Meškuičiai is a small town in

Šiauliai County Šiauliai County () is one of ten counties in Lithuania. It is in the north of the country, and its capital is Šiauliai. On 1 July 2010, the county administration was abolished, and since that date, Šiauliai County remains as a territorial a ...

in northern-central

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, 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, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

. It is closely associated with the famous

Hill of Crosses Hill of Crosses (Lithuanian language, Lithuanian: ) is a site of pilgrimage about 12 km north of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania. The precise origin of the practice of leaving crosses on the hill is uncertain, but it is believed ...

, a major site of

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

Geography and location

Meškuičiai lies in the

of northern-central

, not far from the city of

Šiauliai Šiauliai ( ; ) is a city in northern Lithuania, the List of cities in Lithuania, country's fourth largest city and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, sixth largest city in the Baltic States, with a population of 112 581 in 202 ...

itself.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Meškuičiai had a population of 1,056 residents. Over the following decade, the town experienced a gradual population decline, with the 2021 census recording 856 inhabitants, reflecting an average annual decrease of 2.1%. Covering an area of 1.375 square kilometers, the town had a population density of approximately 622 people per square kilometer in 2021. The 2021 census also revealed a gender distribution in Meškuičiai of 390 males (45.6%) and 466 females (54.4%), indicating a slightly higher proportion of females in the population.

Landmarks

The Windmill of Meškuičiai

One of the most notable historical landmarks in Meškuičiai is its

windmill A windmill is a machine operated by the force of wind acting on vanes or sails to mill grain (gristmills), pump water, generate electricity, or drive other machinery. Windmills were used throughout the high medieval and early modern period ...

, constructed around 1867. The building of the windmill is attributed to an unknown

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, and its history is closely tied to both Meškuičiai and the nearby village Rupeikiai. The windmill changed hands several times, with ownership passing through the Šliažas and Šerys families before eventually being acquired by Stasys Stočkus. After Stočkus's tragic death in an accident involving the

mill machinery This glossary of mill machinery covers the major pieces of machinery to be found in windmills, watermills and horse mills. It does not cover machinery found in modern factories.* covers most entries* covers ''Buck'', ''Crown Tree'', ''Pintle'', ' ...

, the windmill was used communally until it was taken over by the local

collective farm Collective farming and communal farming are various types of "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member-o ...

during the

Soviet era The history of the Soviet Union (USSR) (1922–91) began with the ideals of the Russian Bolshevik Revolution and ended in dissolution amidst economic collapse and political disintegration. Established in 1922 following the Russian Civil War, ...

Hill of Crosses

For a long period the parish of Meškuičiai was famous for its

, on which stood more than three thousand crosses, each one with its own history. People would come on foot to erect crosses they carried with him, from all over, including

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

, and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meskuiciai Towns in Lithuania Towns in Šiauliai County