architecture – History of Šiauliai

Present-Day Šiauliai

Šiaulių TIC — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 14:28:42 +0000

Šiauliai is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, the centre of science, culture and economy of Northern Lithuania, which has retained deep traditions of the city of industry and enterprising people. It is a city with over 106 thousand inhabitants, but the area of the city is almost equal to Klaipėda – its territory doubled when Zokniai airport and vicinities were connected in the Soviet period and the city’s southern area was built. At one point in time, Šiauliai was the third largest Lithuanian city, only after separating Ginkūnai area from the city, Šiauliai again returned to the fourth place. The majority of the population is Lithuanians. This was not always the case. Still at the beginning of the last century, the majority of the population was made up of Jews, who left a deep historical, cultural and economic trace in the city, as well as Russians, Germans and members of other national communities.

Šiauliai became involved in the development of self-governance straight after announcement of independence. During the years of the first Republic of Lithuania, namely Šiauliai created the first democratic municipality in Lithuania. Thus, it was not surprising that, not even a month after the proclamation of the Independence Act, Šauliai authorities already gathered to the first session of the city’s Council of People’s Deputies (soon renamed as the council of Šiauliai municipality), where they elected a chairman who, after a couple of weeks, was replaced by the elected mayor of the city.

On September 7^th, 1993, on his way to the Hill of Crosses (Jurgaičiai Mound), located near Šiauliai, Pope John Paul II visited, prayed and rested in Šiauliai. Following this visit, by his special decree, Šiauliai Peter and Paul’s Church was given the title of the Cathedral, this way transforming Motiejus Valančius’ words about the Cathedral of Samogitia that stood here for 400 years in his times, into reality; the Diocese of Šiauliai was set up.

From 1993, the ‘Aušra’ Museum begins to expand rapidly and takes over the Radio and Television and Bicycle Museums and Ch. Frenkelis’s Villa. Upon completion of reconstruction works of the Villa, which were started in 1995, the Villa becomes a new cultural-representative place, the centre of most of the city’s high culture events, hosting exhibitions in its premises and the inner courtyard, a place of meetings with artists, concerts, performances, and art festivals. In 2009, according to the project prepared by the ‘Aušra’ Museum for the funds of Lithuania and Norway (according to the Norwegian financial mechanism), Žaliūkiai windmill, one of the most important accents of Šiauliai city landscape and the centre of ethno-culture and traditional crafts, and the 19^th century miller’s farmstead, standing nearby, were restored and adapted to the public needs. In addition to these projects, the Museum completed the reconstruction of one of its units, the Museum of Photography, adding the top floor and turning the Museum into a four-storied building with an open-air terrace on the roof open for visitors and events. This is the only institution of this kind in Lithuania, dedicated to the art and equipment of photography.

In 1997, upon the decision to reorganize Šiauliai Pedagogical Institute and Šiauliai Polytechnic Faculty of Kaunas University of Technology, Šiauliai University was established. Over the years, the higher education institution grew, joining new spaces, turning them into its divisions and, at the same time, established close international relations with other universities of the world, becoming a significant player in the city’s region.

The Zokniai airport belonging to the city serves both military and civilian purposes. The traditions of Šiauliai as a national defence point, known since the Middle Ages, remained: there is a military air base at the airport, where since 2004, NATO fighter aircrafts patrolling the air space of the Baltic States have been deployed. In addition, cargo aircrafts of international companies are taking off and landing.

In 2007, Šiauliai Arena, a multifunctional complex for sports, mass culture and chamber events, was officially opened. It hosts the city’s all biggest sports, business and cultural events, including the European Basketball Championship group tournament matches in 2011 and performances of world music celebrities.

The University, non-university higher educational institutions, the drama theatre, the ‘Aušra’ Museum, professional art groups, and a new sports arena provide Šiauliai with perspectives to remain the attraction centre of the whole region. The city fosters its history and strives to become a modern European city.

