Jonava is a city in Kaunas District, Lithuania. It is the seat of the Rajongemeinde Jonava and in this an urban district. The core city of Jonava is located about 30 km northeast of the second largest Lithuanian city Kaunas, not far from the confluence of the Šventoji (German: Heiligenaa) into the Neris. 52,000 people live in the self-governing community, 35,000 of whom live in the core city of Jonava (2004). In 1893 3069 Jews (92% of the 3350 inhabitants) lived in the city. In 1941 the Jews of Jonavas made up 80% of the population.
Cultural activities are organized by the Jonava Cultural Center (JKC). in 1995 July 1 The methodological cabinet of the Culture and Education Department was reorganized into the Culture Center, and a year later the culture center moved to the "AB Achema" Palace of Culture. St. John's Day celebrations with pagan traditions, New Year's Eve, central Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, City celebrations, and many other events are organized.
There are over 20 art collectives in the district. Folk chapels. The activities of the Dobilia youth collective are interesting. The dance team of Jonava Raimundo Samulevičius primary school (director Rima Auglienė) has been active for most of the year. Children's pop choir "Šuldu buldu", three choirs: "Žemyna" - mixed, "Elm" - women and "Viltis" - exiles, vocal ensemble "Presto", girls' national dance group "Siaudelė", folklore group "Laduta" operate in the cultural center. ", elderly dance group "Mazgytinis", senior dance group.
The beginning of the National Museum is considered to be in 1987. the
exhibition "Senoji Jonava" was organized. in 1989 The Jonava district
council allocated premises to the museum in the house of the exiled
teacher B. Garmaus, where in 1989 August 1 the Jonava Local History
Museum was opened. in 1992 The Jonava Regional History Museum has moved
to the old premises of the Jonava horse post station, the name has been
changed to the Jonava Regional Museum.
Currently, the museum has
several exhibition halls, art, history, ethnography departments, and has
three branches in the Jonava district. Museum workers are engaged in
scientific research, educational, cultural, publishing and economic
activities, organize various events and holidays for the residents of
the city and district.
in 1939 Jonava State Public Library was established, which in 1941
closed, later, after the end of the Second World War, restored. in 1950
became a regional library. in 1976 moved to the premises of Jonava horse
post station, and in 1992 - to current ones.
Currently, the
public library of the Jonava district municipality has 15 branches in
the villages of the Jonava district and one branch in the city of
Jonava. Many exhibitions, meetings with writers and local people are
organized in the central library. About 200,000 books are published here
per year.
John's St. the Apostle Jacob's Church, built in 1793 according to the
project of Lauryns Stuokas-Gucevičius.
Skaruliu St. Anna's church,
built in 1622, is famous for St. with the image of the Virgin Mary;
Renaissance style.
The exile chapel, built in 1992.
John's St.
John the Apostle Parish Chapel, 2012
A wooden monument to Abraham Kulviečius in Ramybės Square (by V.
Cikana);
memorial bust of Petrus Vaičiūnas (sculptor V. Vildžiūnas);
a cross for the John residents who were buried in the raised cemetery
(author A. Kazlauskas);
Memorial Ensemble (author V. Vildžiūnas and
students of the Academy of Fine Arts);
Monument of the decade of
Lithuanian independence: Cross of Independence shooters near the
Ukmergėn exit (built in 1928, author D. Leparskis, demolished during the
Soviet era, rebuilt in 1990 at the initiative of the "Taurostos" club,
authors A. Kazlauskas and J. Listvina).
Commemorative stone on the
occasion of the 40th anniversary of AB "Achema" (brought in 2005 from
the Rizgonii quarry), Joninių slėnis.
By plane
The nearest airport is Vilnius Airport (IATA code: VNO),
from which Jonava can be reached by long-distance bus.
By train
Long-distance trains run to Vilnius train station, which connects Moscow
with Warsaw and Berlin. From there, long-distance bus lines run towards
Jonava.
By bus
Jonava has a bus station, which is served by
cities such as Kaunas, Vilnius or Alytus.
On the street
Jonava
is connected by highways to the Lithuanian cities of Ukmergė, Kaunas and
Kėdainiai.
It is believed that there is an ash forest in the place of Jonava,
because even now the eastern part of the city turns into dense forests.
Perhaps the earliest inhabited part of the city was in the territory of
Skaruliai village. During the excavation here, various 10-12 thousand
Ave. m. e. work tools. The largest archaeological settlement was found
near the current old town of the city, the oldest - on the site of the
current Jonava Cultural Center. A lot of people also lived near the
Jonava bus station, because even nowadays you can find fragments of clay
pots.
Jonavians mentioned that there was a ford at Jonava across
the Neris, which was also described in 1373. In the Livonian Chronicle.
