Kursenai

Located on the banks of the Venta River ( lit. Venta ) 22 km from Šiauliai on the Siauliai - Palanga and Siauliai - Mazeikiai highways. Two railway lines Šiauliai - Kretinga and Šiauliai - Mazeikiai pass through the city; one of the few cities in Lithuania with two stations and two railway stations.

Sugar factory, building materials factory, mechanical repair and oil and cheese factories.

In 1897, the population was 3, 189. In 1970, there were 11 thousand inhabitants, in 1990 - 14, 9 thousand inhabitants, currently 13 854 ( 2005 ).

• Kagan, Donald - American antique historian.
• Casimira Kimanthaite - theater and film actress, theater director.
• Rastikis, Stasis - General.
• Reimeris, Vacis - poet.
• Kubovi, Arie - founder and general secretary of the World Jewish Congress , director of the Yad Vashem memorial complex ^[1] .

The first mention in written sources dates back to the 16th century . The first wooden church was built in 1523 , stone - in 1824 (destroyed during the First World War ). The current one was built in 1927 - 1933 .

The growth of the village was facilitated by the Libavo-Romny railway.

City since 1947 ; until 1962 it was a district center.

After World War II, the poet Stasis Anglitskis worked as a teacher in Kursenai. The Lithuanian writer Enlightener Laurinas Ivinskis spent the last years of his life in Kursenai. In 1960, a monument to Ivinskis was opened on the main square of the city.

Title

It is believed that the name originally meant the settlement of the Curonian .

Coat of Arms

Historically, Kursenai did not have a coat of arms. The standard was developed by the artist Juozas Galkus. The coat of arms was approved by the President of Lithuania on October 24, 1994 and depicts five gold stars on a blue sky background (which should resemble the calendars of Laurinas Ivinskis ) and a red jug on white, talking about the traditions of artisans.

• Kuršėnai