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 The River of Time
The River Neman rises on the Minsk Highland in Belarus. From here to the point where it discharges into the Baltic Sea, at Kurshsky Bay, it flows a distance of 939 km. The Belarus section of the river is 462 km long, with an 18 km long section that forms the Belarus-Lithuanian frontier. The river flows through Lithuania for a further 346 km with nearly 100 km forming the frontier between Lithuania and Russia. The final 13 km of its length is through the Russian Federation (Kaliningrad Oblast).
The Neman catchment has a total area of 98 thousand km2.
How Old is the Neman?
The landscape in the Neman catchment has formed through the effects of the Dneprovsky, Valdaisky and Sozhsky glaciations and interglacial periods. As a result virtually the whole of the Neman catchment is covered by a 100 to 200 m thick layer of sandy-gravel moraine. However it was the last glacial period that had an especially strong influence upon the contemporary morphology of the river basin. As the glacier withdrew melt water ran away in powerful streams. Two things were happening concurrently: coarse rock debris was being deposited to form hills, and fine debris (sand, clay sand, fine gravel) was blanketed over large areas. As a consequence, within Grodno Oblast, the Neman basin is formed within a largely featureless plain (the Lida plateau), with Novogrudok, Volkovysk and Grodno highlands rising above.
Glacial meltwater washed out hollows within this plain (the Augustov lowlands) and left ridges of sediment across the landscape as flow in the melt rivers reduced. From the south-west to north-east the whole central part of the basin is traversed by the Baltic Moraine Ridge. The Neman does not flow round the barrier but rather, having made its way from Minsk Oblast west to Grodno town, it makes a sharp turn northwards and breaks through the Ridge and into Lithuania. Here, in its downstream parts, the Neman basin forms a plain of slightly undulating terrain, the current in the river slows as the relief reduces from 150 to 200m above sea level in the upper reaches to between 0 and 80m in this lower segment.
Three levels of river terrace have been produced by Neman flood water: high, middle and low. The three differ, not only in altitude, but also in age. The highest terraces were formed 10 to 8 thousand years ago, the middle ones, 8 to 5 thousand years ago, and the lowest started to form 4.5 thousand years ago and this process continues to the present day.
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 Upper Reaches
The Neman rises close to Pesochny village in Minsk Oblast, at the confluence of the Usa and Losha, two small rivers very similar in size. The Neman is 7 to 8 m wide at this location with flat and low banks. From here it starts on its way to the Baltic Sea through fields and meadows, slowly meandering, and being joined by small tributaries very similar to the parental Usa and Losha. The upstream Neman flows through arable lands Judging by the abundance of goose down and feathers on the banks, the river is used by geese and ducks for bathing, and, also by cattle for drinking.
The Neman is special for Belarussians as much as for Lithuanians. It flows not only through Space but through Time. It has had a complex and interesting history of people who have lived on and populated its banks and flood-lands and those who are still doing so.
Nioman - Neman – Niamunas
There are a number of versions as to where the name of the river comes from. In the Polish language the name is spelled as Niemen (in old Russian, the name reads similarly, Nemen), Germans used to call it Memel, while Lithuanians either Niemonas or Niemunas. A Belarus researcher, Mr. V. Zhuchkevich’s theory is that the name comes from the Baltic word naminis which means ‘our river’. A geography dictionary refers to a legend spread amongst some local populations, according to which the name was given to the river after its first explorer, a man of Italian (or the Roman Empire) origin, named Nemon. Understandably, he could speak no local language thus was nicknamed a nemoy (‘dumb man’ in Russian). As another legend has it, some tribes that used to populate the area were descendants of the Celts. Now, the name of one of the Celtic goddesses is Neman.
