At the end of the year of 2023, the Ukmerge municipality in central Lithuania was awarded the coveted bronze statuette “Auksine Krivule” (Golden Staff) known as the Municipal “Oscar”. (A “krivule” in ancient times was a symbolic staff used to invite people to a community meeting, and was held by its leader.) According to Lithuanian Minister of Social Security and Labour Monika Navickiene, the prestigious reward “For innovation, involvement and cooperation” was given to Ukmergė for exemplary progress in increasing availability of social housing.
Linas Jegelevičius of The Baltic Times Magazine spoke to Darius Varnas, the mayor of Ukmerge, about this honorable municipal award and why Ukmerge is the right place to live and invest.
The mayor noted that the award is very important for the municipal team, as it was received for consistent work in making difficult decisions. Those decisions contributed to housing affordability for low-income residents of the district, with the quality of housing improved in many cases. The topic of social housing is quite sensitive throughout Lithuania.
Seventy flats were made available between 2018 and 2022. Modernizing an abandoned and dilapidated former school dormitory that stood empty for many years contributed 28 flats.
Another 35 flats were installed in the former building of the Ukmerge children’s care home after the children were moved in family-like groups to live in separate houses bought by the Municipality. From 2013 to 2023 the number of people (families) waiting for social housing in the district decreased from 312 to 87. The average waiting time for social housing is 2-2.5 years. In 2024 the municipality plans to expand social housing availability by purchasing flats for large families and persons with disabilities.
The symbol of the origins of the town of Ukmerge is a mound standing on the bank of the river Šventoji, framed by a wonderful old town, one of the seven most distinguished old towns in the country. There, one can explore the legends of Vilkmerge, which refers to a local priestess, a guardian of sacred fire, a white she-wolf, and a holy sacrifice – all of them still cherished and retold.
Ukmerge is a city with old traditions, where Vytautas the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte left their footprints. This is the area that gave Lithuania its first president, Antanas Smetona. In Ukmerge, Lithuania’s largest crossroad, the past and the future converge.
Full of history, heritage and surrounded by nature, Ukmerge is not only a refreshing escape from the bustling life of a big city, but also offers many opportunities for nature lovers, young families, and businesses.
Approximately 1.2 million inhabitants live in and around Ukmerge (within a distance of 70 kilometres), and the city is about an hour away from Vilnius, Kaunas and Panevezys.
To make the town safer, cozier, more beautiful and more comfortable, between 2019 and 2023 several projects were completed: a more than 5-kilometre-long bicycle and pedestrian pathway connects the city of Ukmerge with the settlement of Vidiškiai, installed on the national highway A6 Kaunas-Zarasai-Daugpilis; public spaces in the centre of Ukmerge, including Kestutis Square, Friendship Square and Pilies Park and its vicinity have been modernized; a pedestrian path has been built on the banks of the Šventoji River and an attractive public space suitable for passive and active leisure time has been created; a 12.5-hectare Health Park has been established next to the Ukmerge hospital; a square in Vilnius Street has been opened, and the main intersection on the city was reconstructed; the former military town of the long-gone Soviet Army and its adjacent territory (20 ha in total) were cleared and new leisure infrastructure, with sports fields, a Mini Lietuva park, children’s playgrounds, created; two roundabouts were installed and almost 30 kilometres of streets and roads were paved; Ukmerge Hospital had many of its departments modernized; the sports halls of many schools were renovated and their lighting improved; street lighting has been modernized in the entire city. The municipality was one of the first in the country to modernize its existing transport fleet by purchasing three ecological and economical electric cars.
Why did wealthy landlords of old build mansions in the Ukmerge region? During the medieval times and later, the region was valued for its advantages and discovered as attractive, convenient and strategically located in an excellent geographical position.
Today’s Ukmerge is a friendly and growing city. The municipality has several noteworthy proposals for future investors. These are unused plots of vacant state land, a well-developed logistics and communication network, and the Ukmerge School of Technology and Business, capable of training the necessary wide-profile specialists. The attitude of the district authorities towards business is positive. An investment promotion program has been created to show entrepreneurs how to apply to the municipality for business support. A coworking space,”Spiečius” is also successfully operating in Ukmerge, providing a non-traditional type of business development space suitable especially for SME entities to cooperate with each other and expand.
For tourists, there is a unique “Ring of Manors” tour, which consists of eight manors surrounding the perimeter of the Ukmerge district. Among these manors is the mansion-turned-museum of the first president of the Republic of Lithuania, Antanas Smetona, in Užugiris. The Siesikai Castle, a bastion from the 16th century, has withstood the test of time as one of Lithuania’s earliest Renaissance buildings. The “Ring of Manors” offers a variety of architecture and impressive parks. Each of the mansions has its own charm – some are in ruins, others have been renovated, and some have become interesting event venues. In the city an interactive route called the “Singing Pigeons of Ukmerge” is also a popular attraction.
