rokiškis Area Museum

Contacts
Address: Tyzenhauzų al. 5, LT-42115, Rokiškis.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 458) 52 261, (+370 ~ 458) 52 639.
Tel./fax (+370 ~ 458) 52 835.
E-mail: muziejus@rokiskyje.lt
http://www.muziejusrokiskyje.lt/
Director – Nijolė Šniokienė.

Information for Visitor

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 10–18.

Admission:
All Expositions and Exhibitions:
adults – 6 Lt;
pupils – 2 Lt;
students, pensioners – 3 Lt.
Only Exposition of Lionginas Šepka's Creative Works:
adults – 4 Lt;
pupils, students, pensioners – 2 Lt.
Only Expositions:
adults – 4 Lt;
pupils, students, pensioners – 2 Lt.
Only Exhibitions:
adults, pupils, students, pensioners – 1 Lt.

Guided tour:
lithuanian language – 15 Lt;
foreign language – 25 Lt.

Additional services:
booking excursions to the museum;
booking excursions to the church of Rokiškis;
booking excursions to the old town of Rokiškis;
on the basis of the material of archives of the museum and estates the information is provided to ethnographers, teachers of the district and other visitors;
the possibility to use the material accumulated in the museum is provided to scientists who publish books, monographs;
extraction from the church books kept in the archive of the museum and giving people certificates of birth, marriage and death;
copying color and white-and-black material.

Collection
The museum contains numismatic and archaeological collections, works of art, documents, periodicals and photographs.
The museum has rich collections of numismatics, archaeology, carvings of the most famous idol maker Lionginas Sepka (1907–1985), displays of painting, graphic and applied art from the counts’ Tyzenhauzai and Pšezdzieckiai collection.

Expositions

History exposition
The exposition covers the history of Rokiškis area from ancient times to the middle of the 20th century. It contains antique armours, weapons, rare books, tools and manufactured articles by peasants and handicraftsmen, the photographs and personal belongings of famous citizens of Rokiškis, as well as relics from the post–war resistant fights.

History of Rokiškis County
The most impressive exhibit is an 1848 map of Rokiškis County, where small towns, roads, forests, ploughed lands, as well as other objects on the estate land are depicted in detail. Other objects that can be seen on display are the drawings of Konstantin Tyzenhaus, Aleksander Orłowski, and Maria Tyzenhausówna – Przezdziecka. The drawings capture the 19th-century county views, its people and domains of the Tyzenhaus family in Pastavy (Belarus). In addition, some written letters, seals, calling cards of estate guests and portraits - all bear witness to the counts Tyzenhaus and Przezdziecki families.

Culture and history of estates in 19th and early 20th centuries
This exposition occupies a larger space of the museum halls and chambers. Here you can find the only one preserved and reconstructed collection of the counts’ clothes from the end of 19th century to the early 20th century.

Exposition of Lionginas Šepka’s creative work
(Exposition is temporary closed for reconstruction)
In the early 20th century the most famous Lithuanian wood carver, Lionginas Šepka, was born on Rokiškis land. The exposition of his works is arranged in a separate building. All the creative work of the master is reflected in six halls (about 300 pieces some of which are composed of many small details). The exposition begins with the first impressive multi-figure monument for his brother and ends with the last, not finished, carving on which the artist was working just before his death.

Exposition of crèches from the end of the 20th to the beginning of 21st century
The exposition of crèches is arranged in Christmas Museum and is has been on show since 1998. The idea was proposed by Angelo Frosio, an artist, businessman, and benefactor. Various people participate in exhibition: professional ceramicists, famous folk artists, pupils, children from nursery-schools, pensioners and others. These expositions helped to collect the only one exposition of crèches in Lithuania. At present the museum boasts 100 various crèches.

Iron crosses and iron apexes
The most part of the exposition is collected from Rokiškis area; some of the items are from neighbouring regions. The oldest cross apex dates 1741.

Nazarens, Nepomuks and other saints (old Lithuanian folk wood carving sculptures)
One of the oldest sculptures of the collection is Christ after Resurrection (16th c.). The prevalent subjects are Jesus (Jezus of Nazareth, Christ, Messiah), John the Baptist, John Nepomuk, and the Virgin Mary.

