Facts About Telšiai
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Telšiai is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania, probably dating earlier than the 14th century.
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Telšiai became a district capital and between 1795 and 1802 it was included in the Vilnius Governorate. In 1873, Telšiai was transferred to the Kovno Governorate.
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The name of Telšiai has been recorded in different forms and different languages throughout its history. Most of them are derived from Telšē in Samogitian dialect.
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On 22 January 2013, The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania officially announced that Telšiai will be named the Lithuanian Capital of Culture in 2016.
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The city was named after a small rivulet, the Telšė, which flows into Lake Mastis. A legend has it that a knight named Džiugas founded the city.
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Telšiai was first mentioned in written sources around 1450, but the oldest archaeological findings in the area of the city are from the Stone Age.
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Telšiai is one of three Lithuanian cities where a Roman Catholic Priest Seminary operates.
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Telšiai is twinned with Sävsjö, Sweden; Liezen, Austria; Petrozavodsk, Russia; Krnov, Czech Republic; Kreis Steinfurt, Germany; Mińsk Mazowiecki, Poland; Lebedin, Ukraine; Orsha, Belarus; Bassum, Germany; Chernyakhovsk, Russia; Saint-Égrève, France; Obdach, Austria & Mestia, Georgia.
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The Population of Telšiai is 21,287.
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Present-day architectural monuments include Telšiai Cathedral and the Church of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, Telšiai.