Where did the Radziwiłł eagle alight? A short guide about the Biržai history 2020 When in Biržai, you are welcome to go boat- On the other ing on one of the two lakes – Širvėna or Kiluči- side of the ai. Lake Širvėna, located in the very Old Town lake lies the of Birzai, is the largest and oldest artificial romantic Astravas water pond in Lithuania, formed by damming manor, a the confluence of the two rivers that carved possession the city – the Apaščia and the Agluona. And of Count in another lake, Kilučiai, the agar, a floating Tyszkiewicz. water nut, is believed to have grown, a rare delicacy reserved for the rich, desired to be tasted by every guest of Dukes Radziwiłł. Have you by any chance heard anything about the agar from Lake Kilučiai? On one shore of the Širvėna stands the Biržai Fortress, built by Prince Krzysztof Mikołaj Radziwiłł, nicknamed “Piorun“ (The Thun- derbolt) (Lith.: Kristupas Mikalojus Radvila “Perkūnas“) in the 16th century. It was meant Biržai is a town in northern Lithuania, small to protect not only his Biržai domain but also should be noted that the Duchy of Biržai is Welcome to but majestic with its exceptional natural the northern border of the Grand Duchy of rightly called the largest and longest-lasting beauty, unique natural phenomena and rich Lithuania (GDL), only to be destroyed by the private estate in the history of the Grand history. The founders of the town of Biržai Swedes and later in history rebuilt by as many Duchy of Lithuania. Biržai – a town would rightfully be considered the Radziwiłłs, as three Radziwiłł generations. However, at On the other side of the lake lies the roman- or Radvilos, one of the most illustrious noble the beginning of the 19th century, during the tic Astravas manor, a possession of Counts dynasties of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in Northern War, the fortress buildings were once founded by Tyszkiewicz, immersed in the greenery of the the 16th – 17th centuries. From the beginning again attacked and blown up by the Swedes. It park, overlooking the town and the fortress. of the 19th century, the town was ruled by was only after almost 300 years that the castle You can reach the Tyszkiewicz manor, built in Dukes Radziwiłł! another powerful family of nobles – Counts and arsenal of the fortress were salvaged from the 19th century, by going along the longest Tyszkiewicz (Lith. Tiškevičiai). decaying. Today, a wooden bridge invites you pedestrian bridge in Lithuania (525 m) via the to enter the fortress once again ... The geographical location of Biržai district is Širvėna. also exceptional: it marks the northernmost The Biržai domain remained in the hands of point of Lithuania – 56º27‚ north latitude – the Radziwiłł dynasty for over 350 years. It anyone willing can find it. While wandering around the environs of Biržai, you‘d rather not say “May you be swal- lowed by the earth!“ because it can actually happen. Our land is famous for karst depres- sions – sinkholes, of which there are thou- Miasto sands here. The largest of them is the Cow‘s Cave. As the legend goes, a couple of centuries ago a cow was swallowed up in this place, and all the owner found was its chain. Let alone the Birze mysterious Kirkilai and Drąseikiai karst lakelets which sometimes get coloured red! 4 5 Jonas Mekas. Astravas manor one can feel the spirit of the New York, 1968. Tyszkiewicz still floating around. Walking (Thephotographs around the town, you will see many buildings are from Jonas dating back to the times of the first Republic and Adolfas of Lithuania, designed by the most famous ar- Mekai Legacy Studies Centre). chitects of that time: Mykolas Songaila, Karo- lis Reisonas, Vytautas Lansbergis-Žemkalnis. The latter is famous for having designed the Biržai gymnasium (school), which produced many notable representatives in the fields of science, culture and arts, making Biržai famous. The future artist – the poet, the pioneer of avant-garde cinema in the USA – Jonas Mekas, was among them. Biržai is the birthplace of quite a few notable individuals, among them two signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania – Jokūbas Šernas and Alfonsas Petrulis, and many ministers of the first Republic of Lithuania: the brothers Jonas and Martynas As far back as the time of Dukes Radziwiłł, Yčai, Konstantinas Šakenis, Vytautas Petrulis, studied at Biržai Gymnasium and started The Biržai was known as a multinational, Ernestas Galvanauskas. his career as a basketball coach in Biržai. basketball multicultural and multi-confessional town. Žydrūnas Savickas, the strongest man in the coach Vladas The withdrawal of the front during World National and religious tolerance was used by world, also born in Biržai, started lifting the Garastas. War II left Biržai devastated by fire, with only Dukes