Siauliai is one of the largest economic cities in Lithuania. Sights and photos. What is worth seeing in Siauliai? Museum of Radio and Television
The Hill of Crosses is a very unusual landmark in Lithuania, a local shrine and a place of religious pilgrimage. The mountain is located twelve kilometers north of the city of Siauliai and is a low hill completely dotted with standing crosses. According to rough estimates, the total number of installed crosses exceeds 50,000.
The reasons for the appearance of the Mountain of Crosses are not known for certain. Even the approximate period of its occurrence is unknown. Some versions date back to 1831, but most researchers agree that the mountain is much older.
Be that as it may, popular beliefs claim that anyone who installs a cross on the mountain will be lucky. Naturally, such a curiosity attracts many tourists. There are a variety of crosses installed on the mountain - from huge crucifixes several meters high, to body crosses simply dug into the ground. The mountain of crosses is not tied to any Christian denomination: anyone can erect a cross, be it Catholic or Orthodox. Even Pope John Paul II installed one of the crucifixes here, which instantly attracted attention to the hill and increased the flow of Catholic tourists.
In the 20th century, the Soviet government tried to destroy the Hill of Crosses four times, but after the hill was cleared by bulldozers, the crucifixes reappeared.
Mountain of crosses
At a distance of 12 kilometers from the small Lithuanian town of Siauliai there is an interesting place of pilgrimage - the Hill of Crosses. This is a small hill on which a huge number of Lithuanian crosses are installed, a total of about 50 thousand. Despite the fact that this place visually very much resembles a cemetery, according to local beliefs, everyone who leaves a cross there will have great luck.
Now on this mountain you can see a wide variety of crosses: from huge wooden ones, several meters high, to very miniature body crosses that hang in clusters from larger monuments. Also in 1993, John Paul II installed a crucifix here, which significantly increased the number of tourists and pilgrims visiting this place.
It is quite difficult to name the true cause and time of the appearance of the Mountain of Crosses. According to one version, after the baptism of Lithuania, remnants of paganism existed among its population for a long time, which merged with Catholic beliefs. As a result of this, crosses began to be brought and installed at the site of the former temple. According to another version, it is believed that the crosses were erected in honor of people who died during the uprising of 1831. But whatever it really is, the Hill of Crosses is a very interesting place for tourism.
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Museum of Photography
The Museum of Photography opened in 1973 in the building of the Au&scaron ros museum, founded in honor of the 40th anniversary of the creation of the first Lithuanian newspaper Aušra. This is a huge art center in which several different museums coexist. At the exhibitions demonstrating various types of cameras - from the oldest to the modern ones, you can find very rare and interesting specimens.
In addition, the museum organizers also presented various photographic devices that were used by photographers even before the invention of the compact camera. All museum exhibits were workhorses in the past; famous Lithuanian photographers worked with them. Here they show films telling about the history of photography and other films that may be of interest not only to those who have a camera - a professional tool.
At the photo exhibition you can get acquainted with the works of famous Lithuanian photographers: Jurašaitis, Baulas, Karpavičius and others.
Unfortunately, until 2013 the museum is closed for reconstruction.
Since 1990, cats have settled in the premises of the Naturalists' Center, where more than twenty years ago an employee brought her private collection of figurines depicting these pets. They no longer fit in the apartment, and they needed a new home. Now the museum has more than 14 thousand different types of cats made from various materials. These are figurines made of porcelain, glass, amber, marble, crystal, paintings, photographs, postcards, stamps, books, poems praising cats. In short, everything related to mustachioed and striped animals.
Over time, the museum became known all over the world and new exhibits from different parts of the planet began to flock here. There are cats from England, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada, Cuba, China, Japan, France, Russia, Germany, Senegal, Zambia. This is the real cat kingdom. They are everywhere here. Cats on shelves, cats painted on walls, windows, railings, chairs, depicted on carpets and stained glass windows. The very first figurine is considered to be a small black kitten with a yellow ribbon from Poland, which the owner of the collection acquired in 1962.
