Telšiai is a city in north-western Lithuania, in the Žemaičia highlands, by Lake Mastis and the Durbinis stream, 69 km west of Šiauliai. Unofficial capital of Žemaitija. Center of Telšiai County and Telšiai District Municipality, Telšiai City Eldership. The central part of the city is a monument of urban planning. The district municipality, 3 post offices, the district central hospital, a children's care home, the Telšiai Art Faculty of the Vilnius Academy of Arts, the seminary of priests, the Žemaitė Drama Theater, the regional museum "Alka" (since 1932), the Žemaitija Village Museum, the Culture Park (Masčio on the eastern shore of the lake), the unique Saxon-Japanese homestead of A. Jonuš. Between the railway and the Palanga-Šiauliai road lies the city's industrial district.
In the city there is Telšiai St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral (built in
1791, cathedral since 1926), Telšiai St. Church of the Assumption of the
Virgin Mary (built in 1867), Telšiai St. Nikolaus Stebukladaris church,
the buildings of the former St. Bernardine monastery have survived.
In Telšiai, you can visit the "Alkos" museum (founded in 1932) and
see an interesting exposition of the history of Žemaitija. The museum
has a large collection of paintings. Remained in 1931-1936. the former
headquarters of the local history society "Alka".
On the southern
edge, on the shore of Lake Mastis, there is a city park with the
Žemaitija Village Museum, which exhibits 19th century. help - 20th
century Ave. Žemaitija village huts.
There is a tourism
information center in the center of Telšiai, which provides information
to tourists and city guests about the places of interest in the Telšiai
district.
in 2013 January 22 The Ministry of Culture of the
Republic of Lithuania officially announced that in 2016 Telšiai will be
the cultural capital of Lithuania with the project "On seven hills -
seven languages of art". in 2016 April 15 The results were officially
announced in 2016. in the cultural capital of Lithuania.
in 2016
July 23 the monument created by Algirdas Bos, Virginijas Mikuckis and
Romualds Inčirauskas to commemorate the battle of Durbė was unveiled.
in 2017 September 27 A 23-bell carillon is installed on the eastern
facade of the Telšiai Cultural Center building in the Cathedral Square.
in 2018 June 9 At the foot of Mount Zaks, a monument dedicated to
the first Lithuanian sea captain Ludviks Stulpinis, who came from the
Telšiai region, was unveiled. The monument to the Telšias was donated by
the Directorate of Klaipėda State Seaport.
Žemaitsi
Museum "Alka"
Žemaitija Village Museum
Telšiai is a water-based place name, which probably comes from the
small Telšės stream, which once flowed into Lake Mastis in the area of
the current Laivai and Telšės streets. Although it is possible that
there was a lake named Telšys.
Folk etymology tells us that the
giant who founded the city, the hero of Žemaitsi Telys (or Telšys), is
also called Džiugu. He supposedly lived on the mound of Džiuginėnai.
Telšiai settlement, which was first mentioned in written sources in
1450. Jonas Kęsgailaitis, a Žemaitian elder mentioned, was created in
the 14th or 15th century. in the former territory of the Curonian tribe;
some researchers try to connect with the Telšias in one of the
chronicles of the German Order in 1317. mentioned Tulsa Valley.
According to reports, Telšias was founded by the giant or hero Džiugas
(Telšys), who lived on Džiugas mountain near Telšias during the
Lithuanian battles with the Crusaders.
15th century Seimas and
courts of Žemaičiai precinct were held in Telšiai. Since 1450 sources
mention the state estate of Telšiai, near which the town of Telšiai
eventually grew; the latter around the 16th century. at the beginning it
became the center of the county (the county of Telšiai has been
mentioned since 1527). in 1536 Telšiai Catholic parish was established.
Some historians guess that already in the 16th century. The Telšiai
could have been granted the rights of the city of Magdeburg, which were
later lost (it is known that Jokūbas Leskauskas, surveyor of the
Žemaičiai borough, had already marked the "boundaries of the city of
Telšiai" in 1569). Povilas Sapiega, the keeper of the Telšiai state
estate, who in 1624 settled Bernardine monks in the town. XVII-XVIII
centuries. In Telšiai, the seimalis of the Žemaičiai precinct sometimes
met.
