Alytus is the largest city in Southern Lithuania, located on the
Nemunas River, 65 km south of Kaunas and 108 km southwest of
Vilnius. Center of the county, Alytus district municipality, Alytus
city municipality, Alytus precinct and Catholic deanery center.
It is the sixth largest city in Lithuania and the largest city in
Dzūkija, considered the unofficial capital of this ethnographic
region.
There are 4 churches in Alytus (Alytus St. Ludvik
Church, Alytus St. Guardian Angels Church, Alytus St. Casimir
Church, Alytus St. Virgin Mary's Christian Help Church), the
Orthodox Alytus Mother of God Guardian Church, the former Alytus
Synagogue, built in the 20th century. in the beginning, now defunct.
The Alytus Regional History Museum (founded in 1928), 4
gymnasiums, Stasios Kudirka District Central Hospital, Alytus
Tuberculosis Hospital, Alytus City Family Center, Alytus
Correctional Facility, Sports Palace (architect A. Kulvietis) are in
operation.
In the city stands the monument of the decade of
Lithuanian independence - "The Angel of Freedom", built in 1929.
(sculptor Antanas Aleksandravičius). in 1934 the sculpture fell
apart after being struck by lightning in 1937. was restored. in 1952
the monument was demolished by the Soviets, but it was rebuilt in
1991. (sculptor Jonas Meškelevičius restored the sculpture, Jonas
Blažaitis - the bas-reliefs of the monument). The monument is 13 m
high (9 m pedestal and 4 m angel). It is said that the sculptor
persuaded a young high school teacher to pose.
The railway
station is located in the west of the city, in Likiškiai, there are
the ruins of the old railway bridge over the Nemunas (1899). On the
right bank of the Nemunas stands the Alytus mound, on the left - the
Radžiūnai mound.
In the center of the city, there is a theater, A. Matutis Museum, a
monument to A. Juozapavičius by the bridge over the Nemunas. In the
forest of Alytus there is the Valley of Songs and a monument to the
400th anniversary of Alytus. The National Historical Memory Museum and
the Antanas Jonynos Museum are nearby. Alytus has the only circus in
Lithuania - "Dzūkijos" circus (since 1982). The city park is
characterized by metal sculptures (authors K. Valaitis, Naglis Nasvytis,
Kęstutis Musteikis and others). A sculpture of Squirrel with a book was
erected in the Old Town Square.
One crater on Mars is named after
the city.
There are four churches in Alytus:
St. Guardian Angels (in the
center), built in 1830. Wooden, with neo-baroque altars.
St.
Kazimiero (in the southeast of the city, near the barracks). 19th
century at the end of the year, when barracks were installed in this
place, a "brick-style" church was built for the needs of the crew
according to a typical project (consecrated in 1904). The church was
opened after World War I, until 1940. was the house of prayer of the
Lithuanian army. After the war, it was closed and turned into the
cultural house of the Machine Factory. in 1990 the church was returned
to the believers, 1996 the church was reconstructed according to the
project of architect Vytautas Jakutis and constructor Saulius Stulpinas.
St. Ludvikos (Alytus I on the right bank of the Nemunas), about 1520 the
first wooden one was built in 1818 the current church was built. The
bell tower still rings from the 17th century. cast bell.
St.
Christian Help of the Virgin Mary (near Vidzgiris microdistrict). It is
the newest church in the city, which was started to be built in 1991,
according to the project of Vilnius architects K. Kisieliaus, K. Pempė
and G. Ramunis. The church is single-tower, trinave, pseudo-basilica.
The city has St. Bruno's Chapel, the Church of the Patroness of Our Lady
of Alytus, belonging to the Orthodox.
In memory of Antanas Juozapavičius (1989; authors – V. Jarutis, K.
Babravičius, P. Maločka, V. Valentinavičius), near the bridge of Antanas
Juozapavičius
"Angel of Freedom" (1928; sculpt. Antanas
Aleksandravičius). in 1934 the sculpture was broken by a thunderstorm,
it was rebuilt, but in 1952 destroyed by a tank. Restored in 1991.
(sculptor Jonas Meškelevičius)
"Motina tremtinė" (local sculptor
Antanas Ambrulevičius)
Anzelmas Matutis Sculpture Park, created by
the students of the Alytus Art School, who made wooden sculptures
depicting the lives of the characters in A. Matutis' works
Museum of Local History (founded in 1928) (and its archaeological
exposition)
Antanas Jonynas Memorial Museum
Anzelmas Matutis
Memorial Museum
Julia Baranauskienė Ceramics Museum
Struggles for
freedom in the exposition "Historical memory of our nation"
Afghanistan War Veterans Club Museum
A. Ramanauskas-Vanagas Gymnasium
Museum and Sports Information Center
Alytus is located near Nemunas, 65 km south of Kaunas and 108 km
southwest of Vilnius. Alytus is the largest city of Dzūkija, considered
the informal capital of this ethnographic region.
