Steigviliai

Steigviliai – village in North East part of Pakruojis district, 4 km to North from Ūdekai.

Village has many surviving authentic masonry and wooden residential houses, barns. At the East of village, through working fields flows the river of Beržtalis. Near village stands Steigviliai windmill. Also is agricultural firm "Žiemagra".

History

Mentioned in first part of XVIII "Inventory of Guostagalis" (lithuanian: Guostagalio inventorius).^[1]

In 1903 in a barn of Požėla, a farmer of Steigviliai, was arranged one of the first "Lithuanian evening" (lithuanian: Lietuviškas vakaras), during which was played "FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT" - a play, created by Adomas Sketeris - notable writer and doctor of Žeimelis. Among the spectators of performance there also was Vincas Mickevičius-Kapsukas - a future Lithuanian communist political activist, who was a journalist at that time.

In Soviet years near Steigviliai was a collective farm, named after Karolis Požela, also a Steigviliai elementary school, which was located in farmstead house previously owned by local farmer J. Valiulis.^[2] Also, here was a library.

Population

In the beginning of 2017, there were at least 71 permanent resident.

Famous people

• Karl Pojello (1893–1954), wrestler of Imperial Russia, later USA.
• Kazys Petkevičius (1926–2008), basketball player and coach.
• Vladas Požela (1879-1960) Lithuanian lawyer, advocate, book smuggler, politician.

Links

• https://www.facebook.com/steigviliai/

References