Vaclovas Intas Museum of Rare Stones

Contacts
Address: Salantų g. 2, Mosėdis LT-98271, Skuodo rajonas.
Tel./fax (+370 ~ 440) 76 352.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 440) 76 291, (+370 ~ 440) 76 311 (director).
E-mail: direktorius@akmenumuziejus.lt
http://www.akmenumuziejus.lt/
Director – Evaldas Razgus.

Information for Visitor

Opening hours:
1st May to 31st October:
Monday to Sunday 10–20.
1st November to 30th April:
Monday to Friday 8–17.

Admission:
adults – 5 Lt;
pupils, students, pensioners – 2 Lt;
disabled – free.

Guided tour:
lithuanian language – 20 Lt;
foreign language – 30 Lt.

Collection
The Museum of Rare Stones stores rich collections of unique stones of Lithuania.
The collection of more than 150 000 stones and pebbles is exposed, including rock boulders from the Baltic region, widespread in the North, East, Middle and West Lithuania.
The biggest stone of the Museum weighs 50 tons, the smallest hardly some grams.
The Museum also accumulates tree-sections from trees growing in Lithuania.

Expositions

Chamber mineralogical petrographical exposition of stones
It presents classified rock fragments, geological maps, displays rare stones.
The exposition represents in a close form the typical boulders of crystal rocks of various types from the glacial epoch, which are found in Lithuania.

Field exposition
The exposition is laid out by origin of stones in the area of 8 ha. The rock boulders from the East, Middle
and West Finland, from the bottom of the Finnish Gulf, from the Aland Isles, from the bottom of the Botnic Bay, from the South, Middle, North Sweden, which traveled to Lithuania during the glacial epoch (approximately before 700 000-13 000 years) are laid out in a consecutive geographical order.

Cultural, educational activity
Educational activities designed to reveal the ethnocultural and practical importance of the erratic boulders of Lithuania.
Organizing of various events.

Vaclovas Intas
Vaclovas Intas (1925–2007) is the establisher of the Museum of Rare Stones
In 1955 he graduated from the Kaunas Medical Institute and started working at the Mosėdis Hospital.
V. Intas brought plants of 1 300 species from the Soviet Union’s botanical gardens and decorated the whole Mosėdis.
From 1957 he started collecting stones.
Since 1971 big stones formed the Museum of Stones.
V. Intas was and still is assisted by many people who helped to establish and further develop the Museum.
The establisher was awarded by numerous diplomas, letters of honor and thanks.

Mosėdis
The town of Mosėdis was first mentioned in the Crusaders’ written documents in 1253. When the Lithuanian State was first coming into existence, it belonged to the Ceklis district. The area had few inhabitants and much of its areas were covered with forests. In the 16th and 17th centuries, these forests began to be cut down.
The town first stood on the hill on the southern bank of the Bartuva River. In the 15th century, the settlement belonged to the Bishop of the Lowlands.
In 1551, the first wooden church was build. At that time, the settlement spread to Baltic Sea and areas of current day Latvia. In 1783, the Church of St. Mykolas Archangelas was built. Construction was completed in 1884 when the towers were made taller.
In 1841, the town had 709 inhabitants, many of whom were Jews.
In 1907 fire greatly destroyed the town. Again on June 6, 1962, fire destroyed the town’s center. The damaged area was rebuilt with brick, and trees and greenery were painted everywhere. This area became the town’s most frequently visited spot.

Illustrations from the Museum's funds