Vepriai
Encyclopedia
Vepriai is the largest town
in Ukmergė district, Lithuania
, situated south-west of Ukmergė
with population of about 1,000 (2005). The capital of Vepriai elderate.
Vepriai was founded on a hill near Vepriai Lake and south of Šventoji River
. It is first mentioned in Wigand of Marburg
's Chronicle of 1384 under the name of Weperen.
In the Middle Ages
Vepriai was a powerful hill fort
which has assisted in protection of Lithuanian lands from western threats, primarily the Teutonic Order. Wigand of Marburg asserted that the castle belonged to the Grand Duke of Lithuania. In spring of 1384, during the Lithuanian civil war of 1381–1384
the united forces of Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas, under command of Nartautas, and the Teutonic Order attacked the castle which was under control of Jogaila
or Skirgaila
and captured it. After the threats were eliminated, in the place of the destroyed wooden defensive castle on a piliakalnis a residential manor
was built, ruled by various noble families for several centuries.
At the time of the first mention in 1542, the castle's owners were Kęsgailos
Lithuanian ducal family. On the verge of the 16th and 17th centuries the Renaissance residential palace of Šemetos noble family was built. Then it passed to Ogiński ducal family. The place owned by Alexander Ogiński (1590–1653) became a dowry of his daughter Barbara Szemiott née Ogińska in the 17th century and thus passed to the Szemiott (Šemetos) family but was taken back by Barbara's brother Marcjan Aleksander Ogiński
in 1681. Later it passed to the Tyzenhauz family (again as a dowry) and eventually became disputed between it and the Kossakowski
family until 1779. In 1808 Count Ignacy Tyzenhauz sold it to Count Jozef Dominik Kossakowski
. Following his death in 1840 the place was inherited by Kossakowski's daughter Pelagia, marrier to a Scottish
esquire
, former servant in the Indian Navy
, Alexander Bower
St. Clair
. In 1855 the place once again changed hands, as it was sold to Ksawery Podbereski and his wife Anna née Roemer, who later sold it to Count Adam Alfred Plater. The Plater family owned the palace and the surrounding lands until 1923, when the area was nationalized by the Lithuanian state.
The 17th century Renaissance
palace on the Vepriai Mound was devastated by Swedish
troop
s during the Great Northern War
and has been demolished
later on. The other place closer to the lake has been selected for the new palace. The present Neoclassical
palace was erected in the 19th century and is dominant in the manor ensemble. Countess Emilia Plater
with her army has stayed in the manor during the November Uprising
. The manor was nationalized
in 1923 and has been used to house the newly established Vepriai Agricultural School
since 1924.
Vepriai became the center of the new parish in 1845 and has been the capital of Vepriai Volost
from 1864 until 1950.
, the largest of crater
s found in Lithuania.
Vepriai is located in Aukštaitija
Region, in the Middle Lithuanian Lowlands, 4 km south of a major highway
connecting Ukmergė, Jonava
and Kaunas
cities. It is situated 11 km southwest of Deltuva
and 10,5 km northeast of Upninkai
.
The third biggest river in Lithuania Šventoji
flows just south of the town. Forests, hills and river valley
s are inherent to the landscape of Vepriai and its vicinity. The picturesque Vepriai Lake, situated 67 meters above mean sea level
, serves for fishing and various leisure activities of locals and arrivals. Due to its convenient placement, beautiful nature and rich heritage Vepriai is one of the most attractive tourism
sites in Ukmergė District.
western pavilion
of the Vepriai manor palace (19th century), decorated with a portico
with 4 column
s of a simplified Corinthian order
and painted in white, with the outhouse and remains of a park
with pond
s and a 130 m length linden
alley
has survived until the present days.
The neo-Gothic Vepriai Roman Catholic Church of The Holy Virgin Mary the Queen of the Rosary
was built in 1910 in the place of an old wooden church. Construction of the church, designed by Władysław Stipulkowski, was funded by the Count Marian Broel - Plater and local farmers. The church suffered a belfry
's blow-up by Wehrmacht
on 26 July 1944; its restoration
to the original appearance is pending.
The oldest remaining structure in the town is a Baroque
roadside chapel built after 1772 in commemoration of the Bar Confederation
. The chapel has one segment remaining which contains a large wooden figure of crucifix
. It is the only surviving piece of the masonry Baroque architecture in Ukmergė district.
