Regulations of the State Cultural Reserve of Kernavė

The State Kernavė Museum - Reserve of Archaeology and History was established on 1st January, 1989 on the base of a unique complex of archaeological, historical, cultural and natural values. The founder of it is the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania. 
In January, 2003, the State Archaeological and Historical Museum – Reserve of Kernavė was reorganized into the Administration of the Sate Cultural Reserve of Kernave. The policy of Administration is to assure implementation of the tasks, which are determinate in the Regulations of the State Cultural Reserve of Kernavė.

In 2002, after the revision of reserve boundaries and the reserve plan preparation, the Government adopted a decision on new boundaries of the reserve and its protected areas: 
· the reserve territory – 194,4 ha, 
· the buffer zone of cultural reserve (2455,2 ha) is divided into two sub zones, where different regimes of protection and maintenance are active, namely:
physical impact protection sub zone – 118,3 ha, 
visual protection sub zone - 2336,9 ha. 

The main task of the Administration of the State Cultural Reserve of Kernavė is research, protection, collection and promotion of archaeological, historical values within the Kernavė reserve and its protection areas. Any human activity, except the work carried out in connection with scientific research and museum collection development, is prohibited in the reserve and its protected areas.

Cultural reserve is committed: · to preserve, to administer, to maintain, to exhibit, to visit the territorial complex of cultural properties in Kernavė and uphold the complex authentic;  · to carry on constant scientific research of archaeological and historical properties in the territory of cultural reserve and within its buffer zone;  · to organize museum activities, namely: to collect, to record, to preserve, to conserve, to restore and exhibit museum's collections, which are based on material of permanent archaeological investigations · to control economical activities of legal and physical bodies in according to documents on planning of territories and limitations stated in this document; · to preserve the cultural landscape and restore violated elements of the landscape; · to promote immovable and movable cultural properties, to create conditions for cognitive and cultural tourism.

Reservation territory (194,4 ha)
The territory includes the entire valley of Pajauta together with five mounds looming nearby and the upper terrace of the river Neris where nowadays the settlement of Kernavė is located. Mounds are the most expressive feature of the reserve. They number up to one thousand in Lithuania, yet you will never find five of them together in one and the same place. This is a heritage of historic nature processes (retreating glacier) and human activity. Mounds existed as the main type of an ancient Lithuanian settlement from the end of the Bronze Age to the 15th century. Kernavė is no exception in this respect. During the first centuries AD large settlements were founded in the Pajauta Valley, while in the 13th century Kernavė became a town of feudal artisans and merchants with a defensive nucleus in the form of mounds. A number of researches proved the fact that the place of the Duke's manor house was located on the Altar Mound, while the mounds of Mindaugas Throne, Lizdeika, Kriveikiškės and the Castle Hill were fore-mounds that served for the protection of the Duke's Castle and the town.

The full complex of cultural properties is protected within the territory of the reserve. There are known and registered 18 archaeological, historical and cultural values. Namely: 
1. the Kernavė mound, named as the Altar hill, the Barščiai hill, the Holy hill, A 1469;
2. the Kernavė mound II, named as the Mindaugas's Thrown, A 1470;
3. the Kernavė mound III including the settlement, A 1471K: the mound named as the Lizdeika hill, the Smailiakalnis, the Kriveikiškiai mound, A 1471K1; the settlement, A 1471K2;
4. the Kernavė mound IV, named as the Castle hill, the Garrison hill, the castle's site, A 1472; 
5. the site of Kernavė old town, A 1473;
6. the site of Kernavė old town II, A 1474;
7. the Kernavė necropolis, A 1475;
8. the site of the old Kernavė church, A 1476;
9. the ancient Kernavė settlement, A 1477;
10. the Kernavė, Kriveikiškiai mound, A 1478;
11. the Kriveikiškiai necropolis, A 1479;
12. the Kriveikiškiai village, A 1480;
13. the site of the Kernavė, Kriveikiškiai estate, A 1481; 
14. the ancient settlement in Semeniškės, A 1482;
15. the ancient settlement in Semeniškės II, A 1483;
16. the wooden chapel, the 18th century; AtV 663;
17. the stone chapel-mausoleum, the 19th century; AtV 664;
18. the rectory, 1881; AtV 1094;

The buffer zone of cultural reserve (2455,2 ha)
The buffer zone is determined in order to isolate the territory of cultural reserve and cultural properties within the territory from any negative influence and secure ecological balance of cultural reserve.
The buffer zone of cultural reserve is divided into two sub zones, where different regimes of protection and maintenance are active.

Physical impact protection sub zone (111,5)
This area includes the territory neighbouring the reserve and farmstead plots settled within the reserve. Household activity is allowed in this area, but limited by adjusting it to the protection of archaeological values and natural environment. There are one immovable cultural value and 5 objects, which have characteristics of an immovable cultural value within the physical impact protection sub zone.

Visual protection area (2336,9)
This area has been formed around the reserve and physical protection area in order to protect the historically emerged urban and natural environment. Household and construction activities in visual protection area should be carried out only on a condition that the anthropogenic activity will not make a negative impact on archaeological, historical and cultural values, as well as historical landscape of the settlement. Kernavė settlement falls under the limits of this area. There are 4 immovable cultural values and 5 objects, which have characteristics of an immovable cultural value within this visual protection area.