Panevėžys

The name of the city is derived from the Lithuanian language hydronym Nevėžis marking the river. The city is referred to by various names in different languages, including ; ; , Ponevezh; see also other names. ==Coat of arms==

Historical facts allow to state that the first seal of the city of Panevėžys appeared when the city self-government was established. It is clear that until the end of the 18th century, Panevėžys did not have the right of self-government, therefore it could not had its coat of arms. All the preconditions for the establishment of self-government arose during the period of the Four-Year Sejm (1788–1792). All three seals under the double-headed eagle of the coat of arms of the Russian Empire depicted the old coat of arms of Panevėžys – a brick or stone building with three towers, later a brick gate with three towers and a powerful tower behind them with a Cyrillic letter P (П) on the roof – the first letter of the city. After the Uprising of 1831 the old symbolism was erased from the seals of the county centers. Instead, a double-headed eagle prevailed in them unilaterally. It was only in 1845 that Emperor Nicholas I of Russia confirmed with his own hand the new coat of arms of Panevėžys County, at the top of which a silver obelisk was depicted in a blue field and a brown žagrė with a steel plowshare in the silver field at the bottom; the base of the shield was green-brown. With the outbreak of World War I and the collapse of Russian monarchy, most Lithuanian cities removed the symbols established by the Russian Empire and had returned to their historical coats of arms. At the beginning of the 1920s, two symbols were used in the coat of arms of Panevėžys in one field of a shield shape. At the top – two tied plant bundles, below them – a plough. Later, the '''' was used instead of the plough. The use of city coats of arms resumed in the post-World War II years only in 1966, when the Republican Heraldry Commission was established under the Ministry of Culture. The standard of the coat of arms of Panevėžys was proposed to be made by the artist Arvydas Každailis. Thus another version of the coat of arms of the city of Panevėžys appeared: two crossed white bundles of linen were depicted in the upper red field, and a white stylized plough in the lower blue field. Later, after adjusting the colors, it was decided to leave this coat of arms to the Panevėžys District Municipality. The current coat of arms of the city of Panevėžys has been created taking into account the international practice of restoration of the historical coats of arms of the cities and the requirements of heraldry. The oldest coat of arms of the city was chosen to restore the coat of arms. The 1812 iconography of the seal was used as the best heraldically arranged on which a two-storey gates with an entrance opening on the first floor and two windows on the second floors are depicted. Above the gate – three towers, behind them, in the middle – a powerful tower. As the historical colors of the coat of arms are unknown, it was decided to use the most common colors and metals in the heraldry of Lithuanian cities: silver (white), red, and as auxiliary – black. The current coat of arms of Panevėžys is a red brick building in the silver panel field, symbolizing the city gate. The coat of arms of Panevėžys was approved by a presidential decree on 11 May 1993. The author of the current coat of arms of the city standard is Arvydas Každailis. ==History==

