Švenčionys
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| Švenčionys | |||
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  Švenčionys
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country |  Lithuania |
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| Ethnographic region | Aukštaitija | ||
| County | Vilnius County | ||
| Municipality | Švenčionys district municipality | ||
| Elderate | Švenčionys elderate | ||
| Capital of | Švenčionys district municipality Švenčionys elderate |
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| First mentioned | 1800 | ||
| Granted city rights | 1961 | ||
| Population (2005) | |||
| - Total | 5,658 | ||
| - Rank | 57th | ||
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | ||
Švenčionys (Polish: Święciany, Belarusian: Свянцяны) is a city 84 km north of Vilnius in Lithuania with a population of 5658 (as of 2005).
One of the oldest towns in Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the city grew during 14th-16th centuries, when it was a site of local court and monastery. It was one of the main centers of November Uprising (1830-1831) in Poland and Lithuania against the Russian Empire. The city was part of the Second Polish Republic for most of the interwar period. It had a significant Jewish population, and during WWII it was a site of a Švenčionys ghetto.[1] Thousands of Jews and Poles perished there during the WWII. [2]Later, part of Lithuanian SSR and now of independent Lithuania.
About one third of the current population belongs to the Polish minority in Lithuania.
[edit] External links
- (Lithuanian) (English) (Polish) Official Website
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