All museum guests are also greeted by a cat, only a real one. Her name is Philomena and she works as the director of the museum. Her duties include purring, rubbing her feet and accompanying all guests in the halls of the museum, which she has been doing regularly for fifteen years.
Little visitors to the museum will certainly be interested in the living corner. It is home to a python, snake, lizards and even a cute little monkey.
The museum welcomes its guests from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm.
Bicycle Museum
Lithuanians are famous for their love of collecting unusual objects. The most extraordinary museums operate here, for example, the Bicycle Museum, which praises the two-wheeled “iron horse”. The museum tells where bicycles originated and how their appearance has changed over the centuries. Now it houses more than 250 exhibits and is located on the territory of the Vairas plant. The museum was founded in 1980.
The pride of the owners of this rare collection is a handmade Imperial Trumpf bicycle, assembled around 1812. There are bicycles here that were made during the First and Second World Wars and came from Western Europe. There are also small bicycles. Perhaps, only here a children's three-wheeled forged bicycle, which is more than a hundred years old, has been preserved. Museum visitors can also ride a modern version of the bicycle - a velomobile.
More than 10 thousand people come to see the two-wheeled exhibits every year.
In 2012, the museum opened an exhibition dedicated to sports bicycles, which took part in various world sporting events and brought prizes to Lithuanians. Digital stands tell visitors the history of cycling sports, which dates back to the 30s of the last century.
During the time when Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union, it won its first Olympic medals. This happened at the Seoul Games in 1988. Lithuanian cyclists have represented various world clubs and achieved serious results in this sport at European and world championships.
The museum is open from Tuesday to Friday from ten a.m. to six p.m., and on Saturday from eleven a.m. to five p.m. An entrance ticket costs 6 Lt, and a discount ticket costs half as much. A guided tour will cost 40 Lt, photography permission costs 20 Lt.
Museum "Baublis" "Lithuania" Bietai
The Baublis Museum, which is located in the Lithuanian village of Bietai, is the smallest museum in the world. The museum is located in the hollow of an old oak tree and has officially existed since 1812. Its creator, the Lithuanian writer Dionizas Poshka, hollowed out a room with a diameter of 1.9 - 2 meters in the trunk of a cut thousand-year-old oak tree with a girth of 9.2 meters.
However, it is not only the tiny size of the museum and its unusual location that attract the interest of visitors. It stores valuable archaeological finds, mammoth bones, ancient weapons, knight's armor, a collection of ancient coins, a whole library of 200 books and much more. Dionizas Poshka hung portraits of scientists, philosophers and poets on the walls. The name of the museum was given by the oak tree in which it was located. Local residents had long called the tree that name until it burned and had to be cut down. This museum became the first local history museum in Lithuania, which has been actively visited by tourists since its creation to this day. At one time, the museum was immortalized in the poem “Pan Tadeusz” by Adam Mickiewicz. Part of the museum's collection was lost during the First World War. But what survived is still on display in the Baublis, on which caring restorers put a glass triangular “cloak” so that the trunk would not get damp.
Near the museum there is a school, each of whose students will be happy to show you a picturesque pond, old apple trees planted by Dionizas Poshka, the graves of his ancestors, and an ancient park. And at the bottom of the overgrown ravine, the Pela stream still gurgles, as in ancient times.
Siauliai Drama Theater
The first performance, which was performed in September 1931 by the troupe of the Siauliai Drama Theater, was “Princess Turandot” directed by Boris Dauguvetis. At this time, the theater was considered part of the Kaunas State Theatre, and from the summer of 1935 it moved to Klaipeda and became part of the Klaipeda State Theatre. However, four years later the theater returned to Siauliai and soon received its current name.
And “Princess Turandot” waited almost 75 years for its second season. During this time, the theater managed to stage more than four hundred performances; it had more than a dozen directors, among whom were Joseph Stein and Marmetas Karkleis. V.V. Landsbergis and others.
