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Marilyn’s Lithuanian Adventure
  • Marilyn Kennedy
  • Marilyn Kennedy

Marilyn’s Lithuanian Adventure

After years of planning, I am finally traveling to Lithuania, home to many of my ancestors. I am joined by Scott Slykas and Joanne Zrenda Moore. This is the first time since my Grandfather left Lithuania in 1913 that anyone in his family has visited. Leia mais
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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    Map of Rumšiškės
    Shed at Rumšiškės. At every homestead a docent was present.Inside home at RumšiškėsPeople slept on top of the oven in winter to keep warm.Ironing device at RumšiškėsOven at RumšiškėsBarn at RumšiškėsBarn at RumšiškėsBarn at RumšiškėsBarn and granary at Rumšiškės

    Rumšiškės Open-Air Museum

    9 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    The Open-Air Museum of Lithuania is one of the largest ethnographic open-air museums in Europe. It was established in Rumšiškės in 1966. The exhibitions at the museum are intended to introduce the ethnographic regions of Lithuania, i. e. Dzūkija (Dainava), Aukštaitija (Highlands), Suvalkija (Sudovia), Žemaitija (Samogitia), and Lithuania Minor, as they looked at the end of the 18th century and the first half of the 20th century.

    The houses representing each of the regions stand in their natural environment and have the interior and exterior of the respective period. Exhibitions of household appliances, crafting, trading, agricultural machinery, and ethnobotany are presented inside the buildings. Nearly everything in Rumšiškės had been moved from somewhere else. 19th-century huts, sheds, and farmer homes that stood all over Lithuania have been saved from destruction by reassembling them here.    Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    House at Rumšiškės and Old Man Whittling
    Inside 2nd House at RumšiškėsInside 2nd House at RumšiškėsInside 2nd House at RumšiškėsMarilyn and the whittler

    2nd House and the Whittler at Rumšiškės

    9 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    As our group drove up to the 2nd house at Rumšiškės, the docent was a little old man who was whittling to pass the time. He went into the house with us to explain a few features. I think he was lonely because he asked us many questions which had to be translated for us by Gintas. The man only spoke Lithuanian.

    As we left the interior of the house, he showed us some puzzles he had whittled. In true tourist fashion, I asked if he would sell me one, and he did. We continued talking through Gintas, and then as we were leaving, the man showed me a second spinning toy. He gave it to me as a gift. We must have connected on some level. I was so happy to be at the museum because it was my opportunity to see how my grandfather might have lived. Gintas had translated that to this man and I suppose he liked my reason for visiting. I was touched by his generosity. Originally, I had purchased the toy for one of my grandchildren, but I have decided to keep it to remember the whittler and the special experience.    Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    Map of Aukštaitija farm
    Approach to Aukštaitija farmThe house at the Aukštaitija farmScott walking into the Aukštaitija farmhouseGranary used for storage at Aukštaitija farmTwo granaries at Aukštaitija farmInside Aukštaitija farmhouseInside Aukštaitija farmhouseInside Aukštaitija farmhouseInside Aukštaitija farmhouseInside Aukštaitija farmhouseMarilyn on the porch of the Aukštaitija farmhouseMarilyn on the porch of the Aukštaitija farmhouse

    Aukštaitija Farm at Rumšiškės

    9 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Aukštaitija is both the largest region in Lithuania and in the Rumšiškės Museum. This area of Lithuania includes Panevėžys which is where I believe my Grandfather Slykas was born.

    Aukštaitija is the name of one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is in the northeast part of Lithuania and also encompasses a small part of Latvia and Belarus. The largest city and, though not in any strict political sense, the considered capital of the region is Panevėžys.Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    The house the the land beyond
    Inside one of the granariesInside one of the granaries - a farm helper may have slept thereThe wellOutside of the house with its 6 pane windowsOne of the barnsInside the barnInside the barnInside the barnInside the barnA small vineyard behind the houseChapel pole near the house

    Aukštaitija Farm at Rumšiškės Part 2

    9 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    These photos show the outside buildings and their interiors. There were barns for livestock, granaries for storage of grain and other things, and a well. Farm helpers sometimes slept in the granaries. That is why there is a bed in one of the granaries.

    Behind the house was a small vineyard. Notice the upright poles.