Grand Duchy of Lithuania , founder of Panevėžys in 1503 Legend has it that Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great, returning from Samogitia to Vilnius in 1414, found a temple (alka) of the old Lithuanian religion in the present-day surroundings of Panevėžys, but this has not been documented. Panevėžys was first mentioned evidently on 7 September 1503 in documents signed by the Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon, who granted the town building rights to construct a church and other structures. The city lies on the old plain of the river Nevėžis and the city name means "along the Nevėžis." Panevėžys Mound with a flat top and 1.5 – 2 meters high embankments previously stood at the confluence of river Nevėžis and stream Sirupis (destroyed in the 19th – 20th centuries). Throughout the 16th century, the city maintained a status of a Royal town. In the 16th century, the part of the city on the left bank of the river started to develop and expand further. In 1791, Panevėžys was granted a conditional privilege to elect the city government and acquired an autonomous self rule. In 1825, the Evangelical Lutheran Church was built in Panevėžys, and the Orthodox parish was founded in 1841. In 1880, Naftalis Feigenzonas established the first printing house in Panevėžys. At the end of the book prohibition, one of the Lithuanian book smugglers – * – in 1905 opened the first Lithuanian bookstore and printing house. 1918–1941 , Yiddish, Polish) Electric Street sign, before 1923. troops in front of the Cathedral of Christ the King, 1930 Volunteers of the Lithuanian Armed Forces had liberated the city for the first time from the Bolsheviks' forces on 27 March 1919 during the Lithuanian Wars of Independence and raised flags of Lithuania. Before the Second World War Panevėžys was multicultural city with Lithuanian, Jewish, Polish, Russian, German, Karaite, Tatar and other city communities. Between the World Wars, in the newly independent Lithuania, Panevėžys continued to grow. in the 1920s. All the historical buildings seen on the picture survived the Second World War intact, but were demolished by the Soviet authorities in the 1950s-1970s. The Ponevezh Yeshiva, one of the most notable Haredi yeshivas in the history of the Jews in Lithuania, was established and flourished in the town. Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman (1886–1969) was its rosh yeshiva (head) and president. It has a very large student body of young Talmud scholars. Communities of Poles inhabit the area from the 19th century and a Polish Gymnasium existed in Panevėžys until the Second World War (the Polish version of the name of the city was ''''). The town's population rose to 26,200 between 1923 and 1939. On 23 June 1941, the June Uprising began in Panevėžys County. The most active participants of the uprising were in Ramygala and Krekenava counties. Moreover, the scouts were sent to all roads leading from the city and on 25 June, at the initiative of the rebels, the Piniavos Bridge and the food factory '''' were demined. Also, two companies of the Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force were stationed in Panevėžys In 1944, the city was yet again occupied by the Soviet Union leading to a new wave of political exiles and killings. After World War II, the natural process of the city's evolution was disrupted. The number of inhabitants increased from 41,000 to 101,500 between 1959 and 1979. After independence, the population of Panevėžys fell somewhat and for a while most investment went to Vilnius and Klaipėda instead. Panevėžys Free Economic Zone was established in 2013. ==Geography==

Sentinel-2 image of Panevėžys from space. Panevėžys is situated in the middle of Lithuania; it is halfway between two Baltic capitals – Lithuania's Vilnius and Latvia's Riga. The territory of Panevėžys takes and it is situated on the banks of the river Nevėžis. The good geographical location with good road infrastructure, and the international highway Via Baltica provides opportunities for business. The land in Panevėžys is fertile, therefore it was historically intensively used for agriculture. Climate Panevėžys has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb). ==Culture==