During 1710 most of the inhabitants of Telšiai died of the
plague, but the town quickly recovered. in 1721 ATR ruler Augustus II
granted Telšias market rights. Markets were held here once a week (on
Sunday), and fairs were held 4 times a year. in 1764 the town became -
it's true, only eleven years old - commander. In the center of the
Telšiai repartition (the northern part of the Principality of Žemaicai).
Then the land and castle courts were established here; in 1775 they were
moved to Šiauliai, but in 1790 establishing the third repatriation of
the Duchy of Žemaicai, i.e. i.e. in the future Telšiai settlement, both
the land and the castle court started functioning again in Telšiai.
The town of Telšiai has had a trade privilege for a long time, and
in 1791 December 6 he was also granted the rights of Magdeburg and the
coat of arms of the city of Telšiai. in 1793 the first Telšiai school
was founded (now a historical and architectural monument). in 1875 the
Telšiai yeshiva was established in the city. Telšiai grew especially
intensively in the 19th century. at the end, they were the city of
Kaunas Governorate, the center of the county. From that time, a number
of buildings in the historicist style, made of unplastered red bricks,
have survived in the city.
Since the 20th century The city
located in the very center of the Žemaica highlands of the 1st half is
popularly called the "capital of Žemaica", although until the 18th
century help Raseiniai was a much more significant center of Žemaitija.
in 1931 granted city rights of the first order.
in 1946 August 3
became a city under the county. During the Soviet era, a small company
grew into a large knitwear factory "Mastis", a fruit and vegetable
canning factory, and a factory of computing equipment were established.
in 1991 the new coat of arms of Telšiai was approved. in 1994 in
July, there was no precipitation in the city at all (0.0 mm).
in
2013 Telšiai became the winners of the EDEN project of the European
Commission and were announced in 2013. The attraction of Lithuanian
tourism, the second pearl of tourism in Lithuania after Druskininkai.
The city is located by Mastis lake and Durbinis stream. Parts of the
city - Dirksteliai, Lygumai, Mastis. The Klaipėda-Šiauliai railway runs
through the northern part of the city, there is the Telšiai railway
station, and the Telšiai airfield. The national road A11
Šiauliai–Palanga passes through the northern part of the city. Country
roads:
160 Telšiai–Varniai–Laukuva
161 Telšiai–Seda
Higher education institutions
Telšiai Art Faculty of the Vilnius
Academy of Arts
V. Borisevičius Priests' Seminary
College of
Social Sciences (Telšia Branch)
Gymnasiums
Žemaitė high school
(former I secondary school)
Vincent Borisevičius high school (former
VII high school)
Telšiai Džiugos Gymnasium (former V secondary
school)
High school
Telšiai Adult High School (former 2nd High
School)
Vocational and art schools
Telšiai branch of VšĮ Telšiai
Regional Vocational Training Center (Varniai).
Telsi Children's Art
School
Telsi Children's Music School
Telšiai Youth School
Sport
and recreation center of Telšiai district
Telšiai technical school of
applied art
Main schools
Telšiai Germantas pro-gymnasium
(former III secondary school)
Telšiai primary school for the deaf
Telšiai New Town School (former special)
"Viltis" center for children
with disabilities
Telšiai "Kranto" pro-gymnasium (former VI secondary
school)
Telšiai "Atžalyno" pro-gymnasium (former 4th secondary
school)
Telšiai "Ateities" pro-gymnasium (former VIII secondary
school)
Primary schools
Santarve primary school
Sunny
Primary School
School - kindergarden
"Sunrise"
Nurseries
and kindergartens
"Birch"
"Christmas Tree"
"Dwarf"
"Scale"
"Sunshine"
"Zemaituk"
Libraries
Karolina Praniauskaitė
public library of Telšiai district municipality
The Diocese of Telšiai was newly formed in 1926. He became its first
bishop in 1918. Justinas Staugaitis (1866–1943), signatory of the Act of
Independence. St. The Cathedral of Anthony of Padua (1761-1791) is
baroque, standing on one of the Telšiai hills in the center of the city.