First human settlements
The first human settlements appeared in the Neman valley in the post-glacial period. In Neolithic times, the upper Neman areas were populated by hunting and fishing tribes . Over one thousand years ago the upper and middle Neman areas were populated mainly by Balt tribes, but as early as the 11th and 12th Centuries their settlements co-existed with those of the Slav tribes (Kriviches, Drigoviches, Rodimiches etc.). The area covering the upper and middle reaches of the Neman (called in Belorussian Ponemon’e) as well as the flood land of the Vilia (Vilenshina), as historians say, is the one where, as a result of contacts between Balt and Slav tribes, a state named the Great Lithuanian, Zhamoitian and Russian Principality (in short, the Great Lithuanian Principality, or GLP) was set up at the beginning of the second millennium. It is believed that the arrangements were initiated by the Balts, but succeeded solely due to good contacts established with the Slavs and the main purpose of setting up the state was to conduct a joint defence against the crusaders from the West and the Tatar-Mongols from the East.
The Neman and the Vilia were not only sources of potable water, but an important water and trade route linking towns and settlements within the Principality. Its high banks were well suited for erecting castles and fortresses on so as to provide good defensive positions. The historical heritage of Grodno (Belarus), Vilnius and Kaunas (Lithuania) still includes well preserved 11th-14th Century fortress walls overlooking the river.
Virtually the whole of the Neman basin, apart from its estuary, which was a Prussian territory at that time, belonged to the GLP. Yet later, when these lands became part of Rzecz Pospolita, (State of Poland and Lithuania) the Neman still united people living here as if it were one of their own vital organs shared by everyone.
Since the last partition of Rzecz Pospolita towards the end of 18th Century the Neman and the main part of its basin (again, less the Prussian estuary part) fell under the jurisdiction of the Russian Empire. At that time it is along the Neman River near Kovno (Kaunas) that the borderline passed between the Polish Kingdom and Russia. However the Poles continued to regard the Neman as their river and when Western Belarus was annexed to Poland following the signature of the Brest Peace Treaty, at the end the First World War, a series of picture postcards was issued entitled ‘The Polish Rivers’, including one of the cards depicting the whole of the Neman basin.
Tourism and Recreation
People continue using the Neman, as a source of fresh water, hydroelectric power and, to some extent, for construction materials dredged from the river bed. Additionally, the river, with its lively and rather rapid current, and areas that adjoin it have a great value as tourist sites. Neman tributaries in its upper and middle reaches are very well suited for summer recreation. The natural surroundings are scenic here and the rivers can be safely used for rafting or canoeing, and fishing as the area is considered comparatively safe for children., There are many sites that are part of the local and wider historical heritage.
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 Mir Castle
"A fairy land of knights’ castles" is how they described the area of today’s Neman basin, in the Middle Ages. Unfortunately only a few castles have survived. The oldest and best preserved is Mir Castle. It is sited in the upstream section of the Neman on the bank of its tributary, the Miranka River.
Its towers, built in the Gothic style, were designed to allow cannons to fire in all directions. Through embrasures (slits) in the walls the defenders could drop stones or pour tar on an attacking enemy. The first mention of the castle in a Lithuanian chronicle dates back to 1527, when its first owner was already dead. At the end of the 16th Century, the castle was taken over by the Radzivilles, who were the uncrowned kings of Poland. This period also saw a grandiose construction project at the Mir Castle and the Radzivilles’ main residence, the Nesvizh Castle, with the result of the two having been connected by a 30 kilometre long underground passage. In the town of Mir a three-storey palace with a system of vaults was erected, with a garden and an artificial lake nearby.
Despite its looking quite strong and being inaccessible, the Mir Castle did not play any important part in defending the country. On the contrary, it was subjected to destruction and plunder many times, especially during the war of 1812. The last owner Prince Mikhail Svjatopolk-Mirsky’s project to renovate the castle lasted until 1939. But the Second World War broke out, to spare nothing in the area and the castle became uninhabited again.
Today, the Mir Castle is a museum and inscribed by Unesco on the World Heritage List, much has been restored (the rehabilitation works are continuing), and whoever has seen it, has been very impressed.
Novogrudok
This is a small provincial town with a rich 1000 years long history. In 1253 Prince Mindovg was crowned here king of the ‘Lithuanian Kingdom’. It is in the Novogrudok area, that the history of the Great Lithuanian Principality began. It is the highest point in Belarus, rising 323 metres above sea level. The Neman flows around the northern flanks of this high point.
