The foundation of the
A.Baranauskas and A.Vienuolis-Zukauskas Memorial Museum is
considered May 1, 1927. The first entry was made in the
visitors book, which was started by the writer Antanas
Vienuolis.
The Granary of the poet and
bishop A.Baranauskas was the first building of the Museum.
It was built in Jurzdikas (the suburb of Anyksciai) by the
poet’s father Jonas Baronas. The date when the granary
was built - 1826 - is cut on the doorpost. In 1839 the
Granary was moved to the present place. A.Baranauskas
liked to have a rest in it and he wrote his famous poem
“The Forest of Anyksciai” (1858-1859) there too.
The writer
A.Vienuolis-Zukauskas was a grandson of A.Baranauskas’
brother Jonas. In 1921 he inherited this land, preserved
the Granary and founded the museum there. The Granary is
the first memorial museum in Lithuania. In 1954
A.Vienuolis was officially appointed to be director. In
1958 a precautionary convex house was built (architect
J.Kvasys), because A.Vienuolis was worried about the state
of the Granary. In 1976 it was preserved.
A.Vienuolis died in August
17, 1957. In 1958 a memorial museum was opened in his
house. There is an exposition on the ground floor; the
memorial rooms are on the first floor.
There were a lot of
directors who worked at the Museum: Ona Sedelskyte
(1958-1960) the writer’s pupil, a woman of letters,
Terese Mikeliunaite (1960-1984) authoress, Alvydas
Rimavicius (1984-1989) a specialist in Lithuanian
philology, Vytautas Balciunas (1989-1992) a specialist in
Lithuanian philology. Antanas Verbickas, a historian, is
the director of the Museum now.
The Granary of A.Baranauskas
and the A.Vienuolis-Zukauskas House-Museum were united
into one A.Baranauskas and A.Vienuolis-Zukauskas Memorial
Museum in December 1, 1962. On 1982 a fund deposity
building with administrative premises, an exhibition
hall were built (architect Vytautas Gabriunas).
The Granary was the
beginning of today’s museum center of Anyksciai. The
J.Biliūnas Memorial Museum was joined to the Museum in
1960. Before the 100th anniversary of J.Biliunas birth, it
was restored together with the furniture and the
exposition was expanded.
In 1968 the museum
exposition was arranged in Griezioneliai, the farmstead of
L. and S.Didziuliai.
B.Buivydaite Memorial Museum
was opened in her house in 1990, December 8, celebrating
the 95th birth anniversary.
Anyksciai regional
administration made a decree of founding Anyksciai
cultural historical museum in the Chapel, the civil
register institution at that time. In 1992 the Chapel
became the branch of the Museum.
One more interesting object
for tourists, the Horse Museum, was founded in
1978. In 1992 it became a branch of the Memorial Museum.
Before the 100th anniversary
of the Narrow railway, in 1999 the museum staff began to
organize the Narrow Gauge Museum.
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