Columns of Gediminas

Early Lithuanian Heraldry

The Columns of Gediminas were used by the Grand Duke of Lithuania as one of the most prominent symbols representing Lithuanian culture and authority. The emblem was famously utilized by the descendants of the medieval Lithuanian ruler Kęstutis. The name comes from the 14th-century Geminid dynasty, which used the columns as the central icon in their coat of arms.

The columns are supposedly derived from the gates of the castle at Trakai Peninsula, which was built by Kęstutis between 1350–1377. The castle was an important defensive fortification against the invasions of neighboring Teutonic Knights. The symbol continued to be featured prominently in Lithuanian symbolism well into modern times.

After being annexed by the soviet union, Lithuanian nationalist graffiti frequently featured the symbol in protest of the Russian occupation. The symbol was so prominent that it was eventually banned by the Soviet Union. Today, the symbol is used in several emblems and coats of arms for military institutions in the Republic of Lithuania.