Rietavas Manor is a former Ogià Âski residential manor in Rietavas, Lithuania. Aside from its foundations, the primary manor building has not survived; however, many parts of the ensemble have â including the former musicians' dormitory, water tower, park, a few outbuildings, guard house, part of the wall, two gates, and the Ogià Âski Family Chapel, where Bogdan Ogià Âski and his brother duke Mykolas Ogià Âski are buried.
Rietavas was in the Duchy of Samogitia and together with surrounding lands was owned by the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. It was one of the most important centres for defence in Samogitia and along an important trade route.
From the end of the 16th century to the beginning of the 18th century, the lands were rented by the Sapieha family.
Then Marshal of the Sejm Tadeusz Franciszek Ogià Âski (1712âÂÂ1783) (married to Izabella née Radziwià Âà Â) took over the lease.
In 1775, Rietavas was given to Franciszek Ksawery Ogià Âski.
In 1812, Rietavas was acquired by Michaà  Kleofas Ogià Âski (1765âÂÂ1833), Tadeusz Franciszek Ogià Âski's grandson.
Michaà  Ogià Âski was a Polishàdiplomat, Grand Treasurer, senator and composer. During the Koà Âciuszko Uprising in 1794, Ogià Âski commanded his own unit and during the November Uprising in 1831, the production of weapons and ammunition for insurgents was carried out at Rietavas. Michaà  Ogià Âski didn't spend time at Rietavas, however, preferring life abroad (including Paris, Constantinople, Vilnius and Florence).
In 1787, Michaà  Ogià Âski married Izabela Lasocka (1789âÂÂ1802). They had two children, Thaddeus (1800) and Francis Ksawery (Xavier) (1801), but the marriage broke down and ended in divorce.
Michaà  then married Maria Ogià Âska (née Neri) (1778âÂÂ1851) but this marriage fared no better. The Ogià Âskis had three daughters, , Emma and Ida, and one son, Ireneusz Kleofas Ogià Âski (1808âÂÂ1863). All children, it was said, had different fathers. Diarist and writer , in his autobiography âÂÂMy Years of Youth in Vilniusâ wrote: <blockquote>Apart from Zaluska [<nowiki/>, born on 10 December 1803, who later became Countess Zaluska] conceived with Ogià Âski, every one of his daughters [Emma and Ida, born in 1805 and 1813 respectively] had a different father. Her son [Ireneusz, born in 1807] was conceived of the singer Paliani.</blockquote>Italian Giuseppe Paliani was the music tutor for the Ogià Âski girls. Ireneusz was a very good-looking boy, which he used to his advantage around the Ogià Âski estates and in the courtly circles of St Petersburg.
Ireneusz was groomed to inherit not only Rietavas, but also several other Ogià Âski estates throughout Lithuania.
After Michaà  died, Prince Ireneusz Ogià Âski inherited Rietavas, settled there and built a new residence in the second half of the 19th century.
In 1859, he founded an agricultural school. He also began a smelter and an agricultural machinery factory. Agricultural exhibitions were also organized.
Ireneusz Ogià Âski died in 1863 and left his vast fortunes to his sons Princes Bogdan Michaà  Ogià Âski (1848âÂÂ1909) and (1849âÂÂ1902), owner of PlungàManor.
Bogdan Ogià Âski inherited Rietavas.
Perhaps in keeping with family tradition, Bogdan, however, may not have actually been Ireneusz Ogià Âski's biological son.
Sometime around the late 1820s, Ireneusz had married Countess Jozefina Kalinowska, whose sister Countess Olga was the mistress of Tsarevitch Alexander, the son of Tsar Nicholas I.
When Jozefina died in 1844, Ireneusz became a still young, very eligible and fabulously wealthy widower, which was noted in the St Petersburg court four years later when it was discovered that Olga (Bogdan's wife's sister) was pregnant. The father may have been either the Tsarevitch or his father. That wasn't of primary interest, however. The crucial consideration was to provide legitimacy for the new Romanov.
Whether Ireneusz Ogià Âski was forced into marrying Olga or whether he did so willingly is not on record. However, in 1848 Olga gave birth to Prince Bogdan. Bogdan bore the Ogià Âski name even though he may have really been a Romanov. The important fact was that the Ogià Âski name, a very good one and totally acceptable for an imperial child, had become available at a time when it was most needed.
Duke Bogdan Ogià Âski grew up to be an innovator and patron of the arts:
Bogdan continued the tradition begun by his father, Ireneusz Ogià Âski, by organizing agricultural exhibitions at Rietavas.
He also sponsored the building and equipping of churches. In 1874, the construction of was completed. Between 1897 and 1899, Bogdan built a wooden church in Kemeri, Latvia, where he spent his summers. Bogdan was also responsible for the repair and installation of the church in Bobrek, Poland.
He was also a member of the Animal Care Society, who worked hard to save the Lithuanian breed of à ½emaitukai horse from extinction.
Bogdan Ogià Âski died childless in 1909, after a serious illness, at age 61. He was buried in the Ogià Âski Family chapel in Rietavas.
In the same year, a fire broke out in Rietavas and many valuables were destroyed.
The devastation of the manor continued during World War I, when many valuable items, musical instruments and works of art were removed from the palace to Germany. The copper roof of the palace was also torn off, and the swans and pheasants living in the park were shot.
After 1922, the authorities of the Republic of Lithuania nationalized the estate. The land was parcelled out and the palace was transferred to the Lithuanian Catholic Women's Society.
In 1926 it was sold at auction to Povilas Jurgaitis who demolished the palace and built brick houses.
In Soviet times there was a collective farm centre and an agricultural school.
Only the foundations of the primary manor building have survived, but many parts of the ensemble still exist, including the former musicians' dormitory, water tower, park, a few outbuildings, guard house, part of the wall, two gates, and the Ogià Âski Family Chapel, where Bogdan Ogià Âski and his brother duke Mykolas Ogià Âski are buried.