Consolidation of Punskas county lands

Punskas is a unique historical area of the Sūduva region, emerged at the end of the 16th century, when the outskirts of the Punia great forest began to be colonized. The flagman of Lyvas, the manager of the Merkinė, Lazdijai and Seivai forests, the forester Stanislovas Zalivskis, built a church in the village of Naujasis Punskas with his own funds. On October 27th, 1597, by the decree of King Sigismund III, the parish of Punskas was legally recognized and awarded lands, noting that it was necessary to appoint a Lithuanian or a person who knows the Lithuanian language to the post of pastor, then and in the future. In the second King Sigismund III›s document of the year 1600 the school is mentioned already. Thus, S. Zalivskis is also a forerunner of education. The smooth settlement of the country was disturbed by the beginning of the northern wars in the middle of the 17th century, and later, in the early18th century, plague and epidemic. Disasters devastated and impoverished the country for decades. The Seivai eldership was also severely affected, and almost half of the population died or perished. After 1795, the third division of the Commonwealth, the famous Central European state disappeared from the map. Distressed Punskas in 1852, in the time of Tsarist Russia, also lost the status of the city. After the stormy First World War, with the collapse of Europe›s great empires, people›s hopes flared, a new era began, with enslaved nations rushing to re-establish their identities and regulate the borders. However, the recovery process was neither easy nor simple. Remaining national misunderstandings in the consciousness of people, especially the historical consequences of the disgraceful collapse of the state of Rzeczpospolita at the end of the 18th century, strongly influenced the course of the countries› independent development and their international recognition. Punskas region, its territory, had no well-defined boundaries. After the signing of the Melnas Treaty with the Order of the Teutonic Knights on September 27th, 1422, almost the entire region of Sūduva passed to Lithuania, the former inhabitants gradually returned, and colonizers settled from across the Nemunas. The parish founded in 1597 was huge, over 50 km if measured in a straight line. In 1831 the parish had 5970, and in 1903 it already had 11370 believers. Later, the parish retreated. In 1897 Smalėnai, and in 1908 Beceilai parishes were established. The parish decreased by 17 villages. 7000 believers remained in Punskas parish. In 1920, after the demarcation line of Poland and Lithuania was established, 20 villages remained beyond the state border. The peculiar «phenomenon» of Punskas district arose in the 20th century, about the mid-sixties, when in 1956 the Punskas Lithuanian House of Culture and the Lithuanian Lyceum started their activities, and a year later, the Polish Public Cultural Society started its existence. These three Lithuanian institutions and organizations opened not only the windows of Punskas Palace, but also its doors. Without their own intelligentsia, the activists-idealists, it was impossible to foster education and culture, and there was no shortage of young people in the villages in the post-war years, all that was needed was to awaken their spirit and bring them together. On May 1, 2004, Lithuania and Poland became members of the European Union. A new era began, the «iron barrier» disappeared, state borders became open, and the free movement of people and transport began. Punskas County opened new opportunities for cooperation and investment, especially in the field of tourism. The Punskas community relaxed, the normal rhythm of people›s life returned, national tensions eased, the demographic composition gradually changed, and many compatriots from Lithuania settled here. The old region of Sūduva, Punskas region, although divided on maps, reaches for the heights, there is free movement of people and goods, cooperation «across the border» with Lithuania, municipalities and institutions. The European Union has so far supported the counties financially, legally, and morally. The conditions for investment are good, Punskas itself, the surrounding villages, and people›s homesteads are growing and beautifying. Today, the people of Punskas, living in a compact way and with a stable, operational leadership of the county, have changed the national and international aura, have the conditions and a chance to regain lost time, the rank of the area, and the status of the city