The Republic of Paulava (Pavlov) is one of the most unique phenomena in Lithuanian history. It is an autonomous republic that existed in the 18th century, in the times of serfdom, in Merkinė, not far from Vilnius, in the present-day district of Šalčininkai, and had its own constitution, coat of arms, president, peasants’ parliament, money, treasury, mutual assistance fund, militia, and school. Today, we are reminded of it only by the fragments of the manor house, stables and other buildings, but in the second half of the 18th century it was the place where the most radical and progressive peasant reform in the Republic of the Two Nations was implemented.
Today, if you go to Merkinė, you will find the remains of the former Paulava (Pavlov) Republic: the manor house, the servant house (oficinne), the authentic ruins of the stables from the time of the republic’s founder, P. K. Brzostowski, and the completely restored manor’s icehouse. To satisfy visitors’ curiosity, there are also 3D stands which give a preliminary view of what the manor looked like before it was completely destroyed. The stands allow you to see the architectural forms of the manor house and the outhouse from the late 19th to the early 20th century, as they are based on surviving photographs from that period.