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.

For almost a hundred years, Pasvalys was a railway town. Passenger and freight wagons rolled along the narrow tracks. In the 1940s, the deportation of the people of the Pasvalys region into exile to Siberia began here. They were taken away in cattle wagons. The tragedy is commemorated by a memorial square. The composition was created by the sculptor Valius Remeika.

Six Lithuanian soldiers who died in the struggle for independence in 1919-1920 are buried in the grave. In honor of the fallen Pasvalys Riflemen built a tombstone – cross of pink granite in 1937. After the beginning of the Revival, in 1988 and later, this place was an emotional hotbed of patriotism. Processions from the church travelled to the cemetery, national holidays were celebrated at the grave, and volunteers gave an oath to the restored state of Lithuania. You will find the soldiers’ grave after a short walk along the main path, on the left side, it is surrounded by a high metal fence. The city of Pasvalys and its surroundings were defended from the Bolsheviks in 1919 by the legendary “death battalion” of the Joniškėlis partisans, which later grew into the 9th infantry regiment of the Lithuanian army. It is the soldiers of this regiment who rest in the cemetery.

From the very beginning, the city center was bustling with life – there was a market square and shops. Over the centuries, the streets running into the square have formed a unique urban plan, which today is recognized as an urban heritage. On the outskirts of the square, there are preserved buildings from the early 20th century  and a narrow stone-paved street leading past the red-brick hospital to the site of the old wooden bridge.

People of Jewish nationality who lived in the city of Pasvalys and its vicinity were buried in this place for several centuries. After the destruction of the Jewish community during the Holocaust in 1941, the use of cemetery stopped. During the Soviet era, they were destroyed, only a few fragments of the former tombstones remained. After the restoration of Lithuania’s independence, a monument was built at the site of the cemetery. Today, it is the territory of the Svalia Valley Park.

“For this day to be immortalized, everyone will bring something for the roadside monuments. Stone by stone, same as our captivity, we will pile them up to build an altar… Maybe a bag of soil – to build the mound according to the ancient custom… Maybe a cross…” (Writer Kazys Saja, 17 August 1989).

The first crosses were erected here by the people of Pasvalys, Joniškėlis, neighbors from Pakruojis, guests from Kretinga, Akmenė, and Mosėdis on 23 August 1989, the day of the Baltic Road campaign. This is how they gave meaning to their determination to seek freedom. Later crosses were erected here to commemorate various important occasions. 14 crosses stand in the valley today.

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.