The largest construction took place in Vepriai center during the final decades of the Soviet rule. In the place of the old rectory
and several other wooden buildings the modern public services' building was erected. Today it houses a shop, a bar and a motel
. In the site of a demolished water mill a new dam was constructed in the 1990s. The Young Pioneer camp
with 240 places used to be in the southern Vepriai since 1962, which was abandoned in the 1990s and reconstructed to the children summer camp
in 2004.
chapels (aedicula
s) from 1882 until 1900, only the chapel of the Last Supper
and the chapel of St. Veronica's Service have remained unchanged. Despite its complete destruction in winter of 1962–1963, Vepriai Way of the Cross has remained popular and has been attended abundantly throughout the Soviet occupation. The Way stretches for 5,5 km and is marked by brick chapel
s, five wooden and one iron gate
s denoting Stations of the Cross
, most of which were restored in 1989. Vepriai Way of the Cross (Veprių Kalvarijos) is one of the three remaining in Lithuania (together with Verkiai
and Žemaičių Kalvarija) and is visited by local worshipers yearly in Whit Sunday.
Joninės celebration has a vivid tradition in Vepriai. The feast takes place in Vepriai pinewood
, near the hippodrome
. It starts with horse race, sports competitions, and performances of local folk music
bands and ends with lighting of the bonfire
and a nightlong youth discotheque.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Ukmergė district, Lithuania
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...
, situated south-west of Ukmergė
Ukmerge
-Early history:Ukmergė was first mentioned as a settlement in 1333. It was essentially a wooden fortress that stood on a hill, near the confluence of the Vilkmergė River and the Šventoji River. Ukmergė was attacked by the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order in 1333, 1365, 1378, 1386, and even...
with population of about 1,000 (2005). The capital of Vepriai elderate.
History
Šventoji River
The Šventoji River is the longest river that flows entirely within Lithuania and the largest tributary of the Neris River. It originates from the Lake Samanis in the Gražutė Regional Park and flows into Neris near Jonava. The longest tributary of the Šventoji is the Širvinta River.The Šventoji...
. It is first mentioned in Wigand of Marburg
Wigand of Marburg
Wigand of Marburg was a German herald of the Teutonic Knights in Prussia and one of the notable chroniclers of the Middle Ages.Wigand expanded upon the earlier work of Nikolaus von Jeroschin...
's Chronicle of 1384 under the name of Weperen.
In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
Vepriai was a powerful hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
which has assisted in protection of Lithuanian lands from western threats, primarily the Teutonic Order. Wigand of Marburg asserted that the castle belonged to the Grand Duke of Lithuania. In spring of 1384, during the Lithuanian civil war of 1381–1384
Lithuanian Civil War (1381–1384)
The Lithuanian Civil War of 1381–1384 was the first struggle for power between the cousins Jogaila, Grand Duke of Lithuania and later King of Poland, and Vytautas the Great. It began after Jogaila signed the Treaty of Dovydiškės with the Teutonic Knights which was aimed against his uncle Kęstutis,...
the united forces of Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas, under command of Nartautas, and the Teutonic Order attacked the castle which was under control of Jogaila
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
or Skirgaila
Skirgaila
Skirgaila , also known as Ivan; ca. 1353 or 1354 – 11 January 1397 in Kiev; baptized 1383/1384 as Casimir) was a regent of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for his brother Jogaila from 1386 to 1392. He was son of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his second wife Uliana of Tver.-Biography:After...
and captured it. After the threats were eliminated, in the place of the destroyed wooden defensive castle on a piliakalnis a residential manor
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
was built, ruled by various noble families for several centuries.
At the time of the first mention in 1542, the castle's owners were Kęsgailos
Kesgailos
Kęsgailos was a Lithuanian noble family, one of the biggest landowners in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The family traces its roots to the 14th century AD . Their seat was in the Samogitia and Trakai regions...
Lithuanian ducal family. On the verge of the 16th and 17th centuries the Renaissance residential palace of Šemetos noble family was built. Then it passed to Ogiński ducal family. The place owned by Alexander Ogiński (1590–1653) became a dowry of his daughter Barbara Szemiott née Ogińska in the 17th century and thus passed to the Szemiott (Šemetos) family but was taken back by Barbara's brother Marcjan Aleksander Ogiński
Marcjan Aleksander Oginski
Marcjan Aleksander Ogiński was a nobleman, a military commander and a statesman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He advanced to colonel in 1657, served as Voivod of Trakai and Grand Chancellor of Lithuania...
in 1681. Later it passed to the Tyzenhauz family (again as a dowry) and eventually became disputed between it and the Kossakowski
Kossakowski
Kossakowski was a noble family of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of the Masovian descent.Famous members include:* Jan Nepomucen Kossakowski , bishop of Inflanty and later of Vilnius...
family until 1779. In 1808 Count Ignacy Tyzenhauz sold it to Count Jozef Dominik Kossakowski
Józef Kossakowski (colonel)
166px|thumb|right|[[Coat of arms of Ślepowron|Ślepowron]], the coat of arms of Korwin-KossakowskiJózef Dominik Korwin-Kossakowski of Ślepowron Coat of Arms, , was a Polish-Lithuanian statesman and military commander, a participant of Targowica Confederation and a colonel of the Polish Army.He had...
