Šiauliai streets tell their stories. Stoties Street

The city’s design plan of early 20 century shows a street going parallel to the railway called Zastavnaja ulica (Užkardos Street). Although in the plan it stretched throughout the city, it was actually much shorter: started at the current Tilžės Street and, branching off from the current Povilo Višinskio Street, led to the railway station. Before World War I, the street was already called Geležinkelio Street. After the war, it was started to be called Stoties Street. During the Soviet period, it was called Komjaunimo Street. In 1990, the name Stoties was returned to the street.

Nowadays, the name of the street also reflects its function: merging into Dubijos Street, Stoties Street connects bus and railway stations.

St George’s Church

The current St George’s church was built in 1909 for the funds of the Tsarist Government of Russia as the Russian Army’s church. The church was built on the plot of land of the Jakševičiai, which at that time belonged to Stanislava Jakševičiūtė-Venclauskienė, without the legal ownership basis. Her husband, a prominent lawyer Kazimieras Venclauskis initiated a lawsuit and won it: the plot had to be returned; and the church, taken away. After the intervention of the Ministry of War, the agreement was reached and the church was left in its place.

During the years of World War I, the church that fell into the hands of the German occupation authorities was turned into a weapons warehouse. After the war, the church was given over for the spiritual needs of the 3 Regiment of the Lithuanian Army.

In 1919, the church was consecrated, the name of St George the Martyr was given to it.

The church was passed onto the bishop of Samogitia. In 1923, the parish rights were granted to it.

Sweets, Chocolate, Marmalade and Coffee Factory Birutė

In 1911, sweets, chocolate, marmalade and coffee factory Birutė in Stoties Street was founded. The owner Vladas Vaitkus, the former seller of Juknevičius’ food store, was a very talented and shifty merchant. He opened his factory for only 500 roubles – supposedly borrowed as well. The owner called the first sweet met with great commercial success “Dul-dul-dūdelė”.

After World War I, the factory produced 175 types of sweets. The goods were taken to the city and province by a promotional vehicle. There were factory shops in Kaunas, Šiauliai and Panevėžys. The production was exported to the USA, Germany and Denmark. He raked in several gold medals at Lithuanian exhibitions. Birutė was awarded a silver medal at the world exhibition in London in 1928.

The Jewish Elementary School Talmud Torah

The current building at Stoties Street 11 housed the Talmud Torah – a two-storey brick school for children of poor Jews, opened with Frenkelis’ money in 1899. Its basis was religious subjects and knowledge of primary education. Its curriculum equated two classes of the Jewish folk school. The school had four teachers. According to data of 1902, 116 children studied here. After World War I, the school was named the Jewish school.

The Square in Stoties Street

Monument Pirmoji diena (The First Day)

This monument is dedicated to the enlightened person, teacher, publicist and public figure, author of school textbooks Jonas Murka (1889-1945). J. Murka who lived and worked most of his life in Šiauliai is a creator of the national school and the author of 19 books. In 1928, for his educational work he was awarded a fourth-degree Order of Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas.

The First Day is a monument not only to Jonas Murka: it is probably the first monument to the Teacher in Lithuania. The sculptor from Vilnius Džiugas Jurkūnas was maturing the idea to perpetuate the memory of the great-grandfather for a long time and was very pleased for the opportunity to implement it in Šiauliai. The monument was designed and built with the private funds of Jonas Murka’s grandchildren and great grandchildren in 2015.