Hunt trophies
The exposition presents hunt trophies of the counts Tyzenhaus and Przezdziecki: some stuffed animals, magnificent horns and other hunt trophies kept neighbouring estates. Along with them, one can find various photographs, admire the latest trophies of the hunters from Rokiškis land, such as the horns of deers, elks, roebucks, wild boars’ tusks, wolf furs, which have won gold medals in international exhibitions.

Exhibitions
The museum arranges exhibitions of art, folk art, photography, ethnography, occasional exhibitions.

Cultural, educational activity
The museum takes an active part in various educational - cultural events of the district and the republic, joins international cultural programs;
Annually republican exhibitions-competitions of wood-carvers to win Lionginas Sepka premium are organized in the museum;
Scientific conferences are organized;
Cultural events are arranged;
Educational programs are implemented;
Publications popularizing the museum are published;
The museum participates in the days of Cultural Heritage of Europe;
Annually research expeditions all over the environs of Rokiskis are organized;
More than 3 000 books have been accumulated in the scientific library of the museum.

Departments
Department of History;
Department of Collections;
Department of Art.

Branch Museums

Kriaunos Local History Museum
Address: Kriaunos, LT-42254, Rokiškio rajonas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 458) 41 718.
Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday 8–17.
Admission: adults – 3 Lt; pupils, students, pensioners – 1,5 Lt.
Guided tour: 10 Lt.
Founded in 1987, the museum contains a collection of textiles, household objects and craftsmen’s tools used in the surrounding villages. Part of the exposition is devoted to the well-known people (scientists, public figures, and artists) who once worked or lived in the Kriaunos area.

Obeliai History Museum
Address: Vytauto g. 18, LT-42222, Obeliai, Rokiškio rajonas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 458) 78 825.
More information >

History of the Museum
The museum is housed in a manor, which was built for Count Ignotas Tyzenhauzas in 1801.
Initiators of the foundation of the museum – Juozas Ruseckas, Balys Mikėnas, Juozas Šukys, Petras Bliūdžius, Jonas Blinstrupas, J. Malevičius.
In 1932 an ethnographic society decided to establish a museum where cultural valuables accumulated in Rokiškis could be kept.
On May 1, 1933 the museum taking up its quarters in Vilnius str.6 opened the door to a new exposition.
A teacher of geography Petras Bliūdžius was the first head of the museum. 
In 1939 there were 1 046 displays in the stocks of the museum. The material accumulated was presented to public in the prehistorical, folk art, ethnographic, numismatic, pedagogic and old printed matters divisions.
In 1940 Pšezdzieckiai’ estate palace in Rokiškis was nationalized. The same year the ethnographic museum was soon moved to the estate palace not ravaged yet. 
After some time a subunit of the Red Army settled in the estate palace. At the time a lot of pictures, furniture, plates and dishes and other valuable and expensive things were destroyed or disappeared.
In June 1941 P. Bliūdžius and his family were exiled to the Siberia (members of it died there).
After the war the activity of the museum was revived but the museum was constantly moved from one place to another until in 1952 it was finally placed in the estate palace. 
In 1953 visitors were invited to expositions of the divisions of archaeology, ethnography, folk art, art and nature.
In the 6th decade museum of Zarasai and exposition arranged in Stelmužė church became branches of the museum.
In 1970 folk art exposition was arranged and designed.
In 1971 wood-carver’s L. Šepka exposition of carvings was arranged.
In 1975–1980 the exposition of history was arranged material of which embraces the period from the oldest time to our days.
After the cultural house was moved to another place in 1979 the museum became the only master of the whole estate ensemble.

Lionginas Šepka
Lionginas Šepka – the most famous Lithuanian Crucifixion-carver of the 20th century
Lionginas Šepka was born on 15 September 1907 in the village of Šiaudynė (Rokiškis district). L. Šepka started to carve in 1950. In ten years L. Šepka created three monuments – to his brother and parents.
The most complicated - the great monument started to be carved in 1955. It is a work consisting of various components, complex in structure and peculiar plastic forms. 
In 30 years L. Šepka created 1 500 works of different size - some bas-reliefs can be placed on a palm, others are several meters of height, especially spacious in composition.
Visitors of Rokiškis area museum have the possibility to get acquainted with L. Šepka’s whole creative heritage, starting from his first carving to the last incomplete one.
L. Šepka died on 4 November 1985. He is buried in his homeland, cemetery of Lebedžiai.

Photographers: Gintautas Dainys and Danutė Mukienė