Druskininkai

Druskininkai
Druskininkai
City
	Clockwise from top: Druskininkai City Center; Wooden house; Sculpture; Museum of Druskininkai;
	UTC+3 (EEST)
Website	druskininkusavivaldybe.lt

Druskininkai (Lithuanian pronunciation:

Nemunas River in southern Lithuania, close to the borders of Belarus and Poland. The city of Druskininkai is known for being a spa resort since the 19th century

.

Name

The exact origin of the city name is not certain, but it is derived from the

romanized: Druzgenik; German

: Druscheninken.

Geography

The city is located at the Ratnyčia River

Nemunas River and is surrounded by a natural forest reserve. The city is situated in a picturesque landscape with rivers, lakes, hills and forests

.

History

According to some sources the site of present-day Druskininkai was inhabited by local

Polish

influence.

The first written mention of Druskininkai dates back to 1636. The name of the city suggests that the local population collected

holiday resort for the population of Vilnius

. In the eighteenth century, the city was eagerly visited by Polish kings who treated their health ailments.

After the

Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway

was opened and Druskininkai's railway station was placed only 19 kilometres (12 miles) from the city.

In June 1887, a Jewish national conference was held in Druskininkai led by

Zionist movement.^[3]

By the beginning of the 20th century the Druskininkai spa was one of the most popular resorts in the area and a place of summer residence for the middle class of Vilnius, Warsaw and Moscow.^{[citation needed]}

After

Białystok Voivodeship

.

After

Bezirk Bialystok. At this period, and as part of the "Final Solution" plan of the Nazis, the Jewish community of the city was wiped out. Some of the Jews were sent to ghettos in near-by Kaunas, and the remainder murdered by the Nazis. It was taken again by Red Army on 14 July 1944 and remained part of Lithuania under the Soviet occupation. In 1951, Druskininkai began to grow rapidly again and several huge sanatoriums and spa hospitals were opened. Over the time, the city became a major resort, attracting around 400,000 visitors.^{[citation needed}

]

Landmarks and culture

Orthodox church in Druskininkai

Despite damage inflicted during World War I, the city features houses and villas reflecting all periods of its development - Russian, Polish and Lithuanian.

The first water park in Lithuania was opened in Druskininkai on 26 December 2006.

The Snow Arena (construction completed in August 2011) is one of the biggest indoor skiing slopes in Europe, with a year-round indoor slope length of 460 metres, width up to 63 metres, and a height difference of 65.65 metres. In addition there is a seasonal outdoor route of 640 metres. In alpine ski complex Snow Arena works school of skiing and snowboarding DruSkiSchool. There are a number of art and historical museums and galleries in the city. Many cultural events take place, most of them during spring, summer and fall.

During 1896–1910, famous Lithuanian composer and painter Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis lived and worked in the city. A number of regular events take place at his memorial museum each year.

An annual poetry event, "Druskininkai poetic fall", began in 1985 and attracts authors from all over the world. In 2001,

Soviet era

.

There is also an annual International Arts Festival 'Druskininkų vasara su M.K.Čiurlioniu' (eng. The summer in Druskininkai with Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis).

Twin towns — sister cities

Druskininkai is

twinned with:^[5]

Augustów, Poland
Elbląg, Poland
Strzelce Opolskie, Poland

Notable residents

Shmaryahu Yitzchak Bloch (ca. 1862-1923), rabbi
The father of American actor Charles Bronson (1921-2003), Valteris P. Bučinskis, was born in Druskininkai
Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875-1911), lived here
Jan Czeczot (1796-1847), poet and ethnographer, died here
Lithuanian Jewish
sculptor, was born here
Lithuanian Communist Party
died here
Marian Turski (born 1926), journalist and historian

References

^ "Lietuvos miestų pavadinimų kilmė – tik upės ir pavardės?" [The origin of Lithuanian city names - only rivers and surnames?]. Delfi (in Lithuanian). 28 January 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
^ (in Lithuanian) Apie kurortą Archived May 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
^ Pioneers of Zionism: Hess, Pinsker, Rulf, Julian H. Schoeps
^ Skorowidz miejscowości Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej opracowany na podstawie wyników Pierwszego Powszechnego Spisu Ludności z dn. 30 września 1921 r. I innych źródeł urzędowych T. 10, Województwo Poznańskie. 1926.
^ "Tarptautinis bendradarbiavimas". druskininkai.lt (in Lithuanian). Druskininkai. Retrieved 1 September 2019.

External links

[city-name-origin-1] "Lietuvos miestų pavadinimų kilmė – tik upės ir pavardės?" [The origin of Lithuanian city names - only rivers and surnames?]. Delfi (in Lithuanian). 28 January 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2023.

[2] (in Lithuanian) Apie kurortą Archived May 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine

[3] Pioneers of Zionism: Hess, Pinsker, Rulf, Julian H. Schoeps

[4] Skorowidz miejscowości Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej opracowany na podstawie wyników Pierwszego Powszechnego Spisu Ludności z dn. 30 września 1921 r. I innych źródeł urzędowych T. 10, Województwo Poznańskie. 1926.

[5] "Tarptautinis bendradarbiavimas". druskininkai.lt (in Lithuanian). Druskininkai. Retrieved 1 September 2019.

[3]

[5]

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