Vaikutėnai manor

The manor is located near the highway to Zarasai (7km from Utena). In 1774, under the ownership of the Broniškos, there were 16 yards. In 1880 the manor was owned by lords Reutai (buried in the center of Utena parish cemetery, next to the chapel). The manor possessed Degučiai (Skubeikiai), Dičiūnai. In 1889 the manor was owned by Ona Bortkevičienė. She possessed 446 tithes of land, 204 tithes of which were forest. The Bortkevičiai were spread all over Lithuania, they also had manors near Zarasai. Earlier, in 1853, Vaikutėnai manor was owned by Domininkas Vildzevičius. Then there lived a lot of local peasants. There were 22 inhabitants, including 17 hired workers. In 1897 there lived 12 families (62 inhabitants) in Vaikutėnai manor. The landlords themselves did not live there and at the end of the XIXc. the manor was managed by administrators: Vildzevičius, Juozas Višomirskis, the steward of the manor Vincas Randomanskas, who later bought the center of the manor (80ha). In 1925 the manor was parceled. When in 1935 V. Randamanskas died, the manor was inherited by his daughter Janina. Between the wars the land of the manor was rented to Utena inhabitants, among whom there were Borisa Hubertas’ parents. In 1939, 40ha of forest was sold to the Jews. When in 1984 Jonas Randamanskas died, in the land of the manor and its buildings Vaikutėnai agricultural cooperative was established.  Between the wars, in the palace of the manor there was also a school, then the cooperative’s administrative office. Later the dwelling building was pulled down. Five old brick outbuildings have remained: a stable, a barn, a threshing-floor barn, a house for farmhands, a half-closed cow shed, and several old trees.