    The house also has a chapel pole just like all Lithuanian houses did in those times.    Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    Map of an Aukštaitija Town
    Aukštaitija Town buildingAukštaitija Town buildingAukštaitija Town homeInside an Aukštaitija town homeInside an Aukštaitija town homeInside an Aukštaitija town homeInside an Aukštaitija town homeInside an Aukštaitija town homeStreet in the Aukštaitija townInside an Aukštaitija town homeInside an Aukštaitija town homeInside an Aukštaitija town homeInside an Aukštaitija town homeInside an Aukštaitija town homeInside an Aukštaitija town homeExplanation of an Aukštaitija town and homestead

    Aukštaitija Town at Rumšiškės Part 1

    9 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    An Aukštaitija town includes an entire orderly single-street village of 8 farmsteads, as well as 3 separate farmsteads. Exhibits inside them include wedding traditions, traditional medicine, folk holidays, and tailoring. An octagon wooden church and pretty wayside crosses are the area's main draw. Other specialized buildings are small and mid-sized windmills, textile mills, and blacksmiths.Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    Map of Suvalkija homestead.
    Outside of house on Suvalkija homesteadOutside of house on Suvalkija homesteadInside house on Suvalkija homesteadInside house on Suvalkija homesteadInside house on Suvalkija homesteadInside house on Suvalkija homesteadInside house on Suvalkija homesteadInside house on Suvalkija homesteadOutside of house on Suvalkija homesteadA building on Suvalkija homestead with an interesting fenceOutside of house on Suvalkija homesteadA building on Suvalkija homesteadInside a building on Suvalkija homesteadInside a building on Suvalkija homesteadInside house on Suvalkija homesteadExplanation of a Suvalkija homesteadInside house on Suvalkija homesteadInside house on Suvalkija homesteadInside house on Suvalkija homestead

    Suvalkija at Rumšiškės Part 1

    9 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Suvalkija or Sudovia is the smallest of the five cultural regions of Lithuania.

    The Sudovia area at Rumšiškės has an oil mill and 3 farmsteads, one of which includes a small windmill and the other has a cattle-drawn mill. As Sudovian farmers were among the richest, the exhibits concentrate on technical heritage (agricultural tools, locomobiles).

    This is the area where Joanne and Scott's Phillips grandparents were from this location in Lithuania.    Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    The town square in a small "Rumškiai town"
    The town square in a small "Rumškiai town"The town square in a small "Rumškiai town"The town square in a small "Rumškiai town"The town square in a small "Rumškiai town"The town square in a small "Rumškiai town"A sign in small "Rumškiai town"Inside a dry goods store in the small "Rumškiai town"

    Small "Rumškiai town"

    9 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    A small "Rumškiai town" is the museum‘s hub. Its large square is surrounded by small townhouses and a church. Many Rumškiai townhouses have recreated interiors of the 19th – early 20th centuries: a single-room school, craftsmen workshops (with interpreters), and an inn. Others host permanent exhibitions of period goods. During festivals, the square is turned into a marketplace.Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    Church of the Visitation in the monastery of Pažaislis, Kaunas
    Church of the Visitation in the monastery of Pažaislis, KaunasChurch of the Visitation in the monastery of Pažaislis, KaunasPažaislis Monastery housing for nunsInside Church of the Visitation in the monastery of Pažaislis, KaunasInside Church of the Visitation in the monastery of Pažaislis, KaunasThe Altar inside Inside Church of the Visitation in the monastery of Pažaislis, KaunasThe Altar with votive offerings inside Inside Church of the VisitationScott and Gintas near altar inside Church of the Visitation in the monastery of Pažaislis, Kaunas

    Pažaislis Monastery and Church

    9 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Pažaislis Monastery and the Church of the Visitation form the largest monastery complex in Lithuania, and the most renowned example of Baroque architecture in the country. The church is the most marble-decorated Baroque church of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

    Founded in 1662 by a nobleman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Great Chancellor of Lithuania, Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac, for the Order of the Camaldolese Hermits, the main construction continued until 1674 and resumed in 1712.

    The monastery's church, decorated with highly polished marble, was damaged by the horses of Napoleon's army which were based in the complex. In 1832 the monastery was closed by the Russian authorities and later converted into an Orthodox church. In 1915-1918 when the Orthodox monks had fled, a German war hospital was established in the monastery. After 1920 the ruined monastery returned to Roman Catholics and was restored by sisters of the Lithuanian convent of St. Casimir. After World War II, the Soviet authorities converted the church and monastery into an archive, a psychiatric hospital, and finally an art gallery (in 1966). In the 1990s the complex was returned by the newly independent Lithuania to the nuns of the convent and reconstruction work began.