The theater's repertoire includes 26 performances, seven of which are productions for young spectators. Children are welcome every Sunday at noon, and adult performances are performed at other Sunday times and on Saturday. The theater offers, on average, 4-6 premieres per season. The premiere of this season was the production of "The Door" based on the works of Virgil.
From the stage of the Siauliai Drama Theater they heard “Three Sisters” by Chekhov, “Joseph” by Jaroslav Hasek, “The Miser” by Jean-Baptiste Moliere, “Three Friends” by Erich Maria Remarque and other masterpieces of world literature.
The theater troupe, consisting of 28 actors, often tours and takes part in international festivals.
Museum of the History of Siauliai University
The Siauliai University History Museum is located in the city of Siauliai, Lithuania. This is one of the most interesting museums, which is entirely dedicated to the history of this ancient city, which appeared in the first millennium AD.
Siauliai is the fourth most populous city in the country, one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. The rich history of the city is reflected in its many attractions, which have been perfectly preserved to this day. And you can get acquainted with the most ancient period of the history of Siauliai in the History Museum of Siauliai University. The museum exposition tells about the first human settlements on the territory of Siauliai. The formation of the city dates back presumably to the 11th century AD. The museum presents the first mentions of the city, manuscripts, plans and maps.
Shavli (until 1917)
107,875 people (2012)
Siauliai City Administration
Monument to Soviet soldiers who died in the war of 1941-1945.
Siauliai(lit. Šiauliai, zhem. Šiaulē, until 1917 - Shavli) - in the north, fourth in number of inhabitants; administrative center of the Siauliai region.
Position and general characteristics
Located in the north of Lithuania, 214 km northwest of, 142 km from and 161 km east of. The total area is 81 square kilometers.
Siauliai is a large industrial and cultural center. The city is home to Siauliai University, Siauliai Drama Theatre, several museums, including the Bicycle Museum, the Photography Museum, the Radio and Television Museum, the Cat Museum and the Aushra Museum of Local Lore.
Story
The territory of the modern city was inhabited already in the first millennium AD. The city was formed on the border of settlement of the Samogitian and Zemgallian tribes, probably already in the 11th century. The name of the city is associated with the Battle of Saul, mentioned in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle, which took place on September 22, 1236, when the united army of Lithuanians, Samogitians and Semigallians defeated the knights of the Order of the Sword.
In 1522, Shavli was mentioned as the center of the volost. On the map of Europe compiled by Kaspar Vopela in 1555, the town of Sovli is marked. In 1589, the Shavlin economy was established - the unification of a number of royal courts.
In 1701, during the Northern War, Shavli was occupied by the Swedes. In 1710, a plague epidemic claimed the lives of half the inhabitants.
In 1713, King Augustus II sent a letter to Shavli on March 13, in which he announced that he was granting Magdeburg rights to the city. However, this privilege was not exercised.
In 1791, the Sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth adopted the law on free cities, according to which Shavli, among others, was granted the right to self-government. According to this law, a city magistrate was elected on August 1st. In the same year, the city was granted a coat of arms.
In 1795, after the third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the city fell under Russian jurisdiction.
In 1812, the city was occupied by Napoleon's troops under the command of Marshal MacDonald.
In 1830-1831, Shavli and its surroundings were engulfed in an uprising, during which the city was repeatedly occupied by insurgents. On March 29, 1831, a battle took place in the vicinity of the city, in which a detachment of 1,500 rebels defeated the Russian garrison.
During the 1863 uprising, townspeople formed several fighting units that took part in a number of major skirmishes with Russian troops. In memory of these events, a memorial was opened in the city in 1935.
A gymnasium was opened in 1851. In 1871, the Libavo-Romenskaya railway passed through the city. In 1872 the city was badly damaged by fire.
In 1897, Shavli was the second city in the Kovno province in terms of population, after . Frenkel's leather factory, the largest in the Russian Empire, operated in the city.
In March 1915, during the First World War, the city was destroyed by German troops. 65% of buildings were destroyed.
In 1918, the first democratic city government in Lithuania was formed in Šavli. In 1919, a partisan headquarters operated to counter the Western Volunteer Army of Prince Bermondt-Avalov.
