118-701: Panevėžys ( Lithuanian pronunciation: [pɐnʲɛvʲeːˈʑiːs] ) is the fifth-largest city in Lithuania and the eighth-most-populous city in the Baltic States . As of 2021, it occupies 50 square kilometres (19 sq mi) with 89,100 inhabitants. As defined by Eurostat the population of the Panevėžys functional urban area that stretches beyond the city limits is estimated at 124,412 (as of 2022). The largest multifunctional arena in Panevėžys, Kalnapilio Arena , formerly known as Cido Arena, hosted
236-730: A luxuriously decorated sword and a hat adorned with pearls (both were sanctified by Pope Gregory XIII himself), while this ceremony manifested the sovereignty of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and had the meaning of elevation of the new Grand Duke of Lithuania, this way ignoring the stipulations of the Union of Lublin. During the Deluge of the Second Northern War , the Commonwealth temporarily disintegrated in 1655 when
354-546: A luxuriously decorated sword and a hat adorned with pearls (both were sanctified by Pope Gregory XIII himself), while this ceremony manifested the sovereignty of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and had the meaning of elevation of the new Grand Duke of Lithuania, this way ignoring the stipulations of the Union of Lublin. Nevertheless, per Union of Lublin the rulers of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were elected in joint Polish–Lithuanian election sejms until
472-717: A bookstore that has been functional for more than 100 years. Volunteers of the Lithuanian Armed Forces had liberated the city for the first time from the Bolsheviks ' forces on 27 March 1919 during the Lithuanian Wars of Independence and raised flags of Lithuania . Before the Second World War Panevėžys was multicultural city with Lithuanian, Jewish , Polish , Russian , German , Karaite , Tatar and other city communities. Between
590-481: A brick or stone building with three towers, later a brick gate with three towers and a powerful tower behind them with a Cyrillic letter P ( П ) on the roof – the first letter of the city. After the Uprising of 1831 the old symbolism was erased from the seals of the county centers. Instead, a double-headed eagle prevailed in them unilaterally. It was only in 1845 that Emperor Nicholas I confirmed with his own hand
708-521: A cap on the ruler's head. In turn, Grand Marshal Michael Glinski presented him with a sword. Sigismund received the oath of the Lithuanian lords while sitting on the throne. According to Stryjkowski, the cap was: "of red velvet with gold spheres set with precious stones". The last ceremony to elevate a grand duke took place on 18 October 1529, when Sigismund Augustus was elevated to this dignity during his father's lifetime. The ceremony occurred in
826-549: A constitutional monarchy in Lithuania and invite Mindaugas II to take his throne. Political commentator Česlovas Iškauskas responded: In 1918, Germany exerted great influence. But now the idea of re-establishing the constitutional monarchy as well as the activities of the "Palace of the Kingdom of Lithuania" to me seems like a game when you have nothing better to do. At the moment Lithuania has much more important issues—it needs to think how to withstand current threats, not about
944-405: A new monarchy. Prince Inigo von Urach , the grandson of Wilhelm von Urach (Mindaugas II), claims that according to Almanach de Gotha he remains to be the rightful claimant to the Lithuanian throne and is willing to become King of Lithuania, if the nation wants him to. To quote him from an interview for LRT , "It's not my thing to decide it [the idea of officially being crowned King], that's
1062-759: A part of either Prussia or Saxony , which for 123 years remained to be a part of the Russian Empire following the Third Partition of the Polish−Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. In an attempt to avoid becoming a province but remain on good terms with Germany, the Council of Lithuania decided to establish a separate constitutional monarchy with Wilhelm von Urach as King with his residence being in Verkiai Palace . According to
1180-511: A power plant was built (1923). During the interwar period , a number of public and residential buildings and industrial buildings were built in the city, and a precise geodetic plan of the city was prepared – one of the first such works in Lithuania (1933–1934; engineers M. Ratautas, A. Kočegūra, P. Butrimas). In the 1930s, the construction of the sewerage system was started, the bed of the Nevėžis
1298-696: A sceptre. Subsequently, the Poles considered electing Alexander Jagiellon as the King of Poland, however instead of him John I Albert was elected as the King of Poland in August 1492 and this led to another termination of the Polish–Lithuanian union. Stryjkowski also relayed the election and inauguration of Sigismund I as Grand Duke of Lithuania on 20 October 1509. The ceremony was again attended by Bishop Wojciech Tabor, who this time not only blessed but also placed
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#17327797622661416-613: A separate inauguration ceremony of the Grand Duke of Lithuania was raised by the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (e.g. Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł , Eustachy Wołłowicz , Jan Karol Chodkiewicz , Konstanty Ostrogski ) during the negotiations of the Union of Lublin, however it was not officially included into it. On 20 April 1576 a congress of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's nobles was held in Grodno which adopted an Universal, signed by
1534-423: A special resort status. Of over 100 cities, only 14 have populations of over 20,000. Cities are quite evenly spread out through the territory of Lithuania. At the 2001 census , 66.7% of the population lived in cities. During the 2021 census it increased to 68.2% of the population. The smallest cities in Lithuania that have below 1,000 inhabitants. The counties are ranked by number of cities and further ranked by
1652-525: A symbolic declaration of allegiance. Vytautas himself sought to officially establish his reign by coronation at least three times. All three attempts were unsuccessful because the political situation was much more complicated—by this point the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland were under a joint rule of Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Jogaila ( Władysław II Jagiełło ) with
1770-914: A two-storey Panevėžys Farmers Small Credit Bank Building in Laisvės Square (1938), Panevėžys St. Chapel of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in Marijonų Street (1939), three-storey primary school no. 2 in Maironio Street (1940; now Panevėžys Raimundas Sargūnas Sports Gymnasium), a four-storey building for the Seminary of Priests of the Panevėžys Diocese (now Panevėžys Kazimieras Paltarokas Gymnasium), Panevėžys County Municipal Palace (1940). Cheap wooden construction
