Pušalotas

History

Pušalotas first mentioned in 1643. In 1639 the church was built. In 17th – 18th centuries Pušalotas was a center ruled by a vogt. In 1644 Pušalotas got a licence to organize markets. In 1738 Pušalotas had 12 and in 1789 – 26 houses. In the middle of 19th century parish school was operating. In the 19th century, pastor J. Jaskevičius supported carriers of banned Lithuanian press (knygnešiai), established secret schools in Lithuanian language, since education in Lithuanian was banned after the 1863 Uprising. Ten Jewish men and women as well as Soviet activists were murdered in July 1941, in the Jewish cemetery of the city. In the same month local white armbanders shot 18 more Jews in the forest of Šadeikoniai. Another execution of the town's Jews might have taken place in August or September 1941 with 248 killed; the exact date and circumstances of the massacre are not known. After the Soviet occupation, Lithuanian partisans of Algimantas military district were active, namely the Žalioji (The Green) detachment. Soviet occupants in 1940–41 and in 1944–53 deported 35 people to remote areas of Siberia.

Most-observed species

• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  41
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  35
• Northern Lapwing

  Vanellus vanellus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  34
• White Stork

  Ciconia ciconia (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  33
• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  30
• Barn Swallow

  Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  30
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  28
• Yellowhammer

  Emberiza citrinella Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  26