The Nemunas
flows through Alytus from the southeast to the northwest. Since ancient
times, the city has been divided into two parts: Alytus I is located on
the right bank of the Nemunas, and Alytus II is located on the left
(most of the current city is located on the left bank of the river):
In Alytus II, there is the city center, Dailide Lake, the city cemetery,
the Alytus Forest, the city park and garden, the local history museum,
the soldiers' cemetery, the Youth Park;
There is a Jewish cemetery in
Alytus I, Alytus St. Ludvik's church, the Alytus mound in the south and
the Alytupis stream.
A historical landscape reserve was established
in the city, the Klebonas stone stands. The railway station is located
in the west of the city, in Likiskii.
It is assumed that Alytus is a water-based place name, because the
Alytupis stream flows into the Nemunas through Alytus, which used to be
called simply Alytus. In southern Lithuania, water names with the ending
-us are often found: lakes Guostus, Niedus, Švenčius, etc., rivers
Kriaušius, Skroblus, Vardžius, etc.
Another version claims that
the name of the city could have come from the castle that stood here as
early as the 14th century, often stood in the way of the Crusaders and
they called this castle Aliten.
Folk etymology tells one of the
legends about love - once lived Mirgrausėlė and Alyta. They fell in love
with each other, but Mirgrausėle was given the part of the play. When
the crusaders attacked the local castle, many soldiers fell in the
battle, and Alyta, seeing that the battle would be lost, ran to the
Gabija hill, where Mirgrausėlė was kindling the holy fire, and hid it,
and returned to the battle himself. Although Alyta fought bravely, he
died. Upon learning this, Mirgrausėlė cried bitterly and for a long
time, so that her tears began to flow in the stream of Nemunan. The
stream was formerly called Alytupi by the priests, and the city located
next to the mound was called Alytum. And today, the stream of
Mirgrausėlė's tears flows into Nemunas.
The city's surroundings have been inhabited since the Neolithic. In
the Middle Ages, the surroundings of Alytus were inhabited by mixed
Jotving and Lithuanian tribes, because Alytus was on the border between
these tribes. Later, due to historical circumstances, the Jotvings were
assimilated by the Lithuanian tribe. On the left bank of the Nemunas
there are two dozen VI-IX centuries. barrows, XIII-XIV centuries. On the
right bank of the Nemunas, at the confluence with Alytupis, there stood
the wooden castle of Alytus. in 2010 excavations in the city center
showed that the historical origins of Alytus were in the center of the
current city, from the 14th century. the town hall and the church stood
here.
Alytus is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. It is
mentioned for the first time in 1377. as Alytus Castle in the Chronicle
of Vygandos Marburgietis. Crusader attack routes passed through Alytus
to the depths of the country. 1387 LDK is mentioned in documents as a
town. After the Battle of Žalgiris, a settlement called Alytus I began
to grow on the right bank of the Nemunas from the 15th century. the
settlement growing on the left bank in Užnemunė started to be called
Alytus II. in 1466 the state of Alytus is mentioned. in 1524 a church
was built and a parish was established. in 1549 Ldk Žygymantas Augustas
wrote Alytus to Barbora Radvilaite.
in 1581 June 15 The Grand
Duke of Lithuania Steponas Bator granted Alytus the rights and coat of
arms of Magdeburg. This date is celebrated as Alytus City Day. In the
past, Alytus suffered many times from foreign armies. It was repeatedly
destroyed by fires, plague epidemics and other disasters. in 1586 built
church. The city belonged to Trakai Voivodeship.
17th century
during the wars with Russia and Sweden, the city lost many inhabitants.
in 1775 District courts were transferred from Trakai and Merkina to
Alytun. 18th century At the end of the 20th century, both banks of the
Nemunas had almost the same population, but the right-bank Alytus was
the leader in trade and crafts. in 1795 the city was divided: the
eastern part (Alytus I) belonged to the Russian Empire, and the western
part (Alytus II) to the Kingdom of Prussia. in 1807 Alytus II belonged
to the Duchy of Warsaw created by Napoleon, after the Congress of Vienna
it belonged to the Kingdom of Poland (it belonged to 1815-1915). Due to
better economic conditions, the left bank began to develop rapidly,
while the right bank weakened, and since then Alytus II has become a
stronger city.
in 1863 was occupied by the rebels. 19th century
At the end of the 19th century, the Russian Empire began to build the
fortifications of the strategically important city. in 1890 Alytus
became a third-class fortress of the Russian Empire.
In 1915,
when the German military administration established itself in Lithuania
and Suwalki Governorate, Alytus I and Alytus II were merged into one
administrative unit. in 1919 in February, the Alytus battle took place
in the city, in which the Lithuanian army fought against the Bolsheviks,
the first officer Antanas Juozapavičius was killed near Alytus. During
Lithuania's battles with the Poles, the latter claimed the territory of
Lithuania as far as Alytus. The Polish delegation to the Entente of the
Paris Peace Conference presented a demand to establish a demarcation
line between Lithuania and Poland from Vištytis to Alytus. in 1919 the
city received state rights in 1931. - First-class city, 1932 - summer
home rights.