1888-505: A two-story administrative building near the street and a four-story prison building in the courtyard (1893; P. Puzino St. 12), eclectic two-storey hotel Centralinis with mezzanine and attic (1894; Laisvės Square 1), Moigių houses complex of pink and yellow brick masonry (1895; now Panevėžys Museum of Local Lore), historicism style yeast and distillery factory buildings (Respublikos St. 82), historicism style two-storey J. Masiulis Bookstore (1890–1900), Natelis Kisinas' house (1900; in 1987 it
2006-715: A wooden church, and a small, inexpressive manor house. The only surviving heritage of that period in the city is the Renaissance style building of the Upytė County Court and the network of streets. The city was severely damaged during the war with Moscow in 1654–1667 and the Great Northern War of 1700–1721, thus only 18 families lived in Old Panevėžys in 1720 and 90 families in New Panevėžys in 1738. In
2124-472: Is defined by the Parliament of Lithuania as a compact urban area with more than 3,000 people, of whom at least two-thirds work in the industry or service sector. Settlements with a population of less than 3,000 but with historical city status are still considered to be cities. Smaller settlements are known as towns ( miesteliai ), and even smaller settlements are known as villages ( kaimai ). Often
2242-543: Is located in the Senamiesčio Street ( Old Town Street ). Soon, in a more convenient place, on the land of the Grand Duke 's manor on the left bank of the Nevėžis, near the important roads to Ramygala and Upytė , New Panevėžys began to develop (the current city center). Following the Volok Reform at the end of the 16th century, New Panevėžys separated from the manor and became a separate territorial unit. Between
2360-464: Is reliable information is that of Casimir IV Jagiellon , as reported by Jan Długosz . Casimir IV was sent by his older brother King of Poland and Hungary, Supreme Duke of Lithuania Władysław III , to Lithuania to rule in his name. But instead he was elected as Grand Duke upon his arrival to Vilnius on 29 June 1440, with the ringing of church bells and the singing of the Te Deum laudamus . This
2478-417: Is the enthronement of Alexander Jagiellon in 1492. Alexander was appointed Grand Duke by his father, nevertheless, a formal election of the ruler was held as part of a general assembly, which was attended for the first time by representatives from all the lands of the Grand Duchy. The course of the ceremony was documented by Maciej Stryjkowski , who reported that after the election lords elevated Alexander in
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#17327797622662596-621: The Aukštaitijos narrow gauge railway . This railway is preserved as a historical monument and serves as a tourist attraction. 6 km (3.73 mi) east of Panevėžys the Panevėžys Air Base is located. Old Panevėžys started to develop at the beginning of the 16th century on the right bank of Nevėžis when Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon separated the lands from the state manor for the Parish of Ramygala , currently this part of Panevėžys
2714-597: The Eurobasket 2011 group matches. The city is still known in the Jewish world for the eponymous Ponevezh Yeshiva . The name of the city is derived from the Lithuanian hydronym Nevėžis (river). The city is referred to by various names in different languages, including Latin : Panevezen ; Polish : Poniewież ; Yiddish : פּאָנעװעזש , Ponevezh ; see also other names . Historical facts allow to state that
2832-916: The NKGB units carried out repressions, arrested participants of the June Uprising and civilians who spoke out against the Soviet government; the detainees were transported to the Panevėžys Prison. As the Germans were approaching, seeing no way out, the Soviets had decided to retreat to the East and to shoot the political prisoners in the prison. Already on 27 June, the city was full of the Lithuanian Tricolor flags and without any serious clashes with
2950-664: The Third Partition in 1795 and received separate titles of the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. During the coronations of joint Polish–Lithuanian monarchs , the Polish crown was also announced as a property of both the Polish and Lithuanian nobles. In 1564, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund II Augustus renounced his rights to the hereditary Lithuanian throne—the separate inauguration ceremony and insignia for Grand Duke of Lithuania were abolished. On 1 July 1569, Sigismund II Augustus united both of
3068-632: The Vytis military district actively operated in the Panevėžys County from 1944 and militarily confronted with the Soviet forces in notable battles, however following the death of chief Bronius Karbočius in 1953 the staff of the Vytis military district was not restored and the last partisans were killed in action in 1956. After World War II, the natural process of the city's evolution was disrupted. The Soviet Communist Party exercised dictatorial control and
3186-659: The 14th century, Gediminas would send his letters proclaiming to be "King of Lithuanians and many Ruthenians." In November 1918, the State Council left the question of Mindaugas II to the Constituent Assembly . And while it is true that the latter declared Lithuania to be a democratic republic on 15 May 1920, I have never heard of the Constituent Assembly officially denouncing the State Council's declaration of 11 July 1918, which called to create
3304-612: The 1930s. The decks of the Respublikos Bridge were blown up during the World War II , thus it was reconstructed in 1968. The Laisvės Bridge (located in the current Smėlynės Street) with huge arches became too narrow as traffic flows increased, thus it was demolished in 1964 and was replaced by a new uncut system beam reinforced concrete three-span bridge. During the Soviet era , as the city grew, more bridges were built:
3422-542: The Crown being in Kraków , Poland. As a consequence, the idea of a fully-fledged Lithuanian monarchy as well as Poland losing its influence over its neighbour was met with fierce resistance from the Polish nobles. The first time coronation was planned on 8 September 1430, but after one of the delegations that transported the crown learned that the first delegation was robbed on its way to Lithuania, they returned to Nuremberg . In