. Following his death in 1840 the place was inherited by Kossakowski's daughter Pelagia, marrier to a Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
esquire
Esquire
Esquire is a term of West European origin . Depending on the country, the term has different meanings...
, former servant in the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
, Alexander Bower
Bower
Bower may refer to:* a folly built by the Bowerbird to attract mates; see wiktionary:bower.* a dwelling or lean-to shelter, also known as an arbor* an anchor carried at the bow of a ship* Bower Manuscript, a Sanskrit manuscript...
St. Clair
Clan Sinclair
Clan Sinclair is a Highland Scottish clan of Norman origin who held lands in the north of Scotland, the Orkney Islands, and the Lothians which they received from the Kings of Scots...
. In 1855 the place once again changed hands, as it was sold to Ksawery Podbereski and his wife Anna née Roemer, who later sold it to Count Adam Alfred Plater. The Plater family owned the palace and the surrounding lands until 1923, when the area was nationalized by the Lithuanian state.
The 17th century Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
palace on the Vepriai Mound was devastated by Swedish
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army is one of the oldest standing armies in the world and a branch of the Swedish Armed Forces; it is in charge of land operations. General Sverker Göranson is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Army.- Organization :...
troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
s 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...
and has been demolished
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
later on. The other place closer to the lake has been selected for the new palace. The present 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...
palace was erected in the 19th century and is dominant in the manor ensemble. Countess Emilia Plater
Emilia Plater
Countess Emilia Plater was a Polish-Lithuanian noblewoman and revolutionary from the lands of the partitioned Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...
with her army has stayed in the manor during the November Uprising
November Uprising
The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
. The manor was nationalized
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
in 1923 and has been used to house the newly established Vepriai Agricultural School
Agricultural education
Agricultural education is instruction about crop production, livestock management, soil and water conservation, and various other aspects of agriculture. Agricultural education includes instruction in food education, such as nutrition...
since 1924.
Vepriai became the center of the new parish in 1845 and has been the capital of Vepriai Volost
Volost
Volost was a traditional administrative subdivision in Eastern Europe.In earlier East Slavic history, volost was a name for the territory ruled by the knyaz, a principality; either as an absolute ruler or with varying degree of autonomy from the Velikiy Knyaz...
from 1864 until 1950.
Geography
The town is situated near the center of Vepriai Meteor CraterVepriai crater
Vepriai is the largest impact crater in Lithuania, named after the town of Vepriai located at its center. The crater is not exposed to the surface, having been eroded and covered by sedimentary rocks during the last glacial period....
, the largest of crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
s found in Lithuania.
Vepriai is located in Aukštaitija
Aukštaitija
Aukštaitija is the name of one of five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. The name comes from the relatively high elevation of the region, particularly the eastern parts.-Geography:...
Region, in the Middle Lithuanian Lowlands, 4 km south of a major highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
connecting Ukmergė, Jonava
Jonava
Jonava is the ninth largest city in Lithuania with a population of ca 35,000.It is located in Kaunas County in central Lithuania, north east of Kaunas, the second-largest city in Lithuania. It is served by Kaunas International Airport. The largest fertilizer factory in the Baltic states is...
and Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
cities. It is situated 11 km southwest of Deltuva
Deltuva
Deltuva is a small town in Ukmergė district, Vilnius County, Lithuania. It is located 6 km north-west of Ukmergė, near the road to Kėdainiai...
and 10,5 km northeast of Upninkai
Upninkai
Upninkai is the largest village in Jonava district, Lithuania. It is situated 8 km southwest of Vepriai on the left bank of the Šventoji River. According to the 2001 census, it had population of 1019.-History:...
.
The third biggest river in Lithuania Šventoji
Šventoji River
The Šventoji River is the longest river that flows entirely within Lithuania and the largest tributary of the Neris River. It originates from the Lake Samanis in the Gražutė Regional Park and flows into Neris near Jonava. The longest tributary of the Šventoji is the Širvinta River.The Šventoji...
flows just south of the town. Forests, hills and river valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
s are inherent to the landscape of Vepriai and its vicinity. The picturesque Vepriai Lake, situated 67 meters above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
, serves for fishing and various leisure activities of locals and arrivals. Due to its convenient placement, beautiful nature and rich heritage Vepriai is one of the most attractive tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
sites in Ukmergė District.