Brasta was a very important military object of that time, so it was
extremely hidden and protected.
The emergence of the city is
associated with Skaruliai Manor. 17th century it went to Dominyks
Kosakovskis, who in 1740 built a palace.
1750 August 8 The King
of Poland and the Duke of LDK, Augustus III, gave Marijona Kosakovskiene
the privilege of founding the town of Jonava, allowing markets and fairs
in it, and housing free people of various religions.
1750 the
first wooden church was built. The settlement began to expand in the
south-north direction along one street that went in the direction of
Kėdainiai-Žeimii. in 1776 The village of Skaruliai passed to Joozaps
Kazimiers Kosakovskis, a Marian monastery was founded. in 1778 there was
a brewery. According to the project of Lauryns Stuokas-Gucevičius in
1791. a church and a monastery were built. These buildings formed the
center of the city, and later the first residents from the surrounding
villages began to move there.
18th century Jonava consisted of a
manor and a settlement, which was located on the right bank of the
Neris. The settlement itself expanded to the west of the ford. The road
from Ukmergė to Kaunas ran through the manor, the central street led to
Kėdainii.
in 1784 59 Jewish families lived in the town, and in
1789 according to the population census, almost half of the inhabitants
of Jonava were Jews. The town's expansion was influenced by its good
geographical location. At the end of the 18th century, trade along the
Neris River increased, so a number of merchants appeared in the city. in
1812 large units of Napoleon's army marched through Jonava. in 1820
There were almost 133 yards in Jonava.
The port of Jonava carried
out soul shipping, which accounted for almost a third of Jonava's
economy. Fishing has also been developed, and ferry services across the
Neris have been provided.
in 1831 arose in 1831 The uprising of
the Jonava region, which was led by the nobleman Mauricijus Prozoras.
The rebels occupied Jonava and controlled the town and its surroundings
for more than three months. At the same time, the rebel squads of
General Antanas Gelgauds were gathered in the forests of Jonava. After
the uprising was suppressed, a crew of Russian soldiers was stationed in
Jonava, a number of Jonava residents were deported, and Orthodox
Christians from the Russian deep provinces were brought in their place.
in 1835 the Petersburg-Warsaw road was built, a horse post station
was built. in 1838 an optical telegraph line was built through Jonava,
which was later replaced by an electromagnetic one. in 1842 a ferry
operated across the Neris. 19th century Jonava is a town in Kaunas
county, the center of the township and precinct.
Jonava was built
without any plan, wooden houses were built, but between the abolition of
serfdom and the First World War, the city did not expand much, and in
1894 the resulting fire devastated the city itself, in 1899 a city
reconstruction plan has been prepared. in 1905 During the great fire in
Jonava, the railway station and many residential houses were destroyed,
2000 families were left without shelter.
in 1871 About 3,000
people lived in Jonava, most of them engaged in trade. In the same year,
the first train ran on the Liepaja-Romnai railway. The railway greatly
increased the expansion of the city to the north, and shipping in Nerimi
eventually lost its meaning. Trade continued to expand - large fairs
were held, shops and markets were built. 20th century the people of
Jonavi were famous for carpentry and wheel manufacturing. in 1893 The
first mills were built on the Varnutė stream. in 1912 a match factory
was opened.
After World War II, Jonava lost many buildings and residents. in 1946
August 3 became a city under the county. in 1946 it was decided to
transform the match factory into a furniture company, in 1958 which
became the Jonava furniture factory. Furniture was made even for the
Moscow Kremlin, the Chamber of Congresses, and the Grand Theater. In the
1960s, a settlement, a club, and a school were built for cabinetmakers.
in 1950 Jonava became the center of Jonava district. in 1962 near
Skarulii, the construction of a chemical (nitrogen fertilizer) factory -
"Azoto" (now AB "Achema") began. The first Lithuanian ammonia was
produced in 1965. The factory expanded and grew. This is how Jonava was
called the city of chemists in the early 1960s. Due to the expansion of
the chemical factory, the village of Skarulių was started to be
destroyed, and environmental pollution problems increased. A department
store was built in the city center (architect A. Beinortas).
in
1986 The Taurosta bridge was built in Jonava, reducing traffic through
the city. in 1989 On March 20, at 11:20 a.m., there was an accident at
"Azote" in Jonava, during which about 7.5 thousand liters of water were
spilled after the explosion. tons of liquid ammonia. A fire broke out, a
lot of poisonous gas was released into the atmosphere, the clouds of
which were carried by the wind towards Ukmergė, Širvintos, Kėdainiai.