Painting and sculpture creating a bust of Matas Grigonis while in Panevėžys in 1925 by Jonas Mackevičius in the Panevėžys Cathedral In Panevėžys, cultural heritage is closely related to the visual arts – painters and sculptors who not only created locally, but also contributed to the formation of national Lithuanian artistic identity and helped Panevėžys turn into not only an industrial but also a creative city. Zikaras is known for creating the interwar period state symbols of Lithuania, Lithuanian litas coins, sculptures (e.g. Freedom Monument in Kaunas), medals (e.g. Independence Medal), busts and bas-reliefs of famous Lithuanians (e.g. Jonas Basanavičius, Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas, Janusz Radziwiłł) and foreigners (e.g. Roman general Julius Caesar) as well as works dedicated to the Lithuanian Wars of Independence. Another famous Lithuanian sculptor Bernardas Bučas was born in Naurašiliai village, Panevėžys County, later studied at the Panevėžys State Gymnasium where he was taught by Zikaras who encouraged Bučas to study fine arts in Rome and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, while upon returning to Lithuania in 1930 he settled in Panevėžys. Bučas is especially known for busts dedicated to the medieval Lithuanian monarchs: Mindaugas, Gediminas, Vytautas the Great (was multiplied many times, while the original is exhibited in the Panevėžys Local Lore Museum) and interwar period Lithuanian personalities: Maironis, President Antanas Smetona, as well as interwar period Lithuanian postage stamps, etc. painter Juozas Kaminskas, painter Kazimieras Naruševičius, who contributed to the founding of the Panevėžys Art School, sculptor Juozas Lebednykas, painter and graphic artist Stasys Eidrigevičius, who received many international awards, graphic designer Virginija Kalinauskaitė, painter and glazier Remigijus Kriukas, painter and performer Česlovas Lukenskas, painter and educator Irina Nosova, painter Girmantas Rudokas, painter Romualdas Petrauskas, sculptor Stanislovas Kuzma, painter Stasys Petrauskas, painter and sculptor Kazimieras Kisielis, painter Aleksas Andriuškevičius, painter Lilija Eugenija Jasiūnaitė, etc. Moreover, famous 20th century Lithuanian artists Vytautas Kairiūkštis, Povilas Puzinas, Jonas Mackevičius (painted a fresco The Appearance of St. Casimir to the Lithuanian Army near Polotsk in the Panevėžys Cathedral) also worked in Panevėžys. Museums and galleries The Panevėžys Local Lore Museum was established in 1924 and is one of the oldest and most extensive regional museums in Lithuania with ten different collections. The Archaeology Collection was began to be formed back in 1925 when the museum was established by the members of the Society for the Study of the Native Land and the first collection consisted of about 500 finds collected by teachers and their students. Since 1975, it has been professionally managed by archaeologist Alfreda Petrulienė, who has examined over 40 archaeological monuments of Aukštaitija region. The Item Collection contains personal belongings of famous residents of Panevėžys as well as works of visual art of local authors (e.g. Juozas Zikaras, Bernardas Bučas) and other authors. The Documents Collection contain over 5,000 documents related with the region's history, the oldest document dates to 1585. The Numismatics Collection contain Lithuanian and foreign currencies since the 14th century. Other collections are dedicated to nature, photography, books, periodic, and there is a supporting collection. Since 1989 Panevėžys has been organizing the Panevėžys International Ceramics Symposia, while the Panevėžys Civic Art Gallery houses unique Modern Ceramics Collection of nearly 700 works (mostly created during the Symposia), which is the biggest in the Baltic states and is added to each year. The Visual Arts Collection contains 57 works by renowned Lithuanian authors, including Juozas Kaminskas, Stasys Eidrigevičius, Kazys Naruševičius. The Museum has 3,700 square meters, exhibits Stasys Eidrigevičius' works and carries out international cooperation projects. Other smaller art galleries in Panevėžys are Galerija XX, A Galerija, Menų namai. Theatre Panevėžys is a city with a rich and diverse theatrical culture as there are several significant performing arts centers here, which not only contribute to the cultural life of the city's residents, but also have an international reputation. The Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre was established in 1940 and it was the first newly built theatre after the World War II in Lithuania. The Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre is named after the renowned Lithuanian theatre director Juozas Miltinis, who before returning to Lithuania in 1940 studied in Paris and London. On December 1, 1940, Miltinis was appointed as Theatre's director and a group of actors arrived together with him from the Kaunas Labor Palace Theatre Studio, while on March 15, 1941 the Theatre was officially opened with the first spectacle directed by Miltinis. In 1967 a new dedicated building for the Theatre was built. The spectacles directed by the Theatre are often showcased in other European theatres and actors of the Theatre acts in them. In front of the entrance to the Theatre there is a sculpture of Don Quixote. The Theatre unites over 100 performing arts professionals and it is the largest cultural institution in Aukštaitija region. == Cityscape ==