Shawli after World War I
During the interwar period, the city became the largest industrial and cultural center of Lithuania after Kaunas and Klaipeda. The city has the largest enterprises producing leather, footwear, linen fabrics, and confectionery. The Aušra Museum, the Titnagas Publishing House, a drama theater, and a branch of the Klaipeda Trade Institute were opened in the city.
In June 1940, Lithuania becomes a Soviet republic.
On June 25, 1941, on the third day of the Great Patriotic War, the city was occupied by German troops.
In July 1944, troops of the 1st Baltic Front under the command of Marshal Bagramyan carried out the Siauliai offensive operation, during which, on July 27, 1944, Soviet troops entered the city. On August 16, the Germans launched a powerful counterattack to the west and northwest of the city. Fierce fighting continues until August 29. For more than a month, the city was in the front zone. 80% of the buildings were destroyed.
Vilnius Street - the first pedestrian zone in the USSR
During Soviet times, the city developed primarily as an industrial center. The “Vairas” bicycle plant, a television plant (widely known throughout the USSR for the “Tauras” TV brands), and the “Nuklon” electronics plant (although focused primarily on the needs of the military industry, but nevertheless producing one of the first in the USSR) are opened household computers). Near the city, in the village of Zoknyai, one of the largest military air bases of the USSR is located with all the infrastructure that serves it.
In 1975, the first pedestrian zone in the USSR was opened in the city center.
Thanks to the bicycle factory, in the 70-80s Šiauliai became the “bicycle capital of Lithuania”. Both in the city itself and in its environs, specialized bicycle lanes and paths are being installed. Cycling tourism is being cultivated, and mass “physical education and cycling” events are being held.
The economic transformations of the 90s hit city industry hard. As a result, the city's unemployment rate was almost the highest in Lithuania, reaching 16.5% in 2001, while the national average was 12.5%. Years of rapid economic growth (2004-2008) calmed the situation, but the outbreak of the 2009-2010 crisis again turned Siauliai into the “capital of the unemployed.” The result is emigration of the working population to EU countries. Over the 20 years of independence, the city's population decreased by 20 thousand people.
Population
Siauliai is the fourth, after, and most populous city in Lithuania. In 2011, the city had a population of 121 thousand.
During the city's history, periods of growth were interrupted several times by the devastation of wars and epidemics. Dramatic changes also occurred in the national composition of the inhabitants of Siauliai.
Already at the end of the 16th century it was a center of economy with a population of more than 1000 people.
In the 18th-19th centuries, Shavli was an ordinary district town in the North-Western Territory. The beginning of the rapid growth of the city was facilitated by the construction in the mid-19th century of the Libavo-Romensky railway and the Tilsit highway, which passed through the city. Already by 1897, Shavli was the second city of the Kovno province - 16,128 inhabitants.
The growth of the city was stopped by the First World War, after which about 5 thousand inhabitants remained in Shavli.
During the interwar period, the city grew rapidly as the third largest industrial and cultural center of independent Lithuania. Before World War II the population reached 32 thousand. But the war almost halves the population.
During Soviet times, the city grew rapidly and by the time of independence, the population of Siauliai reached a historical maximum. In 1992, 149 thousand people lived in the city.
The difficult economic situation of the city, caused by a reduction in industrial production in the first years after Lithuania regained its independence, led to unemployment, which provoked a flow of emigration to the European Union. The crisis of 2008-2010 further strengthened emigration sentiments in the city. According to the 2011 census, the city's population dropped to 121 thousand.
