Manor House in Jašiūnai: Restoring former glory

Jašiūnai – beautiful historic village on the edge of the river Merkys Rudnicki Forest.

In the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, these lands belonged to the Radziwill family possessions, but in the nineteenth century Jašiūnai experienced its glory days, when thanks to scholars who lived here, and Michael John Śniadecki Baliński increased the importance of the village and the conversion Jaszun socializing in the center of prominent figures of the period, and exchange center of scientific thought.

Without a doubt, the most beautiful monument in Jaszunach is the palace of scholars from two centuries that even a few years ago was slowly translates into ruin, decaying building, now the eyes more beautiful, straightens up and takes the class. Since 1996 the palace buildings became the property of local Šalčininkai district, began efforts for funds to renovate the mansion, which was occupied by the local government 18 years. Construction and archaeological started in April of 2013. From then underwent renovation of the facade of the palace facade, basic reconstruction work inside, including the adaptation of one of the rooms as a meeting room.

The next stage of restoration work anticipated restoration of the walls, vaults, ceilings, furnaces and fireplaces. At the same time the restaurant is performed palace park surrounding the revitalization of the former seat of Balińskich in Jaszunach. The project is currently building a renewed here provides, inter alia, the creation of an interactive museum dedicated to the former owners of the manor of Balińscy and Śniadeccy.

– Equally important partner of our project is the University of Vilnius (with the exception that it does not make financial contributions to the renovation of the manor) – said the “Courier” self-administration director Joseph Fisherman Šalčininkai district. – On the floor of the palace will be a meeting room that will be used for meetings, conferences and cultural needs. The second part – a museum, the concept is now taking final shape. It is known that it will be had 2 exhibitions: the first will be devoted to Jaszuny, their community, history; second – will reflect the history of the manor as a non-urban residence of Vilnius University professors.

Director of Administration mentioned the unique nature of the court in Jaszuny:

– Mansions of this nature in Lithuania was no more. There manor houses, aristocratic, parochial, representative, but the court, bringing together scientists of Vilnius University, the intellectual elite, he was the only one in Lithuania. Therefore Baliński will be dedicated professors, and prominent personalities Śniadecki which Jaszuny remained: that is, inter alia, Julius Słowacki, Tomasz Zan.

The second stage of the renovation is completed mansion on 30 July. This day will be operational palace, but some elements you will have to attain to the last button – interior ornamentation, gilding, fragments of cornices, furniture – it takes additional measures.

– For July 2015 years is also provided for the completion of the park revitalization project. To renovate outbuilding is us, as the basic building was linked to the idea of founding a small hotel. The design stage is another building, saying the so-called Lithuanian granary – this is also a valuable object, because it is a primitive model of wooden architecture of the late nineteenth century, which was established at a later date than the palace – told the director of administration.

Whilst maintaining the historic character of the palace, you will find here the use of the latest information technologies.

– We are thinking of installing an application for smartphones that every visitor palace with the cells able to get any information about where it is located. The conference center will also find all necessary means of communication, so that the conference participants could benefit from the rapid and direct communication with the whole world – said Joseph Rybak.

Professor John Śniadecki, known in Europe, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher, whose name is associated with the golden age of the University of Vilnius (here in 1807-1815, he served as rector) at the end of life, decided to live in the Vilnius Jaszuny at his niece Sophia, the wife of the historian Michael Baliński.

“He liked the area healthy, surrounded by coniferous forests and living fount sprinkled liberally, opportune to hunting, which once loved passionately. Already in 1823 he opened me to the idea, stating that he wants his own expense masonry yourself comfortable and ornate house in Jaszunach and live with us for the rest of his life. No need to say how much this made us both going to the joy and comfort as brought honor that such illustrious husband wants to stop at the company attached to it, and indeed worshiping him relatives, but still young and not very familiar with the world of men! “(M. Balinski “Pamiętniki o Janie Śniadeckim”, volume 1, 1865.).

Professor Karol Podczaszyński was soon invited to do the plan in June 1824, the walls were built. Building lasted four years (…) and only at the St. John 1828 John Śniadecki the library and all his retinue and the economy eventually moved from Vilnius to Jaszuny and settled in a new home. Small observatory built here, gathered more than 3,000 works of Polish sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. These were the statutes, armorials, chronicles, over a thousand manuscripts, later part of the archives Philomaths.