Urbanism and architecture 16th – 18th centuries Old Panevėžys started to develop at the beginning of the 16th century on the right bank of Nevėžis when Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon separated the lands from the state manor for the Parish of Ramygala, currently this part of Panevėžys is located in the Senamiesčio Street (Old Town Street). Following the Volok Reform at the end of the 16th century, New Panevėžys separated from the manor and became a separate territorial unit. which was turned into an Eastern Orthodox church following the suppression of the Uprising of 1831 The city was severely damaged during the war with Moscow in 1654–1667 and the Great Northern War of 1700–1721, thus only 18 families lived in Old Panevėžys in 1720 and 90 families in New Panevėžys in 1738. In 1781, Old Panevėžys had 2 streets and 21 homestead, while in 1788 in New Panevėžys there were 144 plots near 8 streets. The significance of the Piarists Monastery increased, however it was closed after the November Uprising and the monks' corps was turned into a military barracks, while the Catholic church was remade into an Eastern Orthodox church. In 1878, a planning project for the city of Panevėžys was prepared in which new quarters were planned in the northern and southern parts of the city as an organic continuation of the already established plan (12 new quarters were added to the existing 49 quarters). s in Panevėžys that were constructed in the 19th century Other notable buildings from the 19th century and early 20th century are two windmills in Ramygalos Street (built in 1875 and 1880), historicism brick style Panevėžys bottling plant of the state vodka monopoly in Kranto Street (built in 1880; served as a Panevėžys Cannery during the Soviet period), building of the current Juozas Balčikonis Gymnasium (1884), residential house of J. Kasperovičius (1889; served as a court during the interwar period, later as a Local Lore Museum during the Soviet period and currently is the Panevėžys City Art Gallery), historicism brick style prison buildings – a two-story administrative building near the street and a four-story prison building in the courtyard (1893; P. Puzino St. 12), eclectic two-storey hotel Centralinis with mezzanine and attic (1894; Laisvės Square 1), Moigių houses complex of pink and yellow brick masonry (1895; now Panevėžys Museum of Local Lore), historicism style yeast and distillery factory buildings (Respublikos St. 82), historicism style two-storey J. Masiulis Bookstore (1890–1900), Natelis Kisinas' house (1900; in 1987 it was integrated into the Panevėžys City Municipality building complex), neoclassical with Art Nouveau style features Panevėžys Credit Society Palace (1915; now Panevėžys County Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė Public Library). Interwar period with Vytis above its entrance of attorney Česlovas Petraškevičius in the city's outskirts During the World War I around 100 buildings were damaged or destroyed in Panevėžys. Following the Lithuanian Wars of Independence, Panevėžys began to recover: city's bridges were renovated (1925), streets were paved, a power plant was built (1923). During the interwar period, a number of public and residential buildings and industrial buildings were built in the city, and a precise geodetic plan of the city was prepared – one of the first such works in Lithuania (1933–1934; engineers M. Ratautas, A. Kočegūra, P. Butrimas). Since the end of the 1920s, much more significant buildings have been built. In 1928, the Jewish Gymnasium from yellowish bricks was built in Elektros Street in the style of historicism (now serves as the Panevėžys Regional Court), which was called as a palace due to its splendid exterior decoration and installed heating and water supply systems. In 1930, the Panevėžys Cathedral of Neo-Baroque style forms was consecrated by Jonas Mačiulis-Maironis. In the 1930s, instead of historicism, the style of Lithuanian modernism began to prevail: building of the Panevėžys branch of the Bank of Lithuania (1931), Panevėžys State Girls' Gymnasium in Smėlynės Street (1932; architect Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis), Panevėžys District Municipality Building (1933), Jewish People's Bank building in Respublikos Street (1933; now restaurant Nendrė vėjyje), Panevėžys City Primary School No. 3 in Ukmergės Street (1935), Panevėžys St. Chapel of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in Marijonų Street (1939), three-storey primary school no. 2 in Maironio Street (1940; now Panevėžys Raimundas Sargūnas Sports Gymnasium), Panevėžys County Municipal Palace (1940). Cheap wooden construction was more popular for residential housing, thus houses in Panevėžys were also much cheaper (~9,000 LTL) than in Kaunas (~30,000 LTL) and Šiauliai (~19,000 LTL). The mostly damaged part of Panevėžys was a quarter between Ukmergė and Elektros streets, which has long been inhabited by the poor Jews (so-called Slobodka); at the end of the 1960s many brick apartment buildings were built in this quarter along with the Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre (1967–1968). Industrial enterprises were renovated in the post-war years, three-storey blocks of flats were built in empty places in the city center and near the center in Kranto, Ukmergės, N. Gogolio (now Smėlynės), Ramygalos, Klaipėdos, Agronomijos (now Marijonų), Sandėlių (now S. Kerbedžio) streets, Liepų Avenue, and two-storey houses in Margių, Algirdo, Stoties streets. During the Soviet era, Panevėžys was developed as an industrial center. The multi-apartment houses built in the city center based on repeated projects diminished and leveled the general urban character of the center. No major constructions took place: the development of Kniaudiškės multi-apartment district stopped, the construction of public buildings decreased and with the closure of many industries, their buildings have been abandoned and demolished, however many buildings were also adapted by modern companies in the later years and Panevėžys continues to be referred as an industrial city. New apartment buildings were built in Ramygala, Margiai, Klaipėda-Projektuotojų, Suvalkų, Pušaloto streets. Bridges The first bridge over river Nevėžis was built in the 17th century between Old and New Panevėžys. The description of Kovno Governorate mentions a 128 meters long bridge on poles. The decks of the Respublikos Bridge were blown up during the World War II, thus it was reconstructed in 1968. The bridge of Savitiškio (now – Vakarinės) Street was built a little earlier, first it was wooden, later it was rebuilt from a reinforced concrete. The city also has three pedestrian bridges across river Nevėžis: at Skaistakalnis, near the Palace of Communities, and in the Culture and Recreation Park (1984, reconstructed in 2015). In the north-east of Panevėžys, above Senamiesčio Street and the wide railway, a narrow-gauge railway viaduct was built in 1938, which is enlisted in the Register of Cultural Values of the Republic of Lithuania. Parks and squares The main green spaces of Panevėžys are located in the Nevėžis Valley along the river Nevėžis. Parks and greenery in the city occupy about 700 hectares or 14% of the total area of Panevėžys. The area of greenery per one resident of Panevėžys is almost three times larger than the norm defined by legal acts (25 m²). The area of the oldest Skaistakalnis Park – 29.74 hectares, Youth Park () – 4.14 hectares. Palace of Communities (), 13 January (), Remembrance (), Povilas Plechavičius squares, A. Baranauskas Park. As well as the greenery of Freedom (), Independence (), and Volunteers () squares. Over 6 million euros were invested in renovation of the Freedom Square in 2017–2021. The Independence Square also was renovated with 1.9 million euros investment in 2017–2021. In 1934–1936, A. Jakštas Avenue was established with cement bricks pavement on the right bank of river Nevėžis. Planted with acacias, it became one of the most beautiful places in Panevėžys in a few years, and was called the Love Avenue by the townspeople. The main recreational water body of the city is Ekranas Lagoon with place for launching boats, pontoon jetty with place for lowering and raising kayaks, mooring berth, as well as pedestrian and bike paths, recreation and entertainment areas near it. == Demography ==

