Places to visit in Pasval district

The mound is located at the confluence of two rivers. It is surrounded by Tatula river from the north, and the Ūgė river from the south and southwest. The mound site is triangular, about 60 m long, the site is surrounded by the remains of defensive ramparts. Side slopes about 9 m high, almost perpendicular, eroded by river flows.  The mound was built and inhabited in the 9th-11th centuries. The wooden castle of the Žimegaliai that stood here was part of the defense system of Northern Lithuania. Archaeological research has shown that the buildings had stone ovens, a sand layer floor, and a stone-paved courtyard. The sources of the 13th century do not mention Ąžuolpamūšė mound, but people still lived here, as there is a cemetery nearby. After the German order conquered Žiemgala in the late 13th century, the last inhabitants abandoned this land and the life in Ąžuolpamūšė came to an end. 

Legends. One legend tells that there was a mansion on the hill, which vanished beneath the surface of the earth. On the first Easter day, the nobleman who lived here kicked his serfs to plow the land. After they returned from work, they the mansion was not there. Now two girls come out every night, going down the stairs to the water and rinse napkins and plates. Once the roosters crow, they would disappear right away. As they pass the mountain, people listen uneasily when they hear roosters crowing, scythes beating, and bells ringing underground.

Another legend testifies that once upon a time men were herding horses in during night grazing and sitting by a fire next to the mound. Suddenly, a handsome gentleman with a cane came down from the mountain, said hello and sat down to warm himself. One man offered him snuff tobacco. The man took it, but he didn’t sniff it through his nose, but took it in his mouth. Then the men saw that his nose was without nostrils. When the roosters crowed, the gentleman got up and walked back up the hill. Soon there was a crash and the men were suddenly doused with water. In this way, the mound defended itself from the vandals and protected its secrets with various intimidating things.

Here, in the homestead of the former village of Stebeikėliai, the future classic of Lithuanian literature, Bernardas Brazdžionis, honorary Citizen of the city of Pasvalys, was born on 02 February 1907. The boy, who was barely a year old, left his homeland with his parents and went across the Atlantic. He will later return, attend Žadeikiai, Pasvalys elementary schools, Biržai gymnasium, and study at Vytautas Magnus University. Then long years of living abroad… The native village will often appear in the poet’s works. A narrow, dusty road leads here, and the last remaining homestead in the neighborhood reminds us of what the Brazdžioniai farm might have looked like. Today, it is reminded by a powerful hundred-year-old oak and a roofed pillar with a figure of St. Roch was erected in 1989. In the years of revival, the poet’s return to his homeland was particularly sensitive.

The partisans of the Green Forest set up a bunker in this place in autumn of 1944, named it “Near the path of Margiai Mountain-ash”. Jonas Tamošiūnas-Vyturys, a partisan from the village of Margiai, was killed in a battle with Russian soldiers near the bunker on 06 October 1945. At that time, another partisan was killed, whose name, unfortunately, is unknown. Others successfully retreated.

Bunker was restored in 2004 by the young riflemen of the Pasvalys rifle company, led by Algis Kalvėnas. In memory of the partisans, their comrade Juozas Tamulionis erected a wooden cross.

The bunker, built in 1948, was one of the headquarters of the partisan commander Povilas Žilis-Klevas. The fighters of his unit belonged to the Green Detachment of Vytis County.

The authentic bunker was never discovered nor destroyed by the enemy, it was destroyed by nature. Bunker was restored in 2003 by the young riflemen of the Pasvalys rifle company, led by Algis Kalvėnas.

A place that gives an authentic experience. We suggest you go to a bunker in the middle of the forest, where you will sit down on wooden deckchairs and read the underground press by candlelight, get acquainted with the partisan oath, sing partisan songs, and open a prayer book… The partisans of Pasvalys region, led by Jonas Alenčikas-Dragūnas, hid here when they were tired after the battles or when they were wounded. The actual bunker was built in 1945, but was destroyed during the battle. First rebuilt in 1997, but time and nature have taken their toll… The bunker was restored by the Pasvalys Regional Museum in 2019. After travelling in time you can go back to today again! You will see the real life of the partisans in a 3D movie when you will visit the Pasvalys Regional Museum.

