Linkaicai Weapons Workshop Infrastructure

The Linkaičiai weapons workshop was built near the Linkaičiai railway station, in the village of Karčiamai.

The design work of the Linkaičiai Arms Factory began in 1935, and construction began in 1936. As many as 96 buildings were built here, the construction of which was initiated by the head of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Armament Service, General Motiejus Pečiulionis. The author of the project was the famous interwar architect Bronius Elsbergas. The modern artillery workshop began operating in 1937 and was one of the most modern armaments companies in Europe: ammunition, artillery shells, hand grenades, anti-tank mines, gas masks, and other things were produced, it was planned to produce 47 mm anti-tank guns under a license from the French company Schneider, and in the spring of 1940. a modern electric steel melting furnace was installed and tested, and a power station with a capacity of about 1000 kW was also in operation.

About 800 workers and employees worked at the Linkaičiai arms workshop, so infrastructure was provided for the employees: a canteen, a dispensary, a shop, and 200 individual houses were built.

In 1940, with the beginning of the Soviet occupation, the factory's activities were suspended, and a significant part of the employees were repressed. During the war, as the Soviets retreated, some of the factory buildings were blown up. Later, the German authorities took some of the equipment to Minsk and Riga, and the rest to Kaunas. After the war, the factory territory belonged to the Soviet army, new buildings were built, and the territory was strictly guarded.

Today, some of the premises have been privatized, and some of the buildings and territory are no longer used and abandoned. Since 1992, the arsenal of Lieutenant General of the Lithuanian Army M. Pečiulionis has been operating next to the surviving buildings of the Linkaičiai artillery workshop.