In 1939 a camp for Polish soldiers interned in
Lithuania was established near Alytus. in 1941 June 22-23 the Battle of
Alytus took place near the city, in which about 800 tanks participated.
in 1941 almost all the Jews of Alytus (about 10,000) were killed. in
1944 July 15 the city was occupied by the Soviets (soldiers of the III
Belorussian Front). During the post-war resistance movement, the city
belonged to the Dainava region district. Since 1941 July to 1943 In the
territory of the April barracks, the concentration camp for prisoners of
war Stalag-343 operated. Since 1943 May to 1944 In July, a camp for
displaced persons, mostly from the western regions of Russia, operated
there. About 2 thousand people died in it. prisoners of war and
civilians.
In 1944 July 15 the city was occupied by the Soviets
(soldiers of the III Belorussian Front). During the post-war resistance
movement, the city belonged to the Dainava region district. in 1946
August 3 became a city under the county in 1950. - in the center of the
district.
After the war, the city was systematically expanded,
especially after 1963, as an industrial center. The largest Alytus
cotton plant in the Baltic republics (later - Alytus textile) was built,
where in 1980 employed 6,000 workers, a large "Snaigė" refrigerator
factory (in 1972, 1,900 workers worked here), an experimental
house-building plant, a meat plant, a "Dainava" sewing factory, and a
compound feed plant. in 1977 March 30 Alytus was granted the rights of a
republican city. in 1989 12 secondary schools operated here.
In
1995 the current coat of arms of Alytus was approved.
Center of processing industry, produces 4.6% of Lithuanian industrial
production.
There is a lot of industry in the city: refrigerators
(AB "Snaigė") and machine factories, food industry (meat, milk, drinks),
sewing factory. The wood, construction, chemical, and textile industries
are developed.
In the north-western part of Alytus there is an
industrial district where many companies are concentrated - a
refrigerator factory, "Alytaus gelžbetonis", "Alkesta" (a road
construction and bridge construction company), Alytus šilumos tinklai,
elektros tinklai, "Lietuvos žalijava", UAB "Lanksti linija" , UAB
Traidenis, AB Kauno grūdai, UAB Daisotra, UAB Lisiplast, UAB Svenheim,
UAB Sofa Brands, UAB Stora Enso Timber, UAB Graanul Invest, UAB Litalka
Elektronik ", UAB "Koslita" and others. AB "Alita" and AB "Alytaus
chemija" are located in the eastern industrial district. In the southern
industrial district - AB "Astra" and "Alytaus tekstilė". Over 100
companies are connected to the VšĮ "Verslo kaimelis", an industrial park
with an area of 50 ha was established, where two investors started their
activities - UAB "Premium oils", UAB "Hansa Flex Hidraulinės Jungtys",
UAB "Saukesta", UAB "GLASS LT". Contracts have already been signed with
game and fruit producers intending to invest here.
in 2019 In
October, a big fire broke out in the tire processing plant Ekologistik
in the Northern industrial district.
The development of Alytus was determined by the Nemunas. Two bridges
were built over it near Alytus: the so-called Kaniūki bridge (1892) and
the Antanas Juozapavičius bridge (the first wooden bridge was built in
this place in 1909). in 2011 the construction of the third one - the
Lithuanian Millennium Bridge - was completed, and together with the
newly built section of the road, it became part of the northern Alytus
bypass.
19th century At the beginning, a road was built through
Kruonis and Rumšiškes from Alytus to Kaunas. During the tsar's reign, it
had a strategic-military significance, it was given the status of a
highway in interwar Lithuania. In Dovainonys and Kapitoniškės
(Kaišiadorių district), a 1 km long historical section has been
preserved, which ends at the shore of the Kaunas lagoon.
19th
century Alytus was connected with Suvalkai and Varėna by a railway line
at the end of the year. A railway station was established. A railway
bridge was built over the Nemunas near Alytus, 33 meters above the water
surface, which during the First World War, in 1915. while retreating,
the Russian army blew it up. The bridge was soon rebuilt (temporary
wooden), but in 1926 was demolished, and the entire railway track from
Alytus to Varėna was dismantled. After Lithuania regained its
independence, the number of trains crossing the city decreased. in 1997
March 14 the last train left the old Alytus railway station. After it
was decided that the noise made by the trains disturbs the peace of the
inhabitants, the traffic of cars, pollutes the air, the railway tracks
through the city were dismantled, and in the western part of Alytus, a
new railway station was opened in 1984. On the site of the former
railway bridge, using the old surviving brick supports in 2013. was also
launched in 2015. a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge was completed,
which was later given the name Baltosios rože (White Rose Bridge) by a
vote of the city's residents.
in 1939 Alytus airfield was
established on the right bank of the Nemunas. In the interwar period,
Alytus had intercity bus connections with Kaunas, Prienai, Varėna,
Marijampole, Lazdijai. During the Soviet years, bus connections were
developed. In the city, passengers are transported by city buses. The
city's bus service was hit by the chaotic and uncontrolled development
of minibuses in 1998, and the vegetation of buses continued until 2004.
Now public transport consists of city shuttle minibuses (since 2004) and
suburban and intercity buses.