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Napoleon Mateusz Tadeusz Orda (1807–1883), Rietavas manor, the end of the 19th c. Reproduction from the archives of the Regional Cultural Initiatives Center 138 RIETAVAS AND OGINSKIAI Rietavas – town on the eastern part of Samogitian ka (died in 1587) converted to Protestantism. hill and on the western part of Endriejavas ridge. Pas- There is no knowledge of how Rietavas mansion sengers are attracted afar with a sight of the spectacu- was built. It was mentioned in written sources of the lar two-tower neo-romantic white St. Michael the Ar- 16th century. Then the mansion belonged to the changel Church, which was built from the funds of Grand Duke intended vicegerent, where he also lived. the Duke Irenëjus Kleopas Oginskis. In the manor document dated in 1588, the man- Rietavas is the municipal centre. It is small (about sion is said to be owned by King Stephen Bator's 4000 residents here live permanently) town with an (1533–1586) wife, the queen Ona Jagiellon (1523– honourable and old history. Historian Dr. Vytenis 1596). At that time, the estate area, which was sur- Almonaitis in his book "What the Sea Roars", pub- rounded by fir fence, was near the town. The inven- lished in 1994, writes "for centuries wooded village tory indicated 14 manor buildings: two small woo- neighbourhood was sparsely populated by Curonian den dwelling houses with windows, another small and Samogitian tribal periphery". house, six barns, sauna, shed, barn, 2 stables. It is believed that the first Rietavas town spread a During the period 1588–1613 Rietavas elder was few kilometres to the northwest of the current Rieta- the Grand Chancellor, Grand Hetman, Lithuanian vas, near the mound of the Skroblas village. Statute III compiler Leonas Sapiega (1557–1633). In historical archives, Rietavas was mentioned for In 1590, Sigismund III Vasa (1566–1632) gran- the first time in 1253, in document signed by the ted Rietavas the privilege to hold markets. Bishop of Courland and Livonia. Historians S. Za- Based on the description of 1611, all the buil- janczkowski and H. Lowmianski in their works state dings in the Rietavas manor were one story and cen- that, in the 13th, Rietavas was an important admi- tral residential building – similar to the two ends of nistrative centre of this region. This is one of the ol- the Samogitians landowner. It was a wooden farm- dest settlements in Samogitia. During the middle house with two ends. This house had several multi- ages, it belonged to the Ceklis land. purpose rooms. From the porch, the way was into In the 14th–15th c. Rietavas was one of the main the living room, with four glazed windows, green centres of Samogitian defense. In addition, through tiled stove, tables and benches. The floor was made the village went important trade routes. out of wood, except for one room, which was floo- Historical sources of 1436 calls Rietavas area as "Rita". red with ramming clay. Another building of the ma- In 16th-the beginning of the 19th c. Rietavas was a nor was covered with shingles and was already star- state territory. In 1527, Sigismund the Old (1467– ting to collapse. It had seven rooms: the guest ro- 1548) writes that Rietavas is a village and a parish cen- om, two living rooms, kitchen, hallway and two ro- tre, which belongs to the Grand Duke of Lithuania, oms without windows. Some windows were glazed, and in 1533 Rietavas has been officially named a city. stoves decorated with ordinary tiles. Among this and There is reason to believe that around the year 1529 such houses, stood straw and wooden shavings co- in Rietavas may have built the first church (this fact vered old barn. On one side, people laid grain, on is not documented). the other – agricultural implements. A fence of sharp The surviving historical sources indicate that in stakes surrounded the homestead. Cherry and ot- 139 1554 Rietavas governor (?) Mark Laurinavièius Vnuè- her gardens grew near the manor. Behind them, in the west, were the bakery and the distillery. nik Jurgis Konarskis (around the year 1710–?). In 1613, after the death of Leonas Sapiega, Rieta- In 18th c., after the digression of the local popula- vas went to the Voivode of Minsk, Joniðkis comman- tion, a number of Jewish people settled in Rietavas der the Duke Aleksandras Masalskis (1593–1643). town. By the middle of the 18th c., there was alrea- In the same year, under the rule of A. Masalskis, Rie- dy a strong Jewish community, gathering all Samo- tavas was granted the privilege to collect the customs gitian Jewish families and communities. fare and organize city events. In 1732, Rietavas was passed on to the Samogitian In 1643 after the death of Aleksandras Masalskis, Castellan Juozapas Benediktas Skuminas Tiðkevièius Rietavas was passed on under the management of one (1694–1754). Later, Rietavas