The EU-funded park has become private property: there will now be a new one nearby

“The project control period ended in December 2019, so the beneficiary no longer has obligations related to this park (it is no longer obliged to protect investments or maintain the land),” explained Reda Kerdokienė, head of the Department of Communication from the National Payment Agency.

The park project located in the Vilnius District Marijampolis Elderhood was implemented in accordance with the measure “Non-profit Investments in Forests” of the Rural Development Program for 2007-2013. A total of € 15 million has been allocated to 243 projects under this EU support instrument. euros.

According to R. Kerdokienė, under another measure of the Lithuanian Rural Development Program 2014-2020 “Investments that increase the resilience and environmental value of forest ecosystems”, support was allocated to another 62 projects worth 2.5 millions. euros.

Migunai Park doesn’t even have an address. Delfi went looking for him along with the Marijampolė elder Andrej Žabelovič, who explained that after 5 years, the locals can no longer enter the territory.

As the road leads to the park, you will be greeted with signs warning that the park is closed. You are warned to enter private property where outsiders are not allowed.

“Violation of this requirement will call the police. The area is monitored by video cameras,” reads the notice at the park entrance.

The park itself looks clean. In early autumn, on the path made of wooden planks, there are not many fallen leaves, on the way to the pond on the territory you will find several carved sculptures reminiscent of characters from fairy tales: borage, hedgehog, mushroom, etc.

As Laimutė Adomavičienė, who manages the park, pointed out, the support received for the installation of the park amounted to 88,183 euros.

“Right now, I want to spend time on my property privately, with family and friends, so it’s natural that I don’t want to share my privacy with strangers,” he said.

Proposed to go elsewhere

Delfi became interested in Migūnai Park after receiving a letter from a reader, in which he was surprised that information about this object had disappeared from the website of the Vilnius District Tourist Information Center.

As Oleg Shilko, the center’s tourism specialist, explained: “The park has been privatized, it is not possible to visit it for some time, therefore we no longer publish it on the website.”

He also noted that a new recreational park is being maintained and built in the nearby town of Marijampolis (3-4 km away). According to the announcement of this project, it is planned to organize the Lithuanian Millennium Park for 186 thousand. euros.

“This project is implemented in accordance with the activity areas of the Lithuanian Rural Development Program 2014-2020” Basic services and village renewal in rural areas “,” Support for investments in all kinds of small-scale infrastructure “and” Support for investments in rural cultural and natural heritage, the landscape “, – informs the district municipality.

On the territory of the town of Marijampolis, land management works, understory cleaning, pedestrian paths, playgrounds, viewpoints, bridge over the Juodė river, basketball court, playground, reconstructed parking lot, place to organize celebrations and events community, outdoor settings, etc. .

The Lithuanian Millennium Park in Marijampolis village is administered by the Vilnius District Municipality together with the Marijampolis elders.

“After repeated public tendering, a contract was signed this year. Work is currently underway,” said Jolanta Gulbinovič, Head of the Public and International Division of the Vilnius District Municipality.

Previously, the project had been planned to be completed by the end of 2020, but Marijampolė elder A. Žabelovič told Delfi that it will probably be possible to do it only next year.

Currently, blocks have already been brought into the park territory and the bridge is being prepared for construction. It is true that A. Žabelovič was afraid that the rubble lying on the roads would have to be put back, because now there is very little stone dust and it does not accumulate, it is difficult to get through.

You do not know the circumstances of the privatization.

According to data from the Real Estate Registry, the land containing the Migūnai Park is owned by L. Adomavičienė and Albertas Grižinas.

“We are the co-owners of the parcel, but the park itself belongs to Laimute,” said A. Grižinas.

L. Adomavičienė was also the owner of the parcel when the National Payment Agency provided support for the construction of the park.

“Throughout the operation of the park (5 years), the park was visited a lot and at the same time carefully maintained: garbage is collected, cut, wooden paths, painted benches, tables, gazebos, attractions, platforms are swept observational. The trail boards were painted to last longer.

Unfortunately, this park has been repeatedly attacked by vandalism. The elements of the swing, the attractions that I would restore from my own funds were stolen and broken. On ATVs and motorcycles (although park visitors were kindly asked not to), boardwalks were broken down and replaced with new ones.

These works were carried out with own funds during the entire 5 years. It is due to the proper maintenance of the park, even now, after the end of the park’s operating period, all the equipment, unlike other areas of a similar nature, is in good condition ”, said L. Adomavičienė.

The record does not reveal whether the parcel has previously been owned by other owners.

“After the restoration of independence, all the parcels that interested him belonged to the Republic of Lithuania. At the moment, they are all private ”, replied Audrius Gelžinis, Advisor to the Public Relations Division of the National Land Service, to Delfi.

The fact that Migūnai Park is a private property of the past said and J. Gulbinovič.

“The municipality does not know the circumstances of the privatization of the property, since this plot was once owned by the state,” he said.