MUSEUMS OF
UTENA DISTRICT
Museum
of Horse-Breeding
The museum is located in Uzpaliai
area, Bajorai village. This is a private museum, established in 1970. The
agronomist Viktorija Jovariene for many years has been collecting
everything that related to horse and agriculture, plant-growing, and sport
- harness, bridles, saddles, wheels, horseshoes, bells, etc. The exhibits
were collected not only in Utena district, but also in many neighbouring
as well as remote Lithuanian villages. Among them, there is a badge
collection on the subject of horse, prewar years’ postcards,
engravings, national symbols, clothes, coaches, buggies, ‘kalamaskos’
(a sort of a light horse cart), little horse carts, sledges, sleighs,
pictures, sculptures, etc. The total number of exhibits amounts to 2000.
On the occasion of holidays, the horses are saddled up and harnessed to
the most beautiful carriages - ‘lineikos’ (horse carts
originating from Lithuania’s Highlands - Aukstaitija region).
When the preparation is over, the museum visitors are taken for a drive in
these carriages.
History
Museum of Daugailiai Region
Established in Daugailiai Main
School in 1988, the museum stands out from the rest of the district’s
public museums as the richest in its equipment and the number of
accumulated exhibits. The museum was founded by the teacher R.
Jurkeviciene, the school’s headmaster S. Dervinis, and the priest of
Daugailiai parish, P. Baltuska. For many years, teachers and pupils have
been collecting the exhibits. Also, a number of the displayed objects are
being contributed to the museum by the country-people and their family
members living abroad. The museum’s interior was designed by V.Zaranka,
an architect of Leliunai origin, and equipped by Vilnius Art Enterprise.
Museum
of Ilciukai School
The initiator of this
ethnographical museum was the teacher Palmyra Sirvydyte. With the help of
local ethnographers, she collected a number of valuable exhibits. After
the privatization of the school’s premises, the museum was transferred
from Ilciukai to Uzpaliai in 1994, and its exhibits were included into the
museum of Uzpaliai region - ‘Dausuva’.
Ethnography
Museum of Kaniukai Village (Uzpaliai Area)
The museum was founded in Kaniukai
Primary School’s premises in 1998. The headmaster of Uzpaliai Secondary
School Giedrius Indrasius supported the idea of the museum’s
establishment and provided it with the necessary rooms and other
significant assistance. A retired Lithuanian teacher, the well-known
ethnographer Palmyra Sirvydyte, donated the museum’s first copious and
valuable exhibits.
Ona Bukeriene, Laima and Jeronimas Juskai, Janina and Povilas Keraminai,
Gediminas Kubiliunas and others presented most of the museum’s exhibits,
which had been used 100-150 years ago. As early as 1996 the then librarian
Aldona Indrasiene, the worker of Cultural Centre Vida Juskiene, the
teachers Ona Sirvydiene and Regina Abukauskiene had initiated the museum’s
foundation.
Of the two rooms that are allocated to the museum, the first one presents
household utensils, such as troughs, ‘gorcius’ (a sort of a canteen),
rolling-pins, irons, tools for flax processing, water-pots, tea-kettles,
etc. In the larger room, a 19th-century weaving machine, a bed, a table, a
spinning wheel, thread twisting instruments and other utensils are
installed. In addition, old-time Lithuanian newspapers, such as ‘Ausra’
(‘The Dawn’), ‘Varpas’ (‘The Bell’) and
others, textbooks, books, prayer books, documents and the like are
displayed in the museum.
Ethnography
Museum of Krasuona Main School
In 1995 an ethnography museum was
founded in Utena, Krasuona Main School. The founders of the museum were
the teachers Vita Bujanauskiene and L. Jovariene. The exhibits were
collected and donated by the school’s pupils, their parents,
grandparents and the teachers themselves. The objects displayed in the
museum include agricultural equipment, house holding utensils and
articles, ancient books, cloths, etc.