3540-535: The Freedom Square in 2017–2021. The Independence Square also was renovated with 1.9 million euros investment in 2017–2021. In 1934–1936, A. Jakštas Avenue was established with cement bricks pavement on the right bank of river Nevėžis. Planted with acacias , it became one of the most beautiful places in Panevėžys in a few years, and was called the Love Avenue by the townspeople. The A. Jakštas Street
3658-827: The Grace of God , King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania). The title of the Grand Duke of Lithuania mostly came into force during the reign of Grand Duke Vytautas the Great , who concluded the Ostrów Agreement with his cousin Jogaila in 1392 and the agreement was confirmed in the Pact of Vilnius and Radom in 1401. Since then Jogaila was titled the Supreme Duke of Lithuania ( supremus dux Lithuaniae ). Vytautas
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3776-662: The Grace of God, King of the Lithuania The first mention of a Lithuanian king predates the establishment of the Christian kingdom itself: according to the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle , Mindaugas' father was a great king who "had no equal in his time." As the territory of Lithuania expanded eastwards, other king-titled grand dukes who ruled the country adopted similar titles for introducing themselves abroad. For instance, Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytenis
3894-492: The Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon , who granted the town building rights to construct a church and other structures. Alexander Jagiellon is considered as the founder of the city, which celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2003; two renowned monuments were built in the city for this anniversary, one of which, by Stanislovas Kuzma , is dedicated to Alexander Jagiellon. The city lies on the old plain of
4012-537: The Grand Duke was a sovereign monarch who was accountable to no one, thus de facto king. The full title of Grand Duke of Lithuania was: In Lithuanian : Lietuvos didysis kunigaikštis In Latin : Magnus Dux Lithuaniae In English : Grand Duke of the Lithuania Following the Act of Krėva with Poland in 1385, the full Latin title was changed to Dei Gratia Rex Poloniae Magnus Dux Lithuaniae ( By
4130-529: The Great gained the factual rule of Lithuania, which was recognized by the treaties. In 1398, the Lithuanian nobility declared Vytautas the Great as the King of Lithuania and, following the Congress of Lutsk in 1429, the crowning was sanctioned by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor . However, Vytautas died before the crown arrived. Jogaila's son Władysław III also titled himself as the Supreme Duke of Lithuania. John I Albert unilaterally declared himself as
4248-689: The Holy Trinity , established a monastery and a college. In 1791, Panevėžys was granted a conditional privilege to elect the city government. Following the Third Partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, the city was assigned to the Vilna Governorate . In 1800, Panevėžys received a permission to build a town hall. In 1825, the Evangelical Lutheran Church was built in Panevėžys, and
4366-670: The Jewish Gymnasium from yellowish bricks was built in Elektros Street in the style of historicism (now serves as the Panevėžys Regional Court), which was called as a palace due to its splendid exterior decoration and installed heating and water supply systems. In 1930, the Panevėžys Cathedral of Neo-Baroque style forms was consecrated by Jonas Mačiulis-Maironis . In the 1930s, instead of historicism,
4484-503: The Lithuanian monarchy. According to the senate marshal of the organization "Palace of the Kingdom of Lithuania", Stanislovas Švedarauskas: Can we present the specific date when the Kingdom of Lithuania of the Middle Ages ceased to exist and when did the Lithuanian 20th-century constitutional monarchy end? In the words of historians, when Mindaugas I died in 1263, the Kingdom had disappeared as well. However, after almost 100 years, in
4602-444: The Nazi occupation nearly all the Jewish population of the town was killed in 1943 during the Holocaust ; only a few managed to escape and find asylum abroad. The major massacre was in August 1941 when 7,523 Jews were executed by the German Army officers and soldiers , German-SS officers In 1944 the city was yet again occupied by the Soviet Union leading to a new wave of political exiles and killings. The Lithuanian partisans of
4720-444: The Nemunas Street Bridge (1976), the Ekranas Bridge on J. Biliūno Street (Nevėžis Dam, 1979). The bridge of Savitiškio (now – Vakarinės) Street was built a little earlier, first it was wooden, later it was rebuilt from a reinforced concrete. In the 2000s, the Panevėžys Bypass Bridge was built on the western outskirts of the city (reconstructed in 2019). The city also has three pedestrian bridges across river Nevėžis: at Skaistakalnis, near
4838-442: The Old and the New Town stood the Panevėžys Manor, thus the different dependence of these parts of the city (to the state, the church, and the private nobleman ) prevented Panevėžys from developing evenly. As a result, no prominent architectural ensembles and dominant compositions were formed, also there were no public buildings that stood out in terms of size or artistic expression. The city consisted of single-storey wooden buildings,
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4956-426: The Orthodox parish was founded in 1841. The city played an important role in both the November Uprising , and the January Uprising , and the fights for independence continued there after 1864. In 1843, Panevėžys was assigned to the Kovno Governorate and in 1866 the town hall was replaced with a City Duma . Following the Industrial Revolution , at the end of the 19th century, the first factories were established in
5074-432: The Palace of Communities, and in the Culture and Recreation Park (1984, reconstructed in 2015). In the north-east of Panevėžys, above Senamiesčio Street and the wide railway, a narrow-gauge railway viaduct was built in 1938, which is enlisted in the Register of Cultural Values of the Republic of Lithuania. The main green spaces of Panevėžys are located in the Nevėžis Valley along the river Nevėžis . Parks and greenery in
5192-422: The Supreme Duke of Lithuania in 1492, but this title was rejected by the Lithuanian Council of Lords . In 1544–1548, Sigismund I the Old expressed his supreme monarchical authority in Lithuania by again using the Supreme Duke of Lithuania title when his son Sigismund II Augustus was his vicegerent in Lithuania. The inaugurations of the Lithuanian monarchs were held in Vilnius Cathedral and consisted of
