Bezdonys
Encyclopedia
Bezdonys is a town in Lithuania
, located to the north of Vilnius
, within the Vilnius district municipality
. It is best known for the 1908 Bezdany raid
, one of the most daring and successful train robberies
in history. According to the 2001 census, the town had 857 inhabitants.
who was later elected as a king Władysław I of Poland. In 1516 a hunting manor and surrounding land was granted by Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund I the Old
to Ulryk Hozjusz
, better known as father of Stanisław Hozjusz. The area donated to the Hozjusz family consisted of roughly 7000 hectare
s of forests, with a single mill
and three villages (two of them – Żwiniany and Łuczniki – do not exist any more).
On March 1, 1605 Ulryk Hozjusz's great-grandson sold the village and the adjoining land for 5000 złoty to canon
of Vilna Wilczopolski, who in turn donated it to the Jesuits
in 1609. The village remained administered by the Jesuits until the suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1774. The area was taken over by the royal treasury, but already on July 12 of that year king Stanislaus Augustus of Poland donated it to Mikołaj Łopaciński in exchange for a yearly donation for the Commission of National Education.Specifically Łopaciński and his heirs were to pay 4,5% of the value of the village, estimated at 72222 złoty 6 2/3 grosz
At that time the village had roughly 300 inhabitants, including roughly 20 noble
families.
After the Partitions of Poland
the village remained in the hands of the Łopaciński family. The yearly fee however was instead paid to Saint Petersburg
. Following the January Uprising
the peasants living in Bezdany were granted with roughly 400 hectare
s (or desiatinas) of land. On March 15, 1862 the Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway
was opened and one of its stations was located in Bezdany (or Безданы in Russian). It was there that the Bezdany raid
of September 26, 1908 took place. A group of Polish revolutionaries led by Józef Piłsudski stole roughly 200,000 Russian ruble
sRoughly 100,000 contemporary US Dollars, or almost 10,000,000 in 2007 dollars (using the unskilled wage indicator of relative worth). See: measuringworth.com from a passenger train.
After Poland regained independence, the village started to grow. Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski, the owner of the nearby village of Orwidowo (modern Arvydai) and future Prime Minister of Poland financed a new public school in Bezdany. Also, in 1937 a new wooden church was opened in the presence of the President of Poland Ignacy Mościcki
. Until then, the nearest church was located in Niemenczyn (modern Nemenčinė
), 8 kilometres away. By the end of 1930s the village grew to almost 500 inhabitants and 70 houses. Following World War II
the village was annexed by the USSR and attached to the Lithuanian SSR
. Roughly half of pre-war inhabitants were repatriated to Poland
. In 1946 a Russian language
class was added to the Polish language
school, in 1957 also Lithuanian language class was opened. In 1968 a new school building was opened and in 1992 a new Lithuanian language only school was built.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, located to the north of Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, within the Vilnius district municipality
Vilnius district municipality
Vilnius district municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It surrounds the capital on 3 sides, and the Trakai district municipality touches it on one....
. It is best known for the 1908 Bezdany raid
Bezdany raid
Bezdany raid was a train robbery carried out on the night of 26/27 September 1908 in the vicinity of Bezdany near Vilna on a Russian Empire passenger and mail train by a group of Polish revolutionaries, led by future Polish national hero and dictator, Józef Piłsudski.- Background :Piłsudski...
, one of the most daring and successful train robberies
Train robbery
Train robbery is a type of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables being carried aboard trains.-History:Train robberies were more common in the past than today, and often occurred in the American Old West. Trains carrying payroll shipments were a major target...
in history. According to the 2001 census, the town had 857 inhabitants.
History
The site of the modern village has been inhabited at least since early Middle Ages. Local dense forests were a hunting resort of the Grand Dukes. Jan Długosz mentions, that the local hunting manor was visited by the Grand Duke of Lithuania JogailaJogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
who was later elected as a king Władysław I of Poland. In 1516 a hunting manor and surrounding land was granted by Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I the Old
Sigismund I of Poland , of the Jagiellon dynasty, reigned as King of Poland and also as the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until 1548...
to Ulryk Hozjusz
Ulryk Hozjusz
Ulryk Hozjusz was a Polish noble of German descent. Born in Pforzheim, he lived most of his life in Poland, at the court of the Polish kings and Grand Dukes of Lithuania. In early 16th century he was made a high-ranking official at the Kraków mint. Soon after he was transferred to Vilnius to head...