From the height of Zamkovaya mountain there is a beautiful view of the hilly outskirts of Novogrudok. Unfortunately, out of 6 towers of a local 13th Century castle only two have survived and only in part. In 1706, during the Northern War the castle was blown up by Swedish troops. However, a medieval church, Vitovt’s Fara (built 1395) has luckily remained intact. It was in this church that Polish king Yagailo and Sophia Golshanskaya married, and the future poet Adam Mitskevich was christened. An orthodox Boris-and-Gleb church has been another proud historical heritage item of Novogrudok since the 12th Century (although reconstructed in the 16th Century). There are also a few other Christian churches as well as a mosque.
Adam Mitskevich the famous poet-romanticist was born in Novogrudok. In his family mansion a museum has been established. A tumulus made in his honour towers over the town. Reference to the Svitjaz lake, the most famous in Grodno Oblast, is often found in his works. It is just a few kilometres from the town. Almost a perfect circle in shape, it is situated in the midst of a forest, and water in it is crystal clear.
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 Grodno
The first mention of Grodno in historical records dates back to 1127 and Grodno is one of the oldest cities in Belarus with the Neman flowing through the centre of the city.. In the second half of the 14th Century Grodno, which was then part of the Great Lithuanian Principality, was made its capital. In the 16th to 18th Centuries it was one of the most important centres of Poland, with every third seim (a government assembly) being held here. Grodno used to be a residence of Lithuanian princes and Polish kings. Starting from 1795 the city was under the control of the Russian Empire, and became the principal town of Grodno Governorship in 1801.
Grodno has preserved its historical and architectural heritage better than many other Belarus towns. On a hill, Zamkovaja Gora, high above the Neman, stand the remnants of the thick-walled castle of Prince Vitovt, built in the beginning of the 15th Century and re-built later, in the 16th Century, by King Stefan Batory, the Old Castle. Next to it is the New Castle, a former Polish kings’ residence. A few hundred metres downstream on the same high riverbank is the oldest Christian church in Belarus, the 11th Century Boris-and-Gleb (Kalozha) Church.
Grodno is one of the five Oblast administrative centres in Belarus today. There are over one hundred industries in Grodno, three State high schools, two theatres, a philharmonic society, a number of museums and galleries. The only zoo in Belarus is located in Grodno. Artists and photographers appreciate the beauty of Grodno, and frequently have classes here to practice their art and exhibit their works.
The town has always been a place where many religions have coexisted. Today, there are seven Roman-Catholic churches, 5 Orthodox Christian churches, 2 Protestant churches, a synagogue and a kirsch in Grodno. Traditionally, followers of different religions are tolerant towards each other, and intermarriage between them is common.
Trakai
Trakai is a historical relic of the Great Lithuanian Principality, a town built between three lakes 28 kilometres west of Vilnius. Established now as the Trakai National Historical Park, Trakai was a residence of the Great Lithuanian princes in the Middle Ages, like Novogrudok and Grodno, and in the period 1316 to 1323 it was the capital of the Principality.
Thirty two crystal clear lakes are part of the park 8,500 hectares in area. The largest, Galva has an island with a castle on it (built 14th-15th Centuries), and is the main tourist attraction in the park. As legend has it, it was founded by Gedimin, the forefather of the Great Lithuanian Princes’ dynasty, although it attained an even greater fame in the time of Gedimin’s grandson, Vitovt (Vitautas), who was born in Trakai in 1350 and ruled over the Principality from 1392 till he died in 1430.
In the 14th Century the crusaders, waging incessant wars, attacked towns and settlements in the Principality many times. The Grunvald Battle, the greatest military engagement of the time, put an end to the invasions. It is in the Galva Lake castle that Prince Vitovt made preparations for the crucial fight. He was in command of the GLP’s troops, which consisted of units not only from Trakai, Vilnius and Kaunas, but also Grodno, Slonim, Novogrudok, Brest and other towns and settlements within the Principality.
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 Kaunas
Kaunas is located at the confluence of the Neman and Neris (Vilia). The first record of Kaunas is in the crusaders’ chronicles, referred to therein as a strong fortress of the Great Lithuanian Principality, dating back to 1361. It is also thought that Arabic cartographers meant Kaunas by a locality named by them as Quaynu, Qanus or Kabnu on their maps drawn as long ago as 1140.
