The Rietavas Oginskis Manor is now entered through the White Gate. It is a neoclassical building. The southern gatepost has a granite slab with an inscription dedicated to the first telephone line in Lithuania (1882) and the first power station (1892). The plaque was erected to commemorate the centenary of electrification in 1992. The sculptures of roaring lions, which can be seen in the Rietavas coat of arms, are placed on the gate. The lions are cast according to the original sculpture that stood here during the Oginskis' time, which is kept in the "Alka" Museum. The lions were recreated in 2002 by sculptor Arūnas Sakalauskas. The destroyed part of the northern gate was rebuilt in 1992.Rietavas Manor Farmstead former brewery-laundry-water towerThe building built by the Dukes of Oginskiai in the second half of the 19th century as a brewery, laundry and water tower. A red brick building from the Historicism period with Neo-Renaissance features. The water tower consists of 5 floors. The niche at the bottom of the tower contains a cast lion's head. In 1895, a wind turbine was installed at the top of the octagonal tower. The wind power pumped water to supply the palace and other buildings on the estate. The restored wind turbine now stands on the other side of the White Gate, on the site of Lithuania's first power station. During the Soviet period, the ground floor of the building became a dairy and the first floor was used for apartments.
Reviews