Radziwiłł as the basis to successfully first weights and picking up the first victories a few brick buildings remaining. It is hardly establish, develop and govern the Duchy of in his hometown. The winner of the Olympic surprising that during the Soviet era the face Biržai. Even a few centuries later, you can still silver (Beijing 2008) Austra Skujytė, competing of the town was significantly changed – new find religious communities of eight different in both the heptathlon and the decathlon, public buildings and apartment buildings Christian denominations in the Biržai land. also grew up in Biržai. Arūnas Gelažninkas, were erected. Despite the fact that due to known for successfully driving in the Dakar The Biržai Castle is reminiscent of the times its geographical location Biržai was at the Rally, an unparalleded endurance event, of the noble Radziwiłł family, whereas in the epicenter of all the storms of all the wars that overcame the first springboards at the Biržai were being waged, the few surviving relicts of motocross club “Agaras“. It would be great if the old epochs are very powerful. you could find the time and grab the unique Sport occupies a special place in the history opportunity to play a game of outdoor tennis of Biržai. Vladas Garastas – an honorary citi- in Biržai – the first concrete tennis court in zen of Biržai, one of the most titled basketball Lithuania was built in the Astravas manor coaches in Lithuania, who led the legendary owned by Count J. Tyszkiewicz around 1900. basketball team “Žalgiris“ from Kaunas, Unfortunately, this sport did not take root at that time, but in the interwar period, exem- plary outdoor tennis courts were installed in the courtyard of the Biržai Castle. Let alone the victories of the Biržai gliders and the The busts of Martynas and Jonas Yčai. battles on the Tatami won by the fighters of The sculptor Konstantinas Bogdanas. an increasingly popular judo sports?.. 6 7 as “Birze“, in the times of tsarist In the clearing of Russia “Birži“, in 1915 it was re- named as “Biržai“ and has been the birch grove called Biržai ever since. The Biržai land used to be lies my Biržai inhabited by the two tribes of Balts – the Semigallians (to the North) and the Selians (to the town South), which existed in the 6th- (V. Dagys, the poet from Biržai) 13th centuries. The residential area of the tribes included the Eagle: This is the present lands of northern Lithu- ania and southeastern Latvia. place I have been It was in the lands of Biržai that searching for... the boundaries of the Selian endless forests, with and Semigallian tribes crossed, not a single human and at different times they were being in sight! No pushed to one side or the other. better place to build a nest... Forests were thriving here many years ago. The birch trees kept Birže swaying from the winds and The earliest recorded mention stretching in search of more of Biržai can be traced to August sunlight. It is said that people 23, 1416. In a letter from the Livonian made a clearing in the birch Master of the German Order to the Order‘s forest and settled in these pla- Procurator, the Nogailiai district of Semigallia ces, giving their home a name. was described, in which the name of Biržai was first The origin of the name Biržai mentioned, referred to as the Biržai plainfield. It was remains unclear. It can only be assumed that the name Biržai is just a place back then ... we‘ll find out about the people derived from the word “biržė“, who will settle down here and the town that will grow in which means the area of forest the vicinity, much later. to be felled or cut down, or from the word “beržų miškai“, the (birch forests) that were flou- rishing here. In the documents up to the 18th century, the name of the town was written 8 9 The Radziwiłł dynasty as the Biržai rulers Telling the history of Biržai is almost the same as telling the The Biržai-Dubingiai branch of the Radziwiłł family line is story of the Radziwiłł family. They ruled Biržai for so long believed to have been started by Jerzy Radziwiłł (Lith.Jurgis that most of the town‘s history is akin to the history of the Radvila (~1480–1541), the Castelian of Vilnius and Grand Biržai-Dubingiai branch of the Radziwiłł. Hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Contemporaries highlighted his military accomplishments during the battles It was here that the Dukes founded the Duchy of Biržai, built waged with the Muscovites, Prussians and Tatars. As a mem- a defensive castle, defined the rules and a conceptual layout ber of the influential Radziwiłł family, Jerzy worked hard to guide the future growth of the town, established a house both to consolidate the state and secure the predominance of prayer, invited people of different nationalities and faiths of his family among Lithuanian noble houses.