5310-416: The World Wars, in the newly independent Lithuania , Panevėžys continued to grow. According to the Lithuanian census of 1923 , there were 19,147 people in Panevėžys (19,197 with suburbs), among them 6,845 Jews (36%) (in Yiddish the town's name was פּאָניוועזש , transliterated as Ponevezh ). The Ponevezh Yeshiva , one of the most notable Haredi yeshivas in the history of the Jews in Lithuania ,
5428-475: The already established plan (12 new quarters were added to the existing 49 quarters). Since 1873, the growth of the city was also influenced by the completed railway track between Radviliškis and Daugavpils ; the railway and station soon grew into the fabric of an expanding city. Other notable buildings from the 19th century and early 20th century are two windmills in Ramygalos Street (built in 1875 and 1880), historicism brick style Panevėžys bottling plant of
5546-400: The area as early as the 14th century. A Karaite Kenesa , and a Polish Gymnasium , existed in Panevėžys until the Second World War (the Polish version of the name of the city was Poniewież ). In the 16th century, the part of the city on the left bank of the river started to develop and expand further. In 1727, the Piarists , who moved to the western part of Panevėžys, built a Church of
5664-413: The beginning of the 1920s, two symbols were used in the coat of arms of Panevėžys in one field of a shield shape. At the top – two tied plant bundles, below them – a plough . Later, the žagrė was used instead of the plough. The use of city coats of arms resumed in the post-war years only in 1966, when the Republican Heraldry Commission was established under the Ministry of Culture. The standard of
5782-532: The buildings built in the 1970s and 1980s are the ignorance of the architectural environment, the use of strict, ascetic forms, the abandonment of aesthetic architectural goals, turning them into styless buildings. The multi-apartment houses built in the city center based on repeated projects diminished and leveled the general urban character of the center. In the first years of the re-established Independent Lithuania , huge residential houses of several hundred square meters with no architectural value began to sprout on
5900-401: The buildings were mostly built in the central part of New Panevėžys, where densely built-up quarters were formed. After 1825 the Evangelical Lutheran Church was built in the city (it was rebuilt in 1845), while in 1830 the county's treasury, in 1837 – a prison, after 1840 – a hospital and after 1842 – a boyar 's school were built. The significance of the Piarists Monastery increased, however it
6018-401: The cathedral. The newly elected ruler was dressed "in a ducal cap with pearls and precious stones set in it, also the usual robe that today the princes of the Reich wear at the imperial coronation ." Then Bishop of Vilnius Wojciech Tabor blessed him and held a pastoral exhortation over him. Then the Grand Marshal of Lithuania Petras Jonaitis Mantigirdaitis handed Alexander a bare sword and
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#17327797622666136-402: The center in Kranto, Ukmergės, N. Gogolio (now Smėlynės), Ramygalos, Klaipėdos, Agronomijos (now Marijonų), Sandėlių (now S. Kerbedžio) streets, Liepų Avenue, and two-storey houses in Margių, Algirdo, Stoties streets. During the Soviet era, Panevėžys was developed as an industrial center. According to the 1961 master plan, two industrial districts were formed: the city's northwest and northeast. In
6254-491: The cities in Lithuania were established before the 18th century. Their location is mostly determined by trade and transportation routes. Some of the newer cities grew because of railroad construction, for example Kaišiadorys , Vievis , Radviliškis , Ignalina and Mažeikiai . In the 20th century, cities grew next to big industrial centers, for example Visaginas , Elektrėnai and Naujoji Akmenė . Five cities ( Birštonas , Druskininkai , Neringa , Palanga and Anykščiai ) have
6372-432: The city beyond the river (Old Panevėžys) had a typical rural view. In the 1780s, there were two independent uniform radial-plan urban complexes separated by a forest: the town of New Panevėžys and the town of Old Panevėžys. In 1780, after the burning of the wooden church of Old Panevėžys, it was rebuilt not in the previous place, but in the pine forest of the Nevėžis loop, between both parts of Panevėžys. After cutting down
6490-458: The city gate. The coat of arms of Panevėžys was approved by a presidential decree on 11 May 1993. The author of the current coat of arms of the city standard is Arvydas Každailis. Legend has it that Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great , returning from Samogitia to Vilnius in 1414, found a temple ( alka ) of the old Lithuanian religion in the present-day surroundings of Panevėžys, but this has not been documented. Another myth among
6608-471: The city occupy about 700 hectares or 14% of the total area of Panevėžys. The area of greenery per one resident of Panevėžys is almost three times larger than the norm defined by legal acts (25 m²). The largest recreational area in the city is the 39 hectares Culture and Recreation Park ( Lithuanian : Panevėžio kultūros ir poilsio parkas ). The area of the oldest Skaistakalnis Park – 29.74 hectares, Youth Park ( Lithuanian : Jaunimo parkas ) – 4.14 hectares. In
6726-423: The city of Panevėžys has been created taking into account the international practice of restoration of the historical coats of arms of the cities and the requirements of heraldry. The oldest coat of arms of the city was chosen to restore the coat of arms. The 1812 iconography of the seal was used as the best heraldically arranged on which a two-storey gates with an entrance opening on the first floor and two windows on
6844-469: The city was transformed into a major industrial center. During the 1960s and 1980s, several large-scale industrial companies were established. The Soviet authorities also partly destroyed the old town and only after protests by local population was total destruction of the old city center stopped. The number of inhabitants increased from 41,000 to 101,500 between 1959 and 1979. In 1990, the population reached 130,000. After Lithuania regained its independence,
6962-403: The city's industry faced some major challenges. For some time it was regarded as a place where plastics cooperatives were making large profits. During the 1990s, with crime rate increasing in all post-Soviet states, Panevėžys shortly became the one of the centres of criminal activity in Lithuania. The city hosted multiple gangs, such as the Tulpiniai gang. The crime rate in the city became so high
