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House of Prayer

Krinčinas Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul

The first church is mentioned in 1585. The second was built in 1611 by Dimitrijus Kurbskis who fled from the Russian tsar. It was given 7 voloks of land with serfs. A parish school was established in 1611. The inventory already mentions the new church of Krinčinas in 1736. It was looted by rebels of Kosciuška in 1794.

The current church was built in 1782 under the care of provost Jonas Jeronimas Šarkevičius. Poet Antanas Vienažindys (1841–1892) was vicar here for six years.

The church is of late baroque style with rectangular plan, basilican, and has two towers. Interior of 3 naves. There are 5 altars. A belfry of historic forms stands in the churchyard.

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Monuments

Memorial for Struggles of Freedom in Joniškėlis

A memorial site that honors the people of Joniškėlis of the 20th century, who died for the freedom of Lithuania. Men from this region assembled into the Joniškėlis death battalion and defended Northern Lithuania from the Soviet Russian army in 1919. An impressive monument depicting an artillery gun was erected in 1935 on the grave of the officer Jonas Stapulionis, who died in the struggle. The names of the volunteers of Joniškėlis village are inscribed on memorial tablets.

Partisans from the Joniškėlis region, who fell for the freedom of Lithuania during the period of armed resistance to the Soviet Union in 1944-1953, are also buried in the memorial. Many died in the battle of Uniūnai Village with NKVD troops in on 23 February 1946.

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Other

Memorial room of Writer Marius Katiliškis in the public library

His real name is Albinas Vaitkus. He worked as the head of Pasvalys library in 1941, he made a significant contribution to the creation of the city’s cultural life. A modern exposition is dedicated to his memory in the library. It seems that it reflects the writer’s complicated life path, from his childhood in Gruzdžiai Village, wanderings around Pasvalys during the war years to his activities in exile. The exhibition includes the writer’s authentic books, a desk, a typewriter, a collection of pipes and many other items he used. The exhibition is interactive, games, puzzles, and quizzes are installed in the terminal. Educational sessions are available.

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Monuments

Memorial to Holocaust victims in Žadeikiai forest

1,349 people of Jewish nationality from Pasvalys, Vabalnikas, Joniškėlis, Saločiai, Vaškai, and Daujėnai were killed in this place and buried in two mass graves at the end of August of 1941. The execution was carried out by the executioners of the 3rd company of the 1st Lithuanian police battalion.

The exact number of Jews killed is known from SS Colonel Karl Jäger’s report on completed tasks of 1941. In one grave, there are remains of 402 men, in the other – remains of 738 women and 209 children. In the practice of killing, this was done to avoid unwanted emotions and unrest. There are memorials in both places.

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Mounds

Migoniai (Šimoniai) mound

The mound stands near the old road from Pasvalys to Joniškėlis, on the right bank of the Mūša River, at the confluence with the Pušynė Stream. Located on a hill, the slopes are steep, 7-10 meters high, at the top there is a site with a diameter of about 30 meters, surrounded by a well-preserved embankment. Pušynės stream is visible today only in early spring, then it hides in the grass. But the deep valley through which it flows into the Mūša testifies to the existence of a watery river that was present in the past. Water surrounded the mound on three sides and was a natural natural obstacle for the enemy. And the western part was protected by a defensive ditch, it remained about 90 meters long. In the past, the mountain was undoubtedly higher, eroded by plowing and nature, but it has retained its original shape quite well.

It is believed that the mound was built in the 9th century, a wooden castle was built to protect the Žimegali settlement, and later it was part of the defense system of northern Lithuania. As the pressure of the German order intensified in the second half of the 13th century, Žiemgaliai abandoned their lands. It was probably then that life in the vicinity and the mound of Šimoniai finally collapsed. In the 1930s, farmers accidentally found two treasures while working the land near Migoniai mound: brass and silver items of 6th-7th centuries.

Legends. There used to be a pit on the site of the Migonys mound. While retreating, the Swedes hid their weapons there and covered it with soil. The top of the mountain used to be a peak, and on the west side there was an exit, of which, unfortunately, there are no signs anymore. It is also said that Swedes defeated by Lithuanians or even the Swedish king himself with his crown are buried on the mountain. Swedish soldiers poured this mountain with their hats as a tribute to the king.

The legend testifies that a cruel lord built a palace on the mountain. The serfs worked on his estate all day, while the children and elders who stayed at home had to weave sieves and twist ropes for the master. He tortured the disobedient or exchanged them for a horse or a dog. The gentleman died, but it did not get any easier for people. For three years, they fulfilled the last wish of the deceased: they poured a high mountain on his grave with hats. Eventually they placed a red-brimmed gentleman’s hat, a sign of power and honor, at the top. Over the years, the hat has disappeared under the soil. The lord’s manor also collapsed, a lake appeared in its place, which later dried up and gave start to the Sindriūnai Village.

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Monuments, sculptures

Monument to book smugglers

In this place, the paths of book smugglers met, and in a nearby wooden house, authentic book hiding places, made in the walls, are still preserved. The region of Pasvalys was famous for its book smugglers, Jurgis Bielinis, known as the king of book smugglers, visited here many times. As many as eight book smugglers from the Pasvalys region are recorded in the Wall of Book smugglers in the garden of the Vytautas the Great War Museum in Kaunas. The author of the roofed pole is sculptor Arūnas Grušas.

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Monuments

Monument to Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė in Joniškėlis

Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė (1861–1943), writer, publicist, and educator, spent almost 40 years of her life in Joniškėlis. It was the period of the town’s cultural rise, the prosperity of Lithuania, when the most prominent personalities of the Lithuanian nation of that time arrived to town.