Demographics evolution . in 1930 A settlement (so-called Old Panevėžys) in the old plain of the Upytė River (left tributary of the Nevėžis River) was known since the 13th century which suffered from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's wars with the Livonian Order and once the Lithuanians wars with the Livonian Order were finished the settlement and its surrounding region experienced a massive influx of inhabitants, however the settlement did not have town/city status. At the beginning of the 16th century the settlement of New Panevėžys was established and in the Lithuanian Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon's letter of September 7, 1503 the name of Panevėžys was mentioned for the first time. In 1990 the population of the city of Panevėžys alone reached 130,000 inhabitants. In the first quarter of the 21st century the population of Panevėžys continually decreased: 119,749 in 2001, 99,690 in 2011, 89,100 in 2021, 84,392 in 2026. Nevertheless, Panevėžys remain the fifth-largest city in Lithuania by population and is significantly larger than sixth Lithuanian city Alytus. == Religion ==

is the primary Catholic church of the city According to the religious groups census of 2011, 250,390 residents of the Panevėžys County indicated their religion as: 203,375 – Roman Catholic, 2,525 – Orthodox, 1,787 – Old Believers, 437 – Evangelical Lutheran, 3,091 – Evangelical Reformed, 62 – Sunni Islam, 15 – Judaism, 36 – Greek Catholic, 29 – Karaite Judaism, other – 1,228, irreligious – 16,138, did not specify – 21,667. In 1507, the first Panevėžys church was built on the right bank of river Nevėžis – a Panevėžys Old Town filial church, belonging to the Ramygala Parish. The church was small, wooden, covered with boards, with a tower and 3 bells, had 3 altars. was an active book smuggler Monks of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception moved to Panevėžys in 1927 and settled close to the Church of the Holy Trinity; on 15 August 1915 the newly built Marian Chapel was consecrated. Panevėžys is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Panevėžys, which was established in 1926. Its primary church is the Christ the King Cathedral, consecrated in 1933. Panevėžys has a rich history of Lithuanian Jews. In 1875, Panevėžys had eight synagogues, possibly the amount of the prayer communities was the same. Seventeen Jewish houses of worship have already been mentioned in the interwar city. The Panevėžys Evangelical Lutheran Parish was founded in 1790–1795, before that it was a filial church of the Biržai Parish. The Panevėžys Evangelical Lutheran Church was built in 1845–1850. The church was significantly damaged following the Soviet occupation of Lithuania as the building was nationalized, its tower was demolished and it was converted into a dance club, later – a household goods store. Following the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, the parish and the church were restored. During the interwar years of the independent state of Lithuania, Panevėžys region became the main residence of the Crimean Karaites. On 3 May 1922, the board for the management of the affairs of the Panevėžys Karaite community was registered. The only houses of worship in the times of interwar Lithuania were in Panevėžys and the Karaites studied in Lithuanian schools. In November 1938, with the help of the Ministry of Education, a kenesa building was built in Panevėžys and celebrations were held. A Karaite priest, a chazanas from Trakai, came to those celebrations along with the Karaites from all over Lithuania. The Karaites of Panevėžys actively participated in the Lithuanian Wars of Independence, and later served in the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Panevėžys became a center of Karaite culture and in 1934, 1936, 1939 the Karaites published three issues of (, "Progress") journal; the 1939 edition of the journal had 40 pages and included Maironis' poem, translated into the Karaim language, about the Trakai Island Castle. Also, the houses of the Karaite community were popular in Panevėžys. However, during the Soviet period the Panevėžys Kenesa was closed and later demolished. Currently, there is a small, but active Karaite community in Panevėžys. ==Education==

