Jonava

Jonava
City

Flag
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Jonų ir Janinų sostinė
(The capital of Jonai and Janinos)
Jonava

Location of Jonava

Coordinates: 55°4′20″N 24°16′50″E / 55.07222°N 24.28056°E / 55.07222; 24.28056Coordinates: 55°4′20″N 24°16′50″E / 55.07222°N 24.28056°E / 55.07222; 24.28056
Country  Lithuania
Ethnographic region Aukštaitija
County Kaunas County
Municipality Jonava district municipality
Eldership Jonava town eldership
Capital of Jonava district municipality
Jonava town eldership
First mentioned 1740
Granted city rights 1864
Area
 • Total 13.6682 km2 (5.2773 sq mi)
Population (2007)
 • Total 34,528 (9th)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Website http://www.jonava.lt

Jonava ( pronunciation , Polish: Janów) 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. 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.[2] During World War II Jonava was attacked by Nazi Germany. A Christian church and five Jewish synagogues were destroyed.[3] 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.[4] 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

YearInhabitants
19395500
19595000
197014563
197928413
198936520
200134954

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.[5]

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".[6]

Competitions

Jonava also hosts some less regular competitions. During the traditional midsummer holiday there was "Jonas's Republic President Cup" of Rally Slalom events.[7] In summer seasons there are some occasional cycling tournaments or cross country competitions.

Education

  • Jonava Neris comprehensive school
  • Jonava Raimundas Samulevičius comprehensive school
  • Jonava Santarvė secondary schooll

Twin towns — sister cities

Jonava is twinned with:

People

  • Darius Maskoliūnas, basketball player
  • Abra Abrahamas Meirsonas, Harvard professor of neurosurgery
  • Janina Miščiukaitė (1948–2008), singer
  • Abraham Myerson, neurologist, psychiatric, sociologist
  • Jeronimas Ralys (1876–1921), translator and medic
  • Julius Sabatauskas, politician
  • Ričardas Tamulis, boxer
  • Artūras Zuokas, businessmen, current Vilnius mayor

Gallery

References

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

External links

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