Telšiai (; Samogitian: ''Telšē'') is a city in

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

with about 21,499 inhabitants. It is the capital of

Telšiai County Telšiai County ( lt, Telšių apskritis) is one of ten counties in Lithuania. It is in the west of the country, and its capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capit ...

and

Samogitia Samogitia or Žemaitija ( Samogitian: ''Žemaitėjė''; see below for alternative and historical names) is one of the five cultural regions of Lithuania and formerly one of the two core administrative divisions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

region, and it is located on the shores of Lake Mastis. Telšiai is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania, probably dating earlier than the 14th century. Between the 15th and 20th centuries, Telšiai became a district capital and between 1795 and 1802 it was included in the Vilnius Governorate. In 1873, Telšiai was transferred to the

Kovno Governorate Kovno Governorate ( rus, Ковенская губеpния, r=Kovenskaya guberniya; lt, Kauno gubernija) or Governorate of Kaunas was a governorate ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire. Its capital was Kaunas (Kovno in Russian). It was forme ...

Names

The name Telšiai is a variant of the same

Lithuanian language Lithuanian ( ) is an Eastern Baltic language belonging to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is the official language of Lithuania and one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.8 millio ...

root (''-telš-'', ''-tilž-'') as Tilžė with the meaning connected to water. The name Telšiai or Telšē in

Samogitian dialect Samogitian ( sgs, žemaitiu kalba, link=no or sometimes ', ''žemaitiu šnekta'' or '; lt, žemaičių tarmė, žemaičių kalba) is an Eastern Baltic language spoken mostly in Samogitia (in the western part of Lithuania). In Lithuania, it is ...

of Lithuanian is derived from a verb ''telkšoti'' (literally, ''to be flooded with water'', ''to splash'', etc.). The name of Telšiai has been recorded in different forms and different languages throughout its history. Most of them are derived from ''Telšē'' in

. Some foreign names for the city include lv, link=no, Telši; german: link=no, Telsche, Telschi; pl, Telsze; russian: link=no, Тельшяй, Тельши, Тяльшяй. In

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

, the name is (''Telz''). In English sources, Telšiai are known also by several alternative names, including Telsiai, Telshi and Telschi.

History

Lake Mastis is mentioned in various legends and myths. The city was named after a small rivulet, the Telšė, which flows into Lake Mastis. A legend has it that a knight named Džiugas founded the city. Telšiai was first mentioned in written sources around 1450, but the oldest archeological findings in the area of the city are from the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...

. In the 15th century, Telšiai already had a state-owned manor. It and the parish were governed by Samogitian elders. Telšiai was at the centre of an uprising of Samogitian peasants. At the end of the 17th century Telšiai became the centre of culture and politics of Samogitia. Local parliaments known as

Sejmik A sejmik (, diminutive of ''sejm'', occasionally translated as a ''dietine''; lt, seimelis) was one of various local parliaments in the history of Poland and history of Lithuania. The first sejmiks were regional assemblies in the Kingdom of ...

s composed of noblemen were organised in the city and a court was established.

Magdeburg rights Magdeburg rights (german: Magdeburger Recht; also called Magdeburg Law) were a set of town privileges first developed by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (936–973) and based on the Flemish Law, which regulated the degree of internal autonomy within ...

were granted to Telšiai in the 17th century. During the

November uprising The November Uprising (1830–31), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in W ...

of 1831 Telšiai became a sanctuary for Polish–Lithuanian partisans fighting the Russians. A revolutionary government of insurrectionists was formed and schools for the preparation of military officers and noncommissioned officers were opened. During the

Uprising of 1863 The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...