Museum
of Leliunai Region
For several years already, the
teachers and pupils of Leliunai Secondary School have been collecting and
accumulating exhibits for the museum of their region’s history. Among
the exhibits of the museum are old-time textbooks, magazines, photographs,
press clippings, memoirs, etc.
Museum
of Forest Peculiarities
While rambling through the
Vyzuonos woods, a resident of Utena, Jonas Juozelskis started to collect
every sort of forest peculiarities: atypically grown tree branches, roots,
and the lumps of old birches. Out of these peculiar objects Jonas
Juozelskis had created a lot of different animal figures, vases, ashtrays,
even original furniture. He had also carved many little wooden sculptures
- hedgehogs, tortoises, snakes, swans, etc. The exhibits are located
in Jonas’ flat in Utena, Aukstakalnis micro district.
Memorial
Museum of the Professor Antanas Kavolelis
In Sudeikiai Main School (Utena
district) a would-be scholar, the professor Antanas Kavolelis (7/17/1938 -
6/21/1987) had received his education. In this school, the widow of the
professor, Mrs. Kavoleliene established his memorial museum, which
displays many personal belongings of the professor.
Museum
- Cottage
In 1980, one of the earliest
agronomists of an independent Lithuania, Stanislovas Petkevicius, founded
a museum-cottage in his own cottage in Buitunai village (Kuktiskes area).
He had collected various machines, sledges, household articles and a
plenty of boulders. The total number of the exhibits is over 200. The
museum is private.
Ethnography
Museum of Sudeikiai Main School
In 1975 an ethnography museum was
established in Sudeikiai Main School. The museum’s founders and
superintendents were the teacher Ona Pusliene and the former headmaster
Stanislovas Karalius. Next to the museum a ‘countrymen room’
was also formed. The exhibits were accumulated by the pupils and the
residents of the area. Over five hundred of household utensils, the
photographs of famous countrymen, work instruments, etc. have been
collected in the museum.
History
Museum of Vyturiai Secondary School
In 1996, in Utena Vyturiai
Secondary School the history museum of the school was established. The
teacher Raisa Sapnova has arranged the museum’s exposition. At the
present time she accumulates various photographs, documents and keeps a
record of the school’s chronicle.
Museum
of Vyzuonos Secondary School
In 1975, a museum of the guerrilla
detachment ‘Ausra’ (‘Dawn’) was founded in Vyzuonos Secondary
School. The museum, which presented 338 exhibits, was closed in 1989 by
reason of not serving its present purpose and historicity. The former
museum exposition is preserved in the above-mentioned school.
Museum
of 1863 Revolt
In
1993, during the celebration of the 130th anniversary of 1863 revolt, a roof-pillar
(author J.Patejunas) was unveiled near
the Mincia Mill in Mincia village (Tauragnai area), and the
museum’s display in the mill was inaugurated.
The Mincia Mill serves as a relaxation place for the company of Utena
Electrical Systems. A resident of Utena Algirdas Kulys (himself
originating from Mincia area) is the initiator and founder of the museum’s
establishment as well as its ‘fund of the exhibits’.
In 1863, in the Mincia Mill the rebels cast their bullets, in Mincia woods
they fought the czar army. In the same place a rebel detachment, leaded by
K. Maleckis, had stayed for some time. Thus, the museum display is
situated in the authentic location of 1863 revolt. The museum is private.
Bell
Collection of Valentine Simonelis
Valentine Simonelis has an
interesting collection of bells. The idea to collect bells came up in
1972, when he was serving in the Soviet Army in Czechoslovakia. After the
military service, V. Simonelis had accumulated over 300 varied-size bells
from many different places. At the beginning of the Revival Movement, the
collector had donated a number of bells to the belfries of Biliakiemis
Church, Utena Church, Sts.Johns’ Church ensemble (six bells), Vilnius
University, Klojimas Theatre (‘Barn Theatre’). The most admirable bell
of his collection V. Simonelis had presented to Father Stanislovas.
