Panevezys region - From the paste

	The Panevezys Region is in charge of preserving 34 archeological, 45 historical, 13 natural and 2 urban monuments, 112 art values, and 93 closed rural cemeteries. More than ten former manor sites could be also classified as architectural values. More than 150 roadside chapel totems, crosses and other commemorative objects have been erected to remember the various historic events and famous people. Some of them - 29 pieces - are included in the register of local monuments preserved by the municipality. Most of the archeological monuments are burial sites like burial mounds and burial grounds. The more significant ones are the Berčiūnai burial mound (II to V century) and the Pakritižis burial ground (XIV to XVI century). There are only three mounds in the region. The most famous one is the Upytė Mound called the Čičinskas Hill. Architectural monuments reveal the history of culture, but they are not numerous. The most famous monument is the Smilgiai Church built in 1794, and the chapel in the Rodų manor built in 1861 to design of the well-known Italian architect L.C.Anikinni. The Bistrampolis manor buildings represent classicism. Folk architecture is represented by the chapel of the Tiltagaliai Cemetery built in 1859 and the Ustronė barn erected in the second half of the XIX century.
	The most numerous part of the historic heritage is made by pieces of art. Most of them survived in churches. The richest in art pieces are the Krekenava, Raguva, Smilgiai, and Vadaktėliai churches. The Smilgiai church is famous for its central altar having the rococo features, the Krekenava church is well known for its picture “Mother of God” and stained-glass windows. The churches of the region host pictures by famous Lithuanian artists like R.Švoinickis-Alekna, J.Danauskas, S.Ušinskis, and others. There are several pieces by the famous wood carving artist Vincas Svirskis surviving in the region, including presumably the existing oldest one - the chapel totem in the Ibutoniai Village. The historic events, life of famous people have been marked by a number of objects. Among such are the birthplace-museum of writer G.Petkevičaitė-Bitė and sculptor J.Zikaras in Puziniškis and Paliukai respectively, tombs of linguist, professor and academician J.Balčikonis, and writer, translator, priest J.Balvočius-Gerutis in Ėriškiai and Uliūnai respectively. The people of the region take care of the graves in Liudynė and Vadokliai where the volunteers who died during battles for independence in 1919 to 1920 were buried, and also the graves of the Russian and German soldiers (WW1 and WW2) and the partisans who perished during the post-war resistance movement.
	Quite a number of cultural heritage items are housed in the museums. The region maintains two branches of the Panevėžys Local Lore Museum: the sculptor J.Zikaras’ birthplace-house in the Paliukai Village (Panevėžys Elderate) established in 1972, and the ethnographic homestead in Smilgiai (opened in 1979) showing the household of a middling peasant of the end of the XIX century - beginning of the XX century. As to the community supported museums the most important one is the Flax Museum located in the windmill built in 1880 in the Stultiškiai Village (Upytė Elderate). The exposition first opened in 1975 was renewed in 1996. In 1987 in Puziniškis Village (Smilgiai Elderate), the birthplace of the writer, cultural and public figure G.Petkevičaitė-Bitė, and the commemorative exposition was opened. The same year saw opening of the J.Tumas-Vaižgantas memorial exposition in the Ustronė Village (Krekenava Elderate), which later grew into the Book-hawkers Museum. To mark the 100^th anniversary of Matas Grigonis, public figure, educator and poet, the memorial exposition was opened in 1989 in the Senamiestis Village (Karsakiškis Elderate). In 1996 in the Baluškai Village (Naujamiestis Elderate) the museum of the “Lithuanian Catholic Church Chronicle” was opened. The public library has 35 branches with total of 52 employees. The library has accrued 440 793 items of printed matter and the number of registered readers is 9500