The goal is to turn the defunct Kaunas park into an exemplary recreational space

The objective is to revitalize the old town

“The vision is very simple: order the abandoned territory and turn it into a cozy space, where it will not be a shame to come and spend time not only for the residents of Šilainiai, but also for all the inhabitants of the city. The stately park is located In a picturesque place, on the territory of the Calf Landscape Reserve, however, the buildings scattered over a large area are covered with scratches, abandoned and disappearing.

By creating the necessary infrastructure, this picturesque place can become one of the most attractive in all of Kaunas. It is very important to understand that in this case we are talking about the territory of the park and agricultural buildings turned into ruins, the residential house where the residents are currently located, it really does not touch, ”explained the mayor of Kaunas, Visvaldas Matijošaitis.

According to Vilius Šiliauskas, director of the Kaunas municipality administration, the owner of the complex has been repeatedly asked to fix the territory. As a result, he was warned and a higher property tax rate was applied to abandoned buildings. However, no tangible results have been achieved.

“Unfortunately, there is no positive change, so the decision was made to take over the endangered manor area for the needs of society. This will still have to be approved by the city council meeting earlier February. The buildings to be protected, which belong to the cultural heritage, must be cleaned up and rehabilitated, “said V. Šiliauskas.

The map of the boundaries of the territory presented in the Register of Cultural Values ​​indicates that there are almost fifty objects in the Linkuva manor house complex, 16 of which are buildings. The territory occupies about 161 thousand. kv. meters. It continues on both sides of Mosėdžio Street and borders 9th Fort Street. and the Western Bypass.

Many goodies

The specialists from the Environmental Protection Division of the Kaunas Municipal Administration, who carried out the assessment, say that cultural heritage in protected areas is valuable not only as cultural property, but also as a landscape resource. In this case, there is valuable vegetation and its groups in the park: a row of linden trees northeast of the palace, a maple alley section in the northwest part of the park, a circle of small-leaved lime trees. .

“In the north and northeast parts there are also massive deciduous trees: small-leaved lime trees, common oaks. It is a significant complex object of regional importance. As a result, we propose to take control of this park for public needs. This would ensure professional maintenance and preservation of values, ”said Radeta Savickienė, head of the Department of Environmental Protection of the Kaunas Municipality.

According to Saulius Rimas, Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the Municipal Administration of the City of Kaunas, the renovated park could serve as a recreational place for recreation, culture and health. Even more space would be opened in the territory of the Linkuva mansion by removing the abandoned farms that were left here from the Soviet era and that will have nothing to do with the heritage.

“It would be possible to comprehensively organize the park’s vegetation, roads, bodies of water, restore the unique fountains and sculptures of the interwar period, as well as the chapel, which are currently homeless and in danger of extinction,” said S Rhymes.

The next meeting of the Kaunas City Municipal Council will take place on February 2. It will be clarified if the proposal to reactivate the abandoned manor complex of Linkuva will be approved.