The city is created and each time reconsidered by its people, so it is people who will decide what awaits Šiauliai in the future. One after another new monuments are created for those who lived and matured as creators and as people, such as Algirdas Julius Greimas, a world-renowned scholar in linguistics or signatories to the Act of Independence of 16 February, 1918. Alongside, new scampy ideas and artistic works, creating the image of a playful and lively city, are born. These are accompanied by active renewal works, renovation of the city’s public spaces, gaining a new concept, initiated construction works of the city’s central square. Thus, the city is changing, modernizing and steadily moving in the rhythm of the 21^st century.

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Fot. Saulius Jankauskas

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Talkšos ežeras, Saulės Laikrodžio aikštė. Fot. Gabrielė Gendvilaitė.

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Frenkelis. Festivalio atidarymas

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Skulptūra Šaulys. Autorius skulpt. Stanislovas Kuzma. Fot. Virginijus Kinčinaitis.

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Šimtmetį švenčiantys Šiauliai. Fot. Gintautas Plungė.

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Šiaulių Šv. apaštalų Petro ir Pauliaus katedra. Fot. Saulius Jankauskas.

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Šiauliu arena. Fot. Algirdas Musneckis.

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Šiauliečių akcija Šypsokis, Saules mieste. Fot. Aleksandr Reznik

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Rekyvos ežeras. Fot. Andrius Mačiūnas.

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Pietinis naktyje. Fot. Mindaugas Macaitis.

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Motokrosas. Fot. Evaldas Černiauskas.

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Miesto šventė Šiaulių naktys. Fot. Rinat Tarzumanov.

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Saulius Jankauskas ©

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Šiauliai and Sąjūdis Activities

Šiaulių TIC — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 18:54:18 +0000

From the very beginning, Šiauliai community with the representatives of local intellectuals took active part in the activities of the initiative group of Lithuanian reform movement Sąjūdis. After little more than a month when this group was formed, on July 22, 1988, the first event of Sąjūdis was held: a meeting in the Sundial Square, rallying a lot of people from Šiauliai and all over the area. The event called for sovereignty of Lithuania, introduction of democracy, it condemned the cruelty of Stalinism times, monetary donations were collected for the construction of the monument to Povilas Višinskis, a prominent member of the Lithuanian national movement and language conservator, it was urged to take care of the Lithuanian language and restore the historical truth. Like in all other cities, Šiauliai Sąjūdis community mostly focused on the Lithuanian language and ethnic culture, and put their main efforts into freedom and independence of Lithuania. For that purpose, meetings were held in the city, discussions in the classrooms of higher education institutions took place. In October, 1988, one of the most prominent events of the first year of Rebirth was organised in Šiauliai – the Language festival, aimed at paying attention to the situation of the Lithuanian language that severely suffered during the years of occupation. On October 12 of the same year, the city council granted a status of a public organization to Sąjūdis movement of Šiauliai city. After five days, the founding conference of Šiauliai groups of Sąjūdis movement was organized in Šiauliai drama theatre. The conference elected the representatives of the future Seimas, discussed the main issues, and decided to publish the publication of the city’s Sąjūdis movement. On December 12-22, the Lithuanian drama festival ‘Atgaiva’ was held in Šiauliai, presenting performances based on the prohibited drama works of Lithuanian emigrants, which were banned during the years of occupation, to the audience. Stage art was accompanied by a series of lectures, delivered by culture, science and public figures, such as the future signatory Romualdas Ozolas, historian Liudas Truska. August 23, 1989, the day that went down in the history of Lithuania as The Baltic Way day, was celebrated by Šiauliai people particularly loudly: organizing theatrical events in the city’s streets and Pergalė Square (later renamed as Prisikėlimo Square), sneering at the Nazis and Bolsheviks, who one after another occupied Lithuania in the Second World War. After these events, the city quickly emptied – all went to The Baltic Way action.

The systematic activity of Šiauliai Sąjūdis movement led to shrinking numbers of pro-Soviet persons and members of the Communist Party of Lithuania from the ranks of Šiauliai city council. They were pushed by the representatives of Sąjūdis, their delegated and supported persons. People close to Sąjūdis movement began to lead the city council. Mindaugas Stakvilevičius, Donatas Morkūnas, Romualdas Ozolas, Virginijus Kačinskas, Kęstutis Lapinskas and Algimantas Sėjūnas were elected by Šiauliai people to the Supreme Council and became the signatories to the Act of March 11, which announced the fact of the Restoration of the Republic of Lithuania.

