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Kaunas
“In Your Pocket:
A cheeky, well-
written series of guidebooks
.”
The New York Times
May 2011 - april 2012
Inside
A fully updated, impartial
scrutiny of the best things
Kaunas has to offer visitors for
the next 12 months
Pažaislis
Kaunas’ Baroque masterpiece
just got even better with the
addition of a new museum.
Read all about it inside
N°19 - 6Lt
www.inyourpocket.com
Contents
3
Arguably Lithuania’s great-
est ever ar tist was a Polish -
speaking man by the name
of Mikalojus Konstanti-
nas Čiurlionis. Born 100km
sou th o f Kau nas i n th e
village of Senoji Varėna
on September 22, 1875,
Čiurlionis spent his child-
hood in the spa town of
Druskininkai before going
on to study flute, piano and
composition in Lithuania
and the prestigious Warsaw
Conservatory, from where
he graduated in 1899. An
immensely prolific artist,
Čiurlionis wrote extensively for the piano, composed string
quartets, and also penned the country’s first symphony,
Miške
(In The Forest, 1901). His musical style shifted be-
tween the pastoral and romantic to occasional dabblings in
serialism. Also a fanatical painter, Čiurlionis was one of the
primary organisers of the country’s first exhibition of Lithu-
anian art in Vilnius in 1907. He served as a conductor, was
deeply involved in the Lithuanian independence movement,
married the writer Sofija Kymantaitė (1886-1958), dabbled
in photography and even found time to design stained glass.
Such a hectic life for a man renowned for his profound shy-
ness and sensitivities was bound to take its toll. Repeated
attacks of depression saw him finally retiring to a nursing
home near Warsaw where he died of pneumonia at just
35 on April 10, 1911. Čiurlionis left one daughter, Danutė,
whom although almost a year old when he died, he never
met. Although 2011 is the centenary of Čiurlionis’ death,
commemorative and celebratory events in Kaunas, who’s
M. K. Čiurlionis State Art Museum (see p.35) holds the vast
majority of his work, are few and far between.
ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES
Contents
Arriving in Kaunas
5
The easy way by bus, car, plane and train
Basics
Čiurlionis and his wife Sofija in
Plungė, 1909.
6
From alcohol to visas
History
8
Complicated to say the least
Culture & Events
9
Art, music, theatre, festivals etc.
Pažaislis
11
Kaunas’ very own Baroque bombshell
Where to stay
12
A bed for all budgets
Dining & Nightlife
Where to eat
18
Lithuanian, Egyptian, vegetarian. You name it
Cafés
25
Sightseeing
What to see
Where to get the best espresso
34
All the main sights and more
Nightlife 26
Drinking, dancing and a little bit of nakedness
Jewish Kaunas
42
An extraordinary heritage lost forever
Getting around
43
When legs just aren’t enough
Mail & phones
46
Keeping in touch
Directory
Shopping
47
Markets, bargains, gifts and souvenirs
Lifestyle
52
Pharmacies, banks and barbers
Maps
Street index
54
City centre map
55
City map
56
Kaunas’ fabulous Pažaislis Monastery Complex, which
now has its own museum, provides a bucollic adventure in
Baroque right on the edge of the city. Read all about it on p.11.
Country map
59
kaunas.inyourpocket.com
May 2011 - April 2012
arriving in kaunas
Foreword
4
5
First documented in written records in 1361 by
marauding Teutonic Knights who were to cause major
headaches in the region for a further six decades, the
year 2011 marks the 650th anniversary of the official
founding of Lithuania’s inimitable second city. Shaped
by centuries of wars and occupations, Kaunas has
experienced something of a cultural renaissance
of late, ridding itself of its reputation as second
fiddle to Vilnius and emerging as a serious player in
its own right. Boasting arguably the country’s best
nightclub, some genuinely great bars and restaurants,
affordable accommodation and an airport serving a
multitude of European destinations, where once it was
little more than a place to visit for its fine sightseeing
it now offers a
smörgåsbord
of temptations it until
recently could only dream of.