, better known as father of Stanisław Hozjusz. The area donated to the Hozjusz family consisted of roughly 7000 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s of forests, with a single mill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
and three villages (two of them – Żwiniany and Łuczniki – do not exist any more).
On March 1, 1605 Ulryk Hozjusz's great-grandson sold the village and the adjoining land for 5000 złoty to canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Vilna Wilczopolski, who in turn donated it to the Jesuits
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in 1609. The village remained administered by the Jesuits until the suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1774. The area was taken over by the royal treasury, but already on July 12 of that year king Stanislaus Augustus of Poland donated it to Mikołaj Łopaciński in exchange for a yearly donation for the Commission of National Education.Specifically Łopaciński and his heirs were to pay 4,5% of the value of the village, estimated at 72222 złoty 6 2/3 grosz
Grosz
Grosz may refer to:* Grosz, a coin used in Poland as a hundredth part of 1 złoty. Złoty is Polish currency* Kraków grosz, 14th century coins of Kraków* Groschen, a coin used in various statesGrosz or Grósz is the surname of:...
At that time the village had roughly 300 inhabitants, including roughly 20 noble
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
families.
After the Partitions of Poland
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
the village remained in the hands of the Łopaciński family. The yearly fee however was instead paid to Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. Following the January Uprising
January Uprising
The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
the peasants living in Bezdany were granted with roughly 400 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s (or desiatinas) of land. On March 15, 1862 the Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway
Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway
The Saint Petersburg – Warsaw Railway, Russian "Санкт-Петербурго-Варшавская железная дорога" is a long railway, built in the 19th century by the Russian Empire to connect Russia with Central Europe. At the time the entire railway was within Russia, as Warsaw was under a Russian partition of Poland...
was opened and one of its stations was located in Bezdany (or Безданы in Russian). It was there that the Bezdany raid
Bezdany raid
Bezdany raid was a train robbery carried out on the night of 26/27 September 1908 in the vicinity of Bezdany near Vilna on a Russian Empire passenger and mail train by a group of Polish revolutionaries, led by future Polish national hero and dictator, Józef Piłsudski.- Background :Piłsudski...
of September 26, 1908 took place. A group of Polish revolutionaries led by Józef Piłsudski stole roughly 200,000 Russian ruble
Russian ruble
The ruble or rouble is the currency of the Russian Federation and the two partially recognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Formerly, the ruble was also the currency of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union prior to their breakups. Belarus and Transnistria also use currencies with...
sRoughly 100,000 contemporary US Dollars, or almost 10,000,000 in 2007 dollars (using the unskilled wage indicator of relative worth). See: measuringworth.com from a passenger train.
After Poland regained independence, the village started to grow. Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski, the owner of the nearby village of Orwidowo (modern Arvydai) and future Prime Minister of Poland financed a new public school in Bezdany. Also, in 1937 a new wooden church was opened in the presence of the President of Poland Ignacy Mościcki
Ignacy Moscicki
Ignacy Mościcki was a Polish chemist, politician, and President of Poland . He was the longest-serving President of Poland .-Life:...
. Until then, the nearest church was located in Niemenczyn (modern Nemenčinė
Nemencine
Nemenčinė is a city in Vilnius district municipality, Lithuania, it is located about north-east of Vilnius.-Names:Nemenčinė is the original name of the city reflected in historical documents and still in use today. It derives from a Lithuanian word referring to the river Nemenčia...
), 8 kilometres away. By the end of 1930s the village grew to almost 500 inhabitants and 70 houses. Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the village was annexed by the USSR and attached to the Lithuanian SSR
Lithuanian SSR
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Lithuanian SSR, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union...
. Roughly half of pre-war inhabitants were repatriated to Poland
Repatriation of Poles (1944–1946)
The Polish population transfers from the former eastern territories of Poland also known as the flight and expulsion of Poles towards the end – and in the aftermath – of World War II refer to the forced migration of Poles between 1944–1946...
. In 1946 a Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
class was added to the Polish language
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
school, in 1957 also Lithuanian language class was opened. In 1968 a new school building was opened and in 1992 a new Lithuanian language only school was built.
