World Heritage Photos

Struve Geodetic Arc – Triangulation Points in Lithuania

The Struve Geodetic Arc consists of a chain of 265 triangulation survey stations. The chain was established and used by the astronomer Friedrich von Struve to determine the exact shape and size of the Earth. The Struve Geodetic Arc stretches from Hammerfest in Norway to a station point close to the Black Sea in Ukraine. The Struve Geodetic Arc is an exceptional example of scientific collaboration between different countries; it passes through ten countries and stretches over 2,820 kilometres.

Friedrich von Struve carried out his triangulation measurements between 1816 and 1855. The Tartu Old Observatory in Estonia and  the Alatornio Church in Finland are the only buildings that were used for the measurements; both have remained unchanged since that time. One of the few remaining station points of the Struve Geodetic Arc in Lithuania is located near Meškonys, a tiny village close to Vilnius. 

The UNESCO World Heritage Site includes 34 of the station points, with different markings, such as drilled holes in a rock, iron or stone crosses, obelisks, cairns and buildings. These 34 station points of the Struve Geodetic Arc were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005.

Visual artwork from the World Heritage Art series: Friedrich von Struve 

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1. 

   One of the station points of the Struve Geodetic Arc in Lithuania. This measurement point is situated close to Meškonys, a village near Vilnius. On our way to the IMM (International Mini Meeting), we briefly parked our classic 1974 Mini next to this survey point of the Struve Geodetic Arc. The size and shape of the Earth were calculated using triangulation based on survey points from the Geodetic Arc. The measurements were carried out between 1816 and 1855. Many of the survey points have since disappeared or been severely damaged. In 2005, 34 survey points of the Struve Geodetic Arc were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

2. 

   This obelisk is one of the station points of the Struve Geodetic Arc in Lithuania. This survey point is located on a hill along a dirt track, along the road to the village of Meškonys in Lithuania. The measurement point is located near Meškonys, a small village near Vilnius, and also close to the Geographical Centre of Europe near the village of Purnuškės. The Geodetic Arc is one of the foremost scientific and technical achievements of its time and has a truly universal significance. The World Heritage Site includes 34 of the most noteworthy measurement points with different markings; these include buildings, as well as obelisks, drilled holes in rock, and iron crosses.

3. 

   Our own 1974 Mini Authi next to the information board of the Struve Geodetic Arc at Meškonys in Lithuania. Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve (1793–1864) achieved worldwide fame as the initiator of the Geodetic Arc; this survey was intended to determine the size and shape of the Earth and to demonstrate that the Earth was slightly flattened at the poles. The arc is named after him. The German-born Von Struve was one of the most important astronomers and geodesists of the 19th century. Struve made the majority of his discoveries from the Dorpat Observatory (present-day Tartu in Estonia).