Kaunas In Your Pocket
has been reflecting these changes for almost two
decades now and remains the only guide of choice
in English, offering a complete picture of the city from
where to find the best espressos to information on
hairdressers who won’t make you look like a reject
from the 1980s or cut your ears off. All comments,
suggestions, hugs and punches on the knee are
welcome as usual. Send us an email at kaunas@
inyourpocket.com or join the conversation online at
kaunas.inyourpocket.com.
Europe In Your Pocket
Whether you’re flying, coming by bus or train or even driv-
ing to Kaunas yourself, arriving in the city has its good and
bad points. Here’s what you need to know.
By bus
Kaunas’ reasonably central bus station (
autobusų stotis
),
which handles all national and international journeys to
and from the city, is a purely functional affair offering little
in the way of modernity or comfort. If you’ve been stuck
on a bus with a locked toilet for hours, well maintained
facilities (open 05:45 - 21:30, 1Lt) can be found hiding
behind the buildings in the southeast corner of the sta-
tion. If you’re only in town for the day, you can leave your
luggage in the Siuntos Autobusais (2Lt) in the northwest
corner of the station. Take note of the opening hours on
the door if you’re leaving town on a bus during the evening.
If you need cash, an ATM is located on the main street just
in front of the ticket office. Limited tourist information is
available inside the main ticket hall.
Street smarts
Below is a list of Lithuanian street and place names. We
shorten some of these as is standard practice, using
just the main name. For example, Laisvės Alėja is simply
referred to as Laisvės.
Aikštė/Skveras
Square
Alėja
Northern
Ireland
Ireland
Estonia
Russia
Latvia
Alley
Lithuania
Gatvė
Street
Kelias
Road, way
Plentas
Highway
Propektas
Avenue
Belarus
Tiltas
Bridge
Netherlands
Poland
Germany
Ukraine
By train
Trains arrive in Kaunas from Kaliningrad, Minsk, Warsaw,
Vilnius and a handful of other destinations. The imposing
Socialist Realist building was completed in 1953 and is
worth a quick look around. Of particular interest is the
main hall, featuring some classic white sheaves of wheat
in relief high up on the walls. Despite the switch to capital-
ism, facilities haven’t improved much. Toilets (free) can
be found downstairs. If you want to leave your bags, don’t
bring very large ones as the lockers (4Lt) next to the ticket
office aren’t very big. There’s an ATM, an average café and
a branch of the Regional Tourist Information Centre and
not a lot else inside.
Czech
Republic
Austria
Switzerland
Romania
Slovenia
Croatia
Bosnia
Serbia
Getting to town
The bus station is a 15-minute walk
to the city centre and something more like a 25-minute
stroll away from Old Town. If you’re laden with luggage you
might prefer to take a taxi or public transport. To do the
latter, exit the station onto the main street and jump on a
trolleybus, of which all pass through the centre. Taxis can
be found lurking all around the station. See Taxis for more
information.
By car
At the crossroads of the A1 (E85) Vilnius-Klaipėda highway
and the Via Baltica, Kaunas is an attractive if somewhat
challenging place to visit by car. Its road network is a
frightening squiggle of badly signposted asphalt full of
holes and populated by a high percentage of drivers who
give the impression they never took a driving test. The
city centre features a rather complicated one-way system
and parking meters that don’t accept coins. If you still
want to drive there, remember that car crime is a national
pastime. Use guarded parking at all times and never leave
valuables in your vehicle.
By plane
The small and modern airport at Karmėlava is about 12km
north of Kaunas. Once the formalities are out the way, find
several information kiosks, a café, an R Kiosk selling snacks
and soft drinks, a bank, ATM, toilets and car rental outlets.
Bulgaria
Kosovo
Montenegro
FYR Macedonia
Albania
Greece
Getting to town
If you don’t want to walk the 20-minutes
or so required to get to the centre, catch a trolleybus
across the street, reached via the underpass at the front
of the building. All trolleybuses go via the city centre. Taxis
can usually be found waiting just to the right as you leave
the station.
