Renovating manor house in Wilkiszki

Possibly, a manor house in Wilkiszki, situated near Mereczanki in the Šalčininkai area, about 25 km to the south-east from Vilnium, wchich is a beautiful wooden mansion- the Domochowscy’s property, will be renovated and restored to life. It is one of the few preserved wooden mansions in Lithuania.

Šalčininkai Local Government – the current host of assets – received funding for the first stage of the works under the Leader programme. Renovations were officially inaugurated on Wednesday, June 14.

The aim of the project is the revitalization of the historic mansion and to create inside the center for youth needs.  The plans assume that there will be created a youth tourist complex with a conference hall and exhibition, the museum and the motel. There will be organized youth summer camps, artistic events, workshops and integration meetings.

Currently, the manor in Wilkiszki is very neglected. The entire building needs complete renovation. The plan is to replace windows, floors and doors, to install plumbing, electrical and ventilation system as well as heating. Moreover, there will be created conference rooms, recreational areas and the new equipment will be bought. The value of the works of the first stage of the renovation project is less than a million litas. The agreement assumes that the repair works would take about 9-12 months. Šalčininkai local government submitted that and several other applications in a variety of assistance programs to the next steps in Wilkiszki and now they wait for the decision.

Wilkiszki is the former estate of Dmochowski’s family. The wooden manor house was built in 1847 on a rectangular plan. It is a ground floor building on a high stone foundation with a basement and a storied center part, accented by a two-storey four-column front porch covered with a gable roof. A wide staircase leads to the entrance. Richly decorated facade of elaborately cut wooden elements decorating the porch, walls and eaves and forming windows frames is extremely attractive. The manor house is surrounded by the landscaped park with an area of ​​3.3 hectares which is extended along the river. The park is under the protection as a natural monument. There are several avenues, including linden and oak avenue and a group of impressive Japanese larches in the park.

Boniface Pavlovich (1825-1909), painter, poet and journalist who captured the local park on his drawings, born in nearby Turgiele, was very frequent guest of assets in Wilkiszki. The manor has been confiscated and sold to the Russian Gen. Maksymowow because of the participation of members of the Domochowski’s family in the uprising in 1863. There is no certain information about the further fate and owners of the property.

 During the Second World War, the manor house was occupied by various armies. “The Third Brigade Army “Szczerbiec” hospital was run in 1944. A few decades ago, the building housed the primary school. Earlier, during Soviet times, there were organized annual summer camps for children and youth with Šalčininkai and nearby towns on the areas belonged to the mansion. Unfortunately, in recent years, a manor in Wilkiszki has not been developed and fell into disrepair.

Source: http://www.wilnoteka.lt/pl/artykul/dworek-w-wilkiszkach-przywracany-do-zycia

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