Kernavė was the medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Today, it is a tourist attraction and an archaeological site with a population of 238 people (as of 2021). It is located in the Širvintos district municipality, which is in the southeast part of Lithuania. A Lithuanian state cultural reserve was created in Kernavė in 1989. In 2004, the Kernavė Archaeological Site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Geographic information
Kernavė is a small town in southeastern Lithuania, within the Širvintos district. It is situated on the right side of the Neris River, on the upper Neris terrace. The town is 21 kilometers (13 miles) from Širvintos and 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Vilnius. It is near the Vilnius-Kaunas highway (18 kilometers or 11 miles) and the Vilnius-Panevėžys highway (17 kilometers or 11 miles). Travelers can reach Kernavė from Vilnius by boat on the Neris River.
Alternative names
It is also known by other names, such as Kernavos, Kernovo, Kiernowo, Kiernów (in Polish), and Kernuvke (in Yiddish).
History
The area of Kernavė had few people at the end of the Paleolithic era. The number of settlements increased a lot during the Mesolithic and Neolithic eras.
The town was Lithuania’s first capital. It represented the country’s government and independence before Christianity.
The town was first written about in 1279. At that time, it was the home of Grand Duke Traidenis and was attacked by the Teutonic Knights. This event is recorded in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle and also mentioned by Hermann von Wartberge in his work Cronicon Livoniale. In 1390, during the Lithuanian Civil War (1389–1392), the Teutonic Knights burned the town and its buildings in the Pajauta valley, including the castle. After this attack, the town was not rebuilt, and its remaining people moved to the top of a hill instead of staying in the valley.
Later, the remains of the city were covered by a layer of soil and water, forming wet peat. This layer preserved most of the relics intact, making Kernavė a valuable site for archaeologists. Some call Kernavė the "Troy of Lithuania." For example, Kernavė has the oldest known medgrinda, a secret underwater road made of wood used for defense. This road was built between the fourth and seventh centuries.
In 1613, the town was shown on a famous map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, titled Magni Ducatus Lithuaniae, et Regionum Adiacentium exacta Descriptio. The map was printed in Amsterdam and funded by the Lithuanian noble Mikalojus Kristupas Radvila.
Interest in the site grew again in the middle of the 19th century when a romantic writer, Feliks Bernatowicz, described the area in his novel Pojata, córka Lizdejki ("Pajauta, Daughter of Lizdeika," Warsaw, 1826). Soon after, the hillforts were studied by the Tyszkiewicz brothers and later by Władysław Syrokomla in 1859. After World War II, archaeologists from Vilnius University began work in 1979, followed by the Lithuanian Institute of History between 1980 and 1983. The State Cultural Reserve of Kernavė was established in 2003.
Architecture
Next to the modern church is the churchyard of older churches. The foundation of a church built in 1739 has been found by archaeologists. This wooden church was moved to Krivonys in 1935. A concrete monument with a cross, built in 1930 to honor the 500th anniversary of Vytautas’s death, reminds people of the Vytautas Church that was built in 1420.
From the 15th to the 19th century, people from Kernavė were buried in the area of the ancient churches. Two chapels are nearby. The wooden chapel is an example of traditional folk architecture. It is believed that this chapel was built at the end of the 13th century on the Kernavelė estate and later moved to the Kernavė church. In the late 19th century, the church used it as a storage building. After a new church was built in 1920, the chapel was left to decay because it was no longer part of the church. It was repaired in 1959 and restored in 1993–1994. The chapel now belongs to the Kernavė parish and is used to display wooden church sculptures.
The brick chapel, built in the 19th century, contains the mausoleum of the Romer (Riomeriai) family. It was constructed between 1851 and 1856 by Stanisław Romer, a landowner. The chapel is made of brick and plaster and shows the style of late classicism. It is small and has an unusual eight-sided shape. Inside, there is a floor opening that leads to a crypt where coffins were placed in niches. The stone altar’s table has survived, and black benches line the walls. Memorial plaques with the family’s coat of arms and names are attached to the walls. After World War I, the chapel was neglected but was repaired in 1959 and 1987. Today, it belongs to the Kernavė parish.
