Ignalina

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Ignalina
Coat of arms of Ignalina
Coat of arms
Ignalina (Lithuania)
Ignalina
Ignalina
Location of Ignalina
Coordinates: 55°21′0″N 26°10′0″E / 55.35, 26.16667
Country Flag of Lithuania Lithuania
Ethnographic region Aukštaitija
County Utena County
Municipality Ignalina district municipality
Elderate Ignalina town elderate
Capital of Ignalina district municipality
Ignalina city elderate
Ignalina rural elderate
First mentioned 1810
Granted city rights 1950
Population (2001)
 - Total 6,591
 - Rank 50th
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 - Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)

Ignalina (pronunciation ) is a town in eastern Lithuania, famous for the RBMK nuclear power plant in nearby Visaginas, scheduled to be shut down in 2009. It is said that Ignalina name got its name from Ignas and Lina, two lovers with quite popular Lithuanian names. Even though there are archeological evidences that people lived in Ignalina area in the Stone Age, Ignalina was mentioned only in 1810. It started to grow only after a railroad connecting Warsaw and Saint Petersburg was built in 1866. It is regarded as one of the new industrial cities. However, nowadays it is known more as a tourist destination for Aukštaitija National Park.

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