Maironis lithuanian literature Museum

Contacts
Address: Rotušės a. 13, LT-44279, Kaunas.
Tel.: (+370 ~ 37) 20 74 77, (+370 ~ 37) 20 68 42, (+370 ~ 37) 20 12 84.
Fax (8 ~ 37) 20 74 77.
E-mail: jmaironis@takas.lt, maironiomuziejus@yahoo.com
http://www.maironiomuziejus.lt
Director – Aldona Ruseckaitė.

Information for Visitor

The Poet’s Jonas Mačiulis-Maironis Memorial Apartments are currently closed.

Opening hours:
Tuesday – Saturday 9–17.

Admission:
adults – 2 €;
pupils, students, pensioners, soldiers – 1 €.

Guided tours
Lithuanian language:
pupils – 1,2 € per person;
adults – 3 € per person.
Foreign language (russian, english):
5 € per person.
Excursions (10–25 persons) can be booked by telephone: (+370 ~ 37) 20 68 42.

Additional services
Ordering excursions;
Lessons and lectures of literature are being prepared at the Museum;
Educational programs.

Collection
The Museum accumulates, stores and exposes the material connected to the Lithuanian literature, from folklore and the first papers up to nowadays.
There are collections of about 600 various authors who once lived in Lithuania or in emigration. All in all, the Museum contains about 283 000 exhibits. Most of them are books, manuscripts, art works, memorial articles, documents, printings etc.

Exhibitions
Literature exhibits are being arranged at the Museum.

Cultural, educational activity
Literature Evenings;
Educational programs;
Celebrations of writers’ anniversaries;
Meetings with the writers of Lithuania and emigration;
Presentation of writers’ books.

Branch Museums

Museum of Children Literature
Address: K. Donelaičio 13, LT-44239 Kaunas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 37) 20 64 88.
http://www.maironiomuziejus.lt/index.php?id=21
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 9–17.
Admission: adults – 1 €; pupils, students, pensioners, soldiers – 0,5 €.
Opened in 1991. Books for children on display. Renewed in 2014.

Salomėja Nėris Museum
Address: S. Nėries g. 7, LT-52249, Kaunas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 37) 37 36 06.
http://www.maironiomuziejus.lt/index.php?id=18
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 9–17.
Admission: adults – 1 €; pupils, students, pensioners, soldiers – 0,5 €.
The museum opened in 1962 in the home of poetess Salomėja Nėris (Bačinskaitė-Bučienė, 1904–1945) where she lived from 1938 to 1941. Exhibition depicts the poetess’ life and literary creation.

Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas Museum
Address: Aleksoto g. 10-4, LT-44280, Kaunas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 37) 22 23 71.
http://www.maironiomuziejus.lt/index.php?id=19
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 9–17.
Admission: adults – 1 €; pupils, students, pensioners, soldiers – 0,5 €.
The museum opened in the home of writer J. Tumas-Vaižgantas where he lived from 1920 to 1933.

Branch Museums

Museum of Children Literature

Salomėja Nėris Museum

Juozas Grušas Museum

Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas Museum

Balys and Vanda Sruogos Museum

Balys and Vanda Sruogos Museum
Address: B. Sruogos g. 21, LT-50250, Kaunas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 37) 73 04 74.
E-mail: sruoga@hotmail.com 
http://www.maironiomuziejus.lt/index.php?id=20
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 9–17.
Admission: adults – 1 €; pupils, students, pensioners, soldiers – 0,5 €.
The museum was opened in 1966 in a house, which was owned by the writer Balys Sruoga (1896–1947) and where he and his wife lived from 1938 to 1940 and in 1947. The exhibition on display reflects the story of Sruogos Family life and work.

Juozas Grušas Museum
Address: Kalniečių g. 93, LT-50176, Kaunas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 37) 33 08 60.
http://www.maironiomuziejus.lt/index.php?id=22
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 9–17.
Admission: adults – 1 €; pupils, students, pensioners, soldiers – 0,5 €.
A museum was established in 1989 in the home of the writer, Juozas Grušas (1901–1986), where he lived approximately 40 years. A exposition can be found there today explaining his importance as a figure in Lithuanian literature. On exhibit are the author’s manuscripts, documents, publications, and personal objects.

History of the Museum
The museum is located in an 18th century mansion which was built on the foundations of three 16th century buildings some fragments of which are still visible. In 1909 Jonas Mačiulis-Maironis (1862–1932) purchased the mansion, a Roman Catholic priest and famous Lithuanian poet. The home of Maironis reflects the cultural history of Kaunas and the entire country during that period. The museum dates back to 1936, when the first three rooms commemorating Maironis were opened to the public, while the writer’s authentic apartment was restored only in 1992. As far back as 1941 the Maironis Museum started accumulating other writers collections. Eventually it grew into a museum of Lithuanian literary history.
Museum’s establisher is Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania.

Maironis (Jonas Mačiulis)
Maironis (November 2, 1862 in Pasandravys – June 28, 1932 in Kaunas).
The first Lithuanian poet to reveal the possibilities of lyric poetry for expression of a human emotional attitude and dramatic tension of inner life in every possible way, he initiated the major genres in Lithuanian lyrics. His poems embody the ideas of Lithuanian national movement: they celebrate the past of Lithuania, and its common people for cherishing national values, condemn the denationalization of Lithuanian gentry, claim the significance of mother tongue, and poeticize the Lithuanian scenery. His major books of poetry, Pavasario balsai (The Voices of spring) and Jaunoji Lietuva (Young Lithuania), fostered Lithuanian national revival. Referring to the works by Simonas Daukantas, he wrote a popular historical work Apsakymai apie Lietuvos praeigą (The Stories About the Lithuanian Past). Maironis was Professor at St. Petersburg Clerical Academy in 1894–1909, Rector of Kaunas Seminary in 1909–1932 and Head of the Department of Moral Theology at Lithuanian University in 1922–1932. One of the authors of the 1905 Program of the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Union. (From: Acquaintance with Lithuania. Book of the Millennium.-Volume One.-K.-1999)

Photos by Zenonas Baltrušis