, Telšiai was one of the main centres of uprise in Samogitia since insurrectionist forces massed there. At the end of the 19th century Telšiai started to grow. A team of firemen formed, and a pharmacy and a theater were opened. In 1908 the very first Lithuanian concert–performance was organised. The city survived two Polish revolutions, was conquered by the Germans in World War I, and occupied by the Red Army for a short time in 1918. During the years of Lithuanian independence, 1918 to 1940, Telšiai grew rapidly. Several girls' and boys' high schools, a crafts school and a teacher's seminary were established. The Alka museum was built, and several cultural societies were operated. In 1935, Telšiai became the centre of country administration. During the first Soviet occupation, as a result of the

Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact was a non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that enabled those powers to partition Poland between them. The pact was signed in Moscow on 23 August 1939 by German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ri ...

, Telšiai became infamous for the nearby

Rainiai massacre The Rainiai massacre ( lt, Rainių žudynės) was the mass murder of between 70 and 80 Lithuanian political prisoners by the NKVD, with help from the Red Army, in a forest near Telšiai, Lithuania, during the night of June 24–25, 1941. It was one ...

, a mass murder of 76 Lithuanian political prisoners perpetrated by the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

during the night of 24–25 June 1941. Nowadays Telšiai is the 12th largest city in Lithuania. It is the centre of

and

Telšiai district municipality Telšiai District Municipality ( lt, Telšių rajono savivaldybė, Samogitian: ''Telšiū rajuona savivaldībė'') is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania, containing the city of Telšiai Telšiai (; Samogitian: ''Telšē'') is a city in Lit ...

. The city has four gymnasiums, four secondary schools, and five primary schools. Faculties of

Vilnius Academy of Art The Vilnius Academy of Arts ( lt, Vilniaus dailės akademija, previously ''State Art Institute of Lithuania'') in Vilnius, Lithuania, grants a variety of degrees in the arts. History The Academy traces its roots back to the creation of the Arc ...

, College of Social Sciences and College of Samogitia are also established in Telšiai. On 22 January 2013 The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania officially announced that Telšiai will be named the Lithuanian Capital of Culture in 2016.

Jews in Telšiai

In 1897, the Jewish population numbered 3088, 51% of the total population. Jews were expelled during World War I, but by 1939, 2800 had returned, out of a general population of 8000. Many were involved in trade which included produce, wood, and crafts. A major source of income was the famous Telšiai Yeshiva, (a school for Talmudic study, sometimes called a rabbinical college). It was the largest and most famous yeshiva in Lithuania between 1875 and 1941, establishing Telšiai as a center of Torah studies (the entire body of religious law and learning, including both sacred literature and oral tradition). There was also an Orthodox Jewish rabbinical seminary and a Jewish day school providing secular and religious instruction for younger children. Following World War I and the expulsion of the Jews—which decimated the Telšiai Jewish community—the city again became a center of traditional Jewish learning. There were also charitable institutions, including a Chevra Kadisha (burial society), a hospital, a loan society, a public kitchen, a clinic, special summer camps, and a women's association for support of the sick and poor. There were also two Jewish newspapers, published in

. In 1931, Telšiai became a city of the first order. In June 1940 Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union. Russians quickly closed down the yeshiva. Most of the students dispersed with only about a hundred students remaining in Telshe. Learning was done in groups of 20–25 students studying in various ''batai medrashim'' ("small synagogues") led by the

rosh yeshiva Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...

s. The

Holocaust in Telšiai The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ar ...

(in Yiddish Telz) was carried out by the local Lithuanian leadership with occasional supervision by Nazi German units. The Jewish population in 1939 was 2,800 some 35 percent of the town's population. Further Jews found refuge in Telšiai following the 1939 German ultimatum to Lithuania. Telšiai was conquered by German troops on 25 June 1941. Jews were subjected to terror by the Germans and their Lithuanian collaborators and on 15–16 July all Jewish men were shot. The women were moved to a camp in Geruliai, and with the exception of 500–600 young women, were all shot on 30 August 1941. The 500–600 young women were moved back to a ghetto in Telšiai, and with the exception of some escapees, were shot on 30–31 December 1941. 64 Jewish survived after they escaped.The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933–1945 ''Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933–1945'' is a seven-part encyclopedia series that explores the history of the concentration camps, ghettos, forced-labor camps, and other sites of detention, persecution, or state-sponsored murder r ...