In Your Pocket
has broken much new ground of late,
publishing guides in the
Netherlands
(Den Bosch,
Utrecht),
Austria
(Vienna),
Croatia
(Brač and Senj),
Slovenia
(Celje),
Serbia
(Niš) and
Switzerland
(Zu-
rich). A new guide to the Belarusian capital of Minsk
launches in the early summer of 2011. We’ve also
begun rolling out iPhone apps to all our cities, and
we’ll be launching more throughout the year. To find
out which cities we’ll be covering, and to keep up to
date with all In Your Pocket news and events, see
In Your Pocket
on
Facebook
at facebook.com/
inyourpocket or follow us on
Twitter
at t wi t ter.com/
inyourpocket.
Cover story
I dentical t wins wi th Li thuanian
roots, the Brazilian artists Otavio
and Gustavo Pandol fo, aka Os
Gemeos (The Twins) painted this
extraordinary mural and several
others on the side of the Kaunas
Picture Gallery (see p.34) when
they visited the city in 2007. For
more about their splendid global
colouring activities, have a look at
their website at www.osgemeos.com.br.
Editorial
Editor
Sco
Layout & Design
Vaida Gudynaitė
Researcher
Saulina Kochanskaitė
Cover
Os Gemeos, photo by Sco
Sales & Circulation
Publisher
Vilnius In Your Pocket
General Manager
Rūta Klimavičiūtė
Accounting
UAB “PHREND”
Sales Manager
Rūta Klimavičiūtė
Copyright notice
Text and photos copyright UAB VIYP
1992-2012; some photos LATGA-A;
maps, cartographer. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be
reproduced in any form, except brief
extracts for the purpose of review,
without written permission from the
publisher and copyright owner. The brand
name In Your Pocket is used under license
from UAB In Your Pocket (Vokiečių 10-15,
Vilnius, Lithuania tel. (+370) 5 212 29 76).
Editor’s note
The editorial content of In Your Pocket
guides is independent from paid-for
advertising. Sponsored listings are
clearly marked as such. We welcome all
readers‘ comments and suggestions.
We have made every effort to ensure
the accuracy of the information at the
time of going to press and assume no
responsibility for changes and errors.
Getting to town
Taxis can be found parked outside the
arrivals hall. Try to negotiate a fare before setting off, and
expect to pay around 30Lt for a trip to the city centre. Local
minibus N°120 runs regularly to Old Town for a mere 2.50Lt.
Pay the driver when you get in and let him know where you
want to stop. You can also get city bus N°29 from the bus
stop at the front of the airport, which passes through the
centre as well as going to the bus and train stations. Buy
a ticket from the driver for 2Lt. Express shuttle buses also
provide a service to any given hotel in the city for 13Lt (see
below). Another company operates good value, fast and
comfortable minibus services to Vilnius, Klaipėda and Riga.
ShuttleBus LT Kaunas
Tel. (+370) 37 20 92 20, www.
goshuttlebus.lt.
A genius idea wherein not only does this
modern 20-seater shuttle bus synchronise with flights but it
will go to or pick you up from any hotel of your choice as well as
help you with your gift shopping before you leave. Marvellous.
See their website for more information.
Q
Open 24hrs.
ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES
Publisher Vilnius In Your Pocket
Vokiečių 10-15
Vilnius, Lithuania
tel. (+370) 5 212 29 76
mob. +370 610 46864
fax (+370) 5 212 29 82
kaunas@inyourpocket.com
www.inyourpocket.com
ISSN 1822-1785
©UAB “VIYP”
Printed by UAB “Lietuvos ryto”
spaustuvė
Published once a year
Print run 36,000
This guidebook and all of our other Lithuanian
guides are available for sale from kiosks,
tourist information centres, the
Vilnius In Your
Pocket
office and other outlets throughout
Kaunas and Lithuania as well as online at
www.inyourpocket.com. Complimentary copies
of
Kaunas In Your Pocket
are also available
in many hotels.
