Ignalina Area Museum

When traveling in the surroundings of Ignalina, do not forget to visit the city itself. In case you are going to want to know the customs, culture and history of this region full of lakes and forests, visit Ignalina Area Museum, which is situated here.

It contains several exhibitions, showing the ancient customs, crafts and lifestyle of the residents from Ignalina. The ethnographic exhibition contains various items, tools and devices used in the 19th and 20th century: antique irons, weaving machine, dowry chests, furniture and many other authentic everyday household items.

The residents here get acquainted with the path of a flax, which was very important for the people from the olden days, starting from sowing to bedspreads or tablecloths. You will be able to see how flax looks like and canvas woven from it.

A very important occupation in the land of lakes is of course fishing. A detailed and thoroughly prepared model is devoted to it, which explains various ancient ways of fishing and how the caught fish helped the people from these surroundings to stay alive.

Even more attention is paid for the photographs of Algis Jakštas – a photographer who had originated from Ignalina region. His photographs depict dozens of portraits with simple people from this region. The authenticity of these pictures and a special mood created by them is also reflected in the name of this photography exhibition – “Senojo kaimo šiluma” (Warmth of the old village).

Another interesting exhibition is rather non-traditional and is established in the restored metrication hall, which was working during the years of Soviet occupation. In this place you will be able to see authentic furniture and wedding clothes from ancient times. The walls are decorated by wedding photos collected from various places in Ignalina district, which are from those and even older periods (from 1925 until 1987).

In 2016, a new exhibition was opened, which consists of old prayer books, pictures of saints and liturgical garments and in December of the same year a new exhibition was presented to the community – a treasure with ancient coins.

Ignalina Area Museum also has its separate division, Memorial Museum of Adomas Hrebnickis, situated in the village called Rojus. It is devoted to the professor, pomologist A. Hrebnickis, who worked at the end of the 19th c. – beginning of the 20th c. and had spent all of his life researching the fruit trees and creating new varieties of them.

Ignalina Area Museum holds active cultural life – various events, exhibitions and educational activities are constantly organised besides the main exhibitions.

Therefore, if you already had a time to rest from the hustling city and managed to admire the beauty and riches of nature in this exceptional region of Ignalina, you can come and soak in the history, heritage and culture in this museum, which is situated almost in the very centre of Ignalina town.