Primary and secondary education Soon after 1727 the Piarists established a college in Panevėžys, which was the first high school in the city, and because of it Panevėžys became an important centre of education in the region. At the time the education province of Lithuania was assigned to be managed by Vilnius University. Following the Third Partition of the Commonwealth, Panevėžys and Lithuania proper became part of the Russian Empire. Only a few primary schools operated in Panevėžys during the Russian rule. On 14 November 1872 the Panevėžys Teachers Seminary was opened because there was not enough teachers for Russian folk schools in the Kovno Governorate and Vilna Governorate in which only Orthodox Christians were allowed to teach. In 1873, the seminary became the first educational institution in the Russian Empire where the Lithuanian language was lectured officially, despite the active Russification and Lithuanian press ban. Moreover, Panevėžys was part of the Kovno Governorate which was one of the leading governorates by population literacy – 55.3%, compared to the average of 19% of population (9 years or older) of the Russian Empire in 1897. Following the Russian Revolution of 1905, Catholics were also allowed to study in the teachers seminary, however few Lithuanians studied in it (e.g. 8 of 132 in 1907) and two-thirds of the students had to be Orthodox Christians. Jonas Jablonskis was the only teacher of Lithuanian origin who taught in the seminary. In 1905, the Juozas Masiulis' Bookstore was opened in a building on the current Respublikos St. which was the first Lithuanian language bookstore in Panevėžys and initially sold banned literature in the Latin script of the Lithuanian language, while following the lifting of the Lithuanian press ban continued legally selling literature in Lithuanian and other languages (e.g. the bookstore offered over 1,000 different titles publications in 1912). The founder of the bookstore, Juozas Masiulis, was a Lithuanian book smuggler and a member of the Garšviai Book Smuggling Society, he was exiled to Siberia twice by the tsarist authorities for selling at the time illegal Lithuanian literature. , the first Lithuanian gymnasium In 1915, following a reorganization, the Juozas Balčikonis Gymnasium became the first Lithuanian gymnasium in Lithuania's education history and its pupils were taught in Lithuanian language. Following the restoration of Lithuania's independence in 1918, Panevėžys continued to grow and Lithuanization of education system was implemented which was beneficial for the Lithuanians who constituted the majority of the city's residents (e.g. 53% in 1923). Currently, Panevėžys has one elementary school, two primary schools, nine progymnasiums, and 15 gymnasiums. Moreover, there are Adult and Youth Training Centre, "Šviesos" Centre for Special Education, Special school – multipurpose center. Tertiary education Panevėžys never had its own independent university, however there is the Faculty of Technology and Business of Kaunas University of Technology which offer multiple bachelor's and master's degrees studies. The Panevėžys College, established in 2002, provides college education in three faculties (Biomedicine Sciences, Social Sciences, Technology Sciences) and has over 1,000 students. Libraries A number of libraries are located in Panevėžys, with the most notable being the Panevėžys County Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė Public Library, Panevėžys District Municipal Public Library, and the Panevėžys City Elena Mezginaitė Public Library. ==Sport==

