museums in utena region

Museum of Horse-Breeding
The museum is located in Užpaliai area, Bajorai village. This is a private museum, established in 1970. The agronomist Viktorija Jovarienė 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, ‘kalamaškos’ (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 - Aukštaitija 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 Ilčiukai School
The initiator of this ethnographical museum was the teacher Palmyra Sirvydytė. 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 Užpaliai region - ‘Dausuva’.

Ethnography Museum of Kaniukai Village (Užpaliai 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 Juškai, Janina and Povilas Keraminai, Gediminas Kubiliūnas 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 Sirvydienė and Regina Abukauskienė 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 ‘Aušra’ (‘The Dawn’), ‘Varpas’ (‘The Bell’) and others, textbooks, books, prayer books, documents and the like are displayed in the museum.

Ethnography Museum of Krašuona Basic School
In 1995 an ethnography museum was founded in Utena, Krašuona Basic School. The founders of the museum were the teachers Vita Bujanauskienė and L. Jovarienė. 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 Leliūnai 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 Vyžuonos 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, Aukštakalnis micro district.

Memorial Museum of the Professor Antanas Kavolėlis
In Sudeikiai Basic School (Utena district) a would-be scholar, the professor Antanas Kavolėlis (7/17/1938 - 6/21/1987) had received his education. In this school, the widow of the professor, Mrs. Kavolėlienė 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 Petkevičius, founded a museum-cottage in his own cottage in Buitūnai village (Kuktiškšs 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 Basic 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 Basic School
In 1996, in Utena Vyturiai Basic 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 Vyžuonos Secondary School
In 1975, a museum of the guerrilla detachment ‘Aušra’ (‘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 Valentinas Šimonėlis
Valentinas Šimonėlis 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. Šimonėlis 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. Šimonėlis had presented to Father Stanislovas.