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Baltijos kelio diena Šiauliuose.

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Baltijos kelio diena Šiauliuose.

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Baltijos kelio diena Šiauliuose.

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Cultural Life

Šiaulių TIC — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 18:51:20 +0000

A significant contribution to the formation of the regional cultural centre in the city was made by Šiauliai ‘Aušra’ Museum – the institution around which cultural life was revolving during the interwar period and during the war. The Museum continued its educational and cultural mission in the post-war period too. The end of the war and five years after it became the years of trial for this institution. Even a few caches in the city, where cultural values were hidden, were bombarded. Cultural values kept in these caches were severely damaged, especially those that were hidden in St. Peter and Paul’s Church, in ‘Gubernija’ brewery. The very building of the Museum also burned down, so there was no place to return the evacuated values after the war, for that reason they were plundered, destroyed or gradually declined due to poor housing conditions. The Museum had to exist without any premises. It was a very difficult period. The office and part of the surviving exhibits were moved to Peliksas Bugailiškis’s house. Later, the Museum was given the building of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, where the remaining exhibits were stored.

In 1955, the Venclauskiai house became the new refuge for the Museum. In 1966, the Museum regained its former building, which housed it from 1933 until the battles in the city during the Second World War. From then on, rapid expansion of the institution began. The Museum gets several buildings one after another, which become its divisions. In 1967, Žaliūkiai windmill,which was built in 1880 and belonged to Danieliai family, was transferred to the Museum. In 1976, the Museum was supplemented with Šiauliai Division of Photography Art Society of Lithuania, founded by photographer Antanas Dilis, which becomes the Photography Department of ‘Aušra’ Museum and since then has been called the Museum of Photography. In 1985, the house of poet Jonas Krikščiūnas-Jovaras also goes to ‘Aušra’ Museum.

Around 1978, there were 77 libraries in Šiauliai. The central library system, children’s library were established. Most of the larger institutions and organizations had private libraries. Povilas Višinskis Public Library, founded in 1951, became the city’s important cultural centre. In 1978, it was moved to new, much more spacious premises because both the fund of books and other publications as well as the numbers of readers and staff were growing. In 1989, the library already employed 119 people. The new library offered excellent conditions for organizing various events.

In 1946, in the former People’s House, Šiauliai City Culture House was established. It had 3 halls, 13 rehearsal rooms, a reading room. More than 500 events were held annually. It was a place for rehearsals of ‘Jovaras’ ensemble, the symphony orchestra, ballet, ballroom dances, children’s drama clubs, the veterans’ choir, the puppet theatre, and the Esperanto club.

During the Soviet period, the drama theatre continued to operate in Šiauliai, raising a number of prominent theatre personalities. In 1953-1989, there were 5 cinemas in Šiauliai: ‘Tiesa’(founded in 1956), ‘Palydovas’ (1961), ‘Saulė’ (1966), ‘Laikas’ (1978) and ‘Dainai’ (1979).

In 1965, the Department of Drawing and Handicraft, established at the Pedagogical Institute, was a great impetus to further development of art in Šiauliai. Later, this department grew into the Faculty of Arts, which rallied all the artists of that time of the city. In addition to this department, in 1967, the Children’s Art School was founded. The exhibition period started: art exhibitions were organized both in the Exhibition Palace (currently Art Gallery) belonging to ‘Aušra’ Museum and in the Culture House, the Engineers’ Chamber. At that time, the artists’ community was formed, which not only participated in art exhibitions but also created monumental decorative art works, theatrical scenography, playbills, posters.

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Zubovų rūmai (čia buvo įkurtas Dailės fakultetas).

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Titnago spaustuvė Šiauliuose.

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Šiaulių dramos teatro pastatas.