(formerly Cido Arena) Panevėžys has for a long-time been a local sports' hub mainly for team sports. Many famous Lithuanian sportsmen and sportswomen were born in Panevėžys, including: Stasys Šaparnis, Vitalijus Karpačiauskas, Jonas Kazlauskas, Sigita Strečen, Petras Šiurskas, Vidmantas Urbonas, Simonas Bilis, Justinas Kinderis, Danas Rapšys, Raimundas Sargiūnas, Juras Sokolovas. The largest multifunctional arena in Panevėžys, Kalnapilio Arena, formerly known as Cido Arena, hosted the Eurobasket 2011 group matches. The city is home-town to some well-known Lithuanian athletes as well as sports clubs. The most successful football club in its history is FK Ekranas which is a seven-time Lithuanian Football League and is considered one of the most successful in recent (post-independence) Lithuanian history, however it went bankrupt in 2015. After FK Ekranas bankruptcy the strongest football club is FK Panevėžys which is playing in Lithuanian top division A Lyga. Lietkabelis Panevėžys, a basketball club established in 1964, has also recently gained prominence in Lithuanian basketball scene, becoming the third most successful basketball club by medals in Lithuania since 2017 only behind the Lithuanian basketball powerhouses Žalgiris Kaunas and Rytas Vilnius. Panevėžio Viking Malt handball club is a two time Lithuanian champion. ==Panevėžys City Municipality==

Panevėžys, situated in the centre of Aukštaitija region, is sometimes called the capital of the region. It is a municipality on itself (Panevėžys City Municipality) and is also the capital of Panevėžys District Municipality, and Panevėžys County. The coat of arms with the red gate was adopted and formally approved in 1993. == Transportation ==

During the interwar period, Panevėžys was one of the leading Lithuanian cities in streets management: there were only two first-tier cities in Lithuania with more paved streets than unpaved ones – Panevėžys and Vilkaviškis. Additionally, Panevėžys is home to a railway station that currently serves passenger trains to Mažeikiai, and formerly trains on the now-truncated Aukštaitija narrow gauge railway. The Panevėžys Air Base is located east of Panevėžys. {{Adjacent stations|header0=Current services == Notable residents ==

• Donatas Banionis – film and theater actor • Juozas Miltinis – theater director • Jonas Variakojis- Lieutenant-Colonel of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, participant in the Lithuanian Wars of Independence, Minister of National Defence. • Joseph-Shlomo Mil (John Mil) (1870–1952) one of the founders of the Jewish Labour Bund, born in Panevėžys • Simas Skinderis – football player • Ignatas Konovalovas – professional cyclist • Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman • Benjamin Zuskin – famous Russian stage and movie actor, murdered 1952 upon Stalin's orders; see Night of the Murdered Poets • Radži – singer • Vidmantas Bačiulis – Lithuanian screenwriter, film and television film director • Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė – Lithuanian educator, writer, and activist • Darius Grigalionis (born 1977) – backstroke swimmer • Mindaugas Lukauskis (born 1979) – basketball player • Danas Rapšys (born 1995) – swimmer • Andrius Šidlauskas (born 1997) – Lithuanian 2016 Olympic and 2020 Olympic swimmer • Tomas Navikonis (born 2003) – swimmer • Tomas Lukminas (born 2004) – swimmer • Rokas Jazdauskas (born 2005) – swimmer • Kristupas Trepočka (born 2006) – swimmer ==Twin towns – sister cities==

Panevėžys is twinned with: • Daugavpils, Latvia • Gabrovo, Bulgaria • Kalmar, Sweden • Kolding, Denmark • Lublin, Poland • Lünen, Germany • Maramures, Romania • Rakvere, Estonia • Székesfehérvár, Hungary • Rustavi, Georgia • Toyohashi, Japan • Vinnytsia, Ukraine • Ramla, Israel The city was previously twinned with: • Kaliningrad, Russia • Mytishchi, Russia • Vitebsk, Belarus • Goes, Netherlands ==Significant depictions in popular culture==

• Panevėžys is one of the starting towns of Lithuania in the turn-based strategy game Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms. ==See also==