Bezdonys Eldership
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Bezdonys Eldership
Bezdonių seniūnija | |
|---|---|
 Girdiškės swamp | |
 Location of Bezdonys Eldership | |
| Country |  Lithuania |
| Ethnographic region | Dzūkija |
| County |  Vilnius County |
| Municipality |  Vilnius District Municipality |
| Administrative centre | Bezdonys |
| Government | |
| • Elder | Michal Jančevski |
| Area | |
• Total | 121.42 km2 (46.88 sq mi) |
| Population (2019)[1] | |
• Total | 2,886 |
| • Density | 24/km2 (62/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Website | https://www.vrsa.lt |
Bezdonys Eldership (Lithuanian: Bezdonių seniūnija) is an eldership in Lithuania, located in Vilnius District Municipality, east of Vilnius.
Etymology
[edit]The name is of Slavic origin, from Russian бездонный ("bottomless"). According to linguists, the name comes from a local hydronym Bedugnaitė and the village name written in a 15th-century Latin manuscript as Besdenayta/Besdonayta.[2]
Nature
[edit]The eldership is home to Skersabaliai State Geomorphological Reserve. Most of the eldership is in Neris-Žeimena Lowland, and reaches Neris River in the west. Rolling hills and flatlands dominate the landscape. Most of the area is covered by the Lavoriškės-Nemenčinė forest. The largest river is Bezdonė.[2]
History
[edit]Bezdonys are known historically since the 15th century, when Polish chronicler Jan Długosz noted that in 1415, Grand Duke Jogaila hunted in forests near Bezdonys. In 1516, a manor was built there, first owned by the Jesuits, and later the Educational Commission.[2]
In the 16th century, Sigismund I the Old established the Arvydai-Bezdonys Manor and gifted it to a mint owner, and his son later gave the manor to the Jesuits. To this day, the classicist palace remains, and was privatized and restored in 2002.[2]
In 1862, a railway line running from Warsaw to Saint Petersburg was built near the village of Bezdonys and a railway station was established there, and the village started to grow. By the end of 19th century, two factories were already operating in the area.[2]
In 1937, a construction of a church in Bezdonys was completed.[2]
In 1943, a Nazi concentration camp was established in a forest in the area.[2]
The eldership was part of Nemenčinė District until 1962, when it was incorporated into Vilnius District.[2]
In 2009, the eldership was subdivided into 9 subelderships (seniūnaitijos).[2]
Populated places
[edit]There are 27 villages located within the eldership, the largest of which are[2] Bezdonys, Arvydai and Ąžuolinė.
Ethnic composition
[edit]According to the 2021 census, out of 2790 inhabitants of Bezdonys Eldership:
Lithuanians - 1416 (50.75%)
Poles - 1008 (36.1%)
Russians - 196 (7.1%)
Belarusians - 81 (2.9%)
Gallery
[edit]-
Bezdonys Eldership administrative building in 2016 -
Bezdonys in 2015 -
Bezdonys Church of Saint Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy of the Gates of Dawn -
Jonėnai -
Bratoniškės -
Bezdonė River -
Classicist Arvydai-Bezdonys Manor
.JPG)
.JPG)
