Sugiharos namai

About the museum

The house at Vaižganto gatvė 30 was built in 1939 by the then Minister of Education Juozas Tonkūnas. The plot was bought from Elzė Zabielskienė, and the house was designed by the engineer Juozas Milvydas, brother of the minister's wife. On 7 October 1939 Juozas Tonkūnas and the Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara signed a lease agreement: the diplomat and his family lived on the second floor, while the Japanese consulate in Lithuania was set up on the ground floor.

This was the “House of Hope”: the Japanese consulate operated here from November 1939 to August 1940. In the summer of 1940, while Soviet occupiers were in control of Lithuania, Sugihara issued more than 2,000 transit visas through Japan without clear government authorisation. In this way he saved several thousand refugees, mostly Jews from Poland. In 1984 Yad Vashem awarded him the title of Righteous Among the Nations.

The museum was founded here in 1999 by a private non-profit organisation, the Sugiharos fondas “Diplomatai už gyvybę” (Sugihara Foundation “Diplomats for Life”). In the authentically restored interwar house, Kaunas of 1918–1940 is presented through historical photographs and stories, while the exhibition created by the artist Jenny Kagan brings the dramatic events of 1940 back to life in an interactive way. Educational sessions, film evenings and experiential tours, “Vilties diplomatija tarpukario Kaune” (“Diplomacy of Hope in Interwar Kaunas”), are held.

Key themes

• Former Japanese consulate and Sugihara's flat
• Story of the transit visas issued in 1940
• Interactive exhibition by Jenny Kagan and a 20-minute documentary
• Experiential tour “Vilties diplomatija tarpukario Kaune”
• Virtual museum tour

Permanent exhibition

• Sugiharos namai-muziejus – Permanent exhibition on the activities of the diplomat Chiune Sugihara in 1940 and the history of the house, supplemented by a documentary film.

Founded

1999

Operated by

Sugiharos fondas „Diplomatai už gyvybę“

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for employees of Lithuanian museums, Lithuanian guides, accompanying persons of pupils' groups, members of the “Hashi” club and guides of tourist agencies accompanying tour groups (on presentation of a document). Payment is possible in cash or by card.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

There are stairs at the entrance and between the floors, so the building is not adapted for wheelchairs. Most exhibits are text-based or have subtitles, but some currently work only in audio format.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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