Rumšiškės Museum of Folk Art

If you want to witness the styles of folk art and architecture of all the different regions of Lithuania in one go, visit this delightful open-air museum situated 22km from Kaunas, not far from the Vilnius-Kaunas highway. Perfectly reconstructed farmsteads from each of these four regions, from singing Dzūkija (southern Lithuania), hardworking Suvalkija (southwestern Lithuania), stubborn Žemaitija (western Lithuania) and sociable Aukštaitija (eastern Lithuania), represent the Lithuania of the 19th century.

It’s fascinating to stroll around these recreated life-sized villages in the rolling countryside with all their old farming tools, thatched cottages, reconstructed interiors and horses and carts.

This sprawling museum comes to life at occasions like Easter and Shrovetide, which are celebrated according to each of the regions’ authentic traditions. Apart from just wandering about, you can do some horse riding, ride on a beautifully decorated horse-drawn cart and, if you’re lucky enough to be here during a national folk holiday, treat yourself to some traditional snacks and drinks.

LITHUANIAN MUSEUM

The Lithuanian Museum opened to the public on April 23, 1989.

Among the exhibits:

Lithuanian Loom. Miniature working model of a

Lithuanian weaving loom rebuilt by Father John Duoba,

MIC. Some of the parts include the siaudykle (shuttle),

seiva (bobbin), nytys (heddles), skietas (reed),

mintuvai (brake), and karstuvai (carder). Also included

in the exhibit is a measure of cloth, hand woven in

Lithuania in 1851 by an unknown weaver from the

Siauliu district.

Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Commerce. The exhibit

features agricultural models built and donated by Marija and

Stasys Kontrimas. The model implements include a pluga (plow),

akecios (harrow), sulinys (well), arklas (wooden plough), volas

(roller), and a working model of a linamine (flax-breaker). Also

included are antique postcards depicting farming scenes. The

commerce and manufacturing exhibit features a unique

collection of items features at the Lithuanian Pavilion of the

1939 New York World's Fair. Note the canned food products

and cheese which were for export to the United States. Also

note other manufactured goods of pre-war Lithuania - soaps,

matches, playing cards, spirits, even the original label drawing for Birute Sparkling

Mineral Water drawn by the famous artist M. Dobuzinskis.

Elena Juciute - Partizan and Siberian Exile. This exhibit is

dedicated to all Lithuanians who have been unjustly deported

to Siberia. Elena Juciute, now deceased, was deported for

15 years for her anti-communist activities. On her release,

Juciute managed to bring out an astonoshing suitcase full of

material related to her years in exile. Exhibited you will find

examples of her crocheting, crafted using a matchstick, hand

made bread dough rosary, intricate wood inlay pictures,

mica-Ieaf booklet, photographs, prisoner identification

numbers worn front and back. All exhibit labels are in Juciutes own handwriting.

Lithuanian Music. Among the materials of the Zilevicius -

Kreivenas Lithuanian Musicology Archives exhibited are an

"armonika" - an accordion-like instrument manufactured in Tilze,

Lithuania in the 1890's; "skuduciai" - folk wind-pipe instruments,

and the baton used by past Lithuanian Song Festival conductors.

Vydunas. The Vydunas Youth Fund organized the exhibit of one

of the foremost Lithuanian philosophers, Vilius Storosta-Vydunas.

Exhibited are the Vydunas death mask, his pen and inkwell, his

father's watch, his tuning fork, J. Pautienius' oil portrait, a

selection of photographs, and a rare complete collection of

Vydunas' works. A reading of Vydunas' works are as applicable today as they were

during Lithuania's independence 70 years ago.

Lithuanian Military. The exhibit includes numerous military identification papers,

insignia, numerous ribbons and medals, and photographs. Also exhibited is a

Lithuanian Army officer's uniform and coat; the Lithuanian American first battalion

cap which was to be used in an aborted attempt by American soldiers to defend

Lithuania; Prof. Dr. Kazys Pakstas' medals; and prof. Augustinas Voldemaras' signed

enlisted soldier's diploma. The Lithuanian World Archives collection contains

numerous military items. The LRSC military collection consultants are Vytenis

Statkus and Henry Gaidis.

