Communication Development Museum

Contacts
Address: Rotušės a. 19, LT-44279, Kaunas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 37) 42 49 20.
Fax (+370 ~ 37) 42 43 44.
E-mail: rysiumuziejus@teo.lt
http://www.rysiumuziejus.teo.lt
Director – Giedrė Mikaitienė.

Information for Visitor

Opening hours:
Wednesday – Sunday 10–18.

Admission:
adults – 5 Lt; 
pupils – 3 Lt;
students, pensioners – 2,5 Lt;
child under 7, disabled – free.

Guided tours:
adults – 25 Lt;
pupils, students – 15 Lt.

Access:
entrances of the museum are fitted for visitors with mobility impairments.

Additional Services
Guided tours.
Artists, researches, inventors and other creative people are kindly invited to organize exhibitions, events, concerts, conferences and presentations of new creative projects at the Museum's premises.
The events can be organized in the big hall (200 places) and two smaller halls (50 places), whereas in summer they could take place in closed cosy yards.

Collection
The museum contains collections of postal documents, stamps, and 20th century communications technology.
At the Museum's exposition and funds are accumulated more than 400 units about Lithuania's and other nations' developments of connections mail, radio, telegraph, telephone information exponents, documents, photos. A selection of postage stamps is constantly exhibited.

Expositions

Sources of the Lithuanian Post
Lithuanian rulers such as Mindaugas (c.1240–1263), Gediminas (c.1316–1341) and Algirdas (1345–1377) had a system of envoys and sent letters to the Pope, to various German cities, and even to far-off Constantinople."
In 1562, Great Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Zygimantas Augustas granted to Kristupas Taksius "a privilege" to deliver a post from Krakow to Vilnius. The post routes stretched from Vilnius eastwards and from Krakow - to other European cities.
In 1795, when the Russian Empire annexed Lithuania, the roads became very important due to the connections between St Petersburg, the Empire's capital, and West European countries. In 1830-1835, typical horse-based post stations were built along the highway St Petersburg – Warsaw. There were 25 of them in Lithuania.
In 1918, when Lithuania declared its independence, the independent system of the state post was being developed. The first Lithuanian stamps were issued at the same year.
Postage stamps have their own history, they reflect the main events of the state and could be an object for collecting.
The Museum, contains stamps of Lithuania and other countries. It also organizes thematic exhibitions of stamps.

Development of Communication Technologies
Before invention of the main communication means, the optical communication technologies have already been used in the world.
In 1839, the optical telegraph line St Petersburg-Warsaw, the longest one in the world, was laid through the territory of Lithuania. Shortly, this optical communication system was replaced by the electromagnetic telegraph invented by Samuel Morse, the American inventor.
In 1882, the first telephone line in Lithuania Kretinga-Plunge-Rietavas was laid in former Kaunas province.
In 1896, the first telephone switching exchange was constructed in Vilnius.
In 1910, the military garrison of Kaunas started using the spark radio telegraph.
In 1926, the following words of the first radio station in Kaunas were broadcast to the public: "Hello, hello Kaunas is speaking".
In 1935, the automatic telephone exchange (ATS) was built in Klaipeda. It was the first step towards the automation of communication technologies. Electromechanic ATS replaced the old-fashioned commutators, which helped the operators to connect subscribers.
In 1970, crossbar telephone exchanges started their operation in Lithuania.
Quasi-electronic equipment came into use in the last decades of the 20th century. Long distance calls and digital multichanell communication systems were automated as well.
In 1991, the first fibre optic cable was laid between Vilnius and Kaunas. This was the important beginning of the application of new communication technologies.
With the use of high-speed electronic systems, means of communication continued to advance, starting with underground optical cables, fibre optic systems and ending with satellites.

Electronic Computing Machines as First Computers
The electronic computing machine (ECM0 is one of the most amazing inventions of mankind. It replaced the abacus which was invented 1500 years ago. Lithuanian electronic computing machines manufactured by Vilnius Sigma such as "Rūta 110" and "P 701" as well as computing machines manufactured in Eastern Europe are exhibited in the Museum. One of the most interesting examples of global information technologies is a calculator manufactured by Hewlett Packard in 1973 with some characteristics of the computer.

Exhibitions
The museum organizes exhibitions of philately, philocartely, numismatics, painting, design, trades and technology heritage collections.

History of the Museum
The museum is housed in the former 19th century postal buildings.
In 1825 a Mail Department was set up there with a post office, mail coaches, stables and lodging rooms for passengers.
From 1898 to 1936 a City Museum was in operation there, headed (1906–1919) by Tadas Daugirdas (1852–1919), a public figure and archaeologist.
After the Second World War, Soviet Army Aviation unit occupied the museum complex for a long period. At that time the museum complex was not being restored. At the start of 9th decade, due to the initiative and funding by the Ministry of Communications the Museum's complex was restored. Project author Saulė Mickevičienė maintained original plan and architectural authenticity of the complex.
Museum of Postal Services, Telecommunications and Informatics was opened on March 10th in 1994.
The first exponents were donated by Telecom, post offices, the firm "Telephonservice" and workers of the Ministry of Communications.
In 2001 the museum renamed in Communication Development Museum.
Founder of the Museum is TEO LT.