G. Petkevičaitė was born in Puziniškis manor (Panevėžys District), in a family of intelligentsia nobles. The writer’s father, Jonas Leonas Petkevičius, practiced as a doctor, and her mother, Malvina Chodakauskaitė, graduated from the Vilnius ­Gymnasium. Petkevičius was appointed head of the Joniškėlis hospital in 1865 and moved here with his large family. Gabrielė was taught by the famous Lithuanian linguist and journalist Laurynas Ivinskis for two years (1866–1868).

G. Petkevičaitė was elected to the Constituent Seimas of Lithuania in 1920. As the oldest member of the Seimas, she had the honor of presiding over the first session. She even took part in the Lithuanian presidential elections, being the first female candidate. Joniškėlis gymnasium is named after her.

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Monuments, sculptures

Monument to local doctor professor Petras Avižonis

The ophthalmologist began his career in the early 20th century as a military doctor in the Russo-Japanese and WWI wars. He did a lot to make his field in the independent Lithuania a priority. Researched the diagnositics, treatment, and prevention of eye diseases. Under the care of P. Avižonis Eye clinic was opened in Kaunas in 1930. Communicated with well-known Lithuanian public figures of that time. The monument stands on the street named after the professor, next to the Pasvalys Regional Museum. Author – sculptor Algirdas Bosas, funder – Birutė Blaževičienė, daughter of P. Avižonis.

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Monuments, sculptures

Monument to poet Bernardas Brazdžionis

The expatriate poet has finally returned to his hometown after long wanderings and welcomes visitors in the very heart of Pasvalys – at the confluence of rivers Svalia and Lėvuo! B. Brazdžionis is a historical figure who symbolizes the resilience and resistance of Lithuanian culture during the years of occupation by the Soviet Union. It is not for nothing that B. Brazdžionis is called the herald of freedom of the Lithuanian nation. The granite pedestal is like an iron curtain splitting with the sound of the famous “Šaukiu aš tautą!”. It is a gift to the city and culture, which was presented to the citizens of Pasvaly by the native, patron of various cultural and historical projects,  Pranas Kiznis PhD. Authors of the monument: Rimantas Dichavičius and Ukrainians Boris Krylov and Oles Sydoruk.

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Monuments

Monument to the book smugglers of the Saločiai region

The chapel-shaped wooden composition is dedicated to the book smugglers of the Saločiai region – Steponas Pavilionis, Juozas Steponavičius, Antanas Krasinskas-Voverys, and Jonas Burkus. Unveiled in 1993.

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Monuments, sculptures

Monument to the engineer Petras Vileišis

Petras Vileišis – fighter for the freedom of the Lithuanian press, educator, entrepreneur, reviver of Lithuanian spirit, supporter of culture and art, statesman… His birthplace is in the village of Mediniai near Pasvalys. P. Vileišis devoted most of his life to engineering activities – building bridges throughout the Russian Empire. The citizens of Pasvalys paid their respects to their famous countryman. The city gymnasium, which has just moved to the new building, was named after him in 1935. At the same time, a monument was erected nearby, symbolizing P. Vileišis not as an engineer, but as a tireless reviver of Lithuanian spirit. The monument was created by the sculptor Vincas Grybas.

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Monuments, sculptures

Monument to the Grand Duke of Lithuania Žygimantas Augustus

Žygimantas Augustas signed three important historical agreements with the Livonian Order in Pasvalys in 1557, thus making the town on the outskirts of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania famous. The 5-meter-high granite pedestal with a bronze bust of Žygimantas August standing in the center of Pasvalys is the only monument to this ruler in Lithuania. Its construction was initiated and financed by the honorary citizen of the Pasvalys region, businessman. Pranas Kiznis PhD. The monument was created by Ukrainian sculptors Boris Krylov and Olessy Sydoruk, with the assistance of artist Rimantas Dichavičius.

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Monuments

Monument to those killed in the battles of Lithuanian independence in Saločiai in 1919-1920

Lithuanians defeated the forces of West Russian Volunteer Army on 12 November 1919 in Saločiai. In order to commemorate this victory and honor the fallen soldiers a seven-meter obelisk was erected in the market square of the town in 1928. At its top was a globe pierced by a sword, as a bold statement that Lithuania had won a place for itself among the rest of the world. In the post-war years, the enemies desecrated the bodies of the fallen partisans at its foot. The monument was demolished in circa 1964. The wreckage was taken away and buried somewhere in gravel pits…

Saločiai obelisk was erected again in June 1989, on the initiative of the town’s Sąjūdis group.

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Monuments

Monument to volunteers in the churchyard of Pušalotas Church

Soldiers of the Pušalotas company of the Joniškėlis partisan battalion who died  in the spring battle with the Bolsheviks in 1919 near the village of Bernatoniai (now Panevėžys District) are buried here.

A monument depicting a stepped pyramid was erected on the grave of the soldiers in 1928 with the care of the members of the spring movement and former comrades. President Antanas Smetona participated in the ceremony of consecration of the monument. The monument was created by the architect Vladas Švipas. His model was exhibited at the Paris World Fair in 1937.

During the Soviet occupation, the monument stood abandoned, state symbols and names of fallen soldiers were torn from it.

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Monuments, sculptures

Musician Antanėlis

An interactive sculpture of the legendary musician Antanelis stands on the observation deck of the old Lėvuo bridge. Sculpture is not only form, but content as well. When you touch the right hand, Antanėlis (in the voice of Jonas Nainys) tells about the most beautiful places in Pasvalys, when you touch the left hand, Antanėlis, in the voice of actress Olita Dautartaitė, retells his legend. And when you put your palm on the button of the clothes of Antanėlis, you hear a poem by the poet Vladas Braziūnas – read in the Pasvalys dialect about the old bridge of Lėvuo. The sculpture of Antanelis was donated to the city by the team of the Pasvalis Regional Museum.

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