The tower was presented in 1859. (archit. F. Rimgaila). The altar was
made by the sculptor T. Podhaiskis and the local craftsman J. Mažeika in
the same baroque style, but the influence of classicism is also felt. It
is the only church in Lithuania with a two-story altar. The bishop's
palace, built in 1929, was designed by Vladimiras Dubeneckis, a famous
architect of that time.
in 1927 The Seminary of Žemaicai priests
was established in Telšiai. After 19 years, in 1946, it was closed by
the Soviets, the property was confiscated. Only with the national
revival in 1989. resurrected and became the Telšiai Priests' Seminary.
in 2013 The 600th anniversary of the baptism of Žemaicai was
celebrated in Telšiai. Pope Francis' legate, Budapest Archbishop
Cardinal Peter Erdo, Cardinal Audrys Juozas Bačkis, Lithuanian bishops,
diocesan priests and monks took part in the solemn service in the city
center. The celebration was attended by the President of the Republic of
Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius,
Speaker of the Seimas Vydas Gedvilas and other distinguished guests.
Telšiai in the 19th century. was a Jewish religious center. There
was a rabbinic school (11 Iždinė st.).
Antanas Klementas (1756–1823) is one of the oldest poets of
Žemaitija.
Karolina Praniauskaitė (1828–1859) is the first poetess of
Lithuania.
Abraham Verneris (1837–1912) is a Finnish rabbi of
Lithuanian Jewish origin.
Elias von Cyon (1843–1912) was a
Russian-French physiologist.
Vladimir Suchomlinov (1848–1926) was a
general of the army of the Russian Empire.
Gabriel Narutowicz
(1865–1922) was the first president of Poland.
Mykolas-Vilfred
Voinyčius (1865–1930) – revolutionary, bibliophile, discoverer of the
Voinyčius manuscript.
Dovas Beras Menašė Abramavičius (1869–1942) –
rabbi, lawyer, member of the Lithuanian Seimas.
Mykolas Brenstein
(1874–1938) is a researcher of the antiquity of Žemaitija.
Władysław
Tryliński (1878–1956) was an engineer.
Michael Noyk (1884–1966) is an
Irish politician of Lithuanian Jewish origin.
Avraham Yitzchak Bloch
(1891-1941) - Rabbi of Telšiai.
Buried in the old cemetery is the
poet Butkų Juzė (1893–1947) - who worked as the director of the drama
theater in Telšiai and managed the museum.
Justas Paleckis
(1899–1980) – journalist, LKP activist.
Azriel Rabinovičius
(1905–1941) - Head of Telšiai Yeshiva.
Zalman Levinberg, (1909–1983)
– politician, journalist.
Jurgis Tornau (1919–2005) – lawyer,
literary researcher, prose writer.
Leonardas Sauka (1931–2022) –
national speaker.
Jonas Aleksa (1939–2005) – choir, symphony
orchestra and opera conductor, pedagogue, the most famous Lithuanian
conductor of all time.
Algirdas Girininkas (b. 1949) is a Lithuanian
archaeologist.
Vytautas Stulpinas (b. 1952) is a poet.
Rolandas
Paksas (born in 1956) is a former president.
Alfredas Bumblauskas (b.
1956) is a Lithuanian historian.
Nijolė Narmontaitė (b. 1959) is an
actress.
Dainoras Bradauskas (born in 1965) is an economist.
Arūnas Šikšta (1968–2021) – manager, former head of TEO LT.
Ineta
Stasiulytė (born in 1980) is an actress.
Jurga Šeduikytė (b. 1980) is
a singer.
Danguolė Rasalaitė (1983–2000) is a girl who became a
victim of prostitution, based on whose life story the film "Lilia
forever" was made.
Simona Kiseleva (b. 1987) is a chess player.
in 2016 the 3,000-seat central stadium of the city of Telšiai was
reconstructed. Sports clubs:
FC Džiugas Telšiai, a legendary football
club restored in 2014
FK Mastis Telšiai, former football club from
1956 to 2013
Telšiai KK Telšiai, basketball
Germantas Telšiaus,
ice hockey
Orienteering sports club "Telšiai"