Day 16. VILNIUS PICTURE GALLERY and the exhibtion "Forever young!" Poland and its art around 1900

Vilnius Picture Gallery is a branch, o rather a part situated in a different building, of the Lithuanian Art Museum.

The Vilnius Picture Gallery is housed in the Chodkevičius Palace, which was started in the early 17th century, and was last reconstructed in in the middle of the 19th century. The interior has preserved late Calssicism stucco and polychrome decorations.

Impressivive interior of the Chodkevičius Palace

The Gallery features Lithuanian painting, prints, sculpture and small size sculpture of the period from the 16th to the 19th century. Also, it hosts temporary exhibitions and concerts.  ( info from the ticket)

One of the permanent exhibitions - paitings of Juozapas Kamarauskas

the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

 by Juozapas Kamarauskas (painted in 1894)

PS. the original Palace was destroed in 1801 and offially rebuild (opened) in 2009.

Oldie Vilnius :)  Vilnius University Botanical Garden 1830

by Karolis Racinskis

View of Vilnius from Tivoli Park in Antakalnis. 1830.

by Karolis Racinskis 

Temporary exhibition: Forever young! Poland and its ar around

Forever young! Poland and its art around 1900 is a travelling exhibition which stays still popular. 

It consists of works of such artists as Stanislaw Wyspianski, Jacek Malczewski, etc.

I have seen a painting of Stanoslaw Wyspianski for the first time in my life!

Planty Park at dawn (1894) by Stanisław Wyspiański (!!!)

A funeral, 1904 by Stanisław Kuczborski

The exhibition stays in Vilnius till 31 January, 201h5. Exhibition coordinators: Maria Grywacz, Mindaugas Šapoka. Exhibition curators: Krystyna Kulig-Janczarek, Dalia Tarandaitė.

Admission - 1,80 EUR adults.

Day 15. UŽUPIS. Part I: BERNARDINE CEMETERY. Vilnius Cemeteries

#VilniusCemeteries

Bernardine Cemetery -  one of the three oldest cemeteries in Vilnius and, in my view,
one of the most beautiful. It is situated in the Užupis district, Žvirgždyno str. 3,  just on the right enbankment of the Vilnele River. The Cemetery was established in 1810 by Bernardine monks.

Numerous famous and outstanding people are burried there, including a photographer Juozapas Čechavičius, photos of whose I went to see Here.

The cemetry is not so easily to be found. You should walk an Užupis street which becomes a Polocko street and then turn right into a Žvirgždyno street.

The cementery is quite small and so quiet that you can have a really contemplating walk here.

A tomb in the cemetery

Tombs with little angels

View on the Vilnelė River

You should visit this place and you will be mesmarized by silence and peace of this place.

Day 14. Vilnius Street Art Festival 2015. Part II

I have been writing about the festival in September 2015, and, yes, I am comming
back again to the same topic.

#StreetArt

As I've said it'a a continuation of Part I
a question Why? arises.

and the answer is because I haven't shown you all works done in September. I have posted just 3 arts out of 5.

Here comes the 4th one located on Pylimo str. 60

by OSMEGEOS
#VilniusStreetArtFestival

Osgemeos about working in Lithuania.

And here you can see how all buildings used to look before the Festival in September.

the Festival on FB.

I would mention one piece of art from Vilnius Street Art Festival 2013.

I am talking about a huge strange dogie ( if it really a dog) by Lithianian artist Antanas Dubra. A picture was placed on previous Saint Jacob Hospital  ( a wall from J. Tumo - Vaizganto street. I was passing this building for hundreds times and I was always wondering why the dogie is so strange, but I never took  picture. Now - the building is destroyed and the painting is gone. 

And, the last painting from Vilnius Street Festival 2014.

I will call this kaip ne žmogus by ARYZ on Dainavos str. 6
#VilniusStreetArtFestival

One more piece of art located on Lietuva cinema by Ernest Zacharevic, I think, deserves a separate chapter. 

