The present invention relates to a vertical wind turbine (1) with a plurality of vertical blades (7), which are each fastened to a respective vertical blade axis (26), are each such that they are motor-driven pivotable around a respective blade rotation axis (C7) independently of one another and are supported rotatable on a common circular path (K) around a vertical rotor rotation axis (C2), and to a method for operating the vertical wind turbine (1), wherein angular positions of vertical blades (7) of the vertical wind turbine (1), which are each driven around a respective vertical rotor blade axis (26), are predetermined. According to the invention, the vertical wind turbine (1) is operated in a particularly efficient and material-protecting way in that the angular positions of the blades (7) are continuously controlled through a direct drive of each of the blades (7) by means of a respective pitch motor (27) positioned concentrically to the blade axis (26).