Places to visit in the city of Pasvaly

Hundreds of exhibits are gathered in the open-air collection: An exposition of 214 millstones, 64 bowl stones, 7 “footed” stones, 2 boundary stones, and mill gears. They were collected by local researcher Antanas Stapulionis over many years. Large and small millstones bring to mind the ancient craft of grinding grain, both in mills and at home. And the bowl-shaped stones are a legacy of the old Balt religion. Balts used them during ceremonies, worshiping their deities. In later centuries, the stones of the pagan period were adapted for farm purposes: rubbing, pressing, house thresholds, foundations, etc. However, their true purpose and use is not forgotten even in our days.

A wooden Orthodox church was built in Pasvalys with treasury funds in 1903. Services were held here intermittently until 1948, when the liturgical items were removed and grain was poured into the building. The status of the prayer house was revoked in 1958. The dilapidated church sadly stood until 1978. Then the Pasvalys brass band club “Dūdorius” set up its premises there. German soldiers were buried in the churchyard during the First World War, but their graves were destroyed during the Soviet era. Later, ethnographic valuables collected from disappearing villages were brought to the church. Some of the roofed poles and wayside shrines are still preserved here today.

It is said that in the late 15th century the Bishop of Vilnius received complaints from the residents of Pasvalys that they were missing out on many graces because they were forced to travel to church far and rarely. Therefore, on 06 December 1497 the Grand Duke Aleksandras of Lithuania issued a privilege allowing the construction of a church in Pasvalys at the confluence of Lėvuo and Svalia rivers. This was the beginning of the history of the city. The current shrine in this place is already the third, built in 1787, and acquired its present appearance in 1887 after two towers and side naves were added.The church was consecrated by Motiejus Valančius, the Bishop of Lowlands, in 1851. The church has features of baroque and historicism. After leaving the church through its gate, you will be greeted by seven sculptures – angels: of Hope, of Life, of Fishermen, of Sorrow, of Humility, for Everyone, and of Speech.

The drawing is dedicated to the Vileišiai brothers.

The identity of the Pasvalys region is inseparable from Vileišiai brothers, the famous revivers of Lithuanian spirit. Everyone has probably heard about these famous brothers, but few know that their childhood was spent in a small village in Pasvalys District – Mediniai.

These are two shapes embracing each other, symbolizing brotherhood, friendship, a certain connection in time. One shape represents the modern man, the youth, and is graphically colored. The other one reflects the past, history – the Vileišiai brothers. The inside of the latter shape is a part of the suit of one of the Vileišiai brothers, reproduced according to the available photo. The street art work itself is meant to be viewed from afar, so the best viewing spot is the other bank of the Lėvuo River.

The drawing is dedicated to the pilots of the Pasvalys region – Vytautas Lapėnas, Eugenijus Malinauskas, and Jonas Pyragis. The pilots who lived between the earth and the sky, between life and death, remained faithful to their passion – flying, all their lives.

A hawk that symbolizes the freedom of flight, looks as if split in half. The transition from natural colors to red is like a transition between life and death. Although these people are no longer among us, they have always been and will remain alive in our memories… The crumbling hawk feathers – stricter geometric shapes, resemble the wreckage of a crashed plane. When injured, the pilots usually rose like phoenixes, driven by the desire to feel the power of flight again and again… In the drawing, this is reflected by the transition of red into yellow.

The soaring hawk looks at the sky as the pilots – V. Lapėnas, E. Malinauskas, and J. Pyragius – once looked. When you look at a hawk, you can feel the freedom of flight and remember those without whom today is much more empty… 

The author of the drawing idea is the artist Tadas Šimkus (studio “Gyva grafika”).

The drawing is followed by the shadow of exile. A historical camera was selected, which the famous folk artist, photographer Vilhelmas Janiselis, hidden in a loaf of bread, took to Siberia and recorded the daily life of exiles there. Today, these photographs have become a documentary chronicle and have been declared a UNESCO heritage. The exile affected not one or two people, but the whole family… Therefore, the entire family of Janiseliai carries cameras – parents Vilhelmas and Matilda, children Aldona, Emilija, Algirdas, and Jonas. The images of all of them have been reproduced based on photographs taken in exile. The legendary camera is stored in the exposition of the Pasvalys Regional Museum. The author of the drawing idea is the artist Arminas Raugevičius (studio “Gyva grafika”).

The first information about Pasvalys water mill dates back to 1755. The mill built on the bank of the Lėvuo River was named after the city of Pasvalys, the mill stood in the same place as the one we see today. A new brick mill building was built in approximately 1830, a stone dam and a bridge over it were built. Later, the mill was rebuilt several times. Its current appearance no longer resembles a classic water mill. Its millstones were set in motion by new technologies – diesel and electric motors. But the dam remained in its place and commemorates the history of almost two centuries. Today, the history of Pasvalys water mill is continued by PJSC Ustukių malūnas.