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Industrial Situation in the City

Šiaulių TIC — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 18:46:55 +0000

In 1950, there were already 27 enterprises in Šiauliai – only by one third less than before the city’s bombarding during the Second World War. The most distinguished were representatives of leather, textile and knitwear products. These were leather factories and plants: ‘Elnias’ (the former Ch. Frenkelis’s factory, restored after the war; the enterprise was equipped with the first conveyor in Lithuania and it quickly became the largest in Šiauliai), ‘Batas’, ‘Stumbras’ (the former brothers’ Nurokai factory). The factory ‘Elegant’ (in 1945, reorganized into ‘Verpstas’) dominated the knitwear industry. The leading factory in the textile industry was the flax processing factory ‘Linas’ (the former ‘Semlin’ factory). All of these enterprises were related by the Soviet nomenclative attitude to the nationalized industrial property, common in the whole Soviet Union: constant shortage of raw materials, plunder in the very enterprises using one’s position, and waste of funds, effecting quality of working conditions and tools.

Food industry recovered rapidly because meat production company ‘Maistas’ almost did not suffer during the war and transported its products to all Soviet Union. The sweets and confectionery factory ‘Rūta’ also quickly recovered after the years of the war. Having established economic relations with trade partners in the whole world, it began to grow rapidly again. The starch-syrup factory ‘Gliukozė’, established in the premises for storing linseed oil of the former enterprise ‘Ringuva’, was the most important enterprise of this kind in Lithuania, offering its products to the whole region: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Kaliningrad. The brewery ‘Gubernija’, the oldest industrial enterprise of Šiauliai, the origins of which are said to date back to 1665, when it operated as a brewery of Šiauliai manor, was almost completely destroyed during the war but managed to recover and started fully functioning. Most of the production was sold in Šiauliai city and county; and the smaller part, in other cities of Lithuania.

In the post-war period, metal processing and machine manufacturing industry was formed in Šiauliai, although until then there were no machine manufacturing enterprises. The manufacturing of bicycles began growing: upon forfeiture as the spoils of war against the Nazi, the Soviets transferred the bicycle factory from Germany and equipped it in Šiauliai; later, it was renamed as ‘Vairas’. Initially, it suffered from the poor supply of raw materials and the never-ending construction of the enterprise; later, it became known as the manufacturer of bicycles for teenagers ‘Kregždutė’ and ‘Ereliukas’, which were transported to all Soviet Union and some foreign countries. Another, new industrial sector – gypsum production – started developing in ‘Alebastro’ factory. There were also other industries, such as fuel and energy, brick, peat, typography, cardboard and other factories as well as enterprises providing services. Generally speaking, most of the enterprises founded at that time were created in the places of enterprises that had been operating in the interwar period.

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Alaus darykla „Gubernija“.

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Televizorių gamykla.

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Batų gamykla.

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Šiauliai in the Soviet System

Šiaulių TIC — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 18:42:06 +0000

In the city’s general plan, developed in the beginning of the 7^th decade of the 20^th century, Šiauliai was designed as an industrial and cultural centre of Northern Lithuania. During the Soviet period, the city began to grow rapidly. From 1952 till 1979, its territory doubled (from 35,3 to 69,6 sq. km). This was due to the decision to connect Zokniai Airport and vicinities to the city and rapid growth of residential, industrial and commercial buildings around the bicycle factory ‘Vairas’. One after another, villages Lieporiai, Dainiai and other were connected. This way new residential areas and the southern part of the city, which in the length of time started to be called the southern area, began to develop. Population grew even more rapidly: from 32,2 thousand in 1949 to 145,6 thousand Šiauliai residents in 1989. The city became the centre of land transport and military air transport of the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, the Second World War and the subsequent repressions left almost empty ranks of the city’s intellectuals. The majority of them either moved to the West, the European countries and America or was deported to the depth of the Soviet state. The education system was stuffing pupils’ heads with the communist ideology. After Stalin’s death, in the sixth decade, education matters began improving. The problem of illiteracy was almost solved, and the overall level of educatedness rose significantly: from 12 per cent of persons with higher, secondary and special education in 1959 to 65 per cent in 1989.

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Gegužės pirmosios iškilmės.

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Aušros takas.

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Šiaulių miestų komjaunimo rūmai.

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Šiaulių bulvaras.

Foto 5

Pergalės aikštė.