7080-474: The city, and industry began to make use of modern machinery. As products were oriented towards the mass market, banking intensified and commerce increased. The educational system became more accessible, and literacy increased, as well. By the end of 19th century – the beginning of the 20th century, Panevėžys became a strong economic and cultural center of the region. At the time it was the fourth most important city in Lithuania (excluding Klaipėda ). Panevėžys also
7198-459: The city, as a consequence of the forced incorporation of Lithuania into the Soviet Union . A number of political prisoners were murdered near the sugar factory. A large number of residents were exiled to Siberia (merely during the June deportation in 1941 over 600 residents were exiled to Siberia ) or suffered other forms of political repression . On 23 June 1941, the June Uprising began in Panevėžys County . The most active participants of
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#17327797622667316-439: The coat of arms of Panevėžys was proposed to be made by the artist Arvydas Každailis. Thus another version of the coat of arms of the city of Panevėžys appeared: two crossed white bundles of linen were depicted in the upper red field, and a white stylized plough in the lower blue field. Later, after adjusting the colors, it was decided to leave this coat of arms to the Panevėžys District Municipality . The current coat of arms of
7434-417: The construction of large supermarkets on the western outskirts of the city, a shopping district was formed. Individual houses predominated in the construction of residential houses, with most houses being built in the nearest northern and southern suburbs of Panevėžys. New apartment buildings were built in Ramygala, Margiai, Klaipėda-Projektuotojų, Suvalkų, Pušaloto streets. The first bridge over river Nevėžis
7552-401: The countries into a single bi- federation , known as the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , which had existed for the next 226 years. The Union included constitutional changes such as creating a formal elective monarchy , which would simultaneously reign over both parties. Following the death of Sigismund II in 1572, a joint Polish–Lithuanian monarch was to be elected as in the Union of Lublin it
7670-501: The country's official language as well as not leaving the state for more than two months per year without the permission of the government. As the war ended, it became clear that Germany was losing. On 5 October 1918, in the Reichstag , the new Chancellor of Germany Maximilian of Baden announced that his state acknowledged the right of nations to self-determination and supported their efforts of becoming independent countries. Soon afterwards, Germany expressed its official support for
7788-449: The death of the last Gediminid ruler Sigismund II Augustus in 1572, separate inaugurations in Vilnius Cathedral were abolished, therefore Gediminas' Cap lost its ceremonial significance. The insignias of the Lithuanian rulers were not preserved and following the Union of Lublin only the seal (kept by the Grand Chancellor of Lithuania ) and the flag (carried near the ruler by the Grand Flag Bearer of Lithuania) remained. The demand of
7906-632: The first seal of the city of Panevėžys appeared when the city self-government was established. It is clear that until the end of the 18th century, Panevėžys did not have the right of self-government, therefore it could not had its coat of arms. All the preconditions for the establishment of self-government arose during the period of the Four-year Seimas (1788–1792) . In 1791–1792, most of the county centers, which previously did not have self-government rights and coat of arms, established them. The coat of arms of Panevėžys, as well as other Lithuanian counties, has been changed, modified and banned several times over
8024-412: The forest around the church, a new town was built next to it, according to the traditional rectangular plan and the planned square, which under the tsar 's administration in the 19th century was named Nikolaev (called as Smėlynė by the local folks). In 1781, Old Panevėžys had 2 streets and 21 homestead, while in 1788 in New Panevėžys there were 144 plots near 8 streets. The longest in this part of Panevėžys
8142-438: The great hall of the newly built lower castle , as the cathedral burned down that same year. The young Sigismund Augustus sat on the throne between his parents, surrounded by members of the council of lords . The cap was placed on the ruler's head by the Bishop of Vilnius, while the Grand Marshal presented him with a sword. Following the Union of Lublin , which formed the federative Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, and
8260-450: The idea of being a satellite monarchy and establish a fully independent republic instead. Although there are no monarchist parties in modern Lithuania, there is a monarchist movement, which is in favor of re-establishing the short-lived monarchy of 1918. The movement alongside the Lithuanian Royal Union of Nobility believe that the current Lithuanian state did not undergo all of the complicated and necessary procedures to truly abolish
8378-412: The independence of Lithuania. Furthermore, the diplomats of France had also unambiguously proclaimed to the Council of Lithuania and the Parliament that having a monarch of German descent would be seen as unacceptable. On 2 November 1918, as it became apparent that King-elect Mindaugas himself was hesitant to arrive in Lithuania for his coronation due to political unrest, the Council decided to abandon
8496-543: The local residents began calling the city Chicago on the Nevėžis river . After the independence, the population of Panevėžys fell somewhat and for a while most investments went to Vilnius and Klaipėda instead. However, with the economic growth in the early 2000s, investment also reached Panevėžys. Babilonas real estate project, the largest such project in the Baltic States with an 80 ha land area, has been developed in Panevėžys since 2004. Panevėžys Free Economic Zone
8614-432: The locals, was also that when Anna – wife of Vytautas the Great, was refreshing herself in the river of Nevėžis, and her personal servant got startled by crayfish in river waters (crayfish in lithuanian is Vėžys) – and yelled "Pani, viažys" so Anna would be careful. This was not documented, but is well known story among people from local areas. Panevėžys was first mentioned evidently on 7 September 1503 in documents signed by
8732-516: The magnates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania signed the Union of Kėdainiai with the Swedish Empire and became its protectorate with Charles X Gustav serving as Grand Duke of Lithuania. It was short-lived because Sweden lost the war. The Commonwealth permanently ceased to exist in 1795, following its third partition by the neighbouring powers, Prussia , Russia and Austria . Following
