Opening times
October – May:
Tuesday – Sunday 11.00–17.00.
June – September:
Tuesday – Sunday 10.00–17.00.
Additional services
Excursions can be booked by telephone +370-37-323603.
Museum's collection
The museum collections: works by M. K. Ciurlionis and his memorabilia, Lithuanian folk art, 17th-20th century fine and applied art, Ancient Egypt art, foreign fine and applied art, numismatics.
Archives of folk art and art life of Lithuania.
The best collections are presented to public in exhibitions and permanent expositions, which are arranged in 9 branch museums.
Expositions
Pictorial and Graphic Art of M. K.
Čiurlionis
The exposition features a great number of paintings of
the profound Lithuanian artist M.K. Čiurlionis
(1875–1911).
In the music hall the visitors can listen to the recordings of M.K.Čiurlionis’
music and also enjoy live piano music.
Lithuanian Ancient Art (16th-19th c.)
The exposition has been removed due to the reconstruction
works of the roof of the building.
Lithuanian Art at the Beginning of the
20th Century (The Oeuvre of ARS movement, Kaunas Art School)
The exposition has been removed due to the reconstruction
works of the roof of the building.
Lithuanian Folk Art
The exposition has been removed due to the reconstruction
works of the roof of the building.
Exhibitions
Exhibitions of art, folk art, photo documents, history of culture, numismatics are organized in the museum.
The museum organizes exhibitions in different countries of the world: Japan, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Italy etc.
Information about exhibitions can be obtained by telephone: +370-37-221779.
Cultural, educational activity
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Organization of various events;
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Organization of conferences;
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Organization of concerts;
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Delivering lectures;
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Organization of specialized studies for children and young people.
Museum's departments
M. K. Ciurlionis department;
Department of fine arts;
Department of folk art;
Department of applied arts;
Department of numismatics;
Department of M. Zilinskas collection.
Specialised departments
Department of education;
Department of Information;
Department of museum documentation and photo archives.
Publishing department;
Department for restoration;
Department for organisation of exhibitions;
Library.
Branch Museums
M. K. Ciurlionis Art Museum
Mykolas Zilinskas Art Gallery
Kaunas Picture Gallery
Historical Presidential Palace of Lithuania
Ceramics Museum
Devils’ Museum
M. K. Ciurlionis Memorial Museum
Antanas Zmuidzinavicius Memorial Museum
The Galaune Family House
Liudas Truikys and Marijona Rakauskaite Museum
Juozas Zikaras Museum
Vytautas Kazimieras Jonynas Gallery
Museum's history fragments
The Museum was founded in 1921. In 1925 the temporary M. K. Ciurlionis Gallery was opened. In 1936 it was converted into Vytautas the Great Museum of Culture and was transferred to the new premises. In 1944 it was renamed the M. K. Ciurlionis Art Museum. In 1969 the museum was expanded and the gallery of works by
M. K. Ciurlionis was opened in the extension.
Other news about the Museum
Founder of the museum - Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania.
Director of the museum - Osvaldas Daugelis.
Historical Survey of Kaunas
People have been living since long, long ago in the place where present day Kaunas stands, at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers. The chroniclers mention the settlement, which grew up to Kaunas town, in 1361. Toward the end of the 13h century, with the purpose to defend itself from the Crusaders' attacks a brick castle was built and became an important part of the town defense system. After Vytautas the Great granted the Magdeburg rights to the town, Kaunas began to grow at a greater pace, the importance of the town as the center and the port for the trade with Western Europe increased. With the signing of Hansa agreement in 1441 the merchants of Hansa town opened an office, which was active until 1532. Already in the 15th century the first school, public hospital, chemist's shop were opened. At the end of that century Kaunas became one of the best-formed towns of the Lithuanian Kingdom.
17-18th centuries were especially unfavorable to the town. The reasons of it were various disasters: attacks by Russian army in 1665, Swedish march to Russia in 1701 during which the Lithuanian land was devastated, plaque in 1657 and 1708, and fires in 1731 and 1732.
At the end of the 18th century Kaunas economics revived until the war of 1812 fell and Napoleon army crossed the Nemunas River in Kaunas. The town was devastated twice during that war. The end of the 18th century's famous of many achievements that supported the development of the town industry and trade - Oginsky canal that connected the Nemunas and Dnieper rivers was opened, railway connecting Russian Empire and Germany was built in 1862, the first power plant began to function in 1898. However, the construction of the forts around Kaunas, which lasted from 1882 to 1915, impeded the growth of the town. The First World War stemmed the further development of Kaunas. The representatives of various nationalities and authorities governed Kaunas until 1919.
When Russian occupied Vilnius in 1919, the State Council and Cabinet of Ministers were established in Kaunas. In 1920, when Poland broke the Suvalki agreement and occupied Vilnius, Kaunas became the temporary capital and the most important city of Lithuania. In the same year a Constituent Seimas gathered in Kaunas and laid the basis for the country's legal system. Kaunas expanded greatly, the population increased significantly, industry flourished and many main industry branches of Lithuania were developed the years of independence. Construction prospered, many buildings were reconstructed, new significant architectural monuments emerged, and bridges were built across the Nemunas and Neris rivers, linking the neighborhoods of Aleksotas and Vilijampole with the center. In 1924 the first busses appeared in Kaunas, and in 1928 plumbing was installed. However, this period of the city prosperity was ceased by the damages made by soviet occupation.
When Vilnius regained the title of the capital city after the war, Kaunas became the second biggest city in accordance to the size and population. The city, devastated by the war, was under reconstruction, but the same time soviet occupants started to demolish and destroy everything that reminded the life of the independent Lithuania. One of the first public protests against the Soviet rule was in 1972, when Romas Kalanta set himself on fire in the square in front of the Musical Theater of Kaunas.
In 1988, upon the rising of the liberation movement, many city sights were revived: street, square and museum names were returned, many monuments of independence times were restored. When the Soviet army attempted to encroach upon the newly independent Lithuania in 1991, the residents of Kaunas kept watch at the Sitkunai radio and television transmitter, willing to give their lives for their country's freedom. After the Soviet Army was with drawn from Lithuania, all sorts of opportunities for the developments and co-operation with foreign countries opened for the city. The people of Kaunas will never forget the Pope's visit to Kaunas. Today Kaunas is the second biggest city in Lithuania and the center of Kaunas County.
Illustrations from the collections of the National M. K.
Ciurlionis Museum of Art
