the museum of druskininkai town

Contacts
Address: M. K. Čiurlionio g. 59, LT-66164 Druskininkai.
Tel. (+370 ~ 313) 51 024.
E-mail: muziejus[at]druskininkai.lt
http://www.druskininkumuziejus.lt/lt/muziejus
Director – Gintaras Dumčius.

Information for visitor
Museum is closed for reconstruction until December 2013.

Access:
the Museum is fitted for visitors with mobility impairments.

Collection
The museum’s collection includes art works, books, and exhibits of Druskininkai town and area history.

Exposition

First physicians in Druskininkai
Very first publications about the 19th century Druskininkai and unique materials from the collections of the Vilnius University Manuscript Department concerning activities of the first few physicians of the resort (A. Renje, K. Volfgang, J. Pilecki, K. Chonski and others) are presented. Physicians’ manuscripts, printings, fragments of books, portraits can be seen on the exposition. One can acquaint with contemporary methods of healing, diets, kumis making in Druskininkai and other doctors’ indications for patients. Exposition also contains instrumentation of the 19th century physician borrowed from the Museum of History of Lithuania Medicine and Pharmacy. One can also take a look at a upholstered fragment of the manipulation treatment room of the beginning of the 20th century.

Recess of entertainment in the 19th century Druskininkai
The town of Druskininkai of the 19th century was famous not only for its watering-places but also for its plenty and variety of seasonal leisure activities. It used to be one of the most popular resorts in all over Russian Empire, a place which became popular among contemporary enlightened and aristocratic people. Among diets, prohibited food and drink products 19th century physicians in their medical notes included another evil – a list of harmful entertainment forms. Excessive gambling was noticed by many chroniclers of the time. Some 19th century posters of theater, circus and concert performances that took place in Druskininkai, card table, mechanical music box, furniture of the 19th century, accessory of clothing (silver ring “Druzgieniki”, female handbag, male wallet) and similar exhibits are on display.

Interwar Druskininkai
The exposition tells a story about the town of Druskininkai during 1920–1939 and its guests, Polish Marshal Pilsudski, park of healing by the sun, fresh air and motion founded by contemporary doctor Eugenia Lewicka. Authentic items of that time such as sunbonnets, apparel, handbags, souvenir boxes and souvenirs from Druskininkai, photographs, postcards, commercials of local hotels and villas and a mini recess of a local restaurant of that time can be seen. In 2005 the exposition was visited by the President of the Republic of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski and the President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus.

Druskininkai in old maps and documents
The exposition presents the most interesting part of the documental, iconographic and cartographic material concerning the moments of Druskininkai town foundation and development stages copied from the Lithuanian archives and museums. One is also able to see some works of Kanutas Ruseckas (1800-1860), Alfred Römer and a portrait of Stanislaw August Poniatowski painted by an unknown artist of the 19th century. These were the artists that used to depict Druskininkai. Besides, pictures from the collection of the Lithuanian Academy of Science: A. Riomer’s album from his trip to Druskininkai and K. Ruseckas’ paintings and pictures of Druskininkai town being under construction in 1837 are displayed. In 2005 another historically relevant document was added to the exposition of the Museum – an obligatory letter of Stanisław August Poniatowski asking to inform him about salty places of the Kingdom written in 1788.

First physicians in Druskininkai	Interwar Druskininkai	Recess of entertainment in the 19th century Druskininkai	Druskininkai in old maps and documents	Visitors of Druskininkai health resort in the 19th century

Exposition of Lithuanian emigrant artists’ works from the collection of P. Vilčinskis
Works of A. Galdikas, V. Vizgirda, R. Viesulas, A. Tamošaitis, V. Ignas, V. K. Jonynas, K. Žoromskis, Č. Janušas, A. Taimošaitienė, V. Krištolaitytė and other Lithuanian emigrants are on display. There is also a museum library-reading room upholstered.

Visitors of Druskininkai health resort in the 19th century
Ilustrations from Vasilij von Rothkirch’s manuscript “Sketchbook of Druskininkai ” (1854) banned by tzarist regime because its too abrasive attitude to the peculiarities of  nobility’s „health caring“ are presented in this exposition. Pictures reflect some special recreational activities of resorts’ guests such as gambling, dancing, theater, gossip, excessive preening or short-term love affairs.

Tradition of mineral water drinking in Druskininkai
Old pictures and paintings with scenes nearby mineral springs are exhibited. One can also admire a collection of water-bottles of various historical periods.

Exhibitions
Exhibitions of art, children pictures are organized in the museum.

Other news
The museum was opened in 2000.