, Geoffrey P. Megargee,

Martin C. Dean Martin Christopher Dean (born March 14, 1962, in London, Ph.D. in history from Queens' College, Cambridge) is a research scholar at the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). He formerly worked as an ...

, and Mel Hecker, Volume II, part B, pp. 1131–1132. Telšiai has a rare surviving wooden synagogue. The original Telšiai yeshiva building still stands. However, during Soviet occupation it was transformed for industrial purposes and eventually neglected. It is yet to be renovated. The yeshiva was transplanted to the United States in 1941, during World War II, when two of its roshei yeshiva ("deans") who had escaped the Holocaust chose to re-establish it in Cleveland, Ohio, where it still remains. The yeshiva was opened in the house of Yitzchak & Sarah Feigenbaum on 20 Cheshvan 5702 (1941). This yeshiva again became a well-respected center of Talmudic study, incorporating the distinct methods of the historic institution, and it is still going strong today.

Centre of Roman Catholic Diocese

A Roman Catholic Diocese of Telšiai was established in 1926 with its centre in Telšiai.

Justinas Staugaitis Justinas Staugaitis (14 November 1866 near Šakiai – 8 July 1943, Telšiai) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic bishop, politician, educator, and author. He was one of the twenty signatories to the Act of Independence of Lithuania. Staugaitis g ...

, one of the twenty signatories to the

Act of Independence of Lithuania The Act of Independence of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Nepriklausomybės Aktas) or the Act of February 16, also the Lithuanian Resolution on Independence ( lt, Lietuvos Nepriklausomybės Nutarimas), The signed document is actually titled simply '' ...

, became the first bishop of the diocese. In 1927, a Priest Seminary was established. It was closed in 1946 after the occupation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union but re-established at the end of the Cold War. Present day architectural monuments include

Telšiai Cathedral The Cathedral of St. Anthony of Padua ( lt, Telšių Šv. Antano Paduviečio katedra) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Telšiai, Lithuania, seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Telšiai. History The history of the church dates back to 1624 whe ...

and the

Church of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, Telšiai The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven ( lt, Švč. Mergelės Marijos Ėmimo į dangų bažnyčia) is a Roman Catholic church in Telšiai, Lithuania. History The parish of Telšiai was established in 1536 and it is bel ...

Culture

Samogitian Museum ''Alka'' was established in 1932 by the Society of Ancient Samogitians' Fans ''Alka''. The museum operated in a house specially rented for it until the current museum palace was built in 1938. Currently, Museum ''Alka'' is famous in Samogitia for its accumulation of over 62 thousand showpieces, 70 thousand pieces of estate archives, a 12 thousand book scientific library, and 15 thousand film negatives.Telšių apskrities turizmo informacijos centras – Muziejai – Muziejai
Telsiaitic.lt. The museum has a large historical exposition of Samogitia as well as a large collection of paintings of famous Lithuanian and foreign artists. In the southern part of the city close to the Lake Mastis there is a city park with the Open-Air Museum of Rural Life of Samogitia. It was opened in 1983 and has an exposition of typical homesteads of 19th century Samogitia. Currently there are 16 authentic buildings. The museum exhibition is arranged in homestead sections: a rich farmer's grange; a barn; a poor farmer's grange, and a simple peasant's grange. Museum visitors can also get acquainted with a windmill, smithy, threshing barn and associated equipment.

Drama Theater and Culture Centre

The Drama Theater of Žemaitė, named after famous Lithuanian author

Žemaitė Žemaitė (literally ''female Samogitian'') was the pen name of Julija Beniuševičiūtė-Žymantienė ( – 7 December 1921). She was a Lithuanian/Samogitian writer, democrat and educator. Born to impoverished gentry, she became one of the maj ...

, is one of the oldest theaters in

. The origins of the theater in Telšiai starts in the beginning of 20th century when student of arts and medicine Vaseris came back to Telšiai from

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

and presented two performances in the empty barracks of the town. The Theater is a member of the

International Amateur Theatre Association The International Amateur Theatre Association (AITA/IATA asbl) is a worldwide non-governmental organisation of Member (National Centres) and Associates dedicated to promoting understanding and education through amateur theatre. Founded in Belgium in ...

