Prienų Krašto Muziejus - logotipas

Review of Collections of the Museum of Prienai Region

The Museum has about 20 thousand museum pieces which are grouped to 21 collections.

There are two biggest collections- press (4334 pieces) and photography (4241 pieces). Prienai district gave to Lithuania a lot of famous people- litterateurs, musicians, artists, public persons, champions of liberty, scientists. There is various written material about them collected (their biographies, original works of arts or science and their copies, manuscripts etc.), photographs (portraits, miscellaneous life moments). The bigger part of these collections is exhibited in memory rooms designed to eminent brothers: Matas and Petras Salciai, linguist Jonas Kazlauskas, poet and essayist Justinas Marcinkevicius, writer Vytautas Bubnys, educator, public figure and the first director of Prienai Electric Networks Company Cezar Psemenecki, patriot and doctor Juozas Brundza and other history, science, literature, educational figures, and also in folk art and ethnography expositions.

One of the rooms and separate collection (1545 pieces) is designed to the priest Juozas Zdebskis who suffered for standing for believers rights. The collection is composed of priest‘s photographs, manuscripts, furniture, books, personal things (even prison wear) etc.

There is nice numismatics collection (2105 pieces). The pins make the biggest part of this collection (1827 pieces). This collection belongs to Prienai resident hobbyist Bronius Juska (1638 pieces). It is serial production of metal and plastic pins of different topics produced in soviet period. Other part of pins collection belongs to aviator, aviaconstructor, designer, plane master, father of air balloons in Lithuania, hobbyist Juozas Valunas (1945-1993) and is designated to aviation, plane and air balloon sports (dated 1970-1993).

History exposition contains findings of archeological exploration of 2003 summer in Prienai mound, named Butleris castle, where glass, tiles and ceramics fragments were found, dated to 16-19 centuries. The oldest window glass fragment is dated to first year of grace. This collection also contains Prussian piece of money dated to 1773 which was found in territory of Prienai town.

We also have a rich collection of cards (1154 pieces) with envelops, election invitations, postcards (770 pieces). They are from soviet period (1960- 1970) the serial production of occasional greetings (New Year, 8th of March, June holidays etc.).

Our region artists, folk artists, weaver art works belong to art (230 pieces) and applied art (298 pieces) collections. All the ancient things, utensils, work tools are attributed to folk (210 pieces), things (210 pieces) and ethnography (221 pieces) collections. There are things that region habitants used at the end of 19 and at the beginning of 20 centuries. Must make mention of dower-chest (1882), textile tool (beginning of 20 century), furniture and travel trunk that belonged to family of educator, publicist, traveler Matas Salcius.

Museum collections are supplemented with new showpieces every year. The head fund curator Nijole Ziziene takes care about all the collections.