urbanism – 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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Education in the Soviet Period

Šiaulių TIC — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 18:49:48 +0000

In 1951, the schools destroyed during the war were rebuilt, but in the beginning there were not enough places in them, later the situation began changing. The level of educatedness in the city grew first due to the strengthening facilities and resources, the growth of which was financially supported by local enterprises. The building trust, the road construction enterprise, the factory of precision machine tools, the bicycle factory, the television factory, furniture factories were just a few enterprises contributing to the support. Schools began growing rapidly, the existing ones were growing and expanding, and at the end of the ninth decade, there were 22 schools in Šiauliai.

Higher education and higher vocational education in the city were provided by the Pedagogical Institute, Šiauliai Faculty of Kaunas Polytechnic Institute, the Pedagogical School, the Higher School of Music, the Polytechnic and the School of Medicine. Since 1948, two-year teacher training institutes were started to be set up in Šiauliai, which trained teachers not only for the city but also for the whole country. There were a lot of talented teachers in Šiauliai, who trained future education specialists, who later used to go to work to places where they were needed most – to Klaipeda and other cities. The Higher School of Music, transferred from Klaipėda, educated music teachers, who rallied to school ensembles and orchestras, successfully performing in various places, or would become singers, laureates of various vocal competitions.

All schools actively participated in the city’s social life, growing talented educators, musicians, ensembles and singers, such as the chamber choir ‘Polifonija’, originally the students’ choir that grew into the professional choir; the Chamber Orchestra of Šiauliai Conservatory, which turned Šiauliai into the cultural centre of Northern Lithuania.

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Aušros muziejaus nuotr.

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Aušros muziejaus nuotr.

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Aušros muziejaus nuotr.

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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.

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Pergalės aikštė.

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Education – the City’s Main Priority

Šiaulių TIC — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:40:53 +0000

Already at the beginning of independence, the employees of the municipality in authority very well understood the importance of education. This is primarily apparent from the funds allocated for the revival of this sector. Here, Šiauliai undoubtedly had the lead among other cities of Lithuania: budget allocation for education in Šiauliai was almost twice larger than that in the temporary capital of Lithuania, Kaunas. Primary schools that were closed during the war were started to be expeditiously restored. Šiauliai Municipality initiated and put efforts to make primary education obligatory and free, accessible to everyone both in the city and the whole Lithuania. Progymnasiums for national minorities – Jews and Germans – provided four-grade primary education in native languages. The activities of Šiauliai Gymnasium were renewed as early as before the end of the First World War. The city’s Gymnasium, which was revived in the years of independence, was mixed for some time, but in 1928, based on the decision of the Ministry of Education, it was divided into previously existing separate boys’ and girls’ gymnasia. The Boys’ Gymnasium provided intensified courses of economics, exact sciences and classical languages; while the Girls’, foreign languages. The Jewish community gymnasium was maintained for the private funds of the community organization at the home of industrialists brothers Nurokai. There used to be various courses for adult teachers, technicians and civil servants who wished to acquire secondary education. These courses originated the establishment of the adult gymnasium in 1921.

In addition to traditional, public education institutions, special schools were established: the School of Music, founded in 1929, in the building housing the company of American Lithuanians in Dvaro street; the School of Commerce, which from 1936 was educating accountants and salesmen so needed for Šiauliai as the centre of industry and trade; the Secondary School of Crafts, which from 1926, educated specialists of two fields: joiners and leather industry specialists; the Teachers’ Seminary, established in 1920, in the former counts Zubovai manor. The latter is to be considered the first higher education institution in Šiauliai, educating teachers for the whole education system of Lithuania. In 1939, Klaipėda Trade Institute, moved from Klaipėda to Šiauliai, became the city’s second higher education institution. Šiauliai Trade Institute was spread in three places of the city: Tautininkai house, the Teachers’ Seminary, and later, also in the newly built post office. It educated highly qualified specialists who were needed for the growing needs of Šiauliai city: transport, trade, industry, credit institutions, banks, insurance specialists.

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Mokytojų seminarijos pastatas (Zubovų rūmai).