    Notice the silver icons and amber beads placed on or around the painting of the Madonna and Child behind the altar. These are votive offerings asking for or acknowledging miracles. They are usually small silver objects (hearts, crucifixes, figures of praying people, images of cured eyes, legs, and arms). This is a tradition in Lithuania.

    The day we visited, they were preparing for a concert in front of the church. That is the reason the top of a black tent appears in the photos of the front of the church.    Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum
    M. K. ČiurlionisDisplay of Lithuanian linen at the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumDisplay of Lithuanian linen at the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumDisplay of Lithuanian jewelry at the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumLithuanian linen saddlebags at the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumA study station at the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumArt at M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumPainting by M. K. Čiurlionis at M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumArt at M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumArt at M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumArt at M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumArt at M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumArt at M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumArt at M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumArt at M. K. Čiurlionis National Art MuseumRecord album cover in gift shop which I liked

    M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum

    9 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    The M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum is a group of museums based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is primarily dedicated to exhibiting and publicizing the works of the painter and musician M.K. Čiurlionis (1875–1911).

    The museum’s exhibit collections consist of M.K.Ciurlionis’ heritage, Lithuanian folk art, fine and applied arts of Lithuania of the fifteenth-twentieth centuries, ancient world art, foreign fine and applied art, numismatics, archives of folk art, and the artistic life items of Lithuania.    Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    Old Town Kaunas Street
    Hot air balloons flying over KaunasOur hotel in Kaunas was the Daugirdas Hotel

    A Walk through Old Town Kaunas

    9 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important center of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life.

    During the interwar period, it served as the temporary capital of Lithuania, when Vilnius was seized and controlled by Poland between 1920 and 1939.

    According to the archeological excavations, the richest collections of ceramics and other artifacts found at the confluence of the Nemunas and the Neris rivers are from the second and first millennium BC.

    A settlement had been established on the site of the current Kaunas old town, at least by the 10th century AD. Kaunas is first mentioned in written sources in 1361 when the brick Kaunas Castle was constructed.

    We stayed at the Daugirdas Hotel for only one night this time, but we returned later.    Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    St. Theresa of the child Jesus Church near the monument in memory of Juozas Naujalis
    Information about the monument in memory of Juozas NaujalisMonument in memory of Juozas NaujalisFlower garden next to statue of Juozas NaujalisNeighborhood across from the monument in memory of Juozas NaujalisIn churchyard near the monument in memory of Juozas NaujalisCemetery where Juozas Naujalis is buried

    Monument in memory of Juozas Naujalis

    10 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    On our way to Klaipeda, we stopped in Raudondvaris which is a village on the Nevėžis River, 6.2 mi west of Kaunas.

    St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church was rebuilt on the base of a previous church, which was designed in 1846-1857 by famous Italian architect Laurynas Cezaris Anikinis at the request of count Benediktas Emanuelis Tiškevičius and destroyed during World War I. The church is rich in valuable pieces of sacred art. Unfortunately, the church was locked so we were not able to go inside.

    In a yard next to the church is a monument to the composer, choir conductor, and organist Juozas Naujalis. It was built in commemoration of his 125th birthday on April 9th, 1994, near his homestead in Raudondvaris. He is acclaimed as a Lithuanian music patriarch.    Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    Entrance to Raudondvaris Manor Castle park
    The stables of the Raudondvaris Manor CastleI was fascinated by the remote lawn mowerPiano with flowers in the parkThe stables at the Raudondvaris Manor CastleThe stable at the Raudondvaris Manor CastleSe the remote lawn mower by the tree - I want oneThe orangery, now a restaurant, at the Raudondvaris Manor CastleThe orangery, now a restaurant, at the Raudondvaris Manor CastleGintas and Scott walking to the Raudondvaris Manor CastleRaudondvaris Manor Castle

    Raudondvaris Manor Castle

    10 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Raudondvaris manor is a monument to the beginning of the 17th century of Renaissance architecture in Lithuania.

    The main building of the Raudondvaris ensemble is the castle with a tower. It was built in the second half of the 17th century. The estate includes two office buildings, an orangery, stables, and an ice house.

    In the 17th-20th centuries, the manor was owned by noble families of Dzievaltauskai, Kosakovskiai, Radvilai, Vorlovskiai, Zabielai, Tiškevičiai. When the castle was managed by Tiškevičiai, it became a luxurious residence, in which huge paintings, artworks, rare books, and collections of exotic plants and animals were assembled.

