organizes the International Theater Festival "Lagaminas" (English: suitcase). There also is a musical theater and school called Juozas Miltinis school where drama lessons are lectured. Sport FK Ekranas, winners of the Lithuanian Football League in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, was based in the town before it went bankrupt in 2015. After FK Ekranas bankruptcy the strongest football club is FK Panevėžys which is playing in Lithuanian top division A Lyga. BC Lietkabelis, one of the clubs that established LKL and is playing in it since its inception, is also based in Panevėžys. Panevėžys City Municipality Panevėžys, situated in the centre of Aukštaitija, is sometimes called the capital of the region. It is a municipality on itself (Panevėžys City Municipality) and is also the capital of Panevėžys District Municipality, and Panevėžys County. The coat of arms with the red gate was adopted and formally approved in 1993. Transportation During the interwar period, Panevėžys was one of the leading Lithuanian cities in streets management: there were only two first-tier cities in Lithuania with more paved streets than unpaved ones – Panevėžys and Vilkaviškis. However, Panevėžys, being larger, had significantly more paved streets. Sidewalks were also being built along the streets. Initially, the streets were paved with plain stones, but in the 1930s the central streets were already paved with hewn stones. In 1935 out of 40 kilometers of city's streets in total of 26 kilometers were paved. Country roads were also were being paved: to Berčiūnai (5.4 km; 1933–1934) and Velžys, towards Ukmergė (3.6 km; 1935). Unfortunately, none of these pavements in Panevėžys has survived to this day as during the Soviet era, all paved streets were covered with asphalt. "Panevėžio autobusų parkas" Ltd. is serving 16 Panevėžys city routes with 44 buses running. Total urban route network consists of . Network is equipped with 223 passengers' bus stops. City bus schedules Climate Notable residents see also: Famous Jewish natives of Ponevezh Darius Grigalionis – backstroke swimmer Donatas Banionis – film and theater actor Joseph-Shlomo Mil (John Mil) (1870–1952) one of the founders of the Jewish Labour Bund, born in Panevėžys Juozas Miltinis – theater director Simas Skinderis - football player Mindaugas Lukauskis - basketball player Ignatas Konovalovas - professional cyclist Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman Benjamin Zuskin - famous Russian stage and movie actor, murdered 1952 upon Stalin's orders; see Night of the Murdered Poets Danas Rapšys - swimmer Radži -