The palace in the style of late classicism had two floors, 35 rooms. On the ground floor there was, among others, dining room, two bedrooms and three guest business. On the first floor are three bedrooms for kids, study, two living rooms, a library. In 1830, Bishop Jędrzej Kłągiewicz (1767-1841) allowed the creation of a chapel in the palace.

Professor John Śniadecki soon to be enjoyed the perks of living in Jaszuny “over fifty years of mental work finally began to visibly affect his physical strength, how on 21 November 1830 years to live longer, having lived 74 years (…). The corpses were buried of J. Śniadecki on arrogance boron overgrown a few hundred meters from the court, as the site almost every day favorite and walks him to this place” (M. Baliński „Pamiętniki o Janie Śniadeckim”).

A simple grave with a cross decorated with trefoil clover remembered today about a man who in the words of the Slovak, in the era of the fall “in Poland took the scepter of the spirit and kept it until 1831, not in word or deed – but a simple force at the heart of being – spirit, which in it took the shape of brown statue – and the size of Poland which Śniadecki taught how to proceed is to not dead; understood as one in Poland that the nation, even the patriotic spirit was not known how much awake, not stand without intellectual culture in general and, in particular, without science. “Today in Jaszuny street running from the palace to the cemetery court named John Śniadecki.

Sam and Michael Baliński called Lithuanian historian, is the author of many works: “History of Vilnius’ dissertations about Barbara Radziwill, John Śniadecki. The last of his more extensive work is a “former University of Vilnius, the attempt of its history since its founding in 1579., The final year of its transformation into. 1803”, published in St. Petersburg.

He died on January 3, 1864. In Vilnius, was buried in the cemetery in Jaszuny on the court. Is the patron of Polish school in Jaszuny, located on the street named after Michael Baliński.

Machulak Mieczyslaw writes in his book “In the Valley of Mereczanki”, in the nineteenth century Jašiūnai experienced its golden age, became an important center of Polish thought. Played host to the men of science and culture, not only from the nearby Vilnius and surrounding areas: botany professor Jundziłł Stanislaus, Bishop of Vilnius Father. Benedict Jędrzej Kłągiewicz, astronomer Peter Slawinski, Thomas Zan, Anthony Edward Odyniec, heir to the famous Pavlov – Father Paul Brzostowski, Joseph Mianowski, Lawrence Puttkamer, Salome and her stepdaughter Bécu: Olesia and Hersylka. And above all, Julius Real, which was in Jaszunach lived his unrequited love for Louise Śniadecki, daughter of Jędrzej Śniadecki sister Sophia Balińska.

“In Jaszuny we found Baliński and John Śniadecki, I enjoyed that the latter has treated me as a human being, he was polite and at the table I was given the first dishes. This is something insignificant, but it is so characterized my way out of my childhood that I enrolled in the memory … But these Jašiūnai, the same table where three months forward sat beside her, now empty, and only four of us with him … It was so sad … I watched involuntarily on the wall …. Then I walked into the room with her so much where we talked or read together … I sat on the same white sofa. I returned to the people; I said goodbye fondly of John Śniadecki and Baliński and drove. … Everyone goes his way … he says Mickiewicz. My opened up before me sad, deprived of everything … “- wrote Slovak.

One of the clearings in the park of Jaszuny was called “the clearing the Slovak Julius”. Julius Young birch planted here, and the action and act Kordian takes place in Jaszuny.

For Jaszun often visited Joachim Lelewel, here the idea of founding the so-called. “Wastrel Society”. The palace was the meeting place of outstanding intelligence. Often frequented Jaszuny Ignacy Domeyko, then a young scholar minerals belonging to Philomath. Only after the fall of the January Uprising in 1864. When a disaster has forced many to flee abroad, meaning Jaszun began to decrease.

The last owners of the property were Alexander and Anna from Balińscy Pereświt – Soltan.

In September, 1939. Valuable collections of works of art, rich library and memorabilia of John Śniadecki, Julius Slovak correspondence to Louise Śniadecki et al. fell prey to the villagers grove, inhabited by Russian Old Believers. Destroyed the furniture, paintings, floors, books and manuscripts, smashed the glass in the windows. Trees in the park for the most part was excised, and the family cemetery was profaned. After World War II, the palace was used as the local collective farm.

Past Jaszun was also immortalized in heraldry. In the modern coat of arms Jaszun two stars on the sides of the column represent deserved for this village family: Balińskich and Śniadeckich, and the column on the coat of arms symbolizes strength and power, is a copy of one of the columns of the palace of Jaszun.