Ukmergė Local Lore Museum

Contacts
Address: Kęstučio a. 5, LT-20114, Ukmergė.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 340) 63 957.
Fax (+370 ~ 340) 63 327.
E-mail: ukmuziejus@gmail.com
Head of the museum – Vaidutė Sakolnikienė.

Information for Visitor

Opening hours
Tuesday to Saturday 9–17.

Admission:
adults – 2 Lt;
pupils, students, pensioners – 0,60 Lt;
child under 7, disabled – free.

Guided tour – 20 Lt.

Additional services:
booking of review and thematic excursions in the museum;
booking of excursions through Ukmergė Region.

Collection
The museum contains archaeological, ethnographic, numismatics, iconography, folk art and nature items, and collections of documents and photographs.
The displays reflect the history of the land from the 5th to the end of the 21th century.

Exposition
Displays of archaeology, ethnography, numismatics, textile, art, iconography telling the history of the land from the primitive communal system to our days are exhibited in three halls of the museum.
A big part of the archaeological exposition consists of finds from Obeliai burial-ground dated back to the 5-15th centuries.
Ethnographic displays acquaint visitors with the household of olden times in Ukmergė region.
A part of the exposition is devoted to the First Grand Duke Gediminas Infantry Regiment, which was distributed in Ukmerge in 1923–1939 and played a significant role in the public life of the city.

Exhibitions
In the exhibition hall of the museum exhibitions presenting displays of iconography, ethnography, and folk art from the stock of the museum, from the collections of other museums of Lithuania are arranged, as well as exhibitions of artists.

Cultural, educational activity
Organization of cultural and other events;
Giving lessons on the history of the land;
Delivering lectures of the occasion of state holidays.

Branch Museum

Vepriai Area Museum
Address: Vepriai, Ukmergės rajonas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 340) 58 084, +370 670 27309.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9–17, lunch hour 12–13.

Užugiris Area Museum
Address: Užugirio A. Smetonos pradinė mokykla, Ukmergės rajonas.
Tel. +370 670 27306.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday  9–17.

Public Museums

Ukmergė A. Smetona Gymnasium Museum
Address: Smetonos vidurinė mokykla, J. Basanavičiaus g. 7, Ukmergė.
Tel. (+370 ~ 340) 60 018.
More information >

Ukmergė Secondary School No 5 Museum
Address: J. Tumo-Vaižganto g. 44, LT-4120 Ukmergė.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 340) 65 290, (+370 ~ 340) 65 025.
More information >

Želva Secondary School Museum
Address: Želvos vidurinė mokykla, Želva, Ukmergės rajonas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 340) 42 149.
E-mail: direktorius@zelva.lm.lt
More information >

History of the Museum
The museum was founded in 1945.
The start was made by private persons, most often painters, who gave their works, and by collections accumulated by ethnographers. 
The first head of the museum was a painter P. Tarabilda.
In 1944–1974 the museum functioned in a one-storeyed building in Kaunas street.
In 1974–1980 the museum was moved from one building to another for several times. In 1981 it was settled in the present premises in Kęstutis Street. 
In 1985 a permanent exposition was opened in the museum.
Founder of the Museum is Municipality of Ukmergė Region.

Ukmergė
Ukmergė, city in east central Lithuania, situated on the Sventoji River (right tributary of the Neris), 77-km northwest of Vilnius.
Old historic sources refer to the city as Vilkmergė (germ. Wilkenmerge, Wilkenberge). It is not known when the city originated, but it is held to be one of the oldest in Lithuania.
During the first half of the 13th century, Ukmergė castle became the target of attacks by Teutonic knights from Livonia and later from Prussia. Two major campaigns against it occurred in 1365 and 1378.
In 15th the town and region of Ukmergė were administered by viceroys often came from prestigious magnate families, such as the Radvilas', Giedraitis', Pac' and Sapiehas.
In the first half of the 16th century the town received a Magdeburg charter, as a result of which it became a trading center with regular markets and fairs. During Northern War the Swedes (1711) burned down the town.
In 1387 the church of SS. Peter and Paul was built, one of the first seven churches in Lithuania. Damaged by fire many times, it was replaced by the present-day brick structure in 1810–1818.
During the period of Russian rule (1795-1915), Ukmergė was the center of a county that was assigned at first to the Vilnius province and later (1842) to the newly formed Kaunas province. The Russians planned to make Ukmergė the seat of the latter province. An important item of trade was flax. Towards the end of the 19th century commerce declined, since a railway connecting the Ukraine in the south with northern Lithuania and the Latvian seaport Liepaja was built to pass not through Ukmergė but through Jonava, 36 km to the southwest.
During the period of national independence (1918–1940) Ukmergė remained a county seat with appropriate municipal and county agencies.
After World War II, the city resumed economic activity on the foundations laid during the period of national independence.