Owing to its strategic position, conquerors over many years have sought to seize the town. First the Teutonic and Livonic knights (13th Century), then the Swedes in 1701 conquered the town. In 1795, following the final partition of the Poland-Lithuania Union (Rzecz Pospolita), Kaunas passed to the Russian Empire.
In 1812, it is from the Kaunas Hill that the ill-fated campaign by Napolean to conquer Russia set out. It is not by accident that, after the French had been defeated, it was decided to turn the town into a stronghold at the Western approaches of Russia. A large garrison was quartered in the town, and mighty fortifications were built to defend it.
In 1918 the Lithuanian Council officially declared Lithuania an independent republic. And after Poland annexed Vilnius in 1920, Kaunas played, de facto, the role of the capital. In the period 1926 to 1939, between the two wars, the town played an important part in developing arts and raising national awareness. Independence was removed in 1939 following the signature of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Treaty.
During the German occupation of Kaunas, as in many other towns in the region, a number of Jewish ghettos were created. Around 200 thousand Lithuanian Jews were exterminated here.
In the Soviet era, Kaunas became an important centre of industry, culture and education. The town saw considerable industrial growth (especially military industry) and in the early 1960’s a hydropower station was built, nearby, on the Neman.
Since Lithuania regained its independence, Kaunas has maintained its status as the second city in Lithuania.
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 Vilnius
Vilnius is a city that has accommodated, in perfect harmony, many Eastern European nations’ historical and cultural traditions.
The first record of the city, in the annals of history, dates back to the 12th Century. The main item that has withstood time since the city was founded is a fragment of the Prince’s Castle, Gedimin’s Tower, – standing on a hill, above the Neris river. Below the hill, the town grew to become, with time, an important centre of trades, arts, architecture and science. In 1430 Vilnius became the capital of the Principality succeeding Trakai. A university, the first one in the Principality, was founded in Vilnius in 1579.
Since the time of Gedimin, Vilnius has been open for migrants from both Western and Eastern parts of the world. Poles, Russians, Jews, Karaites etc. Each after their own fashion, have contributed to the city’s urban design and its architectural heritage. The old town, the largest in Eastern Europe, is fully restored and provided with modern infrastructure. There are many noteworthy buildings, including the Cathedral, the University complex, the Presidential Palace and the Philharmonic Society. A number of faiths co-exist here: Roman-Catholic, Russian-Orthodox, Islam, Judaism, Karaites, Old Believers, Calvinists (Lithuanian Jerusalem).
Today, Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania with a population of 600 thousand people. During the Soviet period a great number of factories and engineering works were built, specializing in metal and wood processing, and plastics production etc. Many of these have now lost their markets and have had to cut production. There is clear progress, however, in cultural and art developments.
Navigation
In view of a lack of roads, and forests in the area being often almost impenetrable, rivers were the main transport routes in ancient times. Rafters used the Neman – ‘the God’s way’ – to convey timber to faraway countries. The vessels in different periods of the old time included ladjas (a Viking type of rowing boat), barges, galleys, stroogs and vitins (different types of boat). Navigating was not a simple task especially in a low water period, because of numerous rapids and shallows, whilst the river would be in full flood following the spring thaw Works to clean and deepen the riverbed have been undertaken since the 16th Century. In the 19th and the first half of the 20th Century there were regular steamboat connections between Kovno (Kaunas) and the Prussian frontier, as well as between Grodno and Druskininkai.
However, with the advent of the railway the importance of the Neman and its tributaries as transport routes has drastically diminished. Although in the Soviet times until the mid-1970s there was a steamboat connection between Grodno (Belarus) and Druskininkai (Lithuania), navigation on the river has reduced virtually to nothing due to growing road transport.
After 1939 and then following the Second World War the political world map changed again in this part of Europe. Since not only Belarus and Lithuania but a portion of Eastern Prussia (Kaliningrad Oblast) fell under the control of the Soviet Union, virtually the whole of the Neman basin was within a single political system. This was the only period in history that the Neman basin was contained within one country’s boundaries. It is during this period and particularly during the 1960’s and 1970’sthat water and natural resources within the basin were being used in the most intensive manner.
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