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The City’s Cultural Life – the Dawn of Awakening Consciousness

Šiaulių TIC — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 17:51:42 +0000

The city’s stronger economy and administrative apparatus was followed by the emergence of various organizations, movements and the like. As new educational and medical institutions were set up, the intelligentsia also grew, because most of its representatives traditionally until then worked in budgetary institutions located in other parts of the Russian Empire. The intelligentsia hastened to rally into organizations, committees, societies, clubs. In this historical process, Šiauliai was destined to become one of the most important focal points of rallying and activities of Lithuanian intelligentsia. Šiauliai city gymnasium, which not only educated young intellectuals but also promoted their activities, was particularly important. Usually the main organizers of the city’s cultural life were former pupils of the gymnasium and their teachers. The nobles with counts Zubovai at the forefront helped very much by volunteering in the organization and sponsoring of activities.

Among these intellectuals one representative of the clergy distinguished himself. It was Ignacas Štachas, an enthusiastic and active Chancellor of the Diocese of Samogitia, who graduated from Varniai Priest Seminary and in the end of the first half of the 19^th century was appointed as a priest in Šiauliai. This man was one of the first proclaimers of teetotalism in Lithuania, whose example inspired Motiejus Valančius to start the teetotalism movement activities. In addition to his direct duties, being an intellectual, educator and historian, I. Štachas soon noticed that one of the most significant reasons for the obscurantism and enslavement of the society was the network of pubs that flourished in the Tsarist Russia, promoting strong drunkenness. He and his affinity group began setting up teetotallers’ fraternities, resulting in considerable reduction of the number of places selling alcohol during the years of his service in Šiauliai. I. Štachas contributed to the repair works of Šiauliai church, and his authority in the city was great. Not without reason, bishop M. Valančius, who visited Šiauliai, later wrote that Šiauliai people were very fond of priests, and their church was worthy of being a cathedral.

In 1860-1861, thanks to the local nobility and authorities, the Public Library was established. At that time, it was one of the first libraries in the history of Lithuania, which in addition to Polish literature had a lot of books on philosophy, nature, and law. Unfortunately, in 1864, after the suppression of the rebellion, it was closed. After the closure of the Public Library, all of its funds were transferred and added to the gymnasium library funds, which became the most important library that had publications of various content. In 1883, V. Bielskis funded and established a secret library, where the works of the very V. Bielskis, N. Chernyshevsky, other Russian and Western revolutionary democrats were stored. The Tsarist authorities wanted but could not close this library because it was set up in count V. Zubovas’s house. This library was particularly important in promoting young people’s progressive views. In 1900, the Public Library was restored and its society, headed by V. Zubovas and attended by such personalities as K. Šalkauskis, K. Venclauskas, V. Bielskis, B. Nurokas and others, was approved. There were more societies and other organizations. In 1868, the Citizens’ Club was founded, mostly consisting of Russian nationality intellectuals – gymnasium teachers and officials, who wanted to spend their free time meaningfully. This Club had its own library, reading room, amateur drama group, etc., it also arranged concerts, various artistic performances. Another very active organization, founded in 1908, was the literary, drama and musical society ‘Varpas’. Although it existed only for six years, it managed to do considerable work. Its activities encompassed most of the cultural life of the city’s Lithuanians. It was a society that acted as a cultural institution: had its own management board, rented premises for a hall containing several hundred seats and a stage, a library with a reading room, and had its own finances. Although it focused on theatre and creation of performances, it also had a choir of 80 members, readers and musicians. There were active Catholic organizations: St. Joseph Workers’ Catholic Society (later reorganized into Šiauliai Christian St. Joseph’s Mutual Assistance Society), Šiauliai division of Lithuanian Catholic Teetotallers’ Society, ‘Darbo’ club intended for female Catholic workers and maids. After the revolution of 1905-1907, Jewish social and cultural life became more active: in 1909-1911, Šiauliai division of Kaunas Jewish Literary Society was developing its activities, in 1912, Jewish music, drama and singing society ‘Gazomir’, which organized concerts, performances, music and literature evenings, was founded.

