From the press at the time: “Ukmergė has made great progress and no longer resembles the pre-war city.” It could be said that there are two Ukmergės in Lithuania: the old and archaic Ukmergė, which is disappearing, and the new, bright, modern, and cultured Ukmergė, which has a beautiful future. (“Lietuvos aidas”, 1939)
Vocational school. The school had two departments, one for carpenters and the other for metalworkers, it accepted boys from the age of 14. In 1935, when pilot Jonas Šalaviejus headed the school, the first glider was built there. Today, the building houses the Ukmergė Technology and Business School.
One of the most interesting places in Ukmergė, representing the progress of the interwar years, is the Antanas Smetona Gymnasium. There you can find authentic floor mosaics and drinking fountains in the lobbies, designed by sculptor Bernardas Bučas (husband of the poet Salomėja Neris). The construction budget of the Antanas Smetona Gymnasium, 780,000 litas, exceeded the annual budget of the city of Ukmergė at that time. In addition, the biggest discovery of all was made, the authentic coats of arms of Lithuanian were uncovered during the renovation.
In 1933, the first modernist residential house was built in Ukmergė, owned by hospital surgeon Aleksandras Dumbrys and his wife Albina, a teacher. The architectural forms of the house were striking and unusual. It housed a clinic and a pharmacy.
The building of Health Insurance Funds shows the growth of Ukmergė. Ukmergė was the second city after Kaunas to install water supply and sewerage. The authentic inscriptions are still preserved in the water tower of Ukmergė.
Such large-scale objects elevate the status of Ukmergė to that of a true city, and this vocational school building is one of them.