Population dynamics:
| Year | Residents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1589 | ~1 100 | |
| 1649 | ~1 400 | |
| 1655 | ~1 500 | |
| 1658 | ~1 100 | |
| 1681 | ~1 400 | |
| 1710 | ~900 | |
| 1766 | 3 699 | |
| 1797 | 3 118 | |
| 1798 | 1 200 | |
| 1845 | 3 499 | |
| 1858 | 6 886 | |
| 1863 | 6 400 | |
| 1873 | 13 965 | |
| 1875 | 13 200 | |
| 1880 | 15 901 | |
| 1897 | 16 128 | Census data |
| 1902 | 16 968 | |
| 1909 | 17 993 | |
| 1914 | 23 654 | |
| 1915 | ~5000 | |
| 1920 | 11 000 | |
| 1923 | 21 387 | Census data |
| 1931 | 23 249 | Census data |
| 1939 | 31 641 | Census data |
| 1941 | 32 100 | |
| 1945 | 19 000 | |
| 1950 | 44 200 | |
| 1959 | 59 700 | Census data |
| 1970 | 92 375 | Census data |
| 1975 | 108 200 | |
| 1979 | 118 724 | Census data |
| 1980 | 121 000 | |
| 1985 | 134 100 | |
| 1989 | 145 629 | Census data |
| 1990 | 147 633 | |
| 1992 | 149 083 | |
| 1996 | 146 534 | |
| 2001 | 133 883 | Census data |
| 2006 | 129 037 | |
| 2007 | 128 397 | |
| 2008 | 127 059 | |
| 2009 | 126 215 | |
| 2010 | 125 453 | |
| 2011 | 109 300 | Census data |
| 2012 | 107 875 |
National composition
Before the First World War, the national composition of the city's population was typical for the cities of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; the majority of the population were Jews. Thus, according to the 1897 census, out of 16,128 residents of Siauliai, their mother tongue was: 6,978 (43.3%) - Jewish, 3,981 (24.7%) - Zhmuda, 2,489 (15.4%) - Polish, 1 542 (9.6%) - Russian, 494 (3.1%) - Lithuanian.
In 1902, 16,696 inhabitants lived in the city, of which 9,847 (59%) were Jews, 3,819 (22.9%) were Catholics, 2,505 (15%) were Orthodox.
The First World War and the interwar period significantly changed the national composition of the city. The Russian military and officials who left the city during the war did not return. The post-war increase in the urban population occurred mainly due to Lithuanians and neighboring peasants. A significant portion of Jews emigrated to Western Europe and the United States; in addition, some Jews evacuated during the First World War did not return from Russia.
According to the 1923 census, out of 21,387 inhabitants, 15,058 (70.4%) were Lithuanians, 5,338 (25%) were Jews, 304 (1.4%) were Russians, 198 (0.9%) were Germans, 66 ( 0.3%) - Latvians, 274 (1.3%) - others.
The Holocaust claimed the lives of 93% of Siauliai Jews.
Post-war Siauliai is almost entirely Lithuanian. During the Soviet period there was a slight increase in the share of the Russian population. This growth was mainly due to the influx of labor into new industrial enterprises and the large military contingent at the airfield.
After independence, the Soviet military left the city. A small part of the Russian-speaking population also emigrated.
According to the 2001 census, of the 133,883 residents of the city, Lithuanians made up 92.8%, Russians - 4.8%, Ukrainians - 0.7%, Belarusians - 0.4%, Poles - 0.2%, others - 0.7% .
Name
The name was first mentioned in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle in connection with the Battle of Saul 1236. In forms Saulen (1254), terram Saulam (1348), in Saulia(1358) it appears in the same and other German chronicles.
During the time of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in Western Russian language the city was called Shavli, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in Polish - Szawle, in the Russian Empire before the revolution of 1917 - Shavli.
According to scientific etymology, the name comes from the plural of a personal name (name or nickname) Siaulys. In turn, this name may have come from the noun Šaulys, which means shooter or Sagittarius. In Lithuania, similar surnames are still not uncommon. Or, according to another version (folk etymology), the name of the city comes from the noun Saulė - Sun.
Both of the above options are played out in various ways in the city. For example, the largest shopping and entertainment center in the city is called “Saulės miestas” (city of the Sun), and one of the symbols of the city, the Sunny Boy, is depicted as a Sagittarius archer.
Coat of arms
Coat of arms of the city from 1854 to 1920
The coat of arms was granted by the King of Poland Stanislaw August Poniatowski on November 9, 1791, along with the rights of the city. From 1854 to 1920, the city had another coat of arms, approved by Nicholas the First.