#VilniusStreetArtFestival

One day I will tell you about the Lietuva cinema.

And the cinema Lietuva story comes here.

Some more graffities from previuos Street Art Festivals you can see here. (Street Art Festivals. Part III).

Day 13. VYTAUTAS KASIULIS ART MUSEUM and Juozapas Cechavicius exhibition Vilnius

Vytautas Kasiulis Art museum is a branch, or a part of Lithuanian Art Museum.
Some basic information about this museum here.

A reason why I have decided to visit this museum

A reason of my vistit is a temporary photo exhibition of Juozapas Cechavicius ( Jozef Czechowicz 1819 - 1888) called Vilnius.

The exhibition was etremely interesting because Mr. Cechavicius has taken photos of Vilnius starting from 1865 when he had moved to Vilnius till his death in 1888.
His photos, I guess, are the photos with the oldest views of Vilnius that we have today. Vilnius has changed a lot!

A view from Pilies hill

 A chapel which does not exhist any more or I do not know where it is

Zverynas ( does not reminds a city at all)

A curator of exhibition Mr. Dainius Junevičius met vistors at 12 p.m. and he introduced the exhibition. Mr. Junevičius is interested in the works of Čechavičius since long time.

A Permanent exhibition - works of Vytautas Kasiulis

I really enjoined the paintings of Vytautas Kasiulis.

Moulin Rouge

Fishmen boats

Burning oil lamp

the overall view of the exhibition

The Vytautas Kasiulis Art Museum has been established in the building that once housed the Vilnius Friends of Science Fellowship, a neoclassical style building was refurbished and modernised with funds from the EU Cohesion Fund and the Republic of Lithuania, adapting the building for the needs of a contemporary museum.

( I have rewritten this info from the ticket :))

Admission - 1,80 EUR.

That's all.

Day 12. 13 JANUARY. A DAY OF DEFENDORS OF FREEDOM. A DAY AFTER THAT NIGT

Candles in the windows
In the morning of 13 January the President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite together with children of 13 January Secondary School has lighened up candles of remembrance in the windows of the Presidential Palace. In the same way people all around Lithuania have joined this social action and have lightened up candles in their windows.

#LAISVE
Later, the President has taken a photo with children in the front the Presidential Palace where an illuminated installation #LAISVE ( Freedom), made from metal and plastic, is constructed. All people are invited to take photos with the illumination and encouraged to share their pics on social media. #LAISVE is staying in the front of the Presidential Palave for two weeks.

Raising the flag of the Republic of Lithuania at Nepriklausomybes square
At 12 p.m. a solemn ceremony of raising the flag of the Republic of Lithuania at Nepriklausomybes (Independence) Square took place.

The Speaker of the Seimas said few words. Mr. Vytautas Landsbergis and Andrius Kubilius were chatting all the times during the ceremony. The Honour Guard Company of the Lithuanian Armed Forces fired tree gun salutes of respect. Later the Honour Guard Company marched on Gediminas ave. to the Cathedral Square.

A short but really solemn and serious ceremony.

Day 11. 13 January. THE DAY OF DEFENDORS OF FREEDOM. A DAY BEFORE THAT NIGHT.

This year Lithuania commemorates (marks) the 25th anniversary of the DAY of DEFENDORS OF FREEDOM.

Early in the morning of 12 January I have bought my own Foget-me-not. Thus I've joined the social action NEUZMIRSTUOLE (meaning a Foget-me-not) the aim of which is not to forget those who had sacrified their lives for Lithuania. ( http://www.neuzmirsk.lt ). Remebering is extremely important because we have only one Lithuania, and we can't loose HER.

At 12 p.m. a meadow of forget-me-nots has bloomed on the Lukiskes Square. A quite impressive view. A piece of square covered with a white snow is turning slowly into a blue meadow. Kids from kindergarderds are planting each his own forget-me-not.