8850-504: The new coat of arms of Panevėžys County, at the top of which a silver obelisk was depicted in a blue field and a brown žagrė with a steel plowshare in the silver field at the bottom; the base of the shield was green-brown. With the outbreak of World War I and the collapse of Russian oppression , most Lithuanian cities removed the symbols established by the Russian Empire and had returned to their historical coats of arms. At
8968-519: The official status of these smaller settlements are unclear, and people simply refer to both towns and villages as settlements ( gyvenvietės ). The cities started to form between the 13th and 14th centuries together with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . The first to receive city rights was Klaipėda . According to medieval law, a city could have its own fairs , taverns, guilds , courts, etc. Some former cities lost their status and are now just towns or villages, for example Kernavė and Merkinė . Most of
9086-418: The one and only crowned king of Lithuania was King Mindaugas I . In two more instances, royal nobles were not crowned due to political circumstances, but held de jure recognition abroad — Vytautas the Great by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor , and Mindaugas II by Pope Benedict XV . Others were seen as kings of Lithuania even though they had only considered it and never took further action to claim
9204-415: The outskirts of the city. No major constructions took place: the development of Kniaudiškės multi-apartment district stopped, the construction of public buildings decreased and with the closure of many industries, their buildings have been abandoned and demolished, however many buildings were also adapted by modern companies in the later years and Panevėžys continues to be referred as an industrial city . With
9322-469: The panorama of the city in the landscape of plains. In 1877–1885, the St. Peter and St. Paul's Church of Romanesque Revival style with two tall towers was built instead of a wooden church, which began to dominate in the city's silhouette. In 1878, a planning project for the city of Panevėžys was prepared in which new quarters were planned in the northern and southern parts of the city as an organic continuation of
9440-617: The participating Lithuanian nobles, which announced that if the delegates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania will feel pressure from the Poles in the Election sejm , the Lithuanians will not be obliged by an oath of the Union of Lublin and will have the right to select a separate monarch. On 29 May 1580, bishop Merkelis Giedraitis in the Vilnius Cathedral presented Grand Duke Stephen Báthory (King of Poland since 1 May 1576)
9558-523: The participating Lithuanian nobles, which announced that if the delegates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania will feel pressure from the Poles in the Election sejm , the Lithuanians will not be obliged by an oath of the Union of Lublin and will have the right to select a separate monarch. On 29 May 1580, a ceremony was held in the Vilnius Cathedral during which bishop Merkelis Giedraitis presented Stephen Báthory (King of Poland since 1 May 1576)
9676-772: The partitions, the lands of ethnic Lithuania were divided— Lithuania proper became a part of the Russian Empire while Sudovia became a part of the Kingdom of Prussia . As the conquests of Prussia by the Teutonic Order and of Livonia by the Livonian Brothers were coming to an end, both Catholic religious orders began posing an existential threat to then-pagan Lithuania. In response, Duke Mindaugas, who by then had managed to strengthen his grip in various Baltic and Slavic lands, sought to consolidate power and unite Lithuania into one political entity, convert to Christianity , and become king. In 1250 or 1251, he
9794-399: The past 200 years. There are 3 types of Panevėžys city seals, which were used in the early 19th century. The first appeared in 1801, the second was put into use in 1812, and the third in 1817. There is no doubt that all three seals under the double-headed eagle of the Russian Empire, which should have emphasized the city's affiliation with this state, depicted the old coat of arms of Panevėžys –
9912-514: The placement of Gediminas' Cap on the Lithuanian monarch's head and the presentation of a sword . The cap was placed on the head by the Bishop of Vilnius and the sword was presented by the Grand Marshal of Lithuania . The regalia of Vytautas the Great consisted of Gediminas' Cap, sword, ring, flag, and seal. The first inauguration ceremony of a Lithuanian Grand Duke about which there
10030-487: The population of the largest one. Cities are ranked by the size of the population. Grand Duke of Lithuania The monarchy of Lithuania concerned the monarchical head of state of Lithuania , which was established as an absolute and hereditary monarchy . Throughout Lithuania's history there were three ducal dynasties —the House of Mindaugas , the House of Gediminas , and the House of Jagiellon . Despite this,
10148-684: The retreating Red Army in the city or its surroundings. Furthermore, on 27 June, the Wehrmacht had entered Panevėžys and in the end of June the Germans liquidated the staff of the rebels. After Germany attacked the USSR, Panevėžys was occupied by German forces, as it had been during the First World War . It acquired the status of a district center ( Gebietskommissariate ) within the Reichskommissariat Ostland . During
10266-412: The river Nevėžis and the city name means "along the Nevėžis." Panevėžys Mound with a flat top and 1.5 – 2 meters high embankments previously stood at the confluence of river Nevėžis and stream Sirupis (destroyed in the 19th – 20th centuries). Throughout the 16th century, the city maintained a status of a Royal town. Communities of Poles inhabit the area from the 19th century, and Karaites , settled in
10384-467: The robbers will be shot on the spot, and ordered to remove all signs which reminisced the Soviet rule. Moreover, the scouts were sent to all roads leading from the city and on 25 June, at the initiative of the rebels, the Piniavos Bridge and the food factory Maistas were demined . The Panevėžys Post Office was peacefully passed into the hands of the rebels. During the first days of the war,
10502-623: The same year of October, Vytautas up until his death had planned his coronation at least two more times but with no success. In 1526, the Lithuanian Council of Lords suggested King Sigismund I the Old to grant the Grand Duchy of Lithuania the status of a kingdom, but such a proposal was rejected by the ruling Jagiellonian dynasty. During the First World War , the German Empire wanted Lithuania proper to be annexed and become
