About Utena manors
Aukštaitija (Highlands) is not only the biggest region in the country, but also the one distinctive with its wide range of dialects, customs and other ethnographical varieties. Already since early times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (hereafter LDK), Aukštaitija was one of the four main ethnocultural parts of the duchy next to Žemaitija (Samogitia), Volyn and Rus‘. That is why it is not surprising that even today Aukštaitija‘s manors are more interesting than the other, specifically different, full of stories, narratives and myths that count centuries.
In modern Lithuania an important part of Aukštaitija‘s manors have been restored, rebuilt and risen to new life. They are open for tourists and more and more often are becoming venues for cultural and culinary educational activities. After establishment of serfdom, Tauragnai, Noliškis, Užpaliai and other manors in Utena district were mentioned already in the XIVc. They were developing from yards (villages) which belonged to a feudal lord (nobleman). Very often it was only one fenced nobleman‘s homestead with a dwelling house and outbuildings. Next to it there were houses of dependent households. The fence was for protection. Around homesteads of noblemen there settled homesteads of neighbors and married laborers (hired men), called neighbors or backyards. The master of such a settlement was a yardman, other residents were yard people. When rich noblemen separated from yard people, a manor evolved. From settlements of poorer yard people nobleman villages (akalicos) developed. With manors expanding their arable lands in the XVIc. and later estates appeared. To manors sometimes belonged townships with industrial enterprises, schools, churches. Wealth of manors was inheritable, therefore, estates and manors, small manors fell into the hands of kindred. In 1861 after the abolition of serfdom, villages separated from manors. In 1922, according to the law of the land reform, manors were allowed to retain 80ha of land, since 1929 – 150ha. The rest of the land was expropriated. In1940-1941, 1944-1948 manors were liquidated, their owners either fled abroad or were deported. After 1990, after the restoration of Lithuania’s independence, manor owners were given back their land, forests, buildings. And though there were not especially rich or large manors in Utena district, they were quite numerous.
Internet, literature and other sources used:
Wikipedia
Encyclopedia of Utena Region (Gediminas Isokas)
Book “Water mill ring of Northeastern Aukštaitija”
Book “Lithuanian valsčiai. Užpaliai”
Texts by Gintautas Zabiela
Project materials of Utena diving center
Book “Vyžuonos. Region and people“
Book “Manors and castles of Lithuania“(2015)
“Hillforts of Lithuania. Atlas“. Vilnius, 2005.
https://www.lietuvos.dvarai.lt
Leonora Buičenkienė’s book: „Legends of Utena region“