Upaveldas.lt is an initiative of the National Commission for Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Lithuania and it is currently the only heritage map that presents all historical periods of Lithuania and types of cultural heritage abroad. This map is constantly being expanded – at the beginning of 2024, it was supplemented with more than 60 objects related to Lithuania in Ukraine. On the website upaveldas.lt, you can find the exact location of the object, read its history, and view photos – this allows you to discover places that are not recommended to visit during the war in Ukraine.
Luck – Vytautas’ Stronghold in Ukraine
Vytautas the Great is primarily associated with Trakai. However, the Grand Duke had five residential castles: in Trakai, Vilnius, Kaunas, Grodno, and Luck. The city of Luck is mentioned in sources as early as the 11th century, but its Lithuanian history begins with the era of Gediminas. At that time, the city was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) , and the seat of the Duke of Luck was given to Gediminas’ youngest son, Liubartas.
After Liubartas’ death, Jogaila handed Luck over to Vytautas, who turned the city into an important center of the Lithuanian state, funded churches, and completed the construction of the Upper Castle in Luck. In 1429, the famous Congress of Luck was held here, where the question of Vytautas’ coronation was officially raised for the first time. Today, the Luck castle houses a museum and an art gallery, and other GDL-related buildings still stand in the city.
The Jewish community in Luck, established during Vytautas’ time, has a long history, and the Great Synagogue of Luck dates back to the 17th century.
Ukraine – The homeland of famous GDL families and their heritage treasure
Many of us have heard of the noble families that existed in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and later in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, such as the Tiškevičiai, Ostrogiškiai, Čartoriskiai, Višnioveckiai and Sanguškos families. These families established themselves in the current territory of Ukraine during the rule of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, and some trace their ancestry back to Gediminas himself. We can consider the legacy of these families in Ukraine as part of the broader Lithuanian cultural heritage, associated with the cultural tradition of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Ukraine – The home of Lithuanian nobility, on whose heritage V. Zelensky took the oath of office
After the lands of present-day Ukraine were incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, they became home to noble families originating from the Lithuanian core. Through marriages or acquisitions of property, noble families such as the Radvilos, Alšėniškiai, Chodkevičiai settled in Ukraine. We can also consider the legacy of these families in Ukraine as part of Lithuanian cultural heritage, representing the cultural tradition of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
The Radvilos established themselves in Ołyka and governed it for about 400 years until 1939. The first castle there was built by Mikalojus Radvila Juodasis. In Olyka, there is also the Church of St. Peter and Paul, founded by the Trakai voivode Petras Jonaitis Mantigirdaitis at the end of the 15th century.
The Chodkevičiai family is associated with the Chotyn fortress, located near the present-day border of Ukraine and Moldova. Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius died in the first Battle of Chocim and was buried in Ostroh, Ukraine. The Chodkevičiai also owned the Mlyniv manor, which became a cultural center with a rich library and art collection.
The Alšėniškiai family, originating from Alšėnai in present-day Belarus, left their mark in Ukraine, particularly in Dubrovytsia. They governed this area in the 14th and 15th centuries, building a castle there. In Dubrovytsia, there are monuments to Saint Julijona Alšėniškė and Anastasia Alšėniškė, the famous founder of the Peresopnytsia Gospel. The Peresopnytsia Gospel, created between 1556 and 1561, is the oldest Gospel text in the Ruthenian language, considered the old Ukrainian language. This Renaissance manuscript was begun in Iziaslav and completed in Peresopnytsia, which at the time were part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Today, the manuscript is preserved in the National Library of Ukraine in Kyiv. The importance of this manuscript is evidenced by the fact that since 1991, Ukrainian presidents have taken the oath of office on the Peresopnytsia Gospel – including Volodymyr Zelensky.
Information sources and the author of the article please find in Lithuanian language here
More information about Lithuania-related sites in Ukraine can be found on the website being developed by the National Commission for Cultural Heritage www.upaveldas.lt