The city of Jonava was evacuated. 7 people died, more than 50 were
injured, 29 people became disabled due to the accident. However, the
actual losses and consequences of the disaster have not been counted and
named until now. It is known that ammonia can cause serious brain damage
in children, especially dangerous for the embryo during pregnancy.
in 1996 the current coat of arms of Jonava is confirmed. in 2012
February 2 The territory of the city of Jonava increased by 300
hectares, neighboring villages were connected to the city, and the total
area of Jonava reached 1366.82 ha.
Dominykas Kosakovskis, a carpenter from Žemaitsa, founded a town near
the Skaruliai manor, and named it Janowo (manorial place name) after his
son Jonas Eustachius. Over time, the common gender of the name Jonava
was established.
According to folk etymology, there is a legend
that says that in olden times, there was a tavern on the left bank of
the Neris, where Jonas and Jonienė lived. The tavern attracted merchants
and craftsmen who said "Let's stop by John's". According to legend, this
is how Jonava's name originated.
Jonava is located on the right bank of the Neris River. Taurosta,
Lankis, Varnaka flow into the Neris within the city limits. The city is
characterized by a clear relief. There is a well-organized network of
streets (the main ones are Jonos Basanavičius St., Vasario 16osios St.),
squares (Ramybės), parks (Atminimos, Taurostos, Joninių slėnis), squares
(Jonavas Sąjūdios, Santarvės, Laikrodios) and ponds ( Varnutės), located
between micro-districts. Suburban greenery is one of the most
characteristic features of Jonava.
Parts of the city
The old
town of Jonava is the oldest part of the city, located around Kaunas
Street, by the banks of the Neris River.
The railway station is a
residential micro-district in the north of the city, near the Jonava
railway station.
Baldininkai (Baldininkai settlement, Fabrik
microdistrict) is a mixed microdistrict located in the northeast of the
city, near the Liepaja-Romnai railway. The microdistrict was intended
for the employees of the former Jonava furniture factory (now UAB
"Baldai Jums").
Girelė is a residential-industrial microdistrict in
the northeast of the city.
The settlement of the Jonava forest
department (Miškūkis) is the northeastern part of the city between the
village of Laukagalii and the Jonava-Ukmergė highway (the Jonava
forestry farm was located here; currently, it is the settlement of
forestry workers).
Juodmena is a residential microdistrict in the
northwest of the city, on both sides of Petros Vaičiūnas Street.
Kosmonauti is a residential microdistrict to the north of the city
center, on both sides of Kosmonauti Street. The district is connected to
the Jonanii Valley and the Jonava Arena by the Jonava Pedestrian Bridge.
Kunigiškai - the southern garden district.
Lakštingalos is a
residential microdistrict located by the ponds of the Varnaka stream.
Laukagalii is the northern district.
Lietava - residential
micro-district, includes Žeimių tako and Lietava streets.
Melnytėlė
is the northwestern district.
Paneriai is a residential
micro-district by the banks of the Neris River, near Paneriai Street.
Rimkai is a residential microdistrict to the west of the city center, it
is one of the largest and most densely populated microdistricts.
Skaruliai is a micro-district located on the left bank of the Neris
River, west of "Achema". Skaruliu St. is located in this micro-district.
Anna's Church.
Varnutė is the western district.
Virbalai[explain]
is the newest residential micro-district located near the village of
Virbalai.
in 1782 There was already a school in Jonava. The children were
taught by monks. The school is mentioned in written sources in 1820.
After 13 years, 40 children already attended this school. After 1820 it
was closed during the uprising.
in 1867 A folk school (i.e.
primary school) was established in Jonava, where the Russian language
was taught. in 1871 a primary school was brought from Rumšiškių, with a
craft class established next to it. 19th century in the second half, a
cobbler's craft class was established at Jonava's primary Jewish school.
in 1919 a pro-gymnasium was founded, which published one graduate
program. in 1935 a two-story brick school was built, which was changed
to a secondary school during the post-war period. in 1968 A new high
school opened in Jonava. As the city grew, a school was built on the old
Kaunas street.
Jonava Polytechnic School, general education -
Youth School, Old Town High School, J. Rali High School, high school
Santarvės, Adult Education Center are currently operating. Also 4
primary schools (Lietavas, Neries, R. Samulevičius, J. Vareikias), 2
primary schools (Paneri, Jonavas). In the field of preschool education,
there are 2 schools-kindergartens ("Bitutė", "Šilelis"), 5
nurseries-kindergartens ("Lakštingalėlė", "Cobilas", "Saulutė",
"Žilvitis", "Pakalnutė"). There is also an additional educational
institution in the city - the Jonava Art School.
in 1951 In Jonava, the first regional newspaper "Pergalės vāgīva" was
published, since 1965. printed "Voice of Jonava". Currently, the
newspapers "Alio Jonava", "Naujienos", "Jonavas garsas", and the monthly
"Jonavas krastas" are published.
