Utena
| Utena | ||
|---|---|---|
| City | ||
 | ||
| ||
  Utena | ||
| Coordinates: 55°30′N 25°36′E / 55.500°N 25.600°ECoordinates: 55°30′N 25°36′E / 55.500°N 25.600°E | ||
| Country |
 Lithuania | |
| Ethnographic region | Aukštaitija | |
| County |
 Utena County | |
| Municipality | Utena district municipality | |
| Eldership | Utena town eldership | |
| Capital of |
Utena district municipality Utena town eldership Utena rural eldership | |
| First mentioned | 1261 | |
| Granted city rights | 1599 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Alvydas Katinas | |
| Area | ||
| • City | 15.1 km2 (5.8 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 113 m (371 ft) | |
| Population (2010) | ||
| • City | 31,940 | |
| • Density | 2,100/km2 (5,500/sq mi) | |
| • Metro | 48,378 | |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | |
| Postal code | 28xxx | |
| Area code(s) | (+370) 349 | |
| Website | www.utena.lt | |
Utena (
pronunciation (help·info)) is a city in north-east Lithuania. It is the administrative center of Utena district and Utena County. Utena is one of the oldest settlements of Lithuania. The name of the city is most probably derived from a hydronym.[1] The name of the settlement has been known since 1261.[1]
Utena is an industrial city. It is known for its clothing, food and beverage factories. In recent years, however, streets, public squares and large areas of the parks in the city were reconstructed and Utena is more attractive for recreation and tourism now. In 2007, Utena had won a Silver Award in category B (towns with a population 10,001 - 50,000) of the International Awards for Liveable Communities, held in London.
Anniversary of Utena City used to be held the last weekend of September each year. However since year 2013 anniversary was moved to the first weekend of September due to better weather conditions.
Geography
Utena is located in the northeastern Lithuania. Utena covers 15,1 km² and is the 8th largest city by size in Lithuania. Four rivers crosses the territory: Vyžuona, Krašuona, Vieša and Utenėlė. There are two lakes: Dauniškis and Vyžuonaitis.
The lowest temperature record in Lithuania belongs to Utena (-42,9 °C in 1956-02-01).
Districts
The city is divided into 10 districts:
- Aukštakalnis
- Ąžuolija
- Centras (Center)
- Dauniškis
- Pramonės rajonas (Industrial district)
- Rašė
- Vyturiai
- Šilinė
- Grybeliai
- Krašuona
Parks and Gardens
 City Garden |
Dauniškis park |
 Krašuona Park |
- City Garden
- Vyžuona Park
- Dauniškis Park
- Krašuona Park
- Aukštakalnis Pine Forest
- Rašė Park
- Utenėlė Park
- Vieša Park
- Monkey park
History
Utena was first mentioned in historical documents in 1261. It was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania until 1795, when it fell under Czarist Russian rule. From 1802 it belonged to the Vilna Governorate until 1843 when it became a part of the Kovno Governorate. The town grew when the St.Petersburg-Warsaw road was constructed in the years 1830-1835. In 1899 a narrow gauge railway line, connecting Panevėžys-Utena-Švenčionys, was constructed. At the end of the 19th century two big fires devastated the town.
Germany occupied Utena from 1915-1918, until Soviet Bolsheviks took over. In June 1919, Utena became a district center in independent Lithuania.[2]
Utena, known as the shtetl Utyan in Yiddish, had a historic Jewish population. In 1941, approximately 2,000 Jews were ejected from the town under the Nazi occupation and shot in the Rašė Forest about 2 km north.[3]
Demography
Population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1939 | 6,276 |
| 1959 | 7,066 |
| 1979 | 23,461 |
| 1989 | 34,430 |
| 1999 | 36,100 |
| 2005 | 33,086 |
| 2006 | 32,881 |
| 2007 | 32,789 |
| 2008 | 32,572 |
| 2009 | 32,476 |
| 2010 | 31,940 |
International cooperation
Agreements on cooperation have been signed with 6 cities:
-
Chełm, Poland -
Kovel, Ukraine -
Lidköping, Sweden -
Pontinia, Italy -
Preiļi, Latvia -
Třeboň, Czech Republic
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Utenos Enciklopedija (English summary)". Utenos Enciklopedija. Utenos A. ir M. Miškinių viešoji biblioteka. 2002. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
- ↑ http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/utena/utena1.html
- ↑ http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/utena/utena3.html
- ↑ "Gyventojų skaičius Utenos apskrityje ir savivaldybėse 2005 - 2009 metų pradžioje". Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
- ↑ "Gyventojų skaičius metų pradžioje. Požymiai: miestas - Rodiklių duomenų bazėje". Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Utena. |
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