LITHUANIA UNDER THE RUSSIAN CZARS

In tsaristic postmarks we see the Lithuanian place Šakiai indicated as ШАКИ (SHAKI). This last name is more like the German indication Schaken. The Polish name is Szaki.
The place is situated in the government Suwalki, СУВАЛКСКАЯ (SUWALKSKAYA).


Original print size of this image: 13,928 x 8,695 cm (is something more as the postal item)

The postmark, resized 50 %.



Šakiai, here Schaki, is located in the north of Government Suwalki.

Part of the map, not resized, 'Westrussland' (Western Russia) from the encyclopedia 'Meyers Konversations-Lexicon', 6e Aufl., 1905-1909.







I suppose that the arrival postmark ТРШКИ (TRISHKI) is the indication for the Lithuanian Tryskiai, in the government Kovno. In the postmark, here resized 50 %, we see КОВ? (KOV?)
КПВ is not an abbrevation of a government and I cannot find another place in Russia with this name.

In the postmark of this card we see ШАВЛИ (SHAVLI), the Russian indication for the Lithuanian place Siauliai. The German name is Schaulen and in Polish it is Szawle.

Original print size of this image: 14,004 x 9,051 cm (is something more as the postal item).

The postmark, resized 50 %.












On this card we see again a postmark of ШАВЛИ (SHAVLI), but with another serial letter.

Original print size of this image: 14,029 x 9,051 cm (is something more as the postal item).

Original print size of this image: 14,258 x 9,127 cm (is something more as the postal item).

A very short time it was Johannesberg, renamed after and by Joannes Chodkiewics, who gives Skuodas city rights on 17 Mai 1572 and ruled the city at that time. St. John Baptist, his patron saint -and of the city- we find in the coat of arms of Skuodas: his head on a platter (see Mi. 526, scanned 150dpi, not resized).






A landscape on the other side of the card.


From 1795 the historic town Skuodas belongs to the Wilna (Vilnius) government, and from 1843 to the Kovno government. In 1915 it was connected by a new railroad: the 'army-line', constructed by the Germans, between Riga and Klaipeda through the city. The 'city' (now about 9100-9200 inhabitants) is located near the Latvian border (2 km) in the northwest of Lithuania (40 kn from the Baltic Sea).
In World War II Skuodas is largely destroyed.


On the card we see the (only type) double-ring-cancel of Skuodas. Skuodas has also had a numeral cancel: no. 846, triangular cancellation with truncated corner for the sub-post offices, as below.

There is also a one-ring cross-date cancel known of Skuodas.

In the Order of the Main Postal Administration of 31 May 1858 (no. 1847) numerical dot cancellations were also introduced for the border Post offices: oval dotted cancels with number 1 - 9. In the baltic there was one border Post office: ТАУРОГЕНЪ (TAUROGEN), with the Lithuanian name Tauragė.

Here the oval numeral cancel -number 9- of Tauragė.

For comparison and to see -right- the difference:
the oval numeral cancel number 6: Odessa
The image of the stamps is not resized 25 %, but 50 %.




ТАУРОГЕНЪ (TAUROGEN), Tauragė in Lithuanian, was a border place, so it is located on the map near the border.

Part of the map, not resized, 'Westrussland' (Western Russia) from the encyclopedia 'Meyers Konversations-Lexicon', 6e Aufl., 1905-1909. In this time Wirballen (in russian Werzbolowo, in Lithuanian Virbalis) was more important as border station: the railway from Kaunas.Kowno was running via Wirballen to Eydkuhnen anf further in Germany.
















Card, 1899, with the one-ring postmark of ТАУРОГЕНЪ (TAUROGEN)

Original print size of this image: 14,486 x 9,153 cm (is something more as the postal item).
The backside of the card, written 14-4-1899.


The postmark, resized 50 %.

This card is sent from ТЕЛЬШИ (TELSHI), the Lithuanian Telsiai to ВИЬНА (WILNA), Vilnius.


Original print size of this image: 14,207 x 9,308 cm (is something more
as the postal item).

The postmarks, resized 50 %.

Here you see another card from ТЕЛЬШИ (TELSHI).
Original print size of this image: 13,953 x 9,025 cm (is something more
as the postal item).

The postmark, resized 50 %.

Here a cover from ВИЛКОМИРЪ (WILKOMIR) -the Lithuanian name is Ukmergė- sent, frank-free, 2 IV 1903.
The cover is sent to the 1th department of the Library of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, librarian Volter.
The sender is the parish school of Vilkomir (with A-number). Also is indicated an address in St. Petersburg on the Vasiljev island (with also A-number).

Original print size of this image: 19,922 x 12,709 cm (is something more
as the postal item).





The one-ring cross-date postmark, resized 50 %.










The wax seal on the backside seems really official: it is the seat of the parish-school of Vilkomir.
Also an arrival-postmark 4 IV 1903 of St. Petersburg, resized 50 %.













Here a another cover from ВИЛКОМИРЪ (WILKOMIR) sent registered 13-7-1911, but departed/arrived (local) on 16-7-1911
The printed text on the cover means: sworn/official solicitor/agent.
The cover is sent to some district-meetiing (?)


Original print size of this image: 19,973 x 13,750 cm (is something more
as the postal item).


The postmark is a double circle cancellation, resized 50 %.




Here, resized 50 %, the official wax seal on the backside looks official The other postmark is postmark of ВИЛКОМИРЪ (WILKOMIR, 13-7-1911.







Wilkomir, north of Kaunas/Kowno on the map (resized 50%).

Part of the map 'Westrussland' (Western Russia) from the encyclopedia 'Meyers Konversations-Lexicon', 6e Aufl., 1905-1909

ЖАГОРЫ (ŽAGORY) is the Russian name for the Lithuanian place Žagarė. In the postmark you see again the indication of the government КОВНО (Kovno). The Polish name is Zagory and the German name is Schagarren.


Original print size of this image: 13,978 x 8,847 cm (is something more as the postal item).


The city Žagarė is mentioned already in 1198 and so one of the oldest cities of Lithuania. Before Worls War II is was a more important place, with a great Jewish community (14.000). Now it is very little: the whole population is 2.500 people.



Enlargement of the postmark.






The other side with the picture, with a poem of the Latvian poet Janis Akuraters. The Sovjetlatvian encyclopedia mention him as 'reakcionars romantikis'. The Latvian text is in the old spelling (before 1920).




















Žagarė, here Shagory, very near on the border of government Kowno.
Something westward the railway-junction Mosheiki (Mažeikiai in Lithuanian) is located.



Detail of the map, not resized, 'Russische Ostsee-Provinzen' from from the encyclopedia 'Meyers Konversations-Lexicon', 6e Aufl., 1905-1909