Aukštupio Merkinė – an old manor belonged to a number of noble families: the Radvilas, the Sluškis, the Potocki, the Duninas, the Sanguškis, the Korsaks. In 1767, the manor was bought by a young priest, Povilas Ksaveras Bžostovskis, a statesman of Lithuania and Poland at that time. After buying the manor and naming it after himself – the Republic of Pavlov – he undertook reforms: he abolished the lottery, distributed the land to the peasants and introduced a redemption tax. The republic had its own constitution, coat of arms, money, parliament, treasury, self-help cash, militia, doctor and school. The President of the Republic took care of the life, culture and education of the peasants; he himself wrote plays performed by his peasants and sent information about the life of the Republic to the newspapers of the time. The Republic lasted almost 30 years. Nowadays, its remains are one of the most attractive and important attractions of the school excursions, tourists and visitors to Šalčininkai district.
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