Seduva is a town formerly known for its agricultural production. The Jewish presence in Seduva appears to be quite ancient, dating back at least to the 15th century.

At the end of the 18th century, there were around 500 Jewish families. A hundred years later, they made up 56% of the total population. This number declined in the early 20th century. The town had a yeshiva and a Jewish school.

Jewish social and cultural activities suffered under the Soviet occupation in 1940. A year later, many Jews were arrested and transported by German troops, aided by local nationalists, to Pavartyciai, a village five kilometres away. There they were crammed into barracks and shot, while others were murdered in Liaudiskiai. The town of Seduva was liberated in 1944.

As part of the reparation process, the Jewish cemetery was restored in 2013, with the oldest tomb dating back to 1782, and memorials were inaugurated at the sites of the massacres, in Pavartyciai and Liaudiskiai .

These restoration efforts have given rise to an original initiative: the Lost Shtetl , designed by Sergey Kanovich. The project was inspired by the many stories about the Jews of Seduva.

The long-awaited opening of the Lost Shtetl Museum took place in September 2025. Its aim is to recreate a shtetl and thus raise awareness of pre-war Jewish life in a country where the vast majority of Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. The 3,000-square-metre complex was largely financed by the descendant of a Jewish family, who preferred to remain anonymous.

The exhibition presents testimonies, photographs, documents and objects, including a Sefer Torah. It refers to the places where Lithuanian Jews lived before the war, but also to their massacre.

A few weeks after the museum opened, a Hanukkah celebration was held there. It was a moment shared with members of the Jewish communities of Seduva and other surrounding towns, as well as other visitors who discovered the traditions of this holiday on this occasion.

Sources : Yad Vashem, lostshtetl.lt