M.K. Ciurlionis. One of Lithuania's most famous and talented artists and

composers is represented with an extremely rare example of Ciurlionis' variation of

the music for the Lithuanian national anthem written in his own hand. Many other

Ciurlionis items are contained in the collections of the Lithuanian Archive of

Musicology.

Religion in Lithuania. A unique Lithuanian form of hand-carved folk art can be

found in the cross and monstrance created by Jurgis Pocius, in Pennsylvania in

1886. The intricate pieces are fitted together entirely without glue or nails. The

carved statue of Christ hails from Akmenes parish in Lithuania and is over 100 years

old. A hand carved wooden rosary dates back to 1810. The Marian Fathers have

lent the St. Casimir and the St. George slaying the dragon wooden statues which are

over 200 years old and once graced wayside crosses in Lithuania. A number of rare

prayer books and bibles from the Lithuanian World Archives collection are exhibited,

including the 1816 Bishop Merkelis Giedraitis bible. Along the top of the display is a

photo panorama of Vilnius, Lithuania, circa 1938.

Lithuanian Wayside Crosses. These hand-wrought iron crosses were originally

used at the very tops of wooden wayside crosses in Lithuania and date from the

middle of the 19th century and until 1989 were housed at the Marian Fathers Library

in Connec- ticut. Also exhibited is a rare copy of artist Adomas Varnas' photo album

of Lithuanian wayside crosses.

Lithuanian Rare Books. From the collection of over 113,000 volumes of books and

over 2,200 periodical titles contained in the Lithuanian World Archives, we show

various rare books, published in Lithuania, Prussia, and the United States during the

19th century. Note, also, the extremely rare copy of the Lithuanian Statutes,

published in 1786.

Lithuanian Museum of Medicine. Exhibits include an outstanding collection of

various instruments, diplomas, and personal items associated with famous

Lithuanian doctors. Also exhibited are pharmaceuticals of Lithuanian manufacture,

antique dental equipment, the Red Cross flag of former radio personality Sophie

Barcus, personal items of former Lithuanian president Dr. Kazys Grinius, even the

keys and seal of the Vytautas the Great University Medical Faculty. Also housed is

an extensive collection of Lithuanian medical literature.

Rare Lithuanian Folk Art Prints. Seven extremely rare wood cuts were acquired

by the LRSC in 1989. They are printed on rag paper and overprinted in various

colors. The oldest is dated 1710 and is the oldest known Lithuanian wood-cut. The

graphic arts examples include St. Casimir, Mariazelis Madona, St. Anne, Adam and

Eve, The Last Judgement, St. George, and The Pieta. The graphic arts collection is

co-administered by the LRSC together with the Lithuanian Institute for Fine Arts.

Artist Pranas Domsaitis. Lithuanian artist Pranas Domsaitis worked in Prussia,

Germany and South Africa. He participated in many shows of his works, including

some with the great Marc Chagall. The Lithuanian Institute for Fine Arts has a full

collection of his works. Other artists represented in the Lithuanian Institute for Fine

Arts collection include the works of Viktoras Petravicius and M. Dobuzinskis. Also

housed at the Institute are the complete art archives of the late Casimir Baltramaitis.

Lithuanian Posters. The Lithuanian World Archives contain

a large collection of posters which touch on the social and

political lives of Lithuanians, especially in the United States.

Many are very old and rare. A representative selection displayed

points out the active life of BALF, Lithuanian Opera, Lithuanian

World Youth Congress, Dainava Ensemble, Lithuanian American

Community Cultural Congress and many others.

Lithuanian Photographs. A representative collection of

photographs housed at the Budrys Lithuanian Photo Archives

is displayed. The photos, in their original frames, include those

of the Margutis radio program, Alice Stephens choir, Ausra DP

Ensemble, Cleveland Lithuanian Chorus, St. George's Lithuanian parish school

orchestra, Lithuanian consul general Petras Dauzvardis, and many others.

Monsignor Mykolas Krupavicius. The famous clergyman and

diplomat Mykolas Krupavicius was active in

the Lithuanian political arena for over fifty

years. Displayed are items related to his

religious, diplomatic, and personal life, for

instance his chalice and cross, diplomatic

passports, documents attesting to his

ascendancy to monsignor signed by

Giovanni Baptista Montini, who later

became Pope Paul VI, the cup used by

Krupavicius when he was a Nazi prisoner,

even his hat, cane.