Both chapels are located in the Kernavė archaeological and historical reservation. The modern church was built between 1910 and 1920 and features Neo-Gothic architectural elements.
In the 1980s, Monsignor Česlovas Krivaitis led efforts to repair the churchyard, build new gates, and restore the altar and interior. The churchyard includes Stations of the Cross designed by artist Jadvyga Grisiūtė. Two monuments mark the 600th anniversary of Christianization and the 700th anniversary of Kernavė’s first written mention. The first monument shows a hearth and sword, symbolizing the shift from Paganism to Christianity. The second depicts a knight with a sword standing between city gates, a symbol from Kernavė’s coat of arms. Millstones are part of both monuments. The grave of priest, writer, and history promoter Nikodemas Švogžlys-Milžinas is near the 700th anniversary monument.
Inside the church, several valuable artworks are displayed. The Neo-Baroque altar is in the side nave. At its center is a painting of Mary, with columns and sculptures of Saint Peter and Saint Paul on either side. Five smaller sculptures show Mary, two angels, and two saints. All sculptures are from the Baroque style. The altar’s details, including imitation marble and bronze features, are colorful.
The painting Marija Škaplierinė (canvas, oil, metal, 220 cm × 120 cm) is on the altar in the central nave. Created in 1816, it shows the Mother and Child, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit (a dove). Another painting, The Holy Family (canvas, oil, 143 cm × 104 cm), dates to the 18th century and shows the Mother and Child, a lamb, and Saint Joseph in the background, with angels above. The composition has an asymmetrical layout and uses perspective lines.
Other artworks include a small altar from the early 19th century, two glasses from the early 19th century, one glass from the early 18th century, and a bell from the 17th century. The bell, made of brass and 45 cm in diameter, was cast in Vilnius in 1667. In the 1980s, Monsignor Ceslovas Krivaitis helped build a non-traditional presbytery and clean the surrounding area.
The presbytery has an exhibition about the lives of parishioners and displays historic and holy relics. In 1987, a museum of sacramental relics opened in the old presbytery building. The pre-war sculpture of the Iron Wolf has been rebuilt at the parish hall. Church cultural activities contribute to Kernavė’s history and culture. A wide pavement connects the town center to the church. The State Kernavė Archaeological Historical Museum and district office are now in the cultural center, designed by architect A. Alekna.
The Kernavė Primary School is a two-story building built in 1929. On December 28, 1930, teacher Juozas Šiaučiūnas opened the first museum exhibition at the school. He worked there until his deportation by the Soviets on June 14, 1941. He died in Siberia on October 17, 1943. In 1998, the school was repaired and renamed Juozas Šiaučiūnas School by the Širvintos District Board. In 1998, the school and in 2000 the Kernavė museum celebrated their 70th anniversaries.
The oldest buildings in Kernavė are best preserved on Vilnius and Kriveikiškio streets. Most buildings in the town center are from the postwar period. To the south of the town is the Archaeological and Historical Reservation.
Tourism information
Tourists can find the most recent details about events and nearby attractions at the Kernavė tourist information office. During the summer, Kernavė becomes very lively. Festivals and events are held, and archaeological digs have taken place for more than 20 years. These digs involve Lithuanian and international archaeologists, students, and schoolchildren.
Kernavė is also famous for its traditional Rasa festivals. In 1967, a group of university students started the first Rasa festival, which later became a regular tradition. For many years, the festival was a way for people to express cultural pride and resist the forced promotion of Soviet traditions. Efforts to stop the festival were not successful.
Kernavė is also known for celebrating the coronation of Mindaugas on July 6th. On this day, a festival is held where medieval crafts, war games, and folk music are shown. The craftsmen come from the Baltic region and nearby countries.