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Šiaulių berniukų gimnazija.

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Šiaulių mergaičių gimnazija.

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Mokytojų seminarijos pastatas (Zubovų rūmai).

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Žydų mokyklos mokiniai Ch. Frenkelio vilos kieme prie fontano.

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Šiaulių žydų gimnazijos pastatas.

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Mokytojų seminarijos pastatas (Zubovų rūmai).

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The Contribution of Šiauliai Jews to the City’s Industrial and Financial Activities

Šiaulių TIC — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:32:27 +0000

After the war, the industry quickly recovered reaching the level of the pre-war period, as there were active representatives of the Jewish community in the city. In principal, their active manufacturing and trading activities formed the city’s productive capacity and economic guidelines.

Activities of Ch.Frenkelis, brothers Nurokai, Rogalinai and Choronžickiai tanneries were renewed. By competing, they could both oppose each other as equivalent factories and unite in a cartel, which was able to regulate production prices and the amount needed for the domestic market, when Lithuania was affected by the world crisis at the end of the third decade of the 20^th century.

After the war, the city’s textile industry grew particularly rapidly, as it was planned to turn Šiauliai into the centre of Lithuanian flax processing industry. In 1920, the flax factory ‘Semlin’, founded by Leiba Bernštein, which employed about 2000 employees during a season, arose. In 1932, brothers Joselis and Mendelis Abramsonai set up even three flax processing factories: ‘Litlin’, ‘Litverp’ and ‘Virvolit’. ‘Audiniai’ enterprise, which produced cotton, linen and wool fabrics, matched these factories. This factory greatly influenced further development of the Lithuanian textile industry.

Inter-war industrial and trade activities were credited by Jewish banks: Š. Nurokas’s bank house, I. Choronžickis’s bank, and the Commercial bank. They provided services to private persons, but primarily to large enterprises, trade establishments, various associations, and the city municipality. For example, Š. Nurokas’s bank house mainly financed the activities of Nurokai factory, etc.

In addition to factories, there were enough trade enterprises and shops in the city. Most of them belonged to Jews and were known for the fact that usually the goods did not have prices, as all shopping in such places was a matter of everlasting negotiations between the buyer and the seller. Usually these institutions were set up in the city centre, around one of the most visited places – the cinema ‘Kapitol’.

Due to Jewish entrepreneurship, Šiauliai quickly not only restored its industry and trade to the pre-Tsarist period but also overtook it.

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Ch. Frenkelio fabrikas nuo Prūdelio pusės.

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Šiaulių Didžioji Choralinė sinagoga, vadinta Baltąja gulbe.

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Development of Public Services in the City

Šiaulių TIC — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 18:53:23 +0000

The municipality introduced new hygiene rules in the city: the residents had to build garbage bins at their houses and dig slop pits, constantly clean their streets and yards. Not only the inhabitants and factories, but also other enterprises had to stay clean. All of it was constantly inspected by municipal sanitary commissions. They also checked the level of cleanliness of laundries, baths, canteens, confectioner’s shops, restaurants and hotels. The city authorities forbade the sale of raw meat and herring in markets during the warm season, and the food sold had to be covered and protected from flies and dust.

Innovations emerged in the field of medical services provision. In 19030-1934, Jew Semion Volpert built a house and founded a clinic on its second floor, which was one of the first clinics not only in Lithuania but also in Latvia and Estonia that had an X-ray machine. Jewish hospital founded as early as the middle of the 19^th century in the city centre was also significant: in the interwar period, it was equipped with the entire complex to meet the treatment needs, consisting of a pharmacy, a chemical laboratory, premises for storage of inventory, and a laundry room.

From 1872, fire protection for the city was provided by a voluntary fire brigade supported by the city authorities. In 1928, it already had 50 members, 2 fire trucks with all necessary fire fighting equipment, 2 motorised water pumps and a pair of horses. Its building was built near the buildings of the city municipality, at the address Gaisrininkų St. 3, which survived to this day. But this was not the only fire fighting team. In addition to the tannery, Ch. Frenkelis, could also flaunt his private electric power plant and his own fire fighters’ brigade, established in 1908, consisting of 30 fire fighters who were factory workers. In addition to these, there were 4 more teams in the city, which were subordinate to other enterprises, making the total of 250 fire fighters. Therefore, Šiauliai, which was known for its frequent fires, could breathe easier in the interwar period: there were fires but not many and they would not cause such serious consequences as before.

