Address
21/1 D. Bukonto St, LT-32132, Zarasai.
Tel. +370-385-52456.
Fax: +370-385-52456.
E-mail: muziejus@zarasai.lt
Web-site:
http://www.mmlab.ktu.lt/mmlab/ZarasaiE/zkm.htm
Information
for visitors
Opening hours:
Wednesday to Sunday 10.00-18.00.
Admission:
Charge - Lt 2 / child under 7, pupils, students, pensioners
- Lt 1.
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 (paintings, earthenware, wooden articles etc.).
Museum's
collections
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 Aukstaitija (Upper Lithuania)
The exposition is displayed in the third hall of the museum.
Mikas Sileikis 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 Museum
The Stelmuze Ecclesiastical
Art Museum
Kazimieras Buga Museum
Address: Paziege village, Dusetos LT-32310, Zarasai region.
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday 11.00-19.00.
Addmission - free.
The museum opened in 1965 in the birthplace of Prof. Kazimieras Buga (1879-1924), the famous linguist and founder of Lithuanian and Baltic Studies in Lithuania.
The exhibition tells the story of Kazimieras Buga's life, linguistic research and public activities. Books published by Kazimieras Buga, manuscripts of the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language, and personal belongings of the Buga family are on display.
Public Museums
Museum's history fragments
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 Maryte Melnikaite 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.
Other news about the Museum
Founder of the museum is Municipality of Zarasai Region.
Director of the museum is Irena Posiene.
Zarasai Region in Short
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 Druksiai, 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.
Zarasai City
Zarasai is an administrative center of the region, situated among the hills surrounded by lakes. The town cherishes its honored history. It was first mentioned in written sources in 1569, as one of the domains of Vilnius bishopric.
The highway Daugpilis-Kaunas built in 1830 has played a significant role in a growth of Zarasai.
The old part of the town is interesting from the point of view of its urban culture. Here dominate wooden and brick houses and typical buildings of the end of the 19th and the 20th centuries.
Today the town borders have expanded. It covers the area of 1283 ha, and it inhabits over 9 thousand inhabitants.
