Kėdainiai

Kėdainiai (Lithuanian: [kʲeːˈdâːɪnʲɛ] (listen), also known by several other names) is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. It is located 51 km (32 mi) north of Kaunas on the banks of the Nevėžis River. First mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle of Hermann de Wartberge, its population as of 2020 is 23,667. Its old town dates to the 17th century.[2]

Kėdainiai
City
Kėdainiai old town
Coat of arms
Kėdainiai
Location of Kėdainiai
Coordinates: 55°17′N 23°58′E
Country Lithuania
Ethnographic regionAukštaitija
County Kaunas County
MunicipalityKėdainiai district municipality
EldershipKėdainiai town eldership
Capital ofKėdainiai district municipality
Kėdainiai town eldership
First mentioned1372
Granted city rights1590
Neighbourhoods
Government
 • TypeMunicipal Council
 • MayorValentinas Tamulis[1]
Area
 • Total27.0 km2 (10.4 sq mi)
Elevation
39 m (128 ft)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total22,677
 • Density840/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
57xxx
Websitewww.kedainiai.lt

The city is the administrative centre of the Kėdainiai District Municipality. The geographical centre of the Lithuanian Republic is in the nearby village of Ruoščiai, located in the eldership of Dotnuva.

Names

The city has been known by other names: Kiejdany in Polish, Keidan (קיידאן) in Yiddish,[3] and Kedahnen in German. Kėdainiai other alternate forms include Kidan, Kaidan, Keidany, Keydan, Kiedamjzeÿ [4] ("j" /e/), Kuidany, and Kidainiai.[5]

History
The March of Swedes for Kėdainiai

The area was the site of several battles during "The Deluge", the 17th century war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden. In 1655 a short-lived treaty with Sweden, the Union of Kėdainiai, was signed by two members of Radziwiłł family in their Kėdainiai castle. While little remains of the Radziwiłł castle, the crypt of the Calvinist church (1631) houses the family mausoleum, including the tombs of Krzysztof Radziwiłł and his son Janusz.

Scottish Protestants arrived in the late 16th and 17th centuries, encouraged by the conversion of Anna Radziwill; the community exerted considerable influence in the city and persisted until the mid-19th century.[6]

A local custom called on all visitors to bring a stone to be used in the town's construction.[2]

World War II

During Operation Barbarossa, Kėdainiai was occupied by the German Army in the summer of 1941. On August 28, 1941, the entire Jewish community of Kėdainiai, a community which had been there for 500 years, were killed under the direction of German Special Police Battalions, with the aid of the local Lithuanian population. The Jewish population prior to the Holocaust was 3000.[7]

Soviet period
Kedainiai Chemical Plant Lifosa

During the Cold War it was home to Kėdainiai air base, a major Soviet military airlift facility.

For many years, Kėdainiai was known for its chemical and food processing industries. The Kėdainiai chemical plant, Lifosa began operations in January 1963. Publicized as a milestone in the industrialization of Lithuania, it emitted significant quantities of sulfuric acid and was the subject of ecological protests in the 1980s.[8][9]

Independent Lithuania

Following years of stagnation, old enterprises have come back to life, and new ones have been established, contributing to its status as an economic stronghold.[10]

Transportation

Kėdainiai is accessed by Via Baltica highway from Kaunas and Panevėžys, and by rail from Vilnius, Klaipėda and Šiauliai. It is also served by Kaunas International Airport, the second largest airport in Lithuania, located in Karmėlava site.

Cultural activities
Kėdainiai minaret

The Kėdainiai Regional Museum, established in 1922, now operates four branches: a Multicultural Centre, the Mausoleum of the Dukes Radziwill, the House of Juozas Paukštelis, and the Museum of Wooden Sculptures of V.Ulevičius.[11]

Since the city is known as the cucumber capital of Lithuania, it sponsors an annual cucumber festival.[10]

In 2013, the band Bastille shot a music video for their single "Things We Lost in the Fire" in the location.

A small Polish minority of 329 (0,61%)[12] people live in Kėdainiai district municipality, but only 30 people participate in Stowarzyszenie Polaków Kiejdan (The Kėdainiai Polish Association), the elder people; their cultural activities involve public celebrations of Polish Day of Independence and Day of the Constitution of Third of May, as well as organizing a festival of Polish culture. Since 1994 a School of Polish Language exists.[13][14]

Education

Sport

Basketball club BC Nevėžis, which parcicipate in Lithuanian basketball league. Football club FK Nevėžis plays in second-tier league I Lyga.

Mayors of Kėdainiai
Portrait Mayor Term of Office Political Party
Took Office Left Office
Independent Lithuania
Petras Baguška 1990 1994
Vigimantas Kisielius 1995 1997 Homeland Union
Viktoras Muntianas 1997 2004 Labour Party
Virginija Baltraitienė 12 November 2004 12 December 2005 Labour Party
Nijolė Naujokienė 2005 2011 Labour Party
Rimantas Diliūnas 2011 2015 Labour Party
Saulius Grinkevičius 17 April 2015 2019 Liberal Movement
Valentinas Tamulis 17 March 2019 Incumbent Valentino Tamulio komanda – mūsų krašto sėkmei

Famous citizens

Twin towns — sister cities
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Lithuania

Kėdainiai is twinned with:[15]

  • St. Joseph's church of Carmelites
  • St. George's church, 15th century
  • City Hall and Monument of Radziwiłł
  • Kranto II street in the old town
  • Evangelical church
  • Senoji street in old town
  • Kėdainiai market square
  • Kėdainiai old town
  • Didžioji street
  • Nevėžis river in city center
  • Kėdainiai new synagogue
  • Holy Transfiguration Church

See also

References
Notes
  1. "Būsimieji merai švenčia, apie darbus galvos rytoj" (in Lithuanian). 15min.lt. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  2. "Kėdainiai". Samogitian Cultural Association Editorial Board. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  3. Levin, Dov (2000). The Litvaks. Berg Publishers. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-57181-264-3.
  4. Blaeu, Joan (1662). LIVONIA vulgo Lyefland (Map).
  5. Library of Congress Authority control Name Headings. HEADING: Kėdainiai (Lithuania). Accessed 2009-09-14.
  6. Murdoch, Steve (2006). Network North: Scottish kin, commercial and covert association in Northern Europe, 1603-1746. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-14664-8.
  7. Gilbert, Martin (2004). The Second World War: A Complete History. Macmillan Publishers. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-8050-7623-3.
  8. Casper, Monica J. (2003). Synthetic planet: chemical politics and the hazards of modern life. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-93355-1.
  9. A. P. J. Mol, David Allan Sonnenfeld (2000). Ecological Modernisation Around the World: Perspectives and Critical Debates. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-7146-5064-7.
  10. "Kėdainiai district municipality". Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  11. "Museum History". Kėdainiai Regional Museum. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  12. Number of inhabitants of Kėdainiai district municipality by ethnicity, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2014-01-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Lithuanian census of 2011
  13. Świat Polonii, Dni Kultury Polskiej na Laudzie 18-20 czerwca 2004 r.
  14. http://www.knypava.lt Archived 2014-01-02 at the Wayback Machine Kėdainiuose giliai šaknis įleidę ir lenkai
  15. "Tarptautinis bendradarbiavimas". kedainiai.lt (in Lithuanian). Kėdainiai. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
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