Climate
| Siauliai Climate | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index | Jan. | Feb. | March | Apr. | May | June | July | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | Year |
| Average maximum, °C | −1,6 | −0,9 | 4,4 | 12,1 | 18,0 | 20,4 | 24,5 | 23,0 | 17,5 | 10,2 | 4,4 | −0,2 | 11,0 |
| Average temperature, °C | −3,4 | −3,4 | 0,7 | 7,1 | 12,6 | 15,3 | 19,3 | 18,1 | 13,3 | 7,2 | 2,7 | −1,8 | 7,3 |
| Average minimum, °C | −5,2 | −5,8 | −3 | 2,1 | 7,2 | 10,3 | 14,1 | 13,3 | 9,0 | 4,1 | 1,0 | −3,4 | 3,6 |
| Precipitation rate, mm | 36,8 | 30,9 | 31,9 | 28,1 | 40,0 | 74,8 | 80,9 | 72,4 | 42,0 | 68,8 | 51,8 | 41,3 | 599,7 |
Vilniaus Street, Vilniusskaya, Vilenskaya, choose the name that is ideologically closer to you, was in every Lithuanian city I visited, almost like Lenin’s before. In Siauliai, for example, back in the 1970s, almost a kilometer of its central part was turned into a pedestrian boulevard with shops, restaurants and other infrastructure. Its construction, however, is quite modest; it is much more memorable for the huge number of small architectural forms, both from the Soviet period and modern ones.
The pedestrian part of Siauliai Vilnius begins right from the Siauliai hotel and at first glance, the development here is very tight. 
Of some interest is the complex of the Faculty of Technology of the University of Siauliai, combined for unknown reasons with the city art gallery. 
There is also a stand with information for tourists, obligatory in any more or less interesting Lithuanian cities (you can still imagine something similar, for example, in our Baranavichy, which is comparable to Siauliai in many respects, in addition, they are twin cities). The bicycle seems to hint to us about the presence of a corresponding museum in the immediate vicinity. We must give the Lithuanians their due; they try to compensate for the lack of external attractiveness of any city by organizing various museums, so that the tourists who come in large numbers will stay longer and leave more money. Let's say in Siauliai, in addition to the standard range of museums of art and local history, there is: a bicycle museum (in the city there is a bicycle factory "Vairas"), a photography museum, a radio and television museum (Tauras TVs were once made here), a railway museum, a cat museum, the fire and technical museum, the police museum, the museum of the history of water supply and sewerage (!), the museum of the pre-trial detention center (!!) and the pathology department of the city hospital, where excursions are also conducted (!!!). 
View towards the hotel. 
The street development is not particularly interesting. There is a bit of simple interwar constructivism (crossroads with Tilsit Street, Tilzhe Gatve) 
Rare pre-revolutionary (the numbers on the bay window - 1947, 1992, indicate the years of reconstruction of the building; it itself is from 1910). 
Former girls' gymnasium from 1900. Now it's just a gymnasium. 
Hidden in the outskirts of Vilnius Street is the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola (1936), completely asymmetrical in plan. In general, the architect’s intention in this case is impossible to understand. 
Everything else was destroyed during the fighting of the last world war. Subsequent eras left their not very outstanding mark. 
Well, the promised small architectural forms. Fountain "Pelicans" (1978, sculptor B. Kasperavičienė). 
Watch. 
And modern installations are too straightforward (in front of a jewelry store)... 
...(in front of the shoe shop)... 
... (in front of the pharmacy)... 
So, more or less conceptual. On the left, a cancer is climbing onto a pack of Kastytis cigarettes. 
This is the calf from the Cielek coat of arms, the Poniatowski family coat of arms. King Stanisław August Poniatowski in 1791 gave Siauliai (then Shavli) self-government and a coat of arms with his symbol (from there the same calf is on our coat of arms). 
Well, traditionally there are a few surviving Soviet gizmos. There are quite a lot of them left in Siauliai, unlike other Lithuanian cities. 
