ABOUT US
Today, Aštrioji Kirsna Manor is alive and continues its history, being carefully restored by our family.
By valuing historical authenticity, breathtaking landscapes, and the harmony this place brings, we decided to embrace the challenges of cultural heritage preservation. We began to slowly restore what is authentic without interpreting what has been irretrievably lost. A dairy farm was established in restored historic barns, and horses took up residence in the old stables.
This place has become our second home where we tirelessly work by responsibly learning to preserve, restore, and create sustainable solutions. Our family members grew up in this area, spent more than two decades in Aštrioji Kirsna Manor, and only recently decided to openly share the manor’s history through architecture, slow paced life and the changing beauty of the seasons that this place brings.
In recent years, we embarked on a restoration journey of two historic buildings: a former Kitchen building and the Icehouse building by converting them into six cozy apartments. Apartments are aimed to accommodate guests who seek undisturbed rest, an escape from the city hustle, and inspiration through experiences we encounter here ourselves.
- Narauskai family
HISTORY
1500
Kirsna is a name of the Yotvingian origin and is a river that flows through the area, while Aštrioji seems to be a Lithuanian word adaptation from Polish word Ostrów meaning small island.
The area of Aštrioji Kirsna was first mentioned in 1506 when it was given by Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Alexander Jagiello (1461-1506) to one of his courtiers.
In the late 1560’s the area was acquired by castellan of Kyiv Povilas Sapiega (Paweł Sapieha, 1523-1580) who is considered to be the founder of Aštrioji Kirsna Manor.
1600
During 17th century, Aštrioji Kirsna manor was owned by Romanas Praževskis (Roman Prażewski), then by Lukoševičiai family (Łukaszewiczowie), later by Matas Jonas Zakševskis (Mateusz Jan Zakszewski), and then by Felicijonas Karolis Kučborskis (Felicjan Karol Kuczborski z Kuczbork).
1700
In 1728, the manor became a long-term home of the Karenga family.
In 1755, when the manor was inherited by deputy judge of Kaunas County Court, Juozapas Tadas Karenga (Józef Tadeusz Karęga), manor’s inventory was drawn up, which indicated a two-story wooden manor house in decaying condition, a two-story brick creamery, stables, a shed, a barn, distillery and a mill. There also were indicated three taverns that belonged to the manor.
Juozapas Tadas Karenga together with his wife Petronėlė Prozoraitė (Petronella z Prozorów), renewed the manor and in 1777, a manor plan was drawn up, depicting a one-story manor house with two wings on each side, a chapel, a mill, several outbuildings and three gates.
1800
In 1804, after the death of Juozapas Tadas Karenga, Aštrioji Kirsna Manor was inherited by his eldest son, the head of Kalvarija County noblemen, Benediktas Bonifacas Hektoras Karenga (Benedykt Bonifacy Hektor Karęga, 1774-1838), who in 1800s built a neoclassical manor house that is known as to this day. Also, he and his wife Ona Pšečiševska (Anna z Przeciszewskich) expanded the estate and transformed the garden into an English landscape garden.
In the early 1840s, after the death of Benediktas Bonifacas Hektoras Karenga, the manor was purchased by Vincentas Gavronskis (Wincenty Gawroński, 1783-1860). It is assumed that he bought the manor with an intention for his son Žygimantas Gavronskis (Zygmunt Gawroński, 1816-1886) to apply his knowledge in economics and farming, which he obtained while studying abroad. During his and his wife’s Natalija Teodora Ksavera Oginskytė (1826-1867) ownership of the estate, Žygimantas Gavronskis modernised and expanded the manor's farmstead. It is likely that most of present farmstead buildings were built during Žygimantas Gavronskis time at the manor.
1900
In 1925, agronomist and chairman of Lithuanian Chamber of Agriculture Vladislovas Antanas Kraučiūnas (1887-1942) purchased the manor from the Bulinskiai (Buliński) family. In 1927, the new owner established an educational institution of agriculture in the manor.
After Lithuania’s occupation in 1940, the Soviet government exiled Kraučiūnas family to Siberia, then nationalised the manor and established a state-owned farm (sovkhoz) in 1945.
After Lithuanian Independence restoration in 1990, the manor was returned to Kraučiūnas family.
2000
In 2001, Aštrioji Kirsna manor was sold to present manor owners – Narauskai family, who aim to preserve remaining authentic matter by trying not to interpret what has been irreversibly lost.