A meadow of forget-me-nots on Lukiskes Square

Blooming foget-me-nots

Kids from kindergardens planting their flowers

At 5 p.m. the opened-doors afternoon in the Seimas (the Parliament) has begun.  ( http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter/w5_show?p_r=613&p_d=202912&p_k=1 )

Visitors could listen to the concert, see photo exhibition, see exhibition at the Memorial for 13th January. 

A concert on the 1st floor of the Seimas 

The main entrace ( trought the Grand Front Yard)  into the Seimas

A part of exhibition at the Memorial for 13th January by the Seimas. 

A huge Fire of Freedom ready for lightening.

Fires of Freedom were solemnly  lit up at 7 p.m. but Iwas at home then watching all the ceremony on LRT television.

In the evening a huge forget-me-not has bloomed on The Cathedral Bell Tower.

Do not forget!

The Cathedral Bell Tower.

And I went home. Everything what was going later on was watched on tv.

beautiful song Imk mano ranka brolau 

orginally performed by Kostas Smoroginas, Neda Malunaviciute and and others

and on this 2016 night performed 

by Jeronimas Milius, Jazzu, Marijonas Mikutavicius

Day 10. New York Club and Urvinis zmogus ( a Caveman)

series of #VilniusINdoors

I would like to talk about a phenomenon called Urvinis Zmogus ( a Caveman) widespread around Lithuania.

picture taken from the official website

What is Urvinis Zmogus? Well, Urvinis Zmogus is a monospectacle about men - women relationship and why all men are such assholes ( or Cavemen). The spectacle had its premiere in 2005. Initially it was played by a director himself - Dainius Kazlauskas. Later by Vaidotas Martinaitis, these days - by Darius Meškauskas and Giedrius Savickas. This season, I guess, it's the 11th season of Urvinis Zmogus. As it is stated on the official webside http://www.idioteatras.lt/index.php?page=urvinis-zmogus , the spectacle has visited all cities and towns of Lithuania. Almost all Lithuanians have seen it and it is enormously popular. It is supposed to be very very funny.

Well, it is supposed. As a beauty is a very subjective thing, a sense of humor is also very subjective. Ok, I admit, Giedrius Savickis is a tallented guy. I love him, I love what he does and I admire his tallent. There were some really good and funny moments. But, here goes my suggestion: the Urvinis Zmogus is for married couples, or for couples who are together for at least two years. This spectacle is for them. For them, I guess, it should be totally funny.

And those 14 eur spent on this!!! OMG. that's far too much!

Well, and one more thing about New York Club (www.newyorkclub.lt ) drinks menu. If you wish to order some hot wine, be very careful. 3 eur sounds a very reasonable prise, but it is for 100 ml of wine (!!!), so when you get a glass of wine ( standart 200 ml), DO BE NOT SUPRISED when you get a check for 6 eur. OMG. 6 eur for a glass of hot wine.

On the whole, 20 eur spent on one night which was not even so funny as it had to be.
oh dear, I could get 2 ticketes to my beloved National Drama Theatre!!!

That's it. That was a post for tourists at all. :)

Day 9. Christmas Tree Lightening 2015

#ChristmasinVilnius

#DecemberinVilnius

Although it may seem a little bit funny to write about Christmas Tree Lightening 2015 in the middle of January 2016, I have to do this, because it is important.
This year (ok, if speaking today - last year) Vilnius had a beautiful Christmas at Cathedral square. This year Christmas Tree was a Fairy Tale House, where children could step inside this magic house and fairy tales were read to them each evening.
The Christmas Tree was lightened on 26 of November. The evening was clear, but very windy and cold, so, shame on me, I have just passed the gathered crowd, took some pictures and went home.

Vilnius citizens and guests are witing for the Christmas Tree Lightening.

The Tree stood up till 7 January, and I went to see it just on 6 January ( shame on me).

This year Vilnius did have a Christmas Tree on Town Hall Square, nor on the TV tower ( usually, chains of thousands of lights are pulled down from TV tower, so the tower turns to the biggest Christmas Tree in Vilnius and in the whole Lithuania).

But still, we love Christmas and nothing can change this.