All communities lived side by side, yet each maintained its own traditions, language, and architectural styles.
Catholics - both Lithuanians and Poles - constituted the majority of the rural population, and most Catholic families were farmers. Despite the Tsarist authorities’ Russification policies, the Lithuanian community remained united. The book smugglers (knygnešiai) and underground teachers (daraktoriai) played a key role in preserving the Lithuanian language. These community movements revitalized cultural life, but at the same time they intensified tensions between Poles and Lithuanians.
The Old Believers settled in Molėtai region more than two centuries ago, and possibly even earlier. Today, three Old Believers’ churches remain active in Molėtai region: Gailiūnai, Kuliniai, and Migiškiai. In addition, historical Old Believers’ cemeteries can be found in Degsnė, Paąžuoliai, and Aklušė. Most of the Old Believers were highly skilled craftsmen, primarily builders.
The presence of Jewish communities in the settlements of Molėtai region has been recorded since the 18th century. Jews were engaged in crafts and trade. In Lithuania they lived a comparatively calm and, from an outsider’s perspective, seemingly frozen life. Lithuania was, for the Jews, a quiet island in a stormy sea of blood. The period from 1919 to 1922 is recognized in Lithuanian Jewish history as a “golden age.” Thanks to cultural autonomy, communities quickly reestablished themselves in towns, and Jewish cultural and political activity flourished.