. Nowadays it has two troupes of actors: adult actors (director K. Brazauskas) and youth ''Savi'' actors (director L. Pocevičienė). The head of the theater is Artūras Butkus. Telšiai also has a Culture centre. It was established in 1946. Current building of the centre was built in 1974. Since 2007 the building is under reconstruction. Currently it has 13 art collectives.

Media in Telšiai

The main newspaper in the city and the region of Telšiai is ''Kalvotoji Žemaitija'' (''Hilly Samogitia''), which was established on 19 April 1941. It is published three times a week and is available online. The second largest newspaper of Telšiai is ''Telšių žinios'' (''The News of Telšiai'') established on 1 October 1999. It is published twice a week and is also available online. The main online portal for the city is ''www.telsiai.info'', which is part of the group of portals ''miestunaujienos.info''.

Library

The main library is the Telšiai Karolina Praniauskaitė Regional Public Library, located in the city centre. It was established in 1922. In 1967 it was named as the best district library in Lithuania. In 1997, the library was named after Karolina Praniauskaitė, the first female poet of Samogitia.

Food and cuisine

Telšiai is famous for its Samogitian food and rich gastronomical traditions. * Samogitian pancakes (Žemaičių blynai) – flat pancakes made from coarse potato puree filled with minced meat. * Kastinys – sour cream "butter"; sour cream is kneaded and washed until it forms a soft spread. * Hard cheese – samogitians started fermenting hard cheese around the 16th century.

Tourism

The old town of the city of Telšiai is one of seven protected old towns in Lithuania. The main tourist attractions are: * The Samogitian museum "ALKA" and Open-Air Museum of Rural Life of Samogitia. * 47 bear sculptures of various sizes and shapes in Telšiai city. The bear is an ancient symbol of Samogitia. * Cheese house-museum "DŽIUGAS". * A.Jonušo Samogitian-Japanese-Chinese Homestead-Museum. * Shore of the lake Mastis and sculpture park. *

and

Telšiai Bishop Vincentas Borisevičius Priest Seminary Telšiai Bishop Vincentas Borisevičius Priest Seminary ( lt, Telšių Vyskupo Vincento Borisevičiaus kunigų seminarija) is a Roman Catholic seminary in Telšiai, Lithuania. It was founded in 1927 by Justinas Staugaitis, the first Bishop of Dio ...

(on the top floor it is possible to see a panorama of the city). * The

(known as the "Little Church"), Telšiai yeshiva and Orthodox Church of St. Nicolaus. A Tourist Information Center can be found in the city centre. Telšiai was announced as tourists destination by EDEN in 2013.

Geography

Telšiai is located in the middle of the Samogitian Heights. The city was built on seven hills on the shores of Lake Mastis. The nearby Šatrija hill and

hillfort A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...

cultural monument A national heritage site is a heritage site having a value that has been registered by a governmental agency as being of national importance to the cultural heritage or history of that country. Usually such sites are listed in a heritage regist ...

and part of a

nature preserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological o ...

Climate

Government of Telšiai

According to the Law on the Territorial Administrative Units and Their Boundaries of the Republic of Lithuania, Telšiai is the centre of

as well as the centre of

. The city of Telšiai is also the centre of Telšiai town eldership. It was established in 1997. Its area is . According to 2006 statistics, the density of the eldership is 1862 žm./km². Telšiai city eldership has six sub-elderships, whose purpose is to represent communities of inhabited places. The sub-elderships are: Germantas; Karalius Mindaugas ( King Mindaugas), Luokė, Mastis, Naujamiestis and Senamiestis.