Another significant accent of Šiauliai cultural life was exhibitions. It is one of the most prominent manifestations of the then cultural life of the city and the result of active efforts of count N. Zubovas, assisted by the landlords of the county. Demonstration of agricultural tools, machines, animals in the exhibitions was aimed at promoting the development of agriculture and industry. The exhibits were brought from both the provinces of Lithuania and provinces of Kuršas, Suwalki, Minsk, Vitebsk, Pavyslis, Prussia districts. The first exhibition was held in 1875; the second, in 1876; the third, in 1879, and later, approximately every three years. In 1914, the exhibition’s events also included theatre troupe and choir performances of ‘Varpas’ society. All these events used to be organized in a specially arranged area, a large exhibition square with a spectacular pavilion building in the centre, around which all the activities took place. This square was located further from the city centre, around the same place where Šiauliai republican hospital now stands.

In the field of literature, active inhabitants of Šiauliai were Laurynas Ivinskis, who was a creator of Lithuanian farmers’ calendars, Bogdanas and Mykolas Oginskiai, the scribe of the marshal of Šiauliai county Aleksandras Mora, the writer of Aušra Juozapas Miliauskas-Miglovara, social and cultural figure Povilas Višinskis, Marija Pečkauskaitė-Šatrijos Ragana, who was inspired by him to write, poet Jonas Krikščiūnas-Jovaras.

The beginning of Lithuanian theatre both in Šiauliai and Lithuania is to be related to the so-called ‘Lithuanian evenings’. For Lithuanians who lived under the rule of the Russian Empire this was the most affordable form of cultural and political activity, struggling for national liberation. In Šiauliai, such events would begin with gegužinės (dancing evenings), which from 1894, were held in Aleksandrija, in the manors of counts Zubovai. On October 31, 1904, mainly by the efforts of Kazimieras and Stanislava Venclauskiai, a public performance ‘Amerika pirtyje’ (‘America in the Bath’) was organized in Šiauliai for the first time in Lithuania, which until then seemed impossible in the Tsarist Empire. Following this and several other public theatre evenings, a group of cultural figures gathered around the Venclauskiai produces several performances, including performances of the plays by Anton Chekhov, and in 1905-1909, a local gymnasium graduate J.Misius, actively involved in theatrical activities in Šiauliai, produces about 12 performances.

The first cinema ‘Elektro-Biografas Modern iš Paryžiaus’ was founded in Šiauliai as early as 1909. The cinema was supplied with a specially equipped electric station, which made the local people call it ‘an electric theatre’. The cinema was equipped with a 180-seat hall. The second cinema named ‘Fantazija’ was founded in 1912. It had a 400-seat hall, and a string orchestra was playing there during breaks and shows. The cinema ‘Fantazija’ was acknowledged the best cinema theatre in the entire Kaunas province.

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Šiaulių Gegužinių (1904 m.)

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Varpo draugijos nariai (1910 m.)

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Amerika pirtyje Palangoje.

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Amerika pirtyje Šiauliuose (afiša).

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Žemės ūkio parodos.

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The Modernizing City

Šiaulių TIC — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 17:41:01 +0000

Even before the end of the 19^th century, lighting of main streets and houses, financed from the city budget, was equipped. In the 20^th century, lighting was equipped by private enterprises: Ch. Frenkelis’s tannery, tannery of brothers Nurokai, ‘Birutė’ sweets factory, etc. Growing industry and trade promoted not only more active postal services but also the spread of new means of telecommunication. In 1865, a telegraph station, which in 1890 employed 20 people, operated in the city. In 1913, Šiauliai post and telegraph office had 11 telephone sets. Internal relations in the city were maintained by telephone; the permissions to lay the line in 1890 were obtained by purchaser O. Kaganas, count N. Zubovas, merchant L. Gocas. In 1911, Šiauliai telephone station started operating.

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Zubovų dvaro rūmai.

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Pašto telegrafo telefono pastatas.

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Grafas Vladimiras Nikolajevičius Zubovas.

