Dotnuva
Dotnuva | |
---|---|
Town | |
Land | Litauen |
Ethnographic region | Samogitia |
County | Kaunas County |
Municipality | Kėdainiai district municipality |
Eldership | Dotnuva eldership |
Capital of | Dotnuva eldership |
Population (2003) | |
• Total | 775 |
Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Dotnuva is a small town with a 2003 population of 775 in central Lithuania, 10 km northwest of Kėdainiai, in the Kėdainiai district municipality. It is located on the Dotnuvėlė River. The geographical center of Lithuania, in the village of Ruoščiai, is only a few kilometers away from the town.
First time the name Dotnuva was mentioned in 1372. Dotnuva estate was known already from 16th century. In 1636 the first wooden church was build. Brzostowski family the owners of surrounding land and town invited Bernardines from Vilnius and in 1701, a Bernardine monastery was established in the town. The monastery was began to be build in 1768 and the church in 1773–1810. This monastery also kept the primary school similarly to the other Bernardine monasteries. The school was opened in 1796 and in beginning of 19th century managed to grow till the level of high school (gymnasium). But as the monks got involved in the 1831 Uprising against Russian rule the school in 1836 was closed.
The town has a long history of farming education. In 1911-1914 Pyotr Stolypin founded the farming school in the old estate. For this school the new nice building was build (destroyed in 1944). In 1924 Dotnuva Agricultural College was founded in Dotnuva estate, these days called Akademija. On 26 February, 1947, the first kolkhoz in Lithuania – the Marytės Melninkaitės kolūkis – was established nearby.
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