Structures
The derelictDerelict
Derelict or dereliction commonly refers to:* Abandonment of property, then referred to as a 'derelict'* Derelict , property which has been abandoned and deserted at sea by those who were in charge without any hope of recovering it...
western pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
of the Vepriai manor palace (19th century), decorated with a portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
with 4 column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s of a simplified Corinthian order
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
and painted in white, with the outhouse and remains of a park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
with pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s and a 130 m length linden
Tilia cordata
Tilia cordata is a species of Tilia native to much of Europe and western Asia, north to southern Great Britain , central Scandinavia, east to central Russia, and south to central Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey, and the Caucasus; in the south of its range it is restricted to...
alley
Alley
An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane found in urban areas, often for pedestrians only, which usually runs between or behind buildings. In older cities and towns in Europe, alleys are often what is left of a medieval street network, or a right of way or ancient footpath in an urban setting...
has survived until the present days.
The neo-Gothic Vepriai Roman Catholic Church of The Holy Virgin Mary the Queen of the Rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
was built in 1910 in the place of an old wooden church. Construction of the church, designed by Władysław Stipulkowski, was funded by the Count Marian Broel - Plater and local farmers. The church suffered a belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
's blow-up by Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
on 26 July 1944; its restoration
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
to the original appearance is pending.
The oldest remaining structure in the town is a Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
roadside chapel built after 1772 in commemoration of the Bar Confederation
Bar Confederation
The Bar Confederation was an association of Polish nobles formed at the fortress of Bar in Podolia in 1768 to defend the internal and external independence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth against Russian influence and against King Stanisław August Poniatowski and Polish reformers who were...
. The chapel has one segment remaining which contains a large wooden figure of crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
. It is the only surviving piece of the masonry Baroque architecture in Ukmergė district.
The largest construction took place in Vepriai center during the final decades of the Soviet rule. In the place of the old rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
and several other wooden buildings the modern public services' building was erected. Today it houses a shop, a bar and a motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
. In the site of a demolished water mill a new dam was constructed in the 1990s. The Young Pioneer camp
Young Pioneer camp
Young Pioneer camp was the name for the vacation or summer camp of Young Pioneers. In the 20th century these camps existed in many socialist countries, particularly in the Soviet Union....
with 240 places used to be in the southern Vepriai since 1962, which was abandoned in the 1990s and reconstructed to the children summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
in 2004.
Culture
In the outskirts of the town the Way of the Cross according to the Catholic tradition was created in 1846. Wooden chapels were replaced by masonryMasonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
chapels (aedicula
Aedicula
In religion in ancient Rome, an aedicula is a small shrine. The word aedicula is the diminutive of the Latin aedes, a temple building or house....
s) from 1882 until 1900, only the chapel of the Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
and the chapel of St. Veronica's Service have remained unchanged. Despite its complete destruction in winter of 1962–1963, Vepriai Way of the Cross has remained popular and has been attended abundantly throughout the Soviet occupation. The Way stretches for 5,5 km and is marked by brick chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s, five wooden and one iron gate
Gate
A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or a moderately sized opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative. Other terms for gate include yett and port...
s denoting Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
, most of which were restored in 1989. Vepriai Way of the Cross (Veprių Kalvarijos) is one of the three remaining in Lithuania (together with Verkiai
Verkiai
Verkiai is a northernmost eldership in Vilnius, Lithuania. Historically it was a separate settlement situated north of Vilnius but today it is a part of Vilnius city municipality. It occupies 5,565 ha and has 30,000 inhabitants...
and Žemaičių Kalvarija) and is visited by local worshipers yearly in Whit Sunday.
Joninės celebration has a vivid tradition in Vepriai. The feast takes place in Vepriai pinewood
Pinewood
Pinewood may refer to:* Pine, a species of tree* Pinewood Studios, a major British film studio in Buckinghamshire-Places:in England* Pinewood, Suffolkin the United States* Pinewood, Florida* Pinewood, Minnesota...
, near the hippodrome
Hippodrome
A hippodrome was a Greek stadium for horse racing and chariot racing. The name is derived from the Greek words "hippos and "dromos"...
. It starts with horse race, sports competitions, and performances of local folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
bands and ends with lighting of the bonfire
Bonfire
A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Celebratory bonfires are typically designed to burn quickly and may be very large...
and a nightlong youth discotheque.