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Development of the City’s Industry

Šiaulių TIC — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 17:34:27 +0000

The economic and industrial potential of the city was promoted by emerging local enterprises. Šiauliai of the early 19^th century can be called an agrarian and commercial city, where the majority of the population was engaged in agriculture, even though it did not have its own land. The situation began to change in the middle of the century, when Jewish population, who did not engage in agriculture, but were engaged in trade, began to grow rapidly in the city. As agriculture was prospering, the food industry had the most favourable development conditions. Breweries and vodka distilleries were the most successful industries, like in other cities of Lithuanian provinces at that time, but soon this business encountered a serious problem: the authorities imposed huge excise taxes on drinks produced in the city, while this was not applicable to the production produced in manors, since no tax was imposed on it. In 1875, when large-scale industry started developing, Šiauliai city crafts and small-scale industry were in the penultimate position among the regional centres of Kaunas province, but in the beginning of the 20^th century, as the number of craftsmen was steadily increasing, the city became the centre of the small-scale industry and was the first in the province after Kaunas.

At the turn of the 19^th-20^th centuries, the large-scale industry starts functioning at its full capacity, far from lagging behind other cities of the region or province. Its emergence might have been facilitated by land-based trade routes and import restrictions introduced by the authorities of the central Russian Empire. Here, several branches of industry that were set up should be pointed out. First, it was processing industry of raw materials from livestock, which was weak until the end of the 19^th century, but later grew so much that in the area of leather processing Šiauliai immediately followed Vilnius. Leather processing was initiated by one of the most successful Lithuanian businessmen ever Ch. Frenkelis, who in 1879, founded a leather processing enterprise in Šiauliai. Originally, it consisted of two small wooden houses, which eventually turned into a huge complex of brick buildings. Due to the innovations he introduced, the production of leather processing began modernising substantially and his products were soon noticed and appreciated not only in the provinces in Lithuania and Russian Empire but also in the Western market. In 1905, in world exhibitions held in Paris and Brussels, leather processed in Ch. Frenkelis’s factory was acknowledged as the best and received the highest ratings. Following such astonishing success of the entrepreneur, other business people who lived in the city and who came to the city started following his example and set up their businesses. The factories established by brothers Rogalinai (1894) and Nurokai (1898) continuously grew and increased the employees’ number. Ch. Frenkelis’s factory soon became the largest tannery in the entire Russian Empire: from 1905 to 1914, the turnover of the enterprise grew more than twice – from 7 to 15 million roubles. The factory became known for its red shoe soles, which were especially liked and appreciated. There were soap manufacturing enterprises, which slightly lagged behind these tanneries.

Food industry enterprises began setting up, the largest of which were J. Podliašukas’s tobacco factory, established in 1879 (its successful operation was stopped by the growing excise duties and a fire in 1892, after which the enterprise was no longer able to compete on the market); brothers’ Kaganai sweet and chocolate factory (founded in 1892), which in 1912 employed 250 workers; the first Lithuanian sweets workshop ‘Birutė’, owned by V. Vaitkus, which started operating in 1913.

Paper and polygraph industry also developed in the city, although not so intensively, but especially after the revolution in Russia in 1905-1907. Mostly printing houses prevailed. In 1882, the printing house of J. Volberg and F. Leivand was founded (later rebought by B. Šapiro); in 1896, J. Fridman’s printing house. There were also smaller representatives of wood and metal processing industries.

The most serious competitors of these branches of industry were industries of Aleksandrija and Gubernija manors, which belonged to counts Zubovai. An entire industrial suburb was set up in Gubernija. The brewery of the manor prospered, excise taxes were not applied to it. The brewery became one of the best breweries in the Russian Empire.

In the 19^th century small-scale enterprises were not very successful; they were very few and even these would quickly close up; for example, silk and wool products manufactory founded by the local merchant M. H. Nurokas together with Austrian T. Kiunel in 1858, survived hardly a year, but at the end of the century, Šiauliai became the centre for distribution of manufactured products with prospering N. Zubovas’s shopping house ‘Progresas’, M. Iserlijus’s and J. Podliašukas’s tobacco shop and other shops.

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Miesto vaizdas.

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Miesto vaizdas.

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Gubernijos bravoras.

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Frenkelio fabrikas.

