Last modified: 2003-07-05 by dov gutterman
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by Audrius Slapsinskas, 24 June 2003
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The flag and coat of arms of Sakyna were drawn according to
pictures, which was taken from booklet: DISTRICT OF SIAULIAI
AND ITS CONTEMPORARY HERALDRY [lal02].
Here is information from this book:
"Sakyna - During the period of the Grand Dutchy of Lithuania
the lands of Sakyna belonged to the Grand Duke. At the end of the
17th beginning of the 18th century the lands were ruled by Berg,
Samogitian elder. At the end of the 18th or the very beginning of
the 19di century the settlement was presented to count Lautreck,
French emigree, by the Russian Emperor.
It is noted in some historical sources that Sakyna was granted
the rights of Magdeburg Law in circa 1766 that were confirmed in
1791 and 1792 but no documents validate it. The recent research
reveals the fact that in 1775 Sakyna was a settlement by the
estate without trade privileges. Actually it was granted the city
rights at the end of the Reform Parliament (the 4 Year
Parliament, 1788-1792). Jonas Prekeris saw the original document
of June 12, 1792, made a copy, which was handed over to the
Jagela Library in Krakow. In the place of the present church
built by Bishop Varanavicius, stood the one built on the
initiative of Berg in 1680. The ensemble of the church and the
cemetry chapel form a protected architectural monument. A primary
school in Sakyna was opened in 1804, however, it was closed with
the suppression of the 1863 uprising.
The number of the population in Sakyna varied from 223 in 1841 to
340 in 1923, to 373 in 1959, to 428 in 1987. Presendy the rural
district of Sakyna includes 38 villages, the biggest of which is
Zarenai with 1,800 inhabitants.
Sakyna is located by the river Sakyna 30 km west from Siauliai
and 12 km from Gruzdziai.
The information about the Sakyna historical coat of arms from
1792 in the Lithuanian Collection of Legal Acts (metrika) states:
"The town is granted the coat of arms which depicts the
knight with a shield on which the motto "Pro Lege et
Libertate" (To Justice and Freedom) is inscribed. The town
is given the right to use the arms on its seal". The design
is rather primitive - the knight clad in armour with a sword and
a shield. Further hills and silhouettes of trees are covered with
mist.
No evidences exist whether Sakyna used the arms in the 18th
century as by that time the Reform Parliament opponents the
Targovica Confederates demanded to close the self-governing
units. The coat of arms was forgotten for a long time. The design
of the arms was publicised in 1935 by the Polish researcher
Marijanas Gumovskis for the first time but as he could not get
hold of the original one deposited in Moscow, he depicted the
knight with a sword in one hand and leaning on the gothic shield
with the other with the inscription "Pro Lege et
Libertate" (To Justice and Freedom).
Officialy the Sakyna coat of arms was recreated after 200 years.
Following the heraldic principals the figure was simplified
preserving the former composition and the main colours (design by
Rolandas Rimkunas): the silver knight clad in armour pointing
downwards with his hand and an oval silver shield (with golden
frames) and the inscription in Latin "Pro Lege et
Libertate" at his left shoulder on a field of azure. The
knight's cloak and his right shoulder dressing are green with
golden frames. The red sash across the right shoulder is tied to
the silver sword with a golden hilt. The silver helmet is
decorated with two red and two silver ostrich feathers. The
knight's hair and moustache are black, his face and right hand
are flesh coloured.
The Sakyna coat of arms was onfirmed by the President of the
Republic of Lithuania on May 31, 1999."
Audrius Slapsinskas, 24 June 2003
sasas.gif)
by Audrius Slapsinskas, 24 June 2003