Jašiūnai Manor. A First Step towards Renovation.

After many years of awaiting the reconstruction of the Jašiūnai Manor in the Šalčininkai district is becoming more and more attainable. The first step was signing the agreement between the Director of Administration of the Vilnius District Municipality and the contractor—Ekstra Statyba company—represented by the director, Kazys Eidukaitis.

“Today is a historic moment for the Šalčininkai district. We have been waiting 18 years for it to come”—said the Mer of the Šalčininkai District Municipality Zdzisław Palewicz while signing the agreement on the commencement of the first stage of a project: “Renovation and tourist adjustment of the Šalčininkai district cultural heritage object—palace and manor complex in Jašiūnai.”

Considered to be one of the most important tourist objects in the Šalčininkai district, Jašiūnai Manor has suffered a good deal of misfortune over the last few decades. Saved after the war, the manor started to deteriorate in Soviet times taken over by the administration of a nearby sovkhoz. In 1996 the manor buildings were transferred to the Šalčininkai district authorities. Since then the municipality solicited, unsuccessfully, immediate reconstruction of the deteriorating manor. Funds for its restoration were given only in 2009. The government originally assigned an adequate amount of money but, unfortunately, withdrew from the project financing. However, the Šalčininkai district authorities did not give up and after two years a second chance appeared. Minister of Economy of Lithuania signed a project financing commitment in May 2012.

The reconstruction of the late neoclassical two-storey manor palace, erected in 1928 according to Karol Podczaszyński design, is supposed to commence later this year. Exploratory, archaeological and construction works will be executed by the Ekstra Statyba company, which won the tender. This company has a proven track record of monuments revitalization, e.g. the reconstruction of Tuskulėnai Manor, Medininkai Castle, Trakai Island Castle or the grod in Bieczany near Dieveniškės.

Work within the first stage of the project provides façade restoration, basic renovation of the interior that includes the adaptation of the one room as a conference hall as well as a conduct of archaeological, construction and polychromatic research. The deadline was set for 22 months, with a single possibility to prolong the term by 6 months. Costs of the project’s first stage are 5,063,728 lt.

The palace and manor complex in Jašiūnai was entered into the register of Lithuanian Cultural Heritage. In terms of historical issues, archaeological features and urban arrangement, it is deemed a significant object. Jašiūnai Manor, commissioned by a retired Chancellor of the Vilnius University, Jan Śniadecki, was famous for being a social meeting place of Vilnius scientific and cultural elite of Romanticism and Positivism. Tomasz Zan, Edward Odyniec, Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki were frequent guests of the manor.

Source: http://www.wilnoteka.lt/pl/artykul/palac-w-jaszunach-pierwszy-krok-ku-renowacji

Tłumaczenie Hanna Hołub w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Hanna Hołub the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.