The homestead of Gulbininėnai Manor belonged to General Kazys Ladyga from 1925 to 1941. He tried to create a modern farm, to turn the manor into a real cultural center of the area. Thanks to K. Ladyga’s care, a post office, a shop, additional sections of elementary school, and roads were built in Gulbinėnai. He earned the greatest gratitude of the residents by founding a chapel on the estate, later supporting the construction of a church, and the creation of a parish. A seven-year-old school started operating in the palace of the Gulbinėnai manor in 1945 and operated until 1992. Today the manor belongs to a private individual. The territory of the homestead consisted of three zones: representative, economy, and recreational. The composition of the representative zone is characteristic to even the homesteads of baroque manors of the 18th century. All buildings are build from red bricks and stone masonry. Today, 10 buildings or their fragments remain: a palace, a granary, a workshop, barns and outbuildings. Behind the manor palace lies a large park with a unique system of ponds and canals. Acacia trees were planted around the ponds, the dance floor with lindens.

On the initiative of Jeronimas Šarkevičius, the parson of Krinčinas, and Karpiai, the local landowners of Baluškiai, and with the donations of the surrounding people, the construction of a brick chapel, much larger than the old wooden one, began in 1750. There was no permission to build a prayer house, so it was a serious violation. Only in 1782 the Pope himself signed such a document.

The church built in 1803 has baroque and classicism features. It is believed that the sculpture of Jesus of Nazareth in the high altar of the church has magic powers – it heals the most seriously ill.

Daujėnai Pentecost is celebrated every year – the church festival of this region that have been around for more than a century. Pentecost church festival lasted the whole week, worshipers came even from Žemaitija. The most pious ones used to crawl several kilometers to the church on their knees. To this day, many people come to the church festival not only from Pasvalys, the natives, who spread all over Lithuania, return!

The homestead of the Vileišiai family of farmers stood in this place, where a group of people, who distinguished themselves for Lithuania, were born and grew up. Vileišiai – fighters for the freedom of the Lithuanian press, educators, entrepreneurs, revivalists of Lithuanian spirit, supporters of culture and art, statesmen, creators of self-government, builders of a reborn Lithuania… A roofed pole for the Vileišiai family was unveiled in the homestead on 16 February 1991 (sculptor Arūnas Grušas). It depicts five brothers: Petras, the engineer, Jonas, the lawyer and the signatory of the Act of Independence of 16 February 1918, Antanas, the doctor, Juozas, the priest, and Kazimieras, the farmer. The creation of Vileišiai Park began in 2001. Oak trees rustle here for the six brothers, and the two sisters are symbolized by fir trees. Trees are planted in the park on various occasions significant for the region of Pasvalys.

From the mid 17th century to 1940 Joniškėlis manor was controlled by Karpiai, one of the most extensive family in Lithuania. They built a classicist manor house in the second half of the 18th century and started creating a park. The park was designed by the German architect Franz Lehman in the 19th century. The old part of the park on the left bank of Mažupė River was built in the English style. The right bank belongs to the French park. Karpiai arranged the park spaces tastefully, family gatherings and weekend concerts took place here. Prominent Lithuanian cultural figures, writers, and public figures walked along the paths of the park. Today it is one of the ten largest (34 ha) and most valuable manor parks in Lithuania. On the parterre of the palace, 200 rose bushes bloom in summer. Take a walk along the paths of the park, admire the rare species of plants, relax in the gazebo. And come at least once to the mysterious “Night in Karpiai Manor”.

Legend. Once upon a time, trees never took root in the park. The steward of the manor proposed a macabre solution: to water the land of the future park with the blood of innocent babies. Karpis did just that – the trees took root and grew. Oaks grew where boys’ blood flowed, and lindens grew where girls’ blood flowed. However, the soul of the cursed landowner will roam the park as long as there is at least one oak tree in it. And today, when lightning strikes, Karpis face appears in the oak crowns, begging for lightning to strike and burn the giants. Only then will he find peace…

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.