There were repressive structures in the city too: the court, local police and the prison, which began functioning in 1911, intended to maintain order, provide protection for innocent civilians and to protect law.

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Šiaulių Gaisrininkų draugijos valdybos liudijimas, išduotas Baracevičiui Jonui apie buvimą gaisrininkų draugijos komandos nariu.

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Šiaulių akių, ausų, nosies ir gerklės gydytojo J. Gintylos receptas ir G. Zilbermano optikos bei fotografijos dalykų reklaminis lapelis.

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Šiaulių telefono stoties abonento kvitas Fledžinskui.

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Šiaulių apskrities savivaldybės akių ligoninės vedėjo J.Prialgausko akinių receptas, išrašytas Žukui Juozui.

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Jokūbo Frenkelio kvietimas Sondeckiui atvykti į fabriką, kuriame bus rengiamas fabriko gaisrininkų komandos dvidešimties metų gyvavimo jubiliejus.

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Ch. Frenkelio vila.

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Lietuvos banko pastatas Šiauliuose.

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Senasis pašto pastatas Šiauliuose.

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External Changes of Šiauliai City

Šiaulių TIC — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 18:30:32 +0000

It can be stated that the damage made by occupations to the city was beneficial: it was an impetus to start the renovation of the city’s infrastructure. Šiauliai municipality started promoting the city’s inhabitants to build two-three-storey brick buildings in the city centre. At the same time, old buildings that did not match the newly developed image were demolished. This way the city centre was cleared out of wooden straw-roofed buildings, initiating the development of the picture of the modern city. St. Peter and Paul’s Orthodox Church also appeared among the buildings to be demolished as it did not match the spirit of that period. After the land plot belonging to this church was taken over by the municipality, it was dismantled and moved to another place so that the square located in its former place could be later attached to the newly formed central square of the city. Markets in Šiauliai used to be in two places of the city: near the city’s slaughterhouse, where the so-called horse market would rally (people traded in animals, fodders, firewood, etc.) and near the city’s main market square, where food and other products were sold in the so-called ‘bobturgis’ (women’s market). Since old times, the main market was located in the very heart of the city, on the square near St. Peter and Paul’s Church, which was very unacceptable for the authorities because this was spoiling the aesthetic image of the modernizing city. No place for the market was found in the newly constructed central city square and the market was moved further away from the centre. Since then, the city centre has had place only for the city’s public events and for the events of state significance.

This way, the creation of new public spaces was begun in Šiauliai. Another such public space was given to the municipality as a gift from the local industrialist count Vladimiras Zubovas. It was his Didždvaris park, which, slightly extended turned into the city’s garden or the place where townspeople and guests could spend their free time. It was equipped with two tennis courts open to townspeople and guests.

A number of architectural monuments were presented to the city by talented architects Karolis Reisonas and Vladas Bitė, who lived in Šiauliai in the interwar period and were modern visionaries of their generation. Their most prominent buildings of the interwar period were the buildings of the county municipality, patient funds, the post office, the district court, Bronius Poška’s block of flats, Antanas Juška’s house, the new building of Šiauliai ‘Aušra’ Museum on Aušra Avenue, etc. The city was both reconstructed and modernized: new streets were built and the old ones were broadened, sewage and water supply pipes, telephone lines were laid, electrical wires were equipped. The municipality was discussing where to get enough electricity to meet the city’s needs and decided that the capacity of the private power plant that belonged to Ch. Frenkelis’s enterprise would be insufficient. Then the decision was made to build a thermal power station. This was done by the company of American Lithuanians under the order of city authorities. The company leased the right to use this power plant to the municipality, which eventually took over full control of the power plant. The thermal power station, built in Bačiūnai, near Lake Rėkyva, generated energy that was sufficient both for the needs of Šiauliai (illuminated streets, squares, electrified buildings) and Radviliškis, located nearby. After several years, when one more power station near Lake Rėkyva sprang, there was enough energy not only for Šiauliai but also for the whole region, and due to developed electrification capacities electricity for Šiauliai inhabitants became the cheapest in all Lithuania.