Kaunas
In Your Pocket
kaunas.inyourpocket.com
kaunas.inyourpocket.com
May 2011 - April 2012
BasiCs
BasiCs
6
7
Local time
Lithuania is in the Eastern European Time (EET) zone at
GMT+2hrs. When it’s 12:00 in Vilnius it’s 05:00 in New York,
10:00 in London, 11:00 in Warsaw, 13:00 in Moscow and
19:00 in Tokyo. Eastern European Summer Time (EEST,
GMT+3hrs) falls between the last Sundays of March and
October respectively.
National holidays
Basic data
Emergency numbers
Police Fire Ambulance Tel. 112
Lithuanians would celebrate the opening of an envelope.
Any excuse for a bit less work and a bit more cake will
be welcomed, including birthdays and Name Days. The
following are the official public holidays.
January 1
New Year’s Day & National Flag Day
February 16
Independence Day
March 11
Restoration of Independence
April 8 (2012)
Easter Sunday (Catholic)
April 9 (2012)
Easter Monday (Catholic)
May 1
A day off for the workers!
June 24
Joninės, or Midsummer
July 6
Crowning of King Mindaugas
August 15
Žolinė (Assumption)
November 1
All Saints’ Day
December 25, 26
Christmas (Catholic)
Population
Lithuania
3,225,694
Kaunas
336,817
Ethnic composition
(Lithuania)
Lithuanians
84%
Poles
6.1%
Russians
4.9%
Belarusians
1.1%
Ukrainians
0.6%
Others
3.3%
Alcohol
Almost without exception Lithuanian beer (
alus
) is light, crisp,
c ol d, c h eap an d d eli ci ou s. Am on g th e m ore c om m on vari eti es
are the magnificent Švyturys from Klaipėda, Utenos from
Utena and Kalnapilis from Panevėžys. Kaunas’ very own Kauno
beer is also worth looking out for, plus the city is currently in
th e grips o f an obsession wi th li ve (
gyvas
) beer made in small
microbreweries around the country (see p.32 for information
on where to drink it when in town). In Old Town and the city
centre expect to pay somewhere between 5Lt and 10Lt for
half a litre. Lithuanian vodka (
degtinė
) is cheap, generally of
good quality and is drunk with gusto at the mere rumour of
the dropping of a hat. Among the more interesting spirits are
starka
, a 15th-century Polish-Lithuanian concoction of dark,
syrupy r ye vod ka for ti fi e d wi th appl e l eaves an d li m e bl os som,
and
samagonas
, the local illicit firewater available through
the right connections. Local alcohol is generally cheaper than
the imported stuff. Local distillers Stumbro (see p.36) have
a small museum and also offer guided tours. It’s illegal to sell
alcohol in shops between 22:00 and 08:00.
Borders
Lithuania is bordered by the Baltic Sea, Belarus, Latvia,
Poland and the peculiar exclave born out of the ashes of WWII
that’s the Russian oblast of Kaliningrad. EU membership and
Schengen agreements have removed all border formalities
with Latvia and Poland whilst getting in an out of Belarus
and Kaliningrad remains a slow and dreary process. Visas
for both can be obtained from the Belarusian and Russian
embassies in Vilnius (see
Vilnius In Your Pocket
), a few
l o cal travel a gen ci es an d i f arri vi n g by ai r. S e e w w w.pasi e ni s.
lt for more information.
Money & Costs
The unit of currency in Lithuanian is the litas (Lt), which
comes in denominations of 10Lt, 20Lt, 50Lt, 100Lt, 200Lt
and 500Lt notes, 1Lt, 2Lt and 5Lt coins and a number of
weightless, worthless and perfectly useless centai/centų
coins. The litas is pegged to the euro at the rate of 3.45Lt
to €1. Most hotels, restaurants and bars listed in this guide
accept credit cards, and ATMs joyfully spew out money to
any foreigner with money in their account. If you’re planning
a trip to the countryside however, make sure you take plenty
of cash along as it can still be rather old fashioned to say
the least. Kaunas is no longer the cheap city for foreigners
it used to be, although it still offers value to most visitors
from the West. A good night out for two in Old Town including
a meal in a posh restaurant followed by drinks in a bar and
a club to finish off won’t leave you with much change, if any
change at all, from €100.