    Now the castle, stables, ice-house, and orangery are restored and adapted for cultural tourism.

    Along with the history, I was also fascinated by the remote-controlled lawn mower they used at the castle. LOL!    Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    St. John the Baptist Church
    St. John the Baptist Church

    Seredės St. John the Baptist Church

    10 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    This is a Catholic church in the town of Seredžius, Jurbarkas district, at the confluence of Dubysa and Nemunas Rivers. The town's first Catholic church was built around 1608–12. The church was destroyed in 1829 after a landslide caused by extensive flooding. The residents built a wooden church, which was replaced by a Neo-Renaissance church dedicated to John the Baptist in 1913.Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    Palemonas Hill Marker
    Palemonas Hill MarkerSeredžius MoundSeredžius Mound

    Seredžius Mound, called Palemonas Hill

    10 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Have you ever thought that the Lithuanian nation could have originated from the Romans? The legend about Duke Palemonas covers not only the Seredžius mound but also the whole of Lithuania. The Roman nobleman Palemon is said to have fled north with his family and 500 Roman patricians to escape persecution until he finally reached the Baltic Sea. Traveling through the Curonian Lagoon, later the Nemunas, they stopped at the mouth of the Dubysa. Fascinated by the surrounding nature, the Romans settled down and built a castle and a temple on an oak-covered hill. In the 19th century, the historian Teodoras Narbutas stated in the History of the Lithuanian Nation that the mystical Duke Palemonas was buried in the Seredžius mound, therefore the hill is often called Palemonas Hill.

    Seredžius is the hometown of the singer Al Jolson.    Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    Panemunė Castle
    Panemunė CastlePanemunė CastleMap of Panemunė CastleThe hotel and restaurant at Panemunė CastleMap of Žemaitija area of LithuaniaPanemunė CastleGintas at Panemunė CastleDining Room at Panemunė CastleBall Room at Panemunė CastleDescription of Ballroom at Panemunė CastleFrescos at Panemunė CastleMore Frescos at Panemunė CastleArt/Costume Display at Panemunė CastleArt/Costume Display at Panemunė CastleArt Display and original brick wall at Panemunė CastleArt Display and original brick wall at Panemunė CastleNotch in wall showing original brick at Art Display and original brick wall at Panemunė Castle

    Panemunė Castle Part 1

    10 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    Panemunė Castle is a castle on the right bank of the Nemunas river, in Vytėnai, Jurbarkas district, Lithuania. The initial hill fort of the Teutonic Knights (erected in 1343) was replaced by a castle built in 1604-1610 by a noble of Hungarian descent János Eperjes. The name "Panemunė" means "along the Nemunas". Panemunė Castle was not designed to be a stronghold for the defense of the land but a typical, beginning 17th-century nobleman's castle with defensive fittings, residential buildings, and farm buildings. Panemunė Castle is one of the most beautiful Renaissance-era buildings in Lithuania. The castle was reconstructed around 1759 by the Gelgaudai family. The new owners established lavish manor house-like interiors with frescos, which have been recently discovered while the remaining wings of the castle are still under restoration. During the tourism season, works of Vilnius Art Academy are exhibited in the castle. It is possible to walk inside the castle, and admire the wonderful view that opens from the castle tower.Leia mais

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  • Marilyn KennedyMarilyn’s Lithuanian AdventureViajante
    Kitchen at Panemunė Castle
    Kitchen description at Panemunė CastleThe Kitchen at Panemunė CastleBakery at Panemunė CastleBakery description at Panemunė CastleBakery at Panemunė CastleJoanne in Herb Room at Panemunė CastlePantry at Panemunė CastlePantry description at Panemunė CastleLadder to Kitchen Warehouse at Panemunė CastleOld brick and new brick at Panemunė CastlePrison at Panemunė CastlePrison at Panemunė CastlePrison description at Panemunė CastlePrison at Panemunė CastleLooking into prison hole at Panemunė Castle

    Panemunė Castle Part 2

    10 de agosto de 2022, Lituânia ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    In the 18th century, the castle got many decorations including frescoes, but when the last owner of the castle - Antanas Gelgaudas, the commander of rebels in Lithuania - was killed in battle in 1831 gradually castle became no more than ruins. Officially the restoration of the castle started in 1952 but the progress was very slow. Progress increased around 2007 or 2008. Now a large part has been restored with about 1/3 of the castle needing work.

    Since 1588 all castles in the country had prisons: the most frequent "visitors" of the prisons were ... tax evaders.    Leia mais

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