Some pictures show three sets of remains, others show four. According to Poderis, one of the photographs may specifically depict Vytautas.
Archaeologist Gintautas Rackevičius believes that the photos were taken during anthropological studies, and also suggests that the fourth remains might belong to Vytautas, but emphasizes that this still needs to be proven.
Historian Alvydas Nikžentaitis considers the presented data serious but emphasizes that they require verification. He proposes using DNA analysis to establish the origin of the remains. For this, they can be compared with the remains of representatives of the Gediminid dynasty buried in the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. According to him, there is now a unique opportunity to obtain such samples thanks to cooperation with Ukrainian researchers.
Politicians also urge not to dismiss this version and to begin research, especially considering that 2030 has been declared the Year of Vytautas the Great. There are even preliminary promises of funding if the hypothesis is confirmed.
Overall, researchers believe that the likelihood of Vytautas's remains being in the cathedral is very high, but final conclusions can only be made after new scientific research.