Leipalingis

History

1.5 km south of Leipalingis is Černiauskas mound, 2 km southwest - Druskininkiai mound. In the western part of Leipalingis, to the west of Seira river right bank is archeological Leipalingis cemetery. Therefore, the area, which was destroyed by crusaders before the second half of the 13th century, could have a defensive meaning. The Leipalingis Manor is first mentioned in 1503, the town itself, later known for some time as Lepunikai - in 1516. From the sixteenth century Leipalingis belonged to orthodox Sapieha family, who in 1520 built an orthodox church. Later they became Catholics and built the first catholic church. After Sapiehas, Leipalingis belonged to Masalskiai and from the end of the 18th century - to Plateriai families. During 1654-1667 war the town was burned down. In 1818-1950 it became a district of the municipality. Next to the Leipalingis Manor operated an iron foundry. At the end of the 19th century, Leipalingis became an important junction between the roads connecting Seinai with Seirijai and Merkinė. Around 1817 a parish school was established, and in 1906 a library. On 11 September 1941, on the orders of the Nazi occupation authorities, 155 people belonging to a local Jewish community were executed. The town suffered greatly during the Second World War. After the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, the Soviet authorities deported 51 inhabitants of the town to Siberia. Leipalingis and its surroundings was one of the centers of the Lithuanian resistance movement against the Soviet occupation. Leipalingis belong to Dainava military district, Šarūnas' detachment. After restoring the independence of Lithuania, in 1991, bodies of 47 executed Lithuanian partisans were found in the yard of former NKVD headquarters of Leipalingis. 1950–1995 in…

Most-observed species

• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  162
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  156
• Great Spotted Woodpecker

  Dendrocopos major (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  146
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  144
• Common Chiffchaff

  Phylloscopus collybita (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  138
• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  128
• White Wagtail

  Motacilla alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  126
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  125