Truskava


Truskava is a small town in the northeastern part of the Kėdainiai District Municipality, located near the A8 highway in central Lithuania. It is the centre of the Truskava eldership.
The town features the, the wooden, a cultural centre, the, and retreat house. The Truskava Agricultural Cooperative operates in the area. The, library, and post office are located in the nearby village of.

Etymology

The town's name derives from the personal name Truskà, Truskáuskas, or Truskovskis. It is a manorial toponym, originating from the surname of the Truskauskai family, who owned the local estate in the 18th century.

History

Until the 18th century, Truskava was in the centre of Pavermenys estate and belonged to the Truskauskai family, from whose name the town is derived. Later, the estate came under the ownership of Baron Bruno.
In 1760, at the initiative of priest Prielgauskas, a chapel was built on an elongated hill, and in 1794 Jonas and Barbora Truskauskai constructed the first wooden Church of the Holy Spirit on the hilltop. The current brick church was completed and consecrated in 1998. On the western side stood the rectory, behind which, according to local history, there was once a deep pit. A local folktale recounts its origin:
In 1831, K. Truskovskis led insurgents in the November Uprising in the ; as punishment, Truskava was confiscated by the Russian authorities in 1832. The January Uprising of 1863 also affected Truskava; a member of the Truskauskas family reportedly participated and organized a local weapons workshop before being arrested and dying in exile. By the late 19th century, Truskava was recorded as a small town in Panevėžys County.
A parish school was mentioned in 1863, and from 1899 several clandestine village schools operated with the support of priest J. Karbauskas. An official state primary school was established in 1903, followed by a private Lithuanian-language school in 1906. In 1903, the town had 281 inhabitants.
A new primary school building was constructed in 1907, although during the Lithuanian press ban period, secret Lithuanian classes were already being held in and around Truskava. The book smugglers and a parish school, which was supervised by the local curate, helped supply Lithuanian books to the schools.
During World War II, Truskava suffered heavy damage: between 22 and 28 July 1944, part of the town and its church were burned down.
In the Soviet era, Truskava became a subsidiary settlement of a collective farm.
PeriodFormer administrative unitHigher division
19th-century – 1947Panevėžys County
1947–1950Central Panevėžys County
1950–1962Central
1962-1995Central Kėdainiai District
Since 1995Truskava EldershipKėdainiai District Municipality

Demographics

In 2011 it had a population of 129.