Varniai

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title: "Varniai" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-in-telšiai-county", "cities-in-lithuania", "telšiai-district-municipality", "telshevsky-uyezd"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varniai" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement "]

FieldValue
nameVarniai
settlement_typeCity
pushpin_mapLithuania
pushpin_label_position
pushpin_map_captionLocation of Varniai
coordinates
image_shieldVarniai COA.gif
image_skyline{{multiple image
borderinfobox
total_width270
image_styleborder:1;
perrow1/2/2
image1Varnių Šv. apaštalų Petro ir Pauliaus bažnyčia.jpg
caption1Aerial view of Varniai
image22015-09 Varniai 31 Šv. apaštalų Petro ir Pauliaus bažnyčia.jpg
caption2Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (formerly cathedral)
image3Samogitian Diocese Museum in Varniai, Lithuania in 2013.jpg
caption3Samogitian Diocese Museum (formerly the Seat of the Diocese of Samogitia)
image4Facade of the Varniai Eldership Building in Varniai, Lithuania in 2015.jpg
caption4Varniai Eldership Building
image5Varniai, šv. Aleksandro bažnyčia.JPG
caption5St. Alexander's Church
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_name
subdivision_type1Ethnographic region
subdivision_name1Samogitia
subdivision_type2County
subdivision_name2Telšiai County
subdivision_type3Municipality
subdivision_name3Telšiai district municipality
subdivision_type4Eldership
subdivision_name4Varniai eldership
subdivision_type6Capital of
subdivision_name6Varniai eldership
established_date1314
established_titleFirst mentioned
established_date21950
established_title2Granted city rights
population_total873
population_as_of2022
timezoneEET
utc_offset+2
timezone_DSTEEST
utc_offset_DST+3
websiteVarniai.lt
::

|name = Varniai |settlement_type = City |pushpin_map=Lithuania |pushpin_label_position = |pushpin_map_caption=Location of Varniai |coordinates = |image_shield = Varniai COA.gif | image_skyline = {{multiple image | border = infobox | total_width = 270 | image_style = border:1; | perrow = 1/2/2 | image1 = Varnių Šv. apaštalų Petro ir Pauliaus bažnyčia.jpg | caption1 = Aerial view of Varniai | image2 = 2015-09 Varniai 31 Šv. apaštalų Petro ir Pauliaus bažnyčia.jpg | caption2 = Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (formerly cathedral) | image3 = Samogitian Diocese Museum in Varniai, Lithuania in 2013.jpg | caption3 = Samogitian Diocese Museum (formerly the Seat of the Diocese of Samogitia) | image4 = Facade of the Varniai Eldership Building in Varniai, Lithuania in 2015.jpg | caption4 = Varniai Eldership Building | image5 = Varniai, šv. Aleksandro bažnyčia.JPG | caption5 = St. Alexander's Church |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = |subdivision_type1= Ethnographic region |subdivision_name1= Samogitia |subdivision_type2= County |subdivision_name2= Telšiai County |subdivision_type3= Municipality |subdivision_name3= Telšiai district municipality |subdivision_type4= Eldership |subdivision_name4= Varniai eldership |subdivision_type6= Capital of |subdivision_name6= Varniai eldership |established_date = 1314 |established_title =First mentioned |established_date2 = 1950 |established_title2=Granted city rights |population_total = 873 |population_as_of = 2022 |timezone=EET |utc_offset=+2 |timezone_DST=EEST |utc_offset_DST=+3 |website=Varniai.lt

Varniai (; Samogitian: Varnē) is a city in the Telšiai County, western Lithuania. In the Middle Ages the city was known as Medininkai (Samogitian: Medėninkā).

Etymology

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/2015-09_Varniai_26_Varnelė.jpg" caption="Varnelė River near Varniai"] ::

Medininkai or Medenike was first mentioned in 1320. This town existed until the end of the 16th century, when the town of Varniai was founded in the 15th century north of Medininkai, on the left bank of the Varnelė river. The latter name is derived from the Varnelė River, which flows through the town. As early as 1904, Vaižgantas mentions its name as Varnė. In other languages the town is known by: , .

In 1491, the Kulm law was granted to Medininkai, and in 1635, the Magdeburg rights were granted to the renamed Varniai. Eventually, the name of Medininkai disappeared from common usage altogether.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/1539-Samogethia-and-Lituania.jpg" caption="language=sv}}"] ::

Town established in the 14th century, on the bank of the Varnelė River, near an important Samogitian castle. It was the center of the Samogitian Catholic church: after the baptism of Samogitia, the Samogitian Bishop resided in the town. In 1320, it was the site of the Battle of Medininkai, in which the Samogitians defeated the invading Teutonic Knights. Afterwards, it was invaded by the Teutonic Knights in 1329, and by the Livonian Order in 1377. During the Swedish invasion, the town was plundered by the Swedes in 1655 and 1656. Five diocesan synods were held in the town between 1656 and 1752.

Varniai was the center of the Diocese of Samogitia until the middle of the 19th century when after the January Uprising in 1863 the Tsarist authorities of the Russian Empire moved it to Kaunas.

With support of Merkelis Giedraitis, Mikalojus Daukša translated and made ready for publication Katechizmas, the first Lithuanian language book printed in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, then part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Varniai also was the residence of Samogitian bishop Motiejus Valančius.

Gallery

Varniai1.2009-05-21.jpg|View of Varniai from the tower of the Samogitian Diocese Museum 2015-09 Varniai 12.jpg|One of streets in Varniai Varniukatedra2.JPG|Interior of the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul GiedraitisMerkelis3.JPG|Bishops of Samogitia sarcophagus in the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul basement Varniai, kultūros centras.JPG|Varniai Centre of Culture GiedraitisMerkelis.JPG|Merkelis Giedraitis Monument DauksaMikalojus.JPG|Mikalojus Daukša Monument ValanciusVarniai.JPG|Motiejus Valančius Monument ValanciusVarniai2.JPG|Former house of Motiejus Valančius Varniai. Gimnazija.JPG|Varniai Motiejus Valančius Gymnasium

Notable residents

References

References

  1. "Varniai".
  2. (2004). "„Lietuvos miestų vardai“". Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas.
  3. (2008). "Lietuva. Vadovas". R. Paknio leidykla.
  4. (1895). "Olaus Magnus och hans framställning af Nordens geografi; studier i geografiens historia". [[Almqvist & Wiksell]].
  5. . (1893). "Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom XIII".
  6. . (1893). "Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom XIII".
  7. "Žemaičių vyskupija".
  8. "Mikalojus Daukša".
  9. "Merkelis Giedraitis".
  10. "Motiejus Valančius".

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cities-in-telšiai-countycities-in-lithuaniatelšiai-district-municipalitytelshevsky-uyezd