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Jonava

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Jonava
City
Flag of Jonava
Flag
Coat of arms of Jonava
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): 
Jonų ir Janinų sostinė
(The capital of Jonai and Janinos)
Country Lithuania
Ethnographic regionAukštaitija
County Kaunas County
MunicipalityJonava district municipality
EldershipJonava town eldership
Capital ofJonava district municipality
Jonava town eldership
First mentioned1740
Granted city rights1864
Area
 • Total
13.6682 km2 (5.2773 sq mi)
Population
 (2015)
 • Total
29,031 (9th)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Websitehttp://www.jonava.lt

Jonava (pronunciationⓘ, Template:Lang-pl) is the ninth largest city in Lithuania with a population of ca 30,000.[1] It is located in Kaunas County in central Lithuania, 30 km (19 mi) north east of Kaunas, the second-largest city in Lithuania. It is served by Kaunas International Airport. Achema, the largest fertilizer factory in the Baltic states, is located nearby. The city is sometimes called "the capital of midsummer holiday" (lt. – Joninės).

History

Jonava was officially established as a city in the 18th century during the times of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1750 first wooden church has been built in Jonava. In 1778 beer brewery was operating in the town.[2] Around 1812 Napoleon and his army invaded the town and it's surrounding villages. In 1923 Jonava officially recognised as city-status settlement and in 1950 it become centre of municipality.

The city had a large Jewish population before World War II - in 1893 92% of the population was Jewish and in 1941 it was 80%. In 1932 there were 250 shops owned by Jewish families, a Jewish bank, 7 synagogues and a Jewish school.[3] During World War II Jonava was attacked by Nazi Germany. A Christian church and five Jewish synagogues were destroyed.[4] The Jews of the city were killed in two massacres, in August and September 1941. A total of 2,108 people were executed by an Einsatzgruppen of Germans and Lithuanians collaborators.[5] 200 remaining Jews were kept prisoners at the Kaunas ghetto.

After the war the city built the largest fertilizer factory in the Baltic states and Jonava become one of 4 biggest industrial cities in Lithuania.

Environmental catastrophe

An explosion occurred in the chemical fertilizers factory on 20 March 1989, causing a leakage of nearly 7,500 tonnes of liquid ammonia. The catastrophe developed further into a fire within the nitrophosphate facility and fertilizer storehouses polluting the atmosphere with products of their combustion, such as nitrous oxide and chlorine. The toxic cloud drifted towards Ukmergė, Širvintos and Kėdainiai. The concentration of ammonia surpassed the permissible level by a factor of 150 in Upninkai, at 10 km from the disaster site. One day after the accident, a toxic cloud 7 km wide and 50 km long was recorded between Jonava and Kėdainiai. Seven persons died during the fire and leakage of ammonia immediately afterward, 29 persons became handicapped, and a large number of people suffered from acute respiratory and cardiac attacks. The true extend of damages and health impact from the event is however unknown. What is known is that exposure to ammonia prenatally, especially at a young age can cause serious brain damage.

Administrative divisions

Jonava is divided into 13 city regions:

  • Senamiestis
  • Girelė
  • Miškų ūkis
  • Paneriai
  • Lietava
  • Lakštingalos
  • Juodmena
  • Geležinkelio stotis
  • Baldininkai
  • Rimkai
  • Kosmonautai
  • Skaruliai
  • Virbalai

Demography

Historical population

Year Inhabitants
1939 5500
1959 5000
1970 14563
1979 28413
1989 36520
2001 34954

Sport

The city has its own "physical culture and sports center" with stadium, swimming pool and indoor arena. It has already been announced that the city is going to build a new large indoor arena "BC Jonava".

Football

Central stadium of Jonava

Jonava has 2 soccer teams

Athletics

The marathon runners sport club Maratonas won 4 medals at Vilnius Marathon.[6]

Basketball

Jonava has a basketball team, founded in 1969; Jonava SK Malsta playing in the National Basketball League (Nacionalinė Krepšinio Lyga). There is also a women's basketball team called BC Jonava which won bronze medals in the women's Second Basketball Division (Nacionalinė moterų krepšinio lyga).

Volleyball

Jonava has a strong women's volleyball team Achema-KKSC that playing in the highest league A Grupė. In 2010 Jonava held the international "Alfredas Ogonauskas Memorial Volleyball Championship".[7]

Competitions

Jonava also hosts some less regular competitions. During the traditional midsummer holiday there was "Jonas's Republic President Cup" of Rally Slalom events.[8] In summer seasons there are some occasional cycling tournaments or cross country competitions.

Education

Twin towns — sister cities

Jonava is twinned with:

People

References

  1. ^ "Lietuvos Statistikos Departmentas". Lietuvos Statistikos Departmentas. Lietuvos Statistikos Departmentas. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  2. ^ Jonavos rajono istorijos datos
  3. ^ Travel Lietuva - Jonava
  4. ^ zydai.lt
  5. ^ http://www.holocaustatlas.lt/EN/#a_atlas/search/vcntfr=1000.vcntto=5000/page/2/item/73/
  6. ^ www.vilniausmaratonas.lt
  7. ^ Alfredas Ogonauskas Memorial Volleyball Championship in sportas.info
  8. ^ Jonas's republic president cip
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