10620-411: The second floors are depicted. Above the gate – three towers, behind them, in the middle – a powerful tower. As the historical colors of the coat of arms are unknown, it was decided to use the most common colors and metals in the heraldry of Lithuanian cities: silver (white), red, and as auxiliary – black. The current coat of arms of Panevėžys is a red brick building in the silver panel field, symbolizing
10738-577: The second half of the 18th century, Panevėžys, like many other small cities affected by the wars, consisted almost exclusively of wooden one-storey houses. In 1727, on the western side of the New Panevėžys Square, the construction of the ensemble of the Piarists Monastery was started: the monastery building, the church and the college (to be rebuilt after the fire of 1790 with a Classicist style stone masonry church ). New buildings and
10856-616: The sixties and seventies, large industrial companies were built: Lietkabelis, reinforced concrete products, precision mechanics, autocompressors, Ekranas factory, glass factory. Consequently, the city grew rapidly as residents from the surrounding villages and other districts moved to Panevėžys and construction of apartment districts has begun. The first quarters of 4–5 storey brick houses were built in P. Rotomskio (now Marijonų), Vilnius, J. Basanavičius streets, while since 1965 large-scale prefabricated houses were built, mainly five-storey (so-called khrushchyovkas ). The characteristic features of
10974-550: The state vodka monopoly in Kranto Street (built in 1880; served as a Panevėžys Cannery during the Soviet period ), building of the current Juozas Balčikonis Gymnasium (1884), residential house of J. Kasperovičius (1889; served as a court during the interwar period , later as a Local Lore Museum during the Soviet period and currently is the Panevėžys City Art Gallery), historicism brick style prison buildings –
11092-849: The style of Lithuanian modernism began to prevail: building of the Panevėžys branch of the Bank of Lithuania (1931), Panevėžys State Girls' Gymnasium in Smėlynės Street (1932; architect Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis ), Panevėžys District Municipality Building (1933), Jewish People's Bank building in Respublikos Street (1933; now restaurant Nendrė vėjyje ), Panevėžys City Primary School No. 3 in Ukmergės Street (1935), Panevėžys Regional Health Insurance Fund Building (1937), primary school in Danutės Street (1938; now Panevėžys 5th Gymnasium),
11210-431: The throne, as in the case of Gediminas who was recognised as king of Lithuania by Pope John XXII . The hereditary monarchy in Lithuania was first established in the 13th century during the reign of Mindaugas I and officially re-established as a constitutional monarchy on 11 July 1918, only to be abandoned soon afterwards on 2 November 1918. During the inaugurations of Lithuanian monarchs until 1569, Gediminas' Cap
11328-447: The twelve-point document resembling the rudiments of a Constitution, the Kingdom of Lithuania was supposed to have had a bicameral legislature with a representative role of the monarch. Wilhelm von Urach was also presented with conditions such as adopting the title of Mindaugas II, letting his children to a Lithuanian school, only appointing courtiers , ministers and other high-ranking public officials who are Lithuanian citizens and speak
11446-514: The uprising were in Ramygala and Krekenava counties. The participants of the uprising were also active in the city of Panevėžys. On 25 June 1941, the Panevėžys Staff of the June Uprising was established in the city which was headed by Lieutenant Colonel Antanas Stapulionis . One of the staff's tasks was to oversee the order in the city, thus Antanas Stapulionis had issued an order stating that
11564-598: The west of the city, it is planned to install another, Kniaudiškės Park, the area of which will reach 7.7 hectares. Other important green areas in the city are Senvagė, Palace of Communities ( Lithuanian : Bendruomenių rūmų ), 13 January ( Lithuanian : Sausio 13-osios ), Remembrance ( Lithuanian : Atminimo ), Povilas Plechavičius squares, A. Baranauskas Park. As well as the greenery of Freedom ( Lithuanian : Laisvės ), Independence ( Lithuanian : Nepriklausomybės ), and Volunteers ( Lithuanian : Savanorių ) squares. Over 6 million euros were invested in renovation of
11682-405: The wooden synagogue built in 1794 did not change the city plan, but highlighted the city center, which had no striking accents in terms of size and spatial composition. Of these buildings, only the church has survived to this day, while others were damaged during the World War II and were demolished in the post-war years. The houses around the city's square highlighted its space, while the part of
11800-481: Was Ramygalos Street, which was divided into two branches at the northern end and between them was a triangular market square. At the end of the 18th century, a mixed plan of Panevėžys was forming: it consisted of three parts of different sizes and different stages of development. The entire structure was dominated by New Panevėžys in which the Piarists Monastery with a Classicist style towerless stone church
11918-441: Was a center of operations by local knygnešiai (book smugglers). In 1880, Naftalis Feigenzonas established the first printing house in Panevėžys. At the end of the book prohibition, one of the Lithuanian book smugglers – * Juozas Masiulis [ lt ] – in 1905 opened the first Lithuanian bookstore and printing house. The building is still a landmark of Panevėžys, and local people are proud of this heritage, symbolized in
12036-494: Was a quarter between Ukmergė and Elektros streets, which has long been inhabited by the poor Jews (so-called Slobodka ); at the end of the 1960s many brick apartment buildings were built in this quarter along with the Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre (1967–1968). Industrial enterprises were renovated in the post-war years, three-storey blocks of flats were built in empty places in the city center and near
12154-427: Was adjusted, and Laisvės Square was renewed. In the early 1920s, the city lacked funds, thus the first slightly more significant building was a modest one-storey primary school with an attic at the intersection of Marija (now A. Smetona) and Klaipėdos streets, built in 1923; in the same year a wooden Panevėžys County Hospital was built. Since the end of the 1920s, much more significant buildings have been built. In 1928,
12272-403: Was agreed that the title "Grand Duke of Lithuania" will be received by a jointly elected monarch in the Election sejm on his accession to the throne, thus losing its former institutional significance, however the Union of Lublin guaranteed that the institution and the title "Grand Duke of Lithuania" will be preserved. The demand of a separate inauguration ceremony of the Grand Duke of Lithuania
