Address
4 Kestucio St, LT-21104, Trakai.
Tel.: +370-528-53941, +370-528-53940, +370-528-53946.
E-mail:
info@trakaimuziejus.lt
http://www.trakaimuziejus.lt
Information
for visitors
Opening times:
May
– September: Monday to Sunday 10–19.
March, April,
October: Tuesday to Sunday 10–18.
November – February:
Tuesday to Sunday 10–17.
Admission:
Adult – 12 Lt;
Senior – 8 Lt;
Pupil and student – 6 Lt.
Guided tours (groups up to 30
persons):
Lithuanian language – 40 Lt (pupils
– 20 Lt);
Foreign language – 50 Lt
Amateur photography within the
territory of the museum – 4 Lt.
Additional services
Ordering excursions;
Organizing lectures;
Organizing festivals.
Museum's collection
Many 16th-17th century tiles, coins, pottery, bone chessmen and
other items were discovered while excavating the Castle site. These are
now exhibited in the Trakai History Museum. The museum also contains
ethnographic and applied art collections.
Expositions
History Exposition
The exposition is installed in
the central palace and covers the period from the oldest times up to the
middle of 20th century. It contains archaeological finds found in the
castles of Trakai and in the Trakai town.
There is a new hall for coin treasures.
Exposition in the Western Casemates of the
Castle
This exposition displays
furniture, pipes, seals, and pocket watches, articles out of porcelain,
glass and bone, hunting trophies from the Museum’s collections.
Karaite Ethnographic Exhibition
Address: 22 Karaimu St, LT-21104, Trakai.
Tel. (+370-528) 55286.
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday
10–18.
Admission: adults – 4 Lt;
pupils and students –
2 Lt.
Guided tours (groups up to 30
persons):
Lithuanian language – 20 Lt (pupils
– 10 Lt);
Foreign language – 30 Lt.
The Karaite Ethnographic Exhibition was
opened in 1967. Most of the exhibits are from the former Karaite History
and Ethnographic Museum, founded in 1938 on the basis of the private
collection of orientalist Professor Seraja Sapsalas, (1873–1961). The
exhibition contains illuminating material on the history and life and
applied arts of the Karaites, one of Lithuania’s ethnic minorities.
Exposition of Sacral Art
Address:
Kęstučio g. 4, Trakai.
(The former
chapel of Dominicans).
Tel.: (+370-528)
53941, (+370-528) 53945.
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday 10–18.
Admission: adults – 4 Lt;
pupils and students – 2 Lt.
There are exhibited unique samples of church art.
Exhibitions
Exhibitions from museum’s
collections are being prepared at the museum. Museum is co-operating with
other Lithuanian museums and collectors.
Cultural, educational activity
Organizing excursions.
The Museum’s workers give a special lesson for pupils under the name “In
the castle of the Trakai island” and a crossword.
Museum's Departments
History Department.
Public Relations and Educative Department.
Medininkai Castle Department.
Archaeology Department.
Karaite Department.
Department of Protection.
Public Museums
Schools’ museums of Trakai City,
Aukstadvaris, and Road Museum of Vievis are under the warship of the
museum.
Other news about the Museum
Founded in 1948, the museum is
situated in Trakai Castle, a unique ensemble of fortification
architecture. The construction of the Castle was begun in the second half
of the 14th century and completed by Grand Duke Vytautas at the beginning
of the 15th century. In the 15th century the Castle was the residence of
Lithuania’s sovereigns. During the 1654-1667 war with Moscow the Castle
was destroyed. The exploration and restoration of the Trakai Castle
ensemble have been going on since 1951.
Museum’s founder is Ministry of Culture of Republic of Lithuania.
Museum’s Director is Virgilijus Poviliunas.
Seraja
Sapsalas
S. Sapsalas (May 8, 1873 in
Bachcisaraj (Crimea) - November 18, 1961 in Vilnius).
The most outstanding Karaite-born scientist, he witnessed the tolerance of
the Lithuanian State to inhabitants of other nationalities. In 1932 he, in
co-operation with some others, founded the Society of Karaite History and
Literature Admirers in Vilnius, in 1941-1951 he directed the Museum of
Karaite History and Ethnography, and donated a great amount of collected
exhibits (1,323 books, 213 manuscripts and 803 others). He published works
on the history, culture and linguistics of the Crimean Chanate, Karaites
and other Oriental nations. One of the compilers and editors of the Karaite-Russian-Polish
Dictionary.
Trakai
Trakai is small town in
southeastern Lithuania, 23-km southwest of Vilnius. It is built on a
narrow, elongated peninsula dividing Lakes Galve, Totoriskiai and Luka.
These lakes form part of an interconnected group that consists of at least
30 larger or smaller lakes.
Trakai is mentioned for the first time in the Lithuanian Chronicles in
1322.
Several years later (ca 1328) Trakai became the domain of Grand Prince
Kestutis, who built a new Castle on the lake-washed peninsula. This castle
and the town emerging around it became the seat of a large principality
that embraced most
Western and central Lithuania. Trakai acquired
especially great fame after Kestutis’ son Vytautas became grand prince
(1392-1430).
Following the Polish administrative pattern, the principalities of Vilnius
and Trakai were reorganized into palatinates composed of districts in
1413. Palatines of Trakai and their assistants, the castellans, were
appointed from among prominent magnate families - Gostautas, Kesgailas,
Radvilas, Oginski, Sapieha and others.
When Lithuania was joined to the Russian empire (1795), the palatinate of
Trakai was abolished and its territory devoted among the newly created
provinces of Vilnius, Gardinas, and Kaunas.
After World War I the district of Trakai was cut in half by the
demarcation line between Lithuania and Poland. The western part remained
in Lithuania with Kaisiadorys as the administrative center. The eastern
part, together with the town of Trakai itself, fell to Poland and was
assigned to the Vilnius-Trakai district. Since Vilnius became the district
seat, Trakai ceased to have any administrative role. Nevertheless, the
Polish government established teachers’ college, propagated tourism and
water sports, and began restoring the castle ruins (1929).
When Lithuania recovered a portion of the Vilnius territory, including
Trakai, in 1939, restoration work was continued before being interrupted
by World War II and the attendant Soviet and German occupations. Recently
it has been resumed under Soviet rule.
Photos by Viktoras
Neliubinas