was ruled by the scribe of the richest and most influential at that time Lithua- of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Vitebsk Voivode nian nobility figures – the scribe and treasurer of the Grand Samogitian Castellan Juozapas Benediktas Skuminas Duchy of Lithuania Mikalojus Kiðka (1588–1644). Tiðkevièius' (1694–1754) younger brother Jurgis Ka- From 1645, Rietavas was governed by the nephew zimieras Skuminas Tiðkevièius (~ 1701–1765)281 and of M. Kiðka nephew Jonuðas Radvila (1612–1655). his second wife Lettaw Hanna282. In 1661, under the Seimas decision, Rietavas was For a short time, Antanas and Regina Duninai al- sold to the Marshal of Vilnius Povilas Sapiega (1609– so governed Rietavas. 1665) for a hundred thousand golden coins. Writ- In 1736, Rietavas was ruled by the Polish-Lithua- ten sources state that the manor had a wooden porch, nian Commonwealth state and military figure Jurgis two farmed wooden houses, stables with wheels, barn, Kazimieras Skuminas Tiðkevièius' (1716–1790) son orchard, gardens, a pond with a mill and other bo- Juozapas Tiðkevièius. In the same year, he became dies of water. Povilas Sapiega died in Rietavas in 1665. the second governor of Vilnius and married his first After his father's death, Benediktas Sapiega (1643– wife Benedikta Oginskytë. During this period, Rie- 1707) took control of the city. tavas manor was neglected. Since the year 1667, Rietavas Powiat is mentio- In 1748, owner of Rietavas became K. Ðemeta ned in the historical sources. (Ðemiota). In 1750, K. Ðemeta for a hundred thou- In 1715, under the privilege signed by Augustus sand golden coins sold to the Samogitian elder Juo- II, Rietavas Elder Mokylas Juozapas Sapiega (1670– zapas Tiðkevièius, who bought it to his son, elder of 1738) took over after Benediktas Sapiega died du- Rietavas Kristupas Skuminas Tiðkevièius (1729– ring the fever epidemic. In the surviving description 1762). He ruled Rietavas manor from1750 to 1763. of Rietavas manor, dated 1718, it is noted that the During that period, a bigger part of the manor buil- houses were abandoned, some of its buildings col- dings were repaired and rebuilt and a millpond was lapsed and are covered by the overgrown ponds, and built. In 1760, a shingle-covered one-hewn logs gardens were abandoned. In earlier dated documents, mansion was built. It had an attic, a large hall, 10 we can establish the fact that under the previous ow- rooms, two porches, porch for two (one on each si- ners the manor lavished and was taken care of. de). Under the manor there were two vaulted cellar In 1721, M. J. Sapiega built a new wooden church room. The house had oak doors, white and azure in Rietavas when the old one burnt down during the tiles were for furnaces. By the manor palace officine Great Northern War. Rietavas manor was leased to stood covered with shingles. It had two rooms, porch, the Brest province Stolnik R. Faustinas Kosciuszko stove; rooms were decorated with brown and pur- for three years (some sources indicate that it was lea- ple tile stoves. The manor was surrounded by a gar- sed to the Kiev flagger Faustino Benedict Kosciuszko den. Behind the officine was the second folwark; (1672–1754/5). The majority homestead buildings there were bread bakery, icehouse, barn, distillery had been repaired; rooms, the distillery and ponds and sauna in it. In territory, there stood also three were cleaned, cherry garden replanted. piggeries, small stables, livestock barn. In 1731, the manor was leased to the Mozyr Stol- Oginskiai history in Rietavas began in the middle 281 Polish researchers wrote that he died in 1735. 140 282 Lettaw Hanna (died in 1733) of the 18th century, when Tadas Pranciðkus Ogins- from the weather, they could not keep the shovel in kis married the widow of Kristupas Skuminas Tiðke- their hands. I felt sorry for these people, even though vièius Jadvyda Teresa Zaluska Tiðkevièienë (1726– they were strangers to me. When it was left to Rie- 1771). She received Rietavas manor as a wedding gift tavas the remaining 90 versts283, I noticed a num- in 1763. Mykolas Kleopas Oginskis' grandfather Tra- ber of carriages and men walking on foot. I recogni- kai Voivode and Castellan Tadas Pranciðkus Ogins- zed them – it was peasants sent from my Rietavas kis (1712–1783) took control of the manor. At that manor. Workers approached my carriage. I told the time, the first T. P. Oginskis wife Izabelë Kotryna equestrian to stop. People were begging for mercy Radvilaitë (1711–1761) was already dead. because they died of hunger and fatigue. They wept Total of five generations of Oginskiai ruled Rie- like children and with bitterness complained that tavas – from 1763 until the beginning of the 20th there are about 90 versts from their homes and they century.

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