zarasai area Museum

Contacts
Address: D. Bukonto g. 21/1, LT-32132, Zarasai.
Tel. (+370 ~ 385) 52 456, (+370 ~ 385) 52 596.
Fax (+370 ~ 385) 52 456.
E-mail: muziejus@zarasai.lt
http://www.zarasai.lt/muziejus/
Director – Ilona Vaitkevičienė. 

Information for Visitor

Opening hours:
Wednesday to Sunday 10–18.

Admission:
free entrance.

Guided tour – 10–30 Lt.

Additional services:
guided tours;
possibility provided to teachers, students, pupils, and ethnographers to use material of the research archive of the museum;
Permanent exhibition-sale (folk art, books etc.).

Collection
The main collections of the museum: collection of history, the written language and photography, ethnography, art, folk art, numismatics.

Expositions

Zarasai Area History from the early 19th Century until 1940
This exposition is arranged in the first hall of the museum. It acquaints with the development of Zarasai town, the period of czarism, the culture, religion, historical-political development of that time. One can also see exhibits exhaustively reflecting the development of the industry, agriculture, education, culture and the activity of public organizations of Zarasai land in 1918–1940.

Ethnographic Exposition
The exposition focuses on the development of cattle breeding, agriculture, flax processing, peasant life-style and handicrafts.
The exposition of the second hall displays household articles and working tools of peasants of the land. In one part of the hall a storeroom is arranged where furniture and textile characteristic of Salakas environs are exhibited.

Sacral Sculpture of the Eastern Aukštaitija (Upper Lithuania)
The exposition is displayed in the third hall of the museum. 

Mikas Šileikis Gallery

Exhibitions
The museum has a well-appointed exhibition hall of 80 sq. where various exhibitions and other events are organized every month.
Exhibitions of art, earthenware, textile, church art, hunting trophies are arranged in the museum, as well as thematic historical exhibitions to commemorate anniversaries.

Cultural, educational activity
The museum has a well-appointed exhibition hall of 80 sq.m. where various exhibitions and other events are organized every month.
Exhibitions of art, earthenware, textile, church art, hunting trophies are arranged in the museum, as well as thematic historical exhibitions to commemorate anniversaries.

Branch Museums

The Stelmužė Ecclesiastical Art Museum
Address: Stelmužės kaimas, LT-32295, Zarasų rajonas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 385) 52 456.
More information >

Kazimieras Būga Museum
Address: Pažiegės kaimas, Dusetos LT-32310, Zarasų rajonas.
Tel. +370 672 73406.
Opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday 10–19, Sunday and National Holiday Eve 10–18.
Closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, National Holiday Eve, the last day of the month.
Addmission – free of charge.
The museum opened in 1965 in the birthplace of Prof. Kazimieras Būga (1879-1924), the famous linguist and founder of Lithuanian and Baltic Studies in Lithuania.
The exhibition tells the story of Kazimieras Būga's  life, linguistic research and public activities. Books published by Kazimieras Būga, manuscripts of the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language, and personal belongings of the Buga family are on display.

Public Museums

Zarasai Energetic Museum
Address: Tiltiškių kaimas, Salako seniūnija, LT-4780 Zarasų rajonas.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 385) 45 572, (+370 ~ 385) 30 890.
More information >

Memorial Museum of the Poet Antanas Vienažindys
Address: Gipėnų kaimas, Antazavės seniūnija, Zarasų rajonas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 385) 50 077.
More information >

Dusetos K. Būga Secondary School Local Lore Museum
Address: Vytauto g. 39, Dusetos, LT-4792 Zarasų rajonas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 385) 56 531.
More information >

"Ąžuolas" Gymnasium Local Lore Museum

Paulius Širvys Secondary School Local Lore Museum

Degučiai Basic School Museum

Suviekas Basic School Local Lore Museum

History of the Museum
The first museum in Zarasai was opened in 1934 on the initiative of the teacher Stasys Jauniskis (1898-1965). In 1987 it was transformed into the Zarasai Area Museum.
In 1934 historical material was started being collected. 
On November 17, 1934 Zarasai area museum was opened in the premises of Zarasai pro-gymnasium. After the school was moved to another place, the whole stone building was given to the museum. Divisions of numismatics, archaeology, folk art, press, remnants of the Great War and nature found place in it. The museum had accumulated about 2 000 exhibits then.
In 1935 the museum was given at the Board's of Zarasai district disposal. At that time a teacher A. Rapolis took care of the museum.
After World War II only one dresser with several exhibits remained. The museum had no permanent premises so it was moved from one place to another.
In 1963 the museum was closed by the order of the Minister of Culture and its exhibits were transferred to Rokiskis ethnographic museum. 
In 1969 Marytė Melnikaitė memorial museum was opened in the school building; it became a branch of Rokiskis ethnographic museum.
In 1987 the museum was named Zarasai area museum and actually had to start its development anew.
Founder of the museum is Municipality of Zarasai Region.

Zarasai Region
Zarasai region lies in the very north of Lithuania. The northern part borders on Latvian Republic and the eastern part borders on Byelorussia. The closest neighbors are the regions of Ignalina, Utena and Rokiskis. It covers the area of 1339 km²; there live about 25 thousand inhabitants. 
There are 304 lakes in Zarasai region. The biggest lakes cover several thousand of hectares and the smallest (without names) occupy hardly half a hectare area. The biggest river of the region is the Sventoji and the greatest lakes are Drukšiai, Luodis, Sartai, and Avilys. The lakes are abundant with fish; there are many fur-bearing animals in them. 
The greatest treasures of Zarasai region are woods. They cover almost one third of the whole territory. They provide not only timber but they are rich with mushrooms, berries, wild birds and animals.
330 historical and cultural monuments scattered all over the region tell about the past, struggles, tortures, dreams and expectations of this region people. Among these monuments 29 are historical. 71 archaeological monuments, among them 31 are sites of ancient settlements, are registered in Zarasai region.
There are many nature monuments in Zarasai region. After turning from the Rokiskis highway to the North and passing 10km we arrive to Stelmuze. The oldest tree in Europe, Stelmuze oak, grows here. Dimensions of the oak produce an impression: it's not very high (23m), but a girth of a trunk is 3m at 13,5m height.
The climate here is continental, southwestern winds predominates. It is somewhat moderate because of the lakes (when not frozen) and woods.
The landscape of Zarasai is very spectacular and fitting for rest and tourism.