KehilaLinks/JewishGen Lithuania

Troškūnai (Trashkun), Lithuania

Glezer family visits Trashkun in 2015

Members of the Glezer family visit Troškūnai in 2015 (enlarge)

Name & Spelling in Various Languages

Lithuanian Troškūnai Troshkunai
Yiddish טראַשקון Trashkun, Troshkun, Trashkon
Russian before 1920 Трашкуны Trashkuni, Trashkuny
Russian after 1920 Трошкунай Troshkunai, Troshkunay
Polish Traszkuny Trashkuni, Trashkuny
Other Spellings Troskun, Traskun, Traskon, Troshkon, Trashkin, Troszkun, Troskunai, Traskunai, Traškūnai, Traskianai, Trashkianai

Location & Maps of Troškūnai

Troskunai map

Troškūnai Today (view larger map on Open Street Map)

Relief map of Lithuania

Latitude 55°58′68″N • Longitude 24°86′91″E  (larger map)

yiddish map

Regional map with Yiddish place names, by Dovid Katz  (enlarge)

map with old street names

Yiddish/Lithuanian street names in Trashkun/Troskunai  (enlarge)

1911 map

1911  (enlarge)

1899 map

1899-1931  (enlarge)

1939 map

1939  (enlarge)

topographical map

1920-1939  (enlarge)

1921 map

1928  (enlarge)

1944 map

1944-1945  (enlarge)

Geopolitical Status:

From 1795 until World War I (1914):
When Lithuania was part of the Russian empire, Troskunai was in Kovno Gubernia [province]. Within Kovno Gubernia, Troskunai was in Ukmerge (Vilkomir) Uyezd [district or county].
Between World War I and World War II:
During Lithuania's interwar independence, Troskunai was in Panevezys (Ponevezh) Apskritis [district or county].
From the end of World War II until 1990:
Lithuania was the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, part of the Soviet Union.
From 1990 to the present:
Since Lithuania regained its independence, Troskunai has been in Utena County, Utenos Apskritis. Within Utena County, Troskunai is in the Anykščiai District Municipality, Anykščių Rajono Savivaldybė.

Geographical Regions of Lithuania  •  Locality Page for Troškūnai

See also Administrative Divisions of Lithuania (Wikipedia)

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Brief Overview

Misnagdic synagogue

Misnagdic synagogue in Trashkun, late 1930s   (enlarge)

In 1897 there were 779 Jews in Trashkun, 78% of the general population. In the summer of 1915 during World War I (1914-1918), most Jews were exiled into central Russia. Their houses were destroyed and their possessions were looted. After the war most of them returned to Trashkun and rebuilt their houses.

There were two synagogues in Trashkun, one for Misnagdim and one for Hasidim. A special personality was Reb Shneur (or Shneyer) Reznikovitz, born in 1881, a learned and pious man known in the surrounding villages as "the holy one" (hakadosh) and venerated by Jews and Gentiles alike.
VIDEO A remembrance of Reb Shneyer

primary school in Trashkun

Primary school students in Trashkun (~1915)
(enlarge, read about school)

During the period of Lithuania's independence (between the two world wars) the community had a school and a library. Most of the young people were in one of the zionist groups Hashomer Hatzair[NOTE]Hashomer Hatzair (Hebrew for “The Young Guard”) was a socialist zionist youth movement that established kibbutzim and prepared young Jewish people for a new life in Palestine. or Hechalutz.[NOTE]Hechalutz (Hebrew for “The Pioneer”) was a youth movement that trained young Jewish people for agricultural settlement in Palestine. The Jews of Trashkun made a living in trade, artisanship and gardening. A wine distillery was in Jewish hands. Thursday was the weekly market day. The Jewish bank had 96 members in 1929; its director for many years was Rabbi Yakov Moshe Shmukler. Prior to World War II there were about 120 Jewish families in Trashkun.

Jewish Communities Database of The Museum of the Jewish People
and Lithuanian Jewish Communities by Nancy and Stuart Schoenburg
(New York & London: Garland, 1991), p. 313.

Trashkun Hashomer Hatzair, 1929

Hashomer Hatzair of Trashkun (1930)  (enlarge)

Trashkun chalutzim, 1930

Chalutizm (zionist pioneers) of Trashkun (1930)  (enlarge)

For a more extensive historical and cultural overview, see "Troškūnai (Trashkun)" from Josef Rosin's book Protecting Our Litvak Heritage. (Note one error: The monument shown in the article is not from Trashkun.)

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Miscellaneous

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Images of Troškūnai, past & present

VIDEO  Troskunai in 1989  [0:38]

(click images to enlarge)

Trashkun, 1800

Troškūnai circa 1800

Trashkun, 1928

Troškūnai in ~1928-1930

Trashkun, 1930

View of Troškūnai in 1930

tree planting, 1930

Planting trees in market square, 1930

Trashkun street in 1944

Vilniaus gatvė, 1944

house in Trashkun

House in Troškūnai, date unknown

house in Trashkun

Entering Troškūnai, 1998

street in Trashkun

Vilniaus gatvė, 1998

view from cemetery

View from Old Jewish Cemetery, 1998

pond

Pond in Troškūnai, 1998

pond road

Pond road in Troškūnai, 1998

school for Jewish girls

Former school for Jewish girls, 2007

Photographs by Jolita Kievišienė:

street with view of church

Basanavičiaus gatvė with view of church, 2018

Vilniaus gatve

Vilniaus gatvė in Troškūnai, 2018

Zemaites gatve, unpaved

Žemaitės gatvė in Troškūnai, 2018

house

House on Basanavičiaus gatvė, 2018

old house

Old house on Žemaitės gatvė, 2018

house

House on Żemaitės gatvė, 2018

view from cemetery

Deserted house on Žemaitės gatvė, 2018

buildings on Zemaites gatve

Old buildings on Žemaitės gatvė, 2018

corner house

Corner of Traupis g. and Dariaus ir Girėno g., 2019

house, former synagogue

House, former Misnagdic synagogue, 2019

house, former synagogue

House, former Misnagdic synagogue, 2019

cemetery with memorial stone

Old Jewish Cemetery, 2018
(more photos of Old Jewish Cemetery)

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We are grateful to everyone who has sent us information, memoirs, photos, comments and corrections. Special thanks to Misha Glezer,
Jonathan Levine, Sonia Kovnovich Mandel, the Krakinowski family, Bina Glezer, and Jolita Kievišienė.  — Sonia & Johanna Kovitz

Please send your comments, corrections, links, and any additional materials. All input is welcome.