A chain of survey triangulations that extends over nearly 3,000 kilometres, this is a unique monument to the concord of science and technology. It was designed to accurately determine the length of the meridian arc and to calculate the size and shape of the Earth. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. The arc was named after the German astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve, who in 1816 expanded on the methodology for measuring the meridian arc that was developed back in the 16th century. After heading numerous expeditions measuring and fitting out a chain of triangulations comprised of 258 main triangles (points) with different markings, Struve completed the chain and presented it to the public in 1855. The Struve Geodetic Arc was the most accurately measured and longest meridian arc, and is one of the largest cross-border UNESCO World Heritage sites. The chain extends from the mouth of the Danube at the Black Sea to northern Norway at the Arctic Ocean, through a total of 10 countries. Lithuania has 18 station points in all, of which three are part of the inscribed property:
Karischki (Gireišiai; in the district of Rokiškis), N 55°53′49″ E 25°25′52″ ( Open map )
Beresnäki (Paliepiukai; in the district of Vilnius), N 54°37′55″ E 25°26′31″ ( Open map )
Meschkanzi (Meškonys; in the district of Vilnius), N 54°55′48″ E 25°18′43″ ( Open map )