Millenium for Commemoration of Lithuania – 750 years for Jurbarkas Town »
Geography
The Jurbarkas region situated in the south west of Lithuania, stretches about 70 km against the Nemunas, the largest river in Lithuania. This region is often called the Nemunas land. The region takes up an area of 1509 square kilometers. In the south-western part by the Nemunas Jurbarkas borders with the Krasnoznamensk region, Kaliningrad province Russia Federation.
History and administrative division
Till the end of the XVIIIth century Jurbarkas was the manor, in the years of Tsar Russia until 1918 the centre of a rural district that belonged to the Kaunas province, until 1947 the rural district belonged to the Raseiniai district. At the end of 1947, after joining some more surrounding municipalities of vicinity, the Jurbarkas rural district became a district. In 1950 the district was reorganized into the Jurbarkas region, territory of which was gradually expanding.
In the spring of 1990s after Lithuania regained independence , it became the Jurbarkas Municipal Administration, and from 1995 having divided Lithuania into ten districts, the Jurbarkas Municipal Administration belongs to the Taurage district.
There are two towns in the Municipality - Jurbarkas, Smalininkai and seven settlements - Erzvilkas, Raudone, Seredzius, Simkaiciai, Vadzgirys, Veliuona, Viesvile and 355 villages.
The Jurbarkas Municipal Administration is divided into eleven neighbourhoods.
Population
According to the information of 01/01/2007 there are 35 622 inhabitants in the Jurbarkas region, out of which 13 985 people live in the town of Jurbarkas.
From the national aspect 98,7 % of the population is Lithuanian, 0,5 % Russian, 0,2 % German, and 0,1 % Ukrainian, Polish, Gypsy, as well 0,3 % of the population hasn't indicated their nationality during the questioning.
Religion
Since old times people of two religious confessions have been living in Jurbarkas. The majority of the community is Rome Catholics, about 4% - Evangelists Lutherans.
There are 18 churches in the Jurbarkas region, out which three for Evanglists Lutherans -in Jurbarkas (construction of it has stopped, services take place in the house that is suitable for this purpose), Smalininkai, Zvyriai.
Ethnography and traditional culture
From the ethnographic point of view the Jurbarkas region is not entire, as the territory joins the lands of three different regions: the western part - North Skalva, Lithuanians, the Land of Small Lithuania, to the north and north west from Jurbarkas - the Lowlanders' region, and for the rest of the part of the region the culture of Aukstaiciai origin is typical.
As well you can find the boundaries of ethnographic lands, architectural differences, dialects, traditions, customs, peculiarities of way of living, originalities of culinary heritage.
The land is rich with its peculiar traditional culture. According to the recommendations of UNESCO there are 403 persons who perish traditional culture, 13 communities that foster traditional culture, there are still 9 alive spheres and kinds, skills and capabilities of traditional culture, 17 traditional festivities and events are preserved in the region until now.
Partnership and co-operation
The Jurbarkas Regional Council has signed friendship and co-operation agreements with the communities of (Wales), Ryn (Poland), Bogense (Denmark), Neman (Kaliningrad province, Russian Federation).
Education, educational institutions
There are 30 educational, up-bringing institutions in the Jurbarkas region, out of which Jurbarkas A.Giedraitis-Giedrius gymnasium, four secondary schools, sixteen basic schools, Smalininkai School of Technology and Business, Smalininkai boarding school for children with special needs, two kindergardens-schools, Jurbarkas kindergarden "Nykstukas". Children are taught music and singing art at Jurbarkas Antanas Sodeika Art School. The Centre of Physical Culture and Sports takes care of sport activities of pupils and adults.
For some decades already the orphanage is active in Viesvile. There was established the Youth Labour Centre for the people with mental disability in the town of Jubarkas.
The Jurbarkas Training Centre is responsible for adults' education.
Grown-ups can get a secondary training at the Jurbarkas Naujamiestis Secondary school, where there are classes for adults.
Health protection
The public institution - the Centre of Jurbarkas Region Primary Health Protection, PI Jurbarkas Hospital, PI Jurbarkas Region Mentality Health Centre, these are the medical institutions that take care of people's health in the Jurbarkas region. Two PI centres of primary health protection and three PI ambulatories are situated in different settlements.
