Dūkštos Eldership Explained

Official Name:Dūkštos Eldership
Native Name:Dūkštų seniūnija
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Ethnographic region
Subdivision Name1:Dzūkija
Native Name Lang:lt
Settlement Type:Eldership
Leader Title:Elder
Leader Name:Honorata Masalskienė
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2: Vilnius County
Timezone Dst:EEST
Population Total:1,930
Population Density Km2:auto
Subdivision Type3:Municipality
Timezone:EET
Utc Offset:+2
Population As Of:2019
Utc Offset Dst:+3
Website:https://www.vrsa.lt
Subdivision Name3: Vilnius District Municipality
Seat Type:Administrative centre
Seat:Dūkštos
Area Total Km2:89.66
Population Footnotes:[1]

Dūkštos Eldership (Lithuanian: Dūkštų seniūnija) is an eldership in Lithuania, located in Vilnius District Municipality, east of Vilnius.

Geography and nature

The eldership is home to Neris Regional Park.[2]

Neris Regional Park also incorporates Bražuolė Botanical Reserve and Vepriai Botanical Reserve, which have many rare and endangered plant species and forests common to southern Lithuania.

Also within the nature reserve is the Dūkštai oak grove with Oak of Dūkštai.

History

Dūkštos were mentioned in historical sources since the 14th century, when Teutonic knights frequently raided Kernavė, and its people used to retreat to Dūkštos.

In 1743, Dūkštos became property of a Piarist monastery. By 1790, there was a working parish school, later reformed into a Piarist college.

After the failed November Uprising of 1830-1831, Piarists were forced to leave Dūkštos. The village was very supportive of the January Uprising of 1863, and a revolutionary commander headquarters were established in the nearby forests, while a nearby valley served as the location of a military hospital for revolutionaries and people injured during clashes with the Tsarist authorities. In 1868, by an order of the governor of Vilnius, the local church was closed, later converted to an orthodox church, and only returned to Catholics by the end of the 20th century.

Populated places

There are 49 villages in the eldership, the largest of which are Brinkiškės, Dūkštos, Geisiškės, Verkšionys and Miežionys.

Notable locations

Ethnic composition

According to the 2021 census, there were 1808 inhabitants in Dūkštos eldership, among them, there were:[3]

According to the 2011 census:[4]

References

  1. Web site: Department of Statistics. 2021-01-07.
  2. Web site: Vilniaus rajono savivaldybės administracija - Darbuotojų informacija. 2021-01-10. www.vrsa.lt.
  3. Republic of Lithuania 2021 National Census data
  4. Republic of Lithuania 2011 National Census data