Economy

Telšiai is an important economic centre of

. Affiliates of major Lithuanian banks, shopping centers, etc. operate there, and some industrial companies have also been established. The largest company operating in the city is AB Žemaitijos pienas, one of the largest milk processing companies in

. In Telšiai the "Incubator of Business of Telšiai County" was established in order to help new businessmen who want to start their own business as well as to stimulate the establishment of new workplaces. In September 2012 it was announced that according to the data of the Lithuanian Department of Statistics the average salary of Lithuania grew the most rapidly in Telšiai in the second quarter of 2012.

Education

Telšiai is one of three Lithuanian cities where a Roman Catholic Priest Seminary operates (the other two cities are

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

and

Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...

Universities and colleges

*Department of Telšiai of

*Department of Arts and Pedagogics of College of Samogitia *Branch of College of Social Sciences

Gymnasiums and secondary schools

*Žemaitė Gymnasium *Vincentas Borisevičius Catholic Gymnasium *Džiugas Gymnasium *Germantas High School *Krantas Progymnasium *Ateitis High School *Secondary School of Adults

Sports

The football club FK Mastis Telšiai played in the Lithuanian Football Federation's II league's western zone. The team won silver medals in 2012 and qualified for the

I Lyga The I Lyga, LFF I Lyga, Pirma Lyga, is the second tier of professional Lithuanian football championship. Format Organized by the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF), I Lyga is contested by 14-16 teams, with the top team gaining promotion to ...

. In 2014 team was renamed FK Džiugas. The same year the team finished second in the LFF II league's western zone. FK Džiugas now plays in the

. Telšiai has a football stadium with a capacity of about 3000. It was under reconstruction since 2010 until 2016 in order to meet international requirements. The reconstructed stadium was opened on 15 May 2016. The LFF Cup final between

FK Žalgiris Futbolo klubas Žalgiris, commonly known as FK Žalgiris, Žalgiris Vilnius or simply Žalgiris, is a Lithuanian professional association football, football club based in Vilnius. The club competes in the A Lyga, the top flight of Football in L ...

and

FK Trakai Futbolo Klubas Riteriai, also known as FK Riteriai or as Riteriai, is a Lithuanian professional football club based in Vilnius. The team has been playing in the top level of Lithuanian football, the A Lyga, since 2014. Until 21 February 2019, t ...

was the first game in the renewed stadium. Telšiai basketball club "Telšiai" was founded in 2012. In 2015 the club won the third tier Regional Basketball League title and since 2015–2016 season the team plays in the National Basketball League, in Telšiai Arena for Sports (since 2017). The team finished third in 2016–2017 National Basketball League regular season but lost in the quarter-finals. In 2017–2018 the team lost in the first round of playoffs. One year after in 2019 Telšiai qualified to the League's playoffs and finished third winning bronze medals for the first time in club's history. From 1992 until 1998 Telšiai also had men's ice hockey team Germantas which played in the

Lithuania Hockey League The Lithuania Hockey League ( lt, Nacionaline ledo ritulio lyga) is the premier men's ice hockey league in Lithuania. Teams Champions * 1992 – Energija/GV Elektrėnai, SC Energija * 1993 – SC Energija * 1994 – SC Energija * 1995 – S ...

which is the premier men's ice hockey league in Lithuania. In 1996 the team finished first in the regular season but lost in the playoff finals.

Transport

An important highway passing through Telšiai is the route A11 highway from

Šiauliai Šiauliai (; bat-smg, Šiaulē; german: Schaulen, ) is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 107,086. From 1994 to 2010 it was the capital of Šiauliai County. Names Šiauliai is referred to by various names in different l ...

Palanga Palanga (; bat-smg, Palonga; pl, Połąga; german: Polangen) is a seaside resort town in western Lithuania, on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Palanga is the busiest summer resort in Lithuania and has sandy beaches (18 km, 11 miles long ...

. Trains going on the routes

–

Klaipėda Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuania ...

and

Radviliškis Radviliškis () (german: Radwilischken; pl, Radziwiliszki; yi, ראדווילישאָק, ''Radvilishok'') is a town in the Radviliškis district municipality, Šiauliai County, Lithuania. Radviliškis has been the administrative center of th ...

