Ignalina

City

Coat of arms

Ignalina

Location of Ignalina

Coordinates: 55°21′0″N 26°10′0″E / 55.35000°N 26.16667°ECoordinates: 55°21′0″N 26°10′0″E / 55.35000°N 26.16667°E

Lithuania

Ignalina district municipality

Eldership

Ignalina town eldership

Capital of

Ignalina district municipality
Ignalina town eldership
Ignalina rural eldership

First mentioned

1810

Granted city rights

1950

Government

• Mayor

Henrikas Šiaudinis

Population (2015)

• Total

5,635

Time zone

EET (UTC+2)

• Summer (DST)

EEST (UTC+3)

Website

www.ignalina.lt

Ignalina ( pronunciation ) is a city in eastern Lithuania, famous for the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in nearby Visaginas. It is said that Ignalina name got its name from Ignas and Lina, two lovers with quite popular Lithuanian names. According to the 2011 census, it had 6,007 residents, to 2015 census - 5,635 residents

Even though there is archeological evidence that people lived in Ignalina area in the Stone Age, Ignalina was mentioned only in 1810. It started to grow only after the Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway was built in 1866. It is regarded as one of the new industrial cities. However, nowadays it is known more as a tourist destination in the Aukštaitija National Park.

Before World War II Ignalino was part of Second Polish Republic and was situated in the Święciany County of the Wilno Voivodeship. From 1939 Ignalina was capital of Ignalina eldership. More than half of the population was Jewish, 1200 people before the Holocaust. During World War II, in 1941, Jews were imprisoned in a ghetto and exploited through forced labour. They are later murdered in mass executions.

In 1950 city become a capital of Ignalina District Municipality in Vilnius County. In 1995 Ignalina District Municipality become a part of Utena County.

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Wikipedia