In the Jurbarkas region there are several private family clinics and offices of prosthetic dentistry and stomatology.
The elderly people's home is active in Seredzius.
Culture
57 cultural institutions of different purposes take care of dispersion and perish of culture. There are 9 cultural centres and 14 community homes, the Jurbarkas Council Public library with 26 working branches in the area of the Municipality, as well the Jurbarkas countryside museum, joining Veliuona countryside museum and V.Grybas (sculptor- monumentalist) memorial museum, K.Glinskis (playwright-stage-manager) house, Jurbarkas exhibition and concert hall and P.Cvirka (writer) memorial farm-stead.
Forests, reservation, regional park
A large part, even 35% of Jurbarkas region is occupied by forests.
They are divided into twelve forestries. Half of the woods are formed of conifers, the rest of the part - of mixed and leafy forests.
The forests are attractive not only for hunters and holiday-makers but for those who pick up berries and mushrooms too. The forests of the area are rich with various flora and fauna.
In the western part of the region there is the Viesvile reservation, alongside the Nemunas, towards the East from Siline the Panemune Regional Park streches.
Business and industry
In the town and region of Jurbarkas the following industrial branches are prevailing - treatment of timber, production of construction materials, construction works, transportation services, processing and realization of agricultural products, primary treatment of flax, construction of electricity transmission lines, sewing, confectionary production, retail trade.
The public institution the Jurbarkas Business Centre takes care of business information affairs.
Cultural heritage
While travelling alongside the old post road from Kaunas towards Jurbarkas you can't help admiring the picturesque places by the Panemune, the old historical settlements, towns.
There are 229 objects of cultural heritage, out of which: 31 archeological, 11 historical, 11 - historic and memorial places, 71 burial place, 7 places of events, 9 archeological objects, 5 manor farmsteads, 3 urban towns, 89 movable assets and decorations of buildings, 3 creations of monumental art (you can find more information about it under the reference "Cultural heritage of Jurbarkas region").
Famous people
The Jurbarkas land has brought up and presented the World and Lithuania with a lot of famous people.
The poet, translator, diplomat Jurgis Baltrusaitis, coming from Paantvardis village, has recorded his name in the eastern and western history of culture forever. Ona Kutkaite, the mother of the famous politician, the USA Senator, the citizen of Honour of Jurbarkas, was born in Jurbarkas; Juozas Baciunas, the tutor and supporter in the USA of Valdas Adamkus, the President of Lithuania was also born in Jurbarkas. The opera singer Vladas Baltrusaitis, the founder of Lithuanian opera in Chicago, USA, was born close to Jurbarkas, lived and attended school there. Jurbarkas is the homeland of Romualdas Marcinkus, the famous Lithuanian sportsman, footballer, war pilot, participator of international flight around Europe, the pilot of French and British Royal air forces during the second world war.
Jurbarkas is a homeland of the brothers Antanas, Stasys, Steponas Sodeikos, the famous opera soloists. Antanas Sabaniauskas, the beginner of Lithuanian variety art and soloist was born there too. Jurbarkas is a native place of the playwright, establisher of Lithuanian theatre, stage-manager Konstantinas Glinskis. Vincas Grybas, the tragic fate's culptor monumentalist lived and created in Jurbarkas. Not far from Jurbarkas, in the village of Kuturiai there is a homeland of the poet , publicist, the laureate of the Lithuanian National award, the laureate of the Spring Poetry Jonas Juskaitis. Antsvenciai is the homeland of the unique artist Lida Meskaityte. Not far away from Seredzius, in the village of Motiskiai, there was born Stasys Simkus, the composer, in the village of Skliausciai, by Varlaukis - a native place of Juozapas Gudavicius, a composer, the first band-master of the Lithuanian army. In the same country of Erzvilkas, in the village of Daugeliai, Mykolas Slezevicius, one of the first prime-ministers of Independent Lithuania used to live. Not far away from Veliuona, in the village of Kalviai Kazimieras Veverskis, the founder of Lithuanian freedom army, the brigade General was born.
There are a lot of them. It's difficult to mention all of them. The Jurbarkas region is the land of book-spreaders, defenders of Lithuanian freedom, poets, singers, musicians, public and state workers, prominent science people.
Prepared by Regina Kliukiene, chief specialist of the Cultural Centre. |