Peysanka. 
With this girl, however, it’s not clear. Either in the Lithuanian SSR, Siauliai had a coat of arms of the 1791 model (though with the sun instead of the “All-Seeing Eye”), or the girl is modern, but looks so Soviet. The style even reminded me of Yerevan. 
Finally, a couple of details. A specifically Siauliai type of urn (on the urn there is a stylized image of an archer - another symbol of the city). 
At night and twilight, pedestrian crossings are additionally marked with light bulbs mounted in the asphalt. 
Previous episodes:
Vilnius:
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The calm, quiet and homely town of Siauliai is located in the north of Lithuania. It is the fourth largest in the country in terms of population. The city of Siauliai in Lithuania appeared a hundred years earlier than Vilnius, it is a year older than the German capital - Berlin - and only a year younger than Tehran. The history of the city goes back 770 years.
Geography
The city of Siauliai in Lithuania is the administrative center of the region of the same name. It is separated from Vilnius by 214 kilometers, from Kaunas - 142 kilometers, and from Klaipeda - 161 kilometers. Major cities in the country can be reached from Siauliai by bus or train.
Lithuania, Siauliai: climatic conditions
The climate in the city is considered transitional from maritime to continental. It is characterized by cool summers with heavy rainfall and fairly mild winters. The weather in Siauliai (Lithuania) is variable, and a calm day is a rarity here. In July the air warms up to +25 °C, the average temperature in January is not lower than -1 °C.
Lithuania, Siauliai: attractions. Cathedral of Peter and Paul
The history of the appearance of the Peter and Paul Cathedral has two versions. According to one, it was built in the period from 1617 to 1637, according to another, the date is different: between 1594 and 1625. Be that as it may, this ancient structure has retained its original appearance to this day, despite the fire of 1880 and serious damage during the war with Nazi Germany.
The cathedral was restored during Soviet times and has since been one of the most popular attractions. Among other churches and temples in Lithuania, the cathedral stands out for the presence of bay windows, which indicate that the structure also had a defensive function.
The temple contains an ancient organ (XVIII century), which was moved here from the Church of the Holy Trinity (Kaunas). And on the seventy-meter tower of the cathedral, as in ancient times, the sundial shows the exact time, despite its “advanced” age.
All city roads led to this temple: here, on Resurrection Square, artisans and merchants gathered, noisy fairs and bazaars were organized. And today, on the street in front of the cathedral, townspeople and city guests make appointments and city holidays are held.
Franciscan monastery
In 2000, a Franciscan monastery was built in this Lithuanian city. Its appearance was initiated by Pope Paul II. A location was chosen for the construction near
Returning to his homeland after visiting Lithuania, the Pope notified the monks of the Franciscan monastery, which is located on Mount La Verna (Italy), that he had visited the Hill of Crosses. At the end of the visit, a decision was made to found a monastery in Lithuania. In 1997, the model of the future structure was approved and consecrated; the first stone of the foundation of the building was laid in 1998.
The monastery building is made of red brick, its roof is crowned with a cross. In the courtyard you can see a sculpture of a praying monk, and the interior rooms are decorated with icons. Today in the monastery anyone can buy a pectoral cross and consecrate it.
Mountain of Crosses
One of the most unusual attractions of the city of Siauliai in Lithuania. It is a local shrine and place of pilgrimage. It is located twelve kilometers north of the city and is a small hill covered with mounted crosses. According to rough estimates, their number exceeds fifty thousand.
The reasons for the emergence of this city landmark are not known for certain. Researchers find it difficult to name the date of its appearance in the city: some attribute it to 1831, others are sure that it appeared much earlier. According to popular belief, everyone who places a cross on the mountain will find happiness, and luck will never turn away from him.
There are a variety of crosses installed here - huge, several meters high crucifixes and ordinary ones dug into the ground. One crucifix was also installed here by Paul II during his visit to the country. This event had a great resonance, and a huge number of tourists flocked to the hill.
