Paupys

The Sanguškos Manor, situated on a picturesque hill, was very suitable for the missionaries who were invited here in 1686, and for almost 200 years they tirelessly cared for children and adults in trouble, even founding an educational institute for the deaf and dumb. On the slopes of the hill, to which they gave the name of the Saviour, the missionary brothers planted spectacular gardens, vegetable patches, and even dug ponds. The missionaries themselves were expelled by the Tsarist authorities as early as 1842, but the beautiful Baroque Church of the Ascension has survived to the present day, having been returned to the Vilnius Archdiocese. The gardens were loved by early, as well as more recent photographers.  Even today, we can still enjoy the peat bogs, which are reminiscent of missionary times. Kūdrų Park is a longstanding meeting place for celebrating community festivities.

The Tymo Quarter was located between the Užupis and Paupis Bridges. Now only Tymo Market remains, delighting the residents of Vilnius on Thursdays. Until the middle of the 20th century, it was an island street, built with wooden houses and surrounded on all sides by the Vilnia river. Here, the conditions were favourable for leatherworkers,  which soon led to the establishment of Tartar and Jewish-run workshops for the craft of ‘tymo’, which is goatskin leather. Taverns, bakeries, shops and brothels operated on the ground floors of the buildings.  After World War II, the houses were demolished. In 2008, the Tymo market opened, surrounded to the south by a green lawn marking the now extinct branch of the Vilnia.

Paplauja Bridge, the metal truss bridge constructed in 1882, is the second oldest metal crossing over the Vilnia (after Bernardinų Bridge). It connects Užupis and Paupis and, at the same time, the two parts of Paupio Street. The Oginskis’ mill used to stand next to the bridge in Paupys, but it burnt down in 1860. These days the view has changed a lot, because Aukštaičių street was the Perkasa Canal (Kopanica) for many centuries (until the 20th century) and was called Kopanica street during the interwar period. During this time, the Polish authorities had planted gardens and orchards near the bridge. Until 2000, the site at the beginning of Naujosios Aukštaičių g. served perfectly as a turn-around point for the trolleybuses that intensively transported factory workers to the factories located in Paupys.

In 1870 I. Lipskis founded a brewery, which later turned into both a beer and spirit factory – besides alcoholic beverages, ice cream was also produced here. The factory constantly expanded and the beer won awards in France, Belgium, and Odessa. However, in 1935, Lipskis and his children went bankrupt, and one of their buildings was used to house a School for Crafts. During the Soviet era, from 1948 onwards, single-phase electricity meters and calculating machines were produced in this complex. 4000 people were employed here and there were many services on site for the convenience of the employees, such as dentists, a special kindergarten, a football stadium in Kūdrų Park, etc. After privatisation, the factory was still in operation until 2008-2009. In the 21st century, a major conversion of the area was carried out, demolishing the former industrial buildings and building completely new ones to meet the needs of the new modern inhabitants: residential and recreational areas, a cosy cinema ‘Pasaka’, Paupys Market and… an outdoor piano. The Lipskis Brewery is commemorated by the street name Lipski Alley in Paupys Market.

At the end of the 19th century, the brewer I. Lipskis had created an entertainment area for the townspeople next to his house – a Swiss garden with electric lighting, theatres, bowling alleys, and fountains.  Judging by the advertisements, only ‘grand’, ‘unique’ and ‘special’ events such as women’s wrestling, concerts, and dances were held here.  After the owner went bankrupt, the Swiss entertainment disappeared, but for a while Šveicarų (Swiss) Street remained nearby.

In the middle of what is now Paupio Street, a building of impressive architecture designed by M. Prozorov was built by Samuil Holstein, a Jewish businessman who came from Prussia in 1865. He lived here, and several generations later could be found on the balcony drinking tea. Workers from the fur factory had already been living in the property at the confluence of the Kopanica (Perkasa) Canal and the Vilnia. The factory had been run by the descendants of S. Holstein until 1940, when the Soviet authorities quickly established the Juozo Vito Fur Factory and later an industrial association. After the restoration of independence, the ‘Vilniaus kailiai’ fur company worked here. On their 2-hectare plot, the Holsteins had 2 dwellings and 14 factory buildings, as well as an orangery and gardens. The factory processed squirrel, ferret, otter, lamb, calf, and foal skins and furs until the Second World War, and during the Soviet era, the range was not much smaller. ‘Vilniaus kailiai’ continued the tradition of fur production and the beautiful mansion at Paupio g. 28 has been used for various administrative purposes since 1940.