Two TV channels also operate in
Jonava: "AVVA", broadcast to cable TV subscribers and "TV7", broadcast
by analog TV transmitters to Jonava and surrounding areas.
Sports activities are organized by the Physical Culture and Sports
Center. It has registered more than 13 sports clubs with more than 300
members. The "Lietava" team is the winner of the Lithuanian II Football
League. Women's volleyball club "Achema-KKSC" - became the winners of
the Lithuanian Championship three times. There are also boxing and chess
clubs. Representatives of the long-distance running club "Maratonas"
have won four medals at the international Vilnius marathon.
Football
FK Jonava, a football club that plays in the A League
premiership.
Jonava B, doubles team, playing in the LFF II league
championships.
Basketball
Jonava's CBet
Volleyball
TSK "Aušrinė"
The largest company in the city is Achema, a chemical company of AB
Achemos grupė, located on the eastern outskirts of the city, near the
confluence of the Neris and Šventoji rivers, which produces fertilizers.
Other important companies:
UAB "Baltasis pyragas" (previously
called "Jonavas duona") - bread products
AB "Jonavos dujų ūkis" -
supply of natural gas
UAB "Baldai Jums" - furniture production
(operates instead of the former "Jonavas baladi kombinat")
UAB
"Jonavos stalius" - windows, constructions
AB "Jonavos agroservisas"
- metal structures, construction, electrical works
"Group A" -
weaving factory
Lonas ir partneriai UAB - production of foam rubber
AB "Jonavos grūdai" - grain processing, storage, trade.
Buses
Public transport activities are organized by Jonavos Buses
AB. There are buses number 1-9 and minibuses (number 6 buses are
private). Jonava bus station was built in 1978. Currently, buses can
reach almost all regions of Lithuania. The bus station was renovated in
2013.
Jonava bus station website: http://www.jonavosautobusai.lt/
Railway
Jonava railway station was built in 1871. It belonged to
the section of the Liepaja-Romnai railway. A new railway connected
Jonava with Vilnius, Šiauliai, Liepaja and the vast Russian market.
Jonava became an important railway point. in 1916 the Jonava-Ukmergė
narrow-gauge railway was built, until it was dismantled in 1958. used
for passenger and cargo transportation.
Laurynas Gucevičius (1753–1798), architect, representative of mature
classicism in Lithuania.
Joozaps Antanas Kosakovskis (1772-1842),
general of the French army, Napoleon I's adjutant, who was particularly
distinguished in 1812. during the campaign in Russia.
Maurice
Winczewski (1856–1932), poet.
Israel Davidson (1870–1939), writer.
Juozas Kaunas (1870–1936), the first mayor of Jonava in 1926–1936.
Jeronimas Ralys (1876–1921), doctor and translator, died in Jonava.
Buried in the old city cemetery.
Abraham Myerson (1881-1948),
neurologist, psychiatrist, sociologist, who later emigrated to the
United States.
Leiba Solominas (1914–1973), Soviet partisan.
Grigorijus Kanovičius (1929–2023), writer, playwright, screenwriter,
translator and director.
Ričardas Tamulis (1938–2008), boxer, Olympic
Games vice-champion.
Alfonsas Grumbinas (1943–2018), rugby player,
referee.
Janina Miščiukaitė (1948–2008), pop singer.
Vytautas
Andriulaitis (b. 1956), chess player.
Lyda Lubienė (b. 1957),
entrepreneur, owner and manager of the Achema group.
Julius
Sabatauskas (b. 1958), politician, member of the Seimas.
Arvydas
Vilčinskas (b. 1958), performer, singer.
Ligitas Kernagis (b. 1963),
singer, TV presenter, performer, former member of the Seimas.
Vladas
Kovaliovas (b. 1967), singer, performer.
Artūras Zuokas (b. 1968),
businessman and politician, former journalist, mayor of Vilnius.
Dainius Kreivys (b. 1970), politician, member of the Seimas, former
Minister of Economy.
Vydas Dolinskas (b. 1970), art critic, art
historian, museologist, director of the Palace of Lords.
Andrius
Janukonis (b. 1971), businessman, head of Rubicon Group.
Darius
Maskoliūnas (b. 1971), former Lithuanian basketball player, coach,
Vilnius city politician.
Nerijus Zabarauskas (b. 1971), basketball
coach.
Linas Balčiūnas (b. 1978), Olympic cyclist.
Vaida Arbočiūtė
(b. 1984), rower, multiple Lithuanian champion and prize winner,
participant of world and European championships.
Aurimas Vilkaitis
(b. 1993), Lithuanian and Italian football player.