In the 20th century, Soviet officials tried to destroy the Mountain several times, but immediately after the next clearing of the hill by bulldozers, crucifixes reappeared in this place.
Pedestrian street Vilniaus
Like many modern cities, Siauliai in Lithuania has a pedestrian street, but not everyone knows that it was in this city that it appeared first in the USSR. Its length is about five kilometers, and the pedestrian part of Vilniaus Street is located between Žemaitis Street and Draugystes Avenue. The townspeople call this part Siauliai Boulevard.
In 1975, traffic on this section was completely stopped. Today there are many cozy cafes and restaurants, shops and art galleries. There are also several museums here: bicycles, photography, etc. The street is decorated with numerous fountains and sculptural compositions. At the beginning of the 21st century, the pedestrian street became the tourist center of the city. House No. 213 now houses a tourist information center.
Museum of Radio and Television
Siauliai in Lithuania, a photo of which you can see in this article, is a city in which ancient buildings and modern buildings harmoniously combine. It is built in the same style, which undoubtedly adds a special charm to it.
The Museum of Television and Radio appeared in this city not by chance. It was in Siauliai in 1925 that the country's first radio laboratory appeared. It was founded by Stasys Braziskis, who assembled the first Lithuanian television and radio. On the initiative of local radio engineers, a museum appeared in Siauliai (1982), which is entirely dedicated to the development of radio and television.
Today it is part of the Aushra art project. Here you can see radios from different times and from different countries, televisions, and ancient mechanical devices used to reproduce sound. The museum contains computer equipment and gramophones, as well as many other interesting equipment.
The museum staff creates their own traditions. Thus, since 1995, competitions have been held here every year among young radio amateurs for the best invention. Schoolchildren can listen to a course of lectures on the history of radio and compare current equipment with the first devices.
Villa Chaim Frenkel
This magnificent architectural monument of the early 20th century is included in almost all excursion tours of the city of Siauliai in Lithuania. The building was built in 1908 in Art Nouveau style for the owner of the tannery, H. Frenkel. In the first years, the owner’s family lived here, and in the twenties of the last century, a Jewish gymnasium was located here, which operated for almost twenty years.
During the Second World War, a German hospital was located here, and after its end - a Soviet hospital. Since 1994, this building has housed a museum where you can view two exhibitions. In 2003, the exhibition “Provincial Estate” was created, dedicated to provincial life at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. The second part of the museum contains documents and exhibits highlighting the cultural heritage of the Jewish people in Siauliai.
The complex consists of three exhibition halls, two living rooms and a library. The villa is a paired architectural composition: it seems that it consists of two identical houses. On the inside of the villa you can take a walk in a beautiful park and admire the fountain with a swimming pool.
Attractions
One of the most moving places that you should definitely visit is the Hill of Crosses north of Siauliai. The hill first became known at the beginning of the 19th century. as a place of pilgrimage for Catholics, and over the years they left there thousands of crosses, crucifixes, statues and figurines of the Virgin Mary, rosaries and other religious paraphernalia. The Hill of Crosses still has genuine national significance for Lithuanians today.
Very little remains of old Siauliai, although the layout of the city from the 18th century is still visible. Most of the buildings were built after the Second World War, so from an architectural point of view they are not of any interest. One of the surviving examples of early buildings is the Cathedral of Piatro ir Povilo (St. Peter and Paul), built in the early 1600s. on the site of a wooden church. Another interesting building is the city hall, which actually consists of two connected buildings.
The main place in the city's economy is leather processing, as well as the production of food and drinks, which are exported to Western European countries. One of the main events that changed the appearance of the city was the transformation of Vilniaus Street into a pedestrian zone. This happened in the mid-70s. For that time, such a solution was very innovative and immediately aroused increased interest both in the country and abroad. Today the streets have been re-paved. Vilniaus Street is one of the most beautiful boulevards in Lithuania. With its shops, restaurants and cafes it is reminiscent of Laisves Alley in Kaunas. Overall, the city makes a very good impression. There are many modern shops and cafes, as well as excellent hotels. In addition, Siauliai has many unusual museums.