In 2003, the Museum
carried out two projects, that is The Reconstruction
of the Narrow Gauge Railway and The Development
of the Horse Museum. This year, together with the
Municipality of Anyksciai, the Museum is planning to
undertake a new, somewhat ambitious project called The
Construction of a Wooden Castle in Seimyniskėliai
Archeological Complex. An application for PHARE 2002
programme’s grant has been submitted to cover the
technical expenses of the project.
Over the past 14 years,
the archeological researches carried out on Šeimyniškėliai
mound have led to a series of discoveries in the region
history. There is no doubt left that one of the largest
wooden castles of Northern Aukstaitija region was
constructed on the mound. Some historians even claim the
castle to be the legendary castle of Voruta, the
capital-castle of King Mindaugas.
Scholars undertook
archeological researches after the restitution of the
independence of Lithuania. The researches were carried
out by the Institute of Lithuanian History with prof.
dr. G. Zabiela at the head. An area of 3,424 square
metres of Seimyniskeliai mound was explored in the
period between 1990 and 2003.
Today Seimyniskeliai
mound is one of the most researched historic mounds in
Lithuania and in the Eastern part of the Baltic region.
The archeological excavations make the castle plan to be
more or less precisely reconstructed.
From 1997 on, a project to
build a wooden castle in the authentic place has been in
preparation. Following this idea, the project should be
implemented by 2009, the year of the 1000th anniversary
of mentioning the name of Lithuania as a sign of respect
expressed by the 21st century Lithuanian citizens to
their historic past and the founders of their State.
The idea of building the
castle was started when a bridge was built in the place
of the authentic bridge in 2000. Museum employees are
sure about the fact that the castle would become a new
attractive sightseeing object for tourists. The castle
is also supposed to become a place for commemorating the
important dates of the Republic life and organizing
different cultural events as well as concerts of ancient
music and performances by the future Castle Theatre and
exhibiting ancient crafts of Aukstaitija region. The
castle would hopefully become “an animate museum”;
knight-tourneys would take place in the castle court,
visitors could enjoy fighting with small swords,
shooting a bow, casting an axe or a spear and making tar
or attending a class on training archeology. Museum
employees look forward to carrying out various
educational activities of introducing ancient crafts to
school students and adults.
As it is going to be the
first and the only building of this kind in Lithuania
constructed in the authentic place, the castle is
expected to attract people of different interests from
Lithuania and abroad.
This summer, at the foot
of the mound, Museum employees are going to offer
various kinds of entertainment and souvenirs to the
visitors.
Even though there is no
castle on the mound so far, Museum employees Skaidre Rackaityte,
Aloyzas Janusis and Robertas Matiukas made up a castle
model which was exhibited in the tourism product
exhibition “Vivattur 2004”.
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