Pavilnys

In 1953, the Young Naturalists’ Station was established in Džiaugsmo g, to promote the diverse interest of schoolchildren in nature. Young zoologists, ornithologists, ecologists, and nature photographers sought their vocation here, while aquariums, terrariums, a small zoo, greenhouses, and a nature trail were all created here. Even though it has changed its name, the institution is still inviting our youngest citizens to fall in love with nature today. Interestingly, in the inter-war period, the Vilnius Governor, one of the highest officials of the time, built a summer house for himself on this site. It is believed to be a green wooden building (Džiaugsmo 48 g.). An impressive avenue of linden trees from that period stretches from this house to Džiaugsmo g.

The settlers had to immediately address the thorny issue of water when they established their new Colony – most of the estate is located in a dry upland area. One of the earliest structures was therefore a water tower with a pumping station, completed in 1914. Several boreholes were dug at the intersection of Vandens and Versmių streets and became an integral part of the system. The water tower may have in a way determined the fate of the Colony after the First World War when the settlement, which had survived for only a few years, was severely devastated; most significantly, the expensive water pumping equipment was stolen. After the war, the despair of the inhabitants even led them to wonder whether it would be worth burying the idea of the Colony and turning it into a mere agrarian settlement. However, through determination and money raising, the waterworks were restored and the settlement was able to develop further between the wars. Today, the former pumping station building with its tower no longer serves its original function, but has now been converted into a house.

Ever since its very first moments, the Vilnius Railway Workers’ Colony has been characterised by the community spirit that has helped it to endure and overcome the difficulties faced in the creation and development of a separate settlement. Having experienced almost no changes, the Dom Towarzystwa – the home of the society or community, has entered our modern times. In 2003, the newly established Pavilnys Community took up the tradition of the original settlement and renovated the dilapidated building. Today, it is the venue for most of the Pavilnys community festivals and home to the ‘JD Brass Band Pavilnys’ – a unique brass band in the district. Fragments of stone-paved streets and almost 100-year-old linden trees have also been preserved in the vicinity of the building.

Vilnius was a very religious city between the wars, so it was natural that the inhabitants of the settlement wanted to have their own sanctuary, especially since all other Catholic churches were quite far away. In 1927, plans to build a place of worship commenced, but the process was very turbulent: after the selection of the site and the raising of funds, the design of the engineer Trojanas was found to be inadequate, and it was not approved by the Vilnius authorities, so the implementation of the idea stalled. There was also a fierce debate about whether the Colony really needed a church or whether a chapel would be enough. After long arguments, the decision was taken to build a church, but a wooden one. The project was donated to the community by one of the most prominent architects of the interwar period, Stefan Narembski. In May 1933, the first stone blocks were laid, and on 7 July 1935, the church was solemnly consecrated. An interesting fact is that the church was built in the Zakopane mountain-region style; Pavilnys had also been recognised in the past as a hilly area as the name Kalnai suggests, i.e., the Pacai Mountains. This is the only wooden Catholic church in Vilnius.

Usually, when we see a small cemetery, we assume that it is an old village cemetery, the date of which is unlikely to be traceable. However, the cemetery in Pavilnys is linked to the hot July of 1944. Fierce battles were fought between the Nazis, the Soviets and the underground fighters of the Armia Krajowa (AK). Many residents of the Colony joined the AK units and died in the fighting, but at that time the old Guriai cemetery (at Juodasis kelias and Guriai g.) was separated by an internal front line, and it was decided that the AK soldiers from Pavilnys should be buried in this new place (you can easily find monuments to them in the cemetery). People were also buried here in later times and continue to be to this day.

Many of the Colony’s plots remained undeveloped until the Second World War, so that today, when you walk through the old streets of the settlement, you can see examples of later architecture that didn’t quite make it. However, a more careful eye will notice many charming wooden houses with interesting roofs and fine porches from the interwar period. Of course, brick houses were also built here, some of which have turrets with weathervanes proudly proclaiming the respectably mature date of construction.

In order to connect the lower and upper parts of the Colony and to overcome the steep incline, a cobbled serpentine was built in 1911 by the engineer Semaško. It is sometimes impressively remarked that this is the only real mountainous serpentine road in Lithuania. Indeed, it is unlikely that we will even find another road with such sharp bends that can be used not only by pedestrians but also by cars. It is a technical monument of historical value, protected by the State.

Every Pole knows the name of Tadeusz Konwicki (1926–2015) and his work. He is one of the nation’s most famous writers, who spent his childhood in Naujoji Vilnia and Pavilnys, in a green house at Žemoji g. 22. In 1986, Andrzej Wajda directed a film of the same name based on Konwicki’s novel ‘Meilės įvykių kronika’ (‘Kronika wypadków miłosnych’ / ‘Chronicle of Love Events’). Although none of the scenes was filmed in Vilnius, the film crew tried to recreate the landscape of the inter-war Colony as closely as possible. Did they succeed? You can easily find this film on the internet and judge for yourself.

It is hard to imagine a railway workers’ settlement without a railway connection. Although regular train traffic in Vilnius began as early as 1862 with the construction of the Petersburg–Warsaw line, it was not until 1912, when the Colony was built, that a station platform first appeared in Pavilnys for stopping trains. In the inter-war period, connections with the city were very convenient, with trains sometimes stopping here every 12–15 minutes during the rush hour. There were not only the usual large passenger trains, but also the luxurious, streamlined single-carriage ‘torpedoes’, known as ‘Luxtorpedas’. Past memories of the inhabitants show that the Colony was an ideal place to observe the war objectively, without the need to follow the propaganda press; locals would just sit on the hills to see how many trains were moving in which direction.

Tuputiškės, with its pleasant, but at the same time enigmatic name of uncertain origin, was a sparsely populated area dominated by hay meadows and cultivated fields until the early 20th century. In 1927, P. Valickis drew up a new plan for the area, which was implemented a few years later and Tuputiškės became an integral part of the Colony. The most intensive work took place between 1934 and 1937, when the most splendid Tuputušiškės houses were built. The houses at Tuputiškės g. 52 and 54, which belonged to the famous Piegutkovskis and Mingailas families, are really easy on the eye.

A little further along Žemoji g., a small path creeps uphill through a spruce grove behind the fence of the house at number 57, turning to the right. After climbing up a little and turning left, you will continue along the ridge of the hill until you eventually reach the Young Naturalists’ Centre. The trail will not only allow you to experience spectacularly colourful nature (the hilly terrain provides a variety of microclimates), but it will also afford you fascinating panoramic views of the city and the Pūčkoriai escarpment, which open up one after another. However, the most spectacular views are to be found in the cold season, after the trees have shed their leaves.