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Laisvės aikštė (dabartinė Prisikėlimo aikštė) nuo Šiaulių katedros bokšto.

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Laisvės aikštė (dabartinė Prisikėlimo aikštė).

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Šiaulių miesto centro vaizdas.

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Telefono linijos tiesimo darbai.

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Aušros alėjos vaizdas.

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Turgaus aikštė.

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Po karo sugriauto Šiaulių miesto atstatymo darbai.

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The Importance of the City for the Newly Created State

Šiaulių TIC — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 18:22:47 +0000

After the First World War, it did not take long for Šiauliai to stand on its feet, and the city’s inhabitants were among the most active creators of the foundations for the internal life and politics of the new state. Šiauliai self-governance was firm, rallying politicians who well knew their aim and had the vision, such as lawyer Kazimieras Venclauskis who had already acquired considerable experience in self-governance still in the years of occupation and who became the first burgomaster of the city and formed the guidelines for self-governance policy; cultural and social activist Antanas Mikševičius, who chaired the management board of Šiauliai cultural society ‘Varpas’ before the war; economist Jackus Sondeckis, who always remaining loyal to social democratic values, greatly improved the city’s health and social situation and laid down the city’s further development guidelines.

The geographical position of Šiauliai again became the reason for its prosperity. In 1923, when the Republic of Lithuania incorporated Klaipėda area, at last it had a port that could be used for trade; thus, the state had to immediately connect Klaipėda and its port with the rest of Lithuania, and Šiauliai as a connecting point became strategically very important. The railway lines were soon built from Šiauliai to Telšiai, and later, via the later, to Kretinga and Klaipėda. Šiauliai tradesmen turned towards Klaipėda through which the relationships with foreign traders were established and there was no need to use the services of Riga port as before.

The improving economic situation boosted the rapid growth of the city. Soon, nearby former settlements were connected, such as the territories of Ginkūnai, Aleksandrija and Gubernija manors, previously ruled by counts the Zubovai, increasing the area of the city more than twice. The residents, who were hiding abroad and in the depth of Russia from the horrors of war, returned. The national composition of the townsmen changed considerably. Still in 1909, the population census data showed that more than half of the townsmen were Jews, while the Russian community was only slightly smaller than that of Lithuanians, but the population census of 1923 showed that the Jewish community declined by half, while Russian representatives almost disappeared. At that time, Lithuanians made up two thirds of the city’s population.

Before the war, Šiauliai was famous for a large group of intellectuals who actively fostered cultural, educational and public activities. Even Kaunas, which at that time did not rally such a large group of enlightened persons, could envy the number and personalities of Šiauliai intellectuals. Unfortunately, Šiauliai did not manage to retain these people during the interwar period. They were tempted to move to the temporary capital to form the core of the professors of the newly established University of Lithuania (the future Vytautas Magnus University) and contribute to the creation of the administrative apparatus of the state. These were such prominent public figures and educators as Jonas Šliūpas, Mykolas and Vaclovas Biržiškos, Kazys and Stasys Šalkauskai, Kipras Bielinis, Rapolas Skipitis, and Vladas Požela. Even after such intellectuals’ loss, Šiauliai managed to preserve part of the intelligentsia, which, led by burgomaster J. Sondeckis and lawyer K. Vencliauskis, even having lost its former associates (most of them, like the ones who left, were social democrats and left-wing representatives), significantly contributed to the restoration of the city, which achieved its prosperity in fourth decade of the 20^th century, under the rule of strong burgomasters J. Sondeckis and Juozas Valančius. Under the rule of the latter, in 1931-1938, nice modernist buildings arose, the infrastructure of the city – sanitation, telecommunications and electricity networks – was developed.

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Pocių namai. Pastato antrame aukšte buvo įsikūręs Piliečių klubas.

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Venclauskių namai.

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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.