Jašiūnai
Encyclopedia
Jašiūnai is a town in Lithuania
. It is situated on the Merkys River
and an edge of the Rūdninkai Forest . According to the 2001 census, it had population of 1,879. The town's populations is primarily Polish (some 70%), with Russian (10%) and Lithuanian (5%) minorities.
The town was first mentioned in written sources in 1402. From the 15th to 18th century, the town belonged to the Radziwiłł family. In 1811 it was bought by Ignacy Baliński, father of historian Michał Baliński. His wife from the Śniadecki family initiated construction of the neoclassical
Jašiūnai Manor
, designed by architect Karol Podczaszyński
. The construction was undertaken between 1824 and 1828. The manor became a cultural center: it was a residence of Jan Śniadecki
and Juliusz Słowacki frequently visited by Adam Mickiewicz
, Tomasz Zan
, Stanisław Bonifacy Jundziłł, Józef Mianowski
. This generation of Polish Romantics
studied and idealized the history and culture of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania
. These studies had great influence on the worldview of the szlachta
of the Vilnius Region
: they would identify themselves as Poles while remaining loyal to the Grand Duchy.
Alongside cultural life, the manor owners encouraged small industry: a ceramics workshop (still operating as of 2009), a factory of resin
and turpentine
, brickyard, paper factory. After the Uprising of 1863 and Baliński's death, Jašiūnai lost its position as a cultural center. The valuable library collection was transported to Poland or lost during the wars. As part of the Vilnius Region
, Jašiūnai belonged to the Second Polish Republic
during the interwar period
.
, the church was also transformed from a Catholic to a Protestant church. The church was destroyed during the Great Northern War
with Sweden (1700–1721). For a long time the town had only a chapel. The current church was built in 1929. It is half-brick, half-wooden church with a single rectangular tower. Its central nave
is separated from the aisles by wooden pillars. The wooden ceiling attempts to imitate vaults
. The main altar is decorated with a copy of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn
.
, designed by Arvydas Každailis
. The coat of arms depict a silver column in a red shield with two golden stars on each side. The column represents classical architecture and the manor. It also carries symbolical meaning of strength and power. The two stars are dedicated to the two families prominent in town's history – Balińskis and Śniadeckis.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. It is situated on the Merkys River
Merkys River
The Merkys is a river in southern Lithuania and northern Belarus. It flows for through Belarus, along the Belarusian–Lithuanian border, and through Lithuania before joining the Neman River near Merkinė....
and an edge of the Rūdninkai Forest . According to the 2001 census, it had population of 1,879. The town's populations is primarily Polish (some 70%), with Russian (10%) and Lithuanian (5%) minorities.
History
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 344 |
| 1959 | 537 |
| 1970 | 367 |
| 1979 | 725 |
| 1985 | 642 |
The town was first mentioned in written sources in 1402. From the 15th to 18th century, the town belonged to the Radziwiłł family. In 1811 it was bought by Ignacy Baliński, father of historian Michał Baliński. His wife from the Śniadecki family initiated construction of the neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
Jašiūnai Manor
Jašiunai Manor
Jašiūnai Manor is the neoclassical manor in Jašiūnai, Šalčininkai district of Lithuania, near River Merkys.The manor palace, designed by a famous architect Karol Podczaszyński, commissioned by the rector of the Imperial University of Vilna, Jan Śniadecki was built in 1824-1828, alongside with...
, designed by architect Karol Podczaszyński
Karol Podczaszynski
Karol Podczaszyński was a Polish-Lithuanian architect, a representative of the neoclassical architecture and a professor of the Imperial University of Vilna, as well as one of the pioneers of industrial design....
. The construction was undertaken between 1824 and 1828. The manor became a cultural center: it was a residence of Jan Śniadecki
Jan Sniadecki
Jan Śniadecki was a Polish mathematician, philosopher and astronomer at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.-Life:Born in Żnin, Śniadecki studied at Kraków University and in Paris...
and Juliusz Słowacki frequently visited by Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Bernard Mickiewicz ) was a Polish poet, publisher and political writer of the Romantic period. One of the primary representatives of the Polish Romanticism era, a national poet of Poland, he is seen as one of Poland's Three Bards and the greatest poet in all of Polish literature...
, Tomasz Zan
Tomasz Zan
Tomasz Zan , was a Polish poet and activist.In 1817 he was a cofounder of the Philomatic Association , in 1820, Radiant Association , in 1820-1823 president of Filaret Association , all of them student organizations in Vilna dedicated to Polish cultural and political...
, Stanisław Bonifacy Jundziłł, Józef Mianowski
Józef Mianowski
Józef Mianowski was a Polish medical researcher and practitioner, academic, social and political activist, and rector of the "Main School" incarnation of Warsaw University....
. This generation of Polish Romantics
Romanticism in Poland
Romanticism in Poland was a literary, artistic and intellectual period in the evolution of Polish culture that began around 1820, coinciding with the publication of Adam Mickiewicz's first poems in 1822. It ended with the suppression of the January 1863 Uprising against the Russian Empire in 1864. ...
studied and idealized the history and culture of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
. These studies had great influence on the worldview of the szlachta
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
of the Vilnius Region
Vilnius region
Vilnius Region , refers to the territory in the present day Lithuania, that was originally inhabited by ethnic Baltic tribes and was a part of Lithuania proper, but came under East Slavic and Polish cultural influences over time,...
: they would identify themselves as Poles while remaining loyal to the Grand Duchy.
Alongside cultural life, the manor owners encouraged small industry: a ceramics workshop (still operating as of 2009), a factory of resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
and turpentine
Turpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
, brickyard, paper factory. After the Uprising of 1863 and Baliński's death, Jašiūnai lost its position as a cultural center. The valuable library collection was transported to Poland or lost during the wars. As part of the Vilnius Region
Vilnius region
Vilnius Region , refers to the territory in the present day Lithuania, that was originally inhabited by ethnic Baltic tribes and was a part of Lithuania proper, but came under East Slavic and Polish cultural influences over time,...
, Jašiūnai belonged to the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
during the interwar period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
.
Religion
The first church, named after St. Anna, was built in 1515. When the Radziwiłłs converted to ProtestantismProtestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
, the church was also transformed from a Catholic to a Protestant church. The church was destroyed during the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
with Sweden (1700–1721). For a long time the town had only a chapel. The current church was built in 1929. It is half-brick, half-wooden church with a single rectangular tower. Its central nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
is separated from the aisles by wooden pillars. The wooden ceiling attempts to imitate vaults
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
. The main altar is decorated with a copy of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn
Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn
Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn is the prominent painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated by the faithful in the Chapel of the Gate of Dawn in Vilnius, Lithuania. The Renaissance painting, completed possibly in the first half of the 17th century, is an unusual portrayal of Madonna as she is...
.
Symbols
In 2001 the town received its coats of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
, designed by Arvydas Každailis
Arvydas Každailis
upright|thumb|[[Coat of arms of Lithuania]] modernized by Každailis in 1991Arvydas Stanislavas Každailis is a Lithuanian artists, best known as the creator of many coat of arms for cities and towns of Lithuania...
. The coat of arms depict a silver column in a red shield with two golden stars on each side. The column represents classical architecture and the manor. It also carries symbolical meaning of strength and power. The two stars are dedicated to the two families prominent in town's history – Balińskis and Śniadeckis.