Krivūlės street was called Paupio Alley during the interwar and Soviet times. It was the site of houses of various sizes, which now survive among modern high-rise buildings.  Until the construction of Drujos Street and the new route of Subačiaus Street, Krivūlės Street used to lead towards Belmontas.

In 1896, Vikentas Tučas, who came to Biržai from Bauska, began to proclaim at a gathering for young Christians called ‘Krikszczioniszkos Jaunumes Pulkial’ that Christ could save people personally and that only adults should be christened by water baptism. In 1912, thanks to the efforts of Peter Vieder, a community was established and named the Biržai Evangelical Christian Society. This teaching reached the Vilnius region in around 1922 and has been operating successfully to this day. The Pentecostals are about to celebrate their centenary, and they moved to Paupys from Žvėrynas in the middle of the Soviet era – in 1967.  During the heyday of the ideology of atheism was prevalent, the Soviet government registered the church only on the condition that it be called Baptist. After 1990, the church regained its real name. Several evangelical congregations of the Lithuanian Union of Christians of the Evangelical Faith now meet in this house of worship (Krivūlės g. 12), and the Vilnius Theological College has been operating in the vicinity since 1989 (Krivūlės g. 12A).  Members of this union actively work in children’s and adolescents’ rehabilitation centres, prisons, and provide assistance to the needy and those who are struggling.

Vilnius City Municipality, having created the conditions for the impressive conversion from industrial Paupys into a residential area, made sure that everyone, both residents and visitors, would have fun walking along the flowing stream of the Vilnia. Together with the developers of the area, the quays have been landscaped and a lot of new greenery has been planted.  Locals say that most fun used to be had at the beach by the bridge with Drujos Street, but now it is a convenient place to cross over to Paplaujos g. without having to cross the street.  The Vilnia Trail continues to Paplauja Bridge.

If it wasn’t for the former factory buildings looming in the distance, you would think you were in a village by a stream. Until the beginning of the 20th century, at the end of Aukštaičių Street, there was a Saxon Island – an area surrounded by water.  It was only after the canals were filled in and Drujos Street was built and connected to Stepono Batoro Street (formerly Polocko Street) that the conditions were favourable for building houses and settlements by the river.

The 26m bridge was renovated in January 2020. Until then, a bridge built during the Soviet era served to transfer the thermal heat pipe routes across Vilnius. Since then, the bridge and its approaches have changed a lot, so everyone who visits the bridge wants to stay as long as possible, and the conditions are there for them to do so: benches, a children’s playground, and an access ramp for disabled people to navigate up or down safely.

For a long time, the inhabitants of Paupys had the only one spacious place –  Kūdrų Park. However, the situation is changing – in the third quarter designed by Gintaras Čaikauskas (there are seven in total, each with different architects), the building at Aukštaičių g. 12. (the ‘town house’) has been turned around to create a space with fountains and various cosy multi-service providers.  On the other side of the square is the new building complex ‘Paupys Business House’, designed by the architect Audrius Ambrasas and nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Award. In the visitors’ hall (Aukštaičių g. 7), it is possible to see a spectacular ceramic work and a waiting room based on the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi.

From the square, you can choose your own route – explore the new quarters, take the plant tunnel along the Vilnia Trail or simply take the most direct route (Aukštaičių Street) back to Paplaujos Bridge.  After this route, taking a look at the Subačiaus viewing area comes highly recommended – you will see the area in a completely different light with your new-found knowledge.  The quickest way to get to the Subačiaus panoramic viewpoint is to take the street between Paupio g. 33-35 and climb the stairs.