–

pass through the Telšiai railway station. Telšiai can also be reached by bus from many Lithuanian cities and smaller towns in Telšiai county. Telšiai bus station is located near the city centre.Telšių rajono savivaldybė
Telsiai.lt (20 May 2005). Telšiai has a municipal public bus system with seven routes. Buses run from 4 am until 11 pm and tickets are sold directly in buses, although there is also an opportunity to buy monthly tickets. Telšiai also has shuttle taxis.

Demographics

Ethnic composition in 2011, out of a total of 25 540: * Lithuanians – 97.44% (24 887); * Russians – 1.7% (436); * Ukrainians – 0.14% (35); * Belorussians – 0.12% (30); * Other – 0.59% (152).

Twin towns – sister cities

Telšiai is twinned with: *

Sävsjö Sävsjö is a locality and the seat of Sävsjö Municipality, Jönköping County Jönköping County ( sv, Jönköpings län) is a county or '' län'' in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Halland, Västra Götaland, Östergötlan ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, since 1997 *

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Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, since 1998 *

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Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

, since 2001 * Kreis Steinfurt,

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Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, since 2006 * Lebedin,

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, since 2008 * Bassum,

, since 2009 *

Saint-Égrève Saint-Égrève (; frp, Sant-Ègrèvo) is a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France. It is part of the Grenoble urban unit (agglomeration). Population Twin towns - sister cities Saint-Égrève is twinned with: * Karben, Ger ...

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, since 2017 *

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, since 2017 *

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, since 2018 *

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, since 2022

Famous people

Eliezer Gordon Eliezer Gordon ( he, אליעזר גוֹרְדוֹן; 1841–1910) also known as Reb Laizer Telzer (), served as the rabbi and ''rosh yeshiva'' of Telz, Lithuania. Early years Eliezer Gordon was born in 1841 in the village of Chernyany (or ...

(1840–1910), Rabbi and

Rosh Yeshiva Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...

* Ilya Fadeyevich Tsion (1843–1912), physiologist *

Vladimir Sukhomlinov Vladimir Aleksandrovich Sukhomlinov ( rus, Владимир Александрович Сухомлинов, p=sʊxɐˈmlʲinəf; – 2 February 1926) was a Russian general of the Imperial Russian Army who served as the Chief of the General Staf ...

(1848–1926), general of the Imperial Russian Army *

Stanisław Narutowicz Stanisław Narutowicz ( lt, Stanislovas Narutavičius ) (2 September 1862, Brewiki, Kovno Governorate – 31 December 1932, Kaunas, Lithuania) was a lawyer and politician, one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania and ...

(1862–1932), politician, signatory of the

Gabriel Narutowicz Gabriel Józef Narutowicz (; 29 March 1865 – 16 December 1922) was a Polish professor of hydroelectric engineering and politician who served as the first President of Poland from 11 December 1922 until his assassination on 16 December, five d ...

(1865–1922), first

President of Poland The president of Poland ( pl, Prezydent RP), officially the president of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej), is the head of state of Poland. Their rights and obligations are determined in the Constitution of Pola ...

Wilfrid Michael Voynich Wilfrid Voynich (born Michał Habdank-Wojnicz; Telšiai, Деятели революционного движения в России: Био-библиографический словарь: От предшественников декабри� ...

(1865–1930), revolutionary, eponym of the

Voynich manuscript The Voynich manuscript is an illustrated codex hand-written in an otherwise unknown writing system, referred to as 'Voynichese'. The vellum on which it is written has been carbon-dated to the early 15th century (1404–1438), and stylistic ana ...

* Michael Noyk (1884–1966),

Irish Republican Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate. The develop ...

and solicitor, born in Telšiai *

Vladas Petronaitis Vladas Petronaitis (November 2, 1888 – June 25, 1941) was a Lithuanian military officer. He was tortured and executed in the infamous Rainiai massacre by members of the NKVD. Early life and education Petronaitis was born on November 2, 1888 t ...