Commemorative Envelopes. The Lithuanian Philatelic Society "Lietuva" presents

a selection of various envelopes issued to commemorate important events in

Lithuanian life.

Lithuanian Currency and Coins. The collection of

currency and coins includes those minted in Lithuania

during its prewar period of freedom, as well as money

that was used during czarist times and Nazi and Soviet

occupations. The collection was assembled by

Dr. J. Rackauskas and Rev. Vaclovas Gutauskas, S.J.

Lithuanian Stamps. The Lithuanian stamps represent part of the collection of the

Lithuanian Philatelic Society "Lietuva". The collection is arranged thematically and so

presents the history of Lithuania. Note the rare stamp issues of Grand Duke

Vytautas, the Lithuanian presidents, Maironis, Basanavicius, Darius and Girenas,

the artist Varnas, and many others. The collection project was completed by the

founder of the Lithuanian Philatelic Society, Ignas Sakalas.

President Aleksandras Stulginskis. Signer of Lithuania's declaration of

independence, president of Lithuania's Constituent Assembly, second and youngest

president of the Republic (1920-1926), and Siberian exile. The biography of

Stulginskis represents that all too brief golden period of independence for Lithuania

from the inception of the Republic in 1918 to the Soviet occupation in 1940. The

items exhibited include personal letters and official documents, photographs,

including the only known one from his years in Siberia, even his last letter written the

day before his death. This collection was donated by the president's daughter Dr.

Aldona Juozevicius.

Varpas 1889-1906. The political, literary, and educational newspaper “Varpas" was

founded by Dr. Vincas Kudirka as an underground publication during the period of

the czarist ban on publication in the Lithuanian language. It was published in Tilsit

and Ragaine, Prussia, and distributed via the famous "knygnesiai" underground

book carriers' network. Almost 450 writers contributed to "Varpas” (The Bell).

Exhibited are the extremely rare original first six years of issues from 1889-1894.

Lithuanian Organization Insignia. Here we find displayed a variety of

commemoratives issued by numerous Lithuanian organizations active in the United

States between 1900 and 1950. The Lithuanian World Archives collection

demonstrates the active presence of Lithuanian-Americans in the political, social and

religious sphere through groups such as the Knights of Lithuania and the Lithuanian

American Roman Catholic Federation. Note also the buttons issued to commemorate

the visit of the now Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis, to aid the transatlantic flight of Darius

and Girenas, and to wear proudly as a contributor to the Lithuanian Foundation.

Lithuanian Parish Organization Ribbons. The ornate antique ribbons represent

the earliest community life of Lithuanian-Americans which centered around the

parish. The collection represents the period 1888 to 1915 and includes the areas of

West Pullman, Illinois, Baltimore, Chicago and the Pennsylvania settlements. The

ribbons have two sides with an ornate clasp, the black side being used to indicate

mourning. The oldest ribbon is from 1888 and represents the Shenandoah,

Pennsylvania "Society of Brotherly Aid of Saints Peter and Paul".

Kazys Bartasius. Master weaver Kazys Bartasius represents the epitome of the

traditional Lithuanian art of weaving. The complete collection, which was donated to

the Lithuanian Research and Studies Center by Mr. and Mrs. Bartasius in 1988,

represents fifty years of weaving art on his unique looms. A small sample of his work

in traditional sashes, runners, placemats and decorative calligraphy are exhibited.

His woven bookmarks were available through the Library of Congress Folk Art

collection and an issue of "American Folk Life Center News," among other

publications, was devoted to his life and work.

Lithuanian Folk Costume. A folk costume from the Kapsai region of Lithuania

represents our traditional folk art form. Each region in Lithuania developed its own

variations of the lovely costume and, of course, each weaver added her own unique

signature so that no two were exactly alike. The costume exhibited was purchased by

artist Magdalena Stankunas at the "Marginiai" store in Kaunas in 1941 and the

blouse and crown were made in England after the war. The display is decorated with

a folk art style ceramic vase and small table by Adomas Vaitkevicius and the complex

traditional "verba" of Vilnius which were carried to mass on Palm Sunday and

decorated the Easter table.