Utena

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Utena; Miestelis; Dvaras; Valda; Miestas; Dvaro inventorius; Katalikų bažnyčia; Katalikų parapija; Sinagoga; Pradžios mokykla; Gimnazija; Utena; Small town; Estate; Domain; Town; Estate inventory; Catholic church; Catholic parish; Sinagoga; Primary school; Gymnasium.

ENThe publication deals with the history of Utena from the earliest times to the first decade of the restored independence of Lithuania. The text is based on archival sources showing that Utena was the property of the Grand Duke of Lithuania, given to manage or mortgage to various state officials. However, at the end of the 17th century, part of Utenas possessions was distributed among the refugees from the occupied by Muscovites eastern provinces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania - Starodub and Smolensk. In various places of Utena estate they were given as many subordinates as they had in their eastern lands. Thus, from a large estate, there appeared a number of smaller ones. In the second half of the 18 th century the great part of the estate was given to Polish Army General Ildefons Strutinsky. The small town of Utena probably appeared in the present place near the church approximately in the middle of the 15th century and became a city only in the times of independent Lithuania. Lets the future historians find out when the church was built there. The parish of Utena (the ruler had the right to appoint Utena pastors), covering the entire territory of the great ruler’s estate, decreased only in the 20th century when new churches and parishes appeared in remote areas. Until the second half of the 19th century, Utena church buildings were wooden. In 1879, a wooden church was destroyed by a town fire, and a new stone church was built in its place. It is standing there up till now. The publication gives main facts of the written history and those who want to study in more detail Utena region or the history of their relatives will be able to get the references to the sources. Important documents of Utena estate and parish, which describe the structure of the estate (small town, villages, residents, their obligations, etc.) and lists of parish localities, the situation of them in relation to the church, their owners, etc., are given in the appendices.