Velnių muziejus
Museum in Kaunas with more than two hundred devil sculptures and the memorial apartment of the painter Antanas Žmuidzinavičius.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Velnių muziejus (Devils Museum) grew out of the private collection of the painter and professor Antanas Žmuidzinavičius (1876–1966). He began collecting devil figurines in 1906, when he received a wooden devil sculpture at a folk art exhibition, and the priest Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas gave him an 18th-century sculpture called “Sutryptas velnias” (“The Trampled Devil”). The painter dreamed of collecting thirteen “dozens of devils” (13 figures each), that is 169 devils, but friends and like-minded people gave him twenty dozen – 260.
After Žmuidzinavičius's death, the collection was handed over to the museum and grew especially quickly in the 1970s and 1980s, when the devil became a popular folk art souvenir. Today the museum displays devils made by folk craftsmen and professional artists, as well as figures and masks given by visitors from abroad.
The museum is housed in the artist's home, where his apartment and studio were opened in 1966. The apartment and studio preserve the setting of an interwar Kaunas artist, and the studio interior has remained unchanged since 1966. The museum is a branch of the Nacionalinis M. K. Čiurlionio dailės muziejus.
Highlights
- More than 260 devil sculptures from Lithuania and around the world
- Devils made by folk craftsmen and professional artists on the first floor
- Devils and masks given by guests from abroad on the second floor
- Memorial apartment of A. Žmuidzinavičius with interwar interior
- The painter's studio, unchanged since 1966
Permanent exhibitions
- Velnių kolekcija – The first floor displays devils made by folk craftsmen and professional artists; the second floor displays figures and masks given by visitors from other countries.
- Memorialinė A. Žmuidzinavičiaus namų ekspozicija – The family apartment of the painter has been recreated, with the daughter's and wife's rooms, and the painter's studio, unchanged since 1966, is on display.
- Founded
- 1966
- Operated by
- Nacionalinis M. K. Čiurlionio dailės muziejus
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4daytime general education school pupils, students, pensioners (up to 80), soldiers, persons with a 30–55% degree of work capacity, victims of occupations and freedom fighters (on presentation of a certificate) |
| Children & teens | –Children of pre-school age visit free of charge; pupils are eligible for the reduced ticket. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Persons with disabilities visit free of charge. |
| Students & apprentices | €4Students are eligible for the reduced ticket. |
| Families | –Family ticket: the adult ticket price plus €1 for each child. |
Free admission: The permanent exhibition is free on the last Sunday of every month; on 1 September pupils of daytime general education and art schools visit free of charge.
Pre-school children, orphans, museum staff, ICOM members, journalists and other groups in the reduced-price categories may also visit free of charge when they buy a ticket at the museum's other branches.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours are only available with a museum guide: visitor ticket plus €20 per group in Lithuanian or €25 per group in English and Russian. Guides can be booked from Tuesday to Saturday; there are no tours on Sundays. |