12390-648: Was baptised as a Roman Catholic. In 1253, probably in Vilnius or Novogrudok , he and his wife Morta were crowned King and Queen, thus establishing a short-lived alliance with the Livonian Order . This laid the basis for the international recongnition of the newly created Kingdom of Lithuania as a Western country. Some historical documents suggest that at the time of signing the Treaty of Salynas in 1398, Lithuanian nobles had acknowledged Vytautas as their King as
12508-504: Was breaching the agreements of the Union of Grodno (1432) and terminating the Polish–Lithuanian union . It manifested Lithuania as a sovereign state and its ruler Casimir IV Jagiellon stressed himself as a "free lord" ( pan – dominus ). According to historian Edvardas Gudavičius , Bishop of Vilnius put a Gediminas' Cap in the Vilnius Cathedral on his head, despite the Polish nobility 's opposition. Another documented inauguration
12626-452: Was built in the 17th century between Old and New Panevėžys. The description of Kovno Governorate mentions a 128 meters long bridge on poles. In the interwar period , the city had two reinforced concrete bridges and three wooden bridges, which the city municipality were removing in the winters to prevent them from being carried away by ice. Both reinforced concrete bridges, named as Laisvės ( Freedom ) and Respublikos ( Republic ), were built in
12744-624: Was closed after the Uprising of 1831 and the monks' corps was turned into a military barracks, while the Catholic church was remade into an Eastern Orthodox church . There were a number of brick buildings in New Panevėžys, some of them in the Classicist style and brick buildings began to dominate in the city center. However, unlike in most Lithuanian cities , Panevėžys spread over a rather large area on both sides of Nevėžis and lacked buildings which would have formed its silhouette and highlighted
12862-735: Was established and flourished in the town. Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman (1886–1969) was its rosh yeshiva (head) and president. Known as the "Ponovezher Rov", he was also the leading rabbi of Panevėžys. He managed to escape to the British Mandate of Palestine where he set about rebuilding the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak where it still exists in modern Israel. It has a very large student body of young Talmud scholars. The town's population rose to 26,200 between 1923 and 1939. On 15 June 1940, Red Army military forces took over
12980-415: Was established in 2013. Panevėžys is situated in the middle of Lithuania; it is halfway between two Baltic capitals – Vilnius and Riga . The good geographical location with good road infrastructure, and the international highway Via Baltica provides opportunities for business. The city is connected by railway to Šiauliai (Lithuania) and Daugavpils (Latvia), as well as with Rubikiai / Anykščiai by
13098-572: Was integrated into the Panevėžys City Municipality building complex), neoclassical with Art Nouveau style features Panevėžys Credit Society Palace (1915; now Panevėžys County Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė Public Library). During the World War I around 100 buildings were damaged or destroyed in Panevėžys. Following the Lithuanian Wars of Independence , Panevėžys began to recover: city's bridges were renovated (1925), streets were paved,
13216-518: Was more popular for residential housing, thus houses in Panevėžys were also much cheaper (~9,000 LTL ) than in Kaunas (~30,000 LTL) and Šiauliai (~19,000 LTL). During the World War II , Panevėžys was damaged quite severely again. After the war, part of the historic buildings were reconstructed, and large-scale buildings that did not correspond to the historical scale appeared in the destroyed places and empty spaces. The mostly damaged part of Panevėžys
13334-588: Was newly reconstructed in 2018–2020 for 1.7 million euros. The main recreational water body of the city is Ekranas Lagoon with place for launching boats, pontoon jetty with place for lowering and raising kayaks , mooring berth, as well as pedestrian and bike paths , recreation and entertainment areas near it. According to the 2021 census, the city population was 89,100 people, of which: List of cities in Lithuania In Lithuania , there are 103 cities ( miestai ). The term city
13452-528: Was placed on the monarch's head by the Bishop of Vilnius in Vilnius Cathedral . Lithuania in the present day is a representative democracy in a semi-presidential system based on popular sovereignty , as defined in the current Constitution of Lithuania , and has no monarchy. The full title held by king of Lithuania from 1253 to 1263 was: In Lithuanian : Iš Dievo malonės, Lietuvos karalius In Latin : Dei Gratia Rex Lettowiae In English : By
13570-453: Was raised by the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (e.g. Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł , Eustachy Wołłowicz , Jan Karol Chodkiewicz , Konstanty Ostrogski ) during the negotiations of the Union of Lublin, however it was not officially included into it. Nevertheless, before the 1576 Polish–Lithuanian royal election a congress of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's nobles was held on 20 April 1576 in Grodno which adopted an Universal, signed by
13688-407: Was rebuilt after the fire of 1790. Since the early 19th century, New Panevėžys grew faster and by the middle of the century its territory spread mostly to the west, less to the east, and with other parts of the city – Old Panevėžys and especially the grown-up Smėlynė (which had 7 streets and a square in 1856) – had already formed a single complex. As the territory grew more slowly than the population,
13806-457: Was sometimes regarded as Rex Lethowinorum (King of Lithuanians) while his successor Gediminas took the Latin title of Rex Lithuanorum et Multorum Ruthenorum (King of Lithuanians and many Ruthenians ). Teutonic Knights referred to Algirdas and his wife Uliana ( Julijona ) as "Grand King of Lithuania" and "Grand Queen of Lithuania". Even though it is traditionally accepted that Mindaugas
13924-400: Was the only true king, all historical records, with the exception of Slavic annals, mention Lithuanian rulers as kings until 1386. Officially, the title of Grand Duke of Lithuania was introduced after the Pact of Horodło in 1413. Until then, previous monarchs were called by different titles, including kings. This was because in Lithuania, unlike in the majority of other European monarchies,
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