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Šiauliai Becomes the City with Full Rights

Šiaulių TIC — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 19:51:47 +0000

In 1791-1795, the inhabitants of Šiauliai city became important in solving the issue of the city’s self-governance. As the centre of economy and rural district, in which all major state institutions were concentrated, the city stated that it was willing to get the full rights of the city and the coat of arms; and the townspeople, to have more freedom for themselves, which would make them more equal with the nobles, although the latter strongly opposed to this. The privilege of the Magdeburg Law to Šiauliai was granted in 1713, but unfortunately, it was not implemented. This acquired right turned into reality almost after 80 years: in 1791, the city succeeds in achieving its aim. The ruler Stanislovas Augustas confirms the right of a free city and it finally becomes independent, self-governed, and the status of townspeople begins to equal with the one of local nobility, common social unions start developing.

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Šiaulių miesto herbas.

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Augusto privilegijos spalvota.

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Lenkijos karaliaus ir Lietuvos didžiojo kunigaikščio Stanislovo Augusto Poniatovskio suteikta savivaldos privilegija Šiauliams su miesto herbu.

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The City in the Times of Antanas Tyzenhauzas’s Administration

Šiaulių TIC — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 19:28:27 +0000

Not all coercive reforms bring merely bad consequences and offer no beneficial innovations that the country was lacking until then. Also, not all tyrants can only be narcissists thirsty for power with no innovative and progressive thinking. The increasingly rapid rise of Šiauliai city was prompted by a strict reformer.

In 1764, Stanislaw Poniatowski, the king of the Republic of Both Nations redeems the lands of Šiauliai economy and together with other lands transfers the administration of the economies of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to Antanas Tyzenhauzas. The rise of Šiauliai is to be related to this man. In order to make Šiauliai economy, like others too, as prosperous as possible, so that it could give more money to the ruler, A. Tyzenhauzas set the main aims: to establish as many so-called palivarkai (farm and administrative complexes of the manor) as possible, where corvee workers could forcibly work with the most modern agricultural machinery of that time; establish manufactories (manual work-based workshops), using free labour force; create favourable conditions for trade by repairing roads and waterways as well as developing and expanding crafts. During the first three years, a new brickyard, a wind mill were built in the city, the townsmen were equated with peasants, except plot-holders and Jews, and had to perform corvee duties (forced labour) in the manor, to pay the pecuniary rent, the so-called činšas (taxes). Taxes were growing and new ones were emerging, soon causing the dissatisfaction of most of the city inhabitants with such Tyzenhauzas’s decisions and novelties in ruling the economy. This dissatisfaction grew to the peasants’ uprising of 1769, in which townspeople also took part. The latter did not manage to remain united, split into different groups, so the uprising was quickly suppressed, the rebels failed to achieve their aims and demands, and the reforms that triggered this uprising not only did not disappear but remained even after A. Tyzenhauzas was suspended from his duties in 1780. Whatever the situation, the significance and importance of Šiauliai as the centre of the economy was growing: the city was expanding, new institutions emerged. In 1775, the noblemen’s Pilies and Žemės Courts and the treasury of the county were transferred to Šiauliai, later taxes were brought from the territories of all economy, the noblemen’s so-called seimeliai (local authorities), which could elect and send their representative to the Seimas of the state, began to function. During A. Tyznhauzas’s governance period, from a wooden settlement Šiauliai turned into a city, where one after another durable and more luxurious brick buildings began to appear, new straight streets were laid.

All of it became possible thanks to the successfully developed Tyzenhauzas’s programme, one of the most important tasks of which was the establishment of industrial enterprises, crafts and manufactures. Šiauliai enters the stage of an industrial town. In addition to the brickyard, founded in 1767, a linen fabric manufactory under the leadership of a weaver from Switzerland who brought a dozen employees from his country was founded. Thus, it is not by accident that the place where the manufactory was built, is called Switzerland. In the end of the 18^th century, Šiauliai had various craftsmen: brick workers, carpenters, glaziers, nail makers, tinsmiths, blacksmiths, metal workers, turners, wheelwrights, coopers and the like.

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Antanas Tyzenhauzas.

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