50 metų Biržų pilies restauracijai

LTRengiant rūmų krosnies restauravimo projektą, buvo peržiūrėtos pilies archeologinių tyrimų ataskaitos, seni dokumentai, kurie priminė, kad, užsiėmę kasdieniniais darbais, nepastebėjome, jog 2005 metų vasarą sukako lygiai 50 metų nuo Biržų pilies restauracijos pradžios. Dokumentai priminė ir alinančias, kai kada beviltiškas daugelio šviesių žmonių pastangas gelbėti, saugoti, tvirtinti rūmų liekanas. Po 1704 metų sugriovimų pilies pastatus pamažu ardė laikas ir žmonės, tačiau per visus tuos 250 metų, kol pilies griuvėsiai stovėjo po atviru dangumi, atsirasdavo žmonių, suprantančių Biržų pilies istorinę bei kultūrinę vertę, vienokia ar kitokia forma apsaugojusių statinių liekanas nuo visiško nugriovimo, o pilies gynybinius pylimus ir griovius - nuo užlygi- nimo. Biržų pilis išvengė Klaipėdos ar Vilniaus pilių likimo. [...] [p. 102].

ENAfter the destruction of the castle in 1704, time and people were breaking the buildings little by little. In 1822 the tsar of Russia Alexander I ordered Marshal of noblemen Aleksandras Bistromas to protect the ruins of the castle. It seems that this saved the castle.The last bigger wave of brick destruction reached the castle during World War I and after it. On May 311922 the territory of the castle was alienated having used the law of land reform and transmitted to the institution of local administration of the town of Biržai. The state took care of the castle and the ruins only it failed to do the work well. In the first project of the ruins conservation it was planned to restore the biggest part of the former architectural elements that remained, to raise the walls, to cover the top of the walls and the remains of the arches with protective roofs (concrete or tiles). The first entry into the journal of restoration-conservation works was made on July 12,1955. This date is considered to be the beginning of Biržai Castle restoration. One of the reasons that helped to get means for restoration was that then the town of Biržai needed very much the place for regional library and Biržai Ethnographic Museum. In 1973 on the found during excavation 17th-century remains of the bridge poles the bridge over the trench was rebuilt. There was also finished a part of planned territory cleaning work. In 1978-1987 the restoration of the main building of Biržai Castle was finished. Biržai Ethnographic Museum and Regional library have been in this building for already 20 years. Now the architecture of the castle will be developed and the materials of poor quality will be changed. A lot of work is waiting while putting in order other buildings of the castle and defensive equipment. The reconstruction of the stove showed how much preparation and how many various investigations are needed.