(1888–1941), soldier and lawyer imprisoned in Telšiai prior to execution by the

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union. ...

in the

Justas Paleckis Justas Paleckis ( – 26 January 1980) was a Lithuanian author, journalist and politician. He was nominal acting president of Lithuania after the Soviet invasion while Lithuania was still ostensibly independent, in office from 17 June to 3 Au ...

(1899–1980), Lithuanian journalist and nominal head of state of the Lithuanian SSR *

Rolandas Paksas Rolandas Paksas (; born 10 June 1956) is a Lithuanian politician who was the sixth President of Lithuania from 2003 to 2004. He was previously Prime Minister of Lithuania in 1999 and again from 2000 to 2001, and he also served as Mayor of Vilniu ...

(b. 1956), former President of Lithuania *

Alfredas Bumblauskas Alfredas Bumblauskas (born 18 November 1956) is a professor at Vilnius University and one of the best known Lithuanian historians. After graduating from Žemaitė school in Telšiai, he enrolled in Vilnius University in 1974. Bumblauskas receiv ...

(b. 1956), Lithuanian historian * Egidijus Aleksandravičius (b. 1956), Lithuanian historian * Nijolė Narmontaitė (b. 1959), Lithuanian actress *

Jurga Šeduikytė Jurga Šeduikytė (born February 11, 1980, Klaipėda, Lithuania), known by her stage names Jurga and formerly Dingau, is a Lithuanian singer and songwriter. Biography Jurga was born into a family of musicians in Telšiai, where she spent her fi ...

(b. 1980), Lithuanian singer *

Giedrius Arlauskis Giedrius Arlauskis (born 1 December 1987) is a Lithuanian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Romanian Liga I club CS Universitatea Craiova. He is one of the most famous and successful players who has ever played in the Liga I ...

(b. 1987), Lithuanian footballer

Gallery

File:Panorama of Telšiai centre.jpg, Telšiai old town File:Telsiai minor church 2.jpg,

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, Telšiai The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven ( lt, Švč. Mergelės Marijos Ėmimo į dangų bažnyčia) is a Roman Catholic church in Telšiai, Lithuania. History The parish of Telšiai was established in 1536 and it is bel ...

File:Telsiai Orthodox church1.jpg, Orthodox church File:Telšių miesto laikrodis.jpg, Telšiai clock-tower with a bear, the symbol of Samogitia File:Carillon in Telsiai.jpg, Carillon in Telsiai File:ŽemaitskýMedvědTelšiaiKatedra1.jpg, Samogitian bear sculpture File:ŽemaitskoSMedvědemAOřem.jpg, Respublikos street File:Antkapiai Telšių žydų kapinėse 4.jpg, Jewish cemetery File:Telšių ješibotas 1.jpg, Telšiai Yeshiva Art File:Telšē-Alkas patranka.jpg, Cannon near the Alka Samogitian Museum File:Telsiai 21 taisyta.jpg, Doors of Telšiai Cathedral File:Telšių bernardinų vienuolyno ir kunigų seminarijos statinių kompleksas iš paukščio skrydžio.jpg, Bird's eye view File:Telšių Švč. Mergelės ėmimo į dangų bažnyčia.jpg, Mastis Lake File:Malūnas.jpg, Windmill in the Museum of Rural Life of Samogitia File:Rainiai, koplyčia.JPG, Chapel to commemorate

carried out by

File:Rainių koplyčios altorius.jpg, Rainiai chapel interior File:Rainiai, kryžius prie koplyčios.JPG, Rainiai tree of crosses

References

External links

Official site
*
Telsiai.info – welcome to Telšiai!
*
FK MASTIS

OK TelsiaiThe murder of the Jews of Telšiai
during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, at

Yad Vashem Yad Vashem ( he, יָד וַשֵׁם; literally, "a memorial and a name") is Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; honoring Jews who fought against th ...

website. {{DEFAULTSORT:Telsiai Cities in Lithuania Cities in Telšiai County Capitals of Lithuanian counties Municipalities administrative centres of Lithuania Telšiai District Municipality Telshevsky Uyezd Shtetls Holocaust locations in Lithuania