Facts About Šiauliai
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Šiauliai was the capital city of the Šiauliai Country from 1994 to 2010.
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The city was first mentioned in written sources as Soule in Livonian Order chronicles describing the Battle of Saule.
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Thus the city’s founding date is now considered to be September 22, 1236, the same date when the battle took place, not far from Šiauliai. At first it developed as a defence post against the raids by the Teutonic and Livonian Orders.
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The city was largely rebuilt anew in a typical Soviet fashion during the years of subsequent Soviet occupation.
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Šiauliai was granted Magdeburg city rights in the 16th century, when it also became an administrative centre of the area.
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The Population of Šiauliai is 101,511, as of 2020.
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Šiauliai is twinned with: Baranovichi, Belarus; Częstochowa, Poland; Etten-Leur, Netherlands; Fredericia, Denmark; Jelgava, Latvia; Kaliningrad, Russia; Khmelnytsky, Ukraine; Kristianstad, Sweden; Omaha, United States; Pärnu, Estonia & Plauen, Germany.
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Šiauliai is the fourth largest city in Lithuania.
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The first passenger transport company in Šiauliai was founded in 1940. It was autotrestas, which had 29 buses.
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In 2020 construction of Europe’s largest aircraft maintenance and repair centre will begin in Šiauliai International Airport territory.