Religion
Contemporary Lithuania is a predominantly Catholic country
with almost 80 per cent of the population pledging allegiance
to the Pope. Pagan Lithuanians avoided Christianity until
relatively late in European history, finally converting for
political reasons in 1387 in the eastern half of the country
and in 1413 in the west. The country’s pagan heritage can
still be seen in many aspects of life including the days of
the week (literally First Day, Second Day etc.), the continued
naming of its female population after flowers and plants and
the countless festivals throughout the year that remain very
much as they were before the coming of Christianity. The area
that makes up contemporary Lithuania has historically been
the proud home of countless religions over the centuries,
among them Russian Orthodox, Protestantism, Islam and of
course Judaism, of which the former makes up the second
largest population at just under five per cent. It’s considered
polite for men to remove their hats and women to cover their
shoulders when visiting a Catholic church.
Territory
65,303km
2
Roughly twice the size of Belgium,
and the largest of the three Baltic nations. Fertile
lowland, peppered with many lakes. North to south,
the greatest distance is
276km
, east to west is
373km
Borders
Baltic Sea
99km
Belarus
502km
Latvia
453km
Poland
91km
Russia (Kaliningrad)
227km
Longest river
Nemunas
937km
(
475km
in Lithuania)
Largest lake
Drūkščiai
4479ha
Highest point
Aukštasis
293.8m
Customs
Individuals arriving from other EU countries have no
import restrictions placed upon them, although they’ll
need to make it known if they’re arriving with more than
€10,000 in cash. When arriving from non-EU countries
you’re entitled to bring in one litre of spirits or two litres
of wine or beer plus 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50
cigars or 250g of tobacco. You can bring 50g of perfume
and 250ml of eau de toilette. You can’t bring plants, meat,
milk or dairy products from outside the EU except under
certain circumstances. Dogs require vaccinations and
passports (or other proof of vaccination). You can take
home as much art as you wish tax free unless it’s over
50 years old, in which case expect to pay 10-20 per cent
duty. Many of the better antique shops in Kaunas can
take care of all the paperwork for you. See www.cust.lt
for more information.
Smoking
Many popular international cigarette brands are readily
available, and cigars, pipes, rolling tobacco and cigarette
papers are also reasonably well represented. Local brand
cigarettes are interesting, cheap and often un-smokeable.
C ompare d to th e U K, ci garet tes i n L i th ua nia are ri di cul ousl y
cheap. Smoking is banned in all hotels, cafés, bars and
restaurants with the possibility of a 1,000Lt fine for those
who break the law. One or two venues around town provide
a sm oki n g room, al th ou gh m os t p e opl e are forc e d ou t on to
the street when they need a smoke.
Crime & Safety
Crime is rampant in Lithuania, most of it taking place in the
clandestine world of business and politics. Crimes closer to
home include such petty annoyances as having bits of your
car stolen to the inevitable disappearing purses and mobile
phones. Don’t leave valuables in unattended pockets or
lying around on tables. The chances of getting robbed in the
street remain tiny. However, caution never did anybody any
harm, and you’re advised not to flaunt your wallet in stupid
places or announce to the entire world your huge wealth by
wearing loud jewellery in quiet back streets. Walk tall, look
like you know what you’re doing, and you won’t be troubled.
Electricity
Lithuanian domestic electricity flows out the walls at
220V, AC 50Hz. Nearly all sockets are of the round two-
pin European variety. Travellers from non-socket-friendly
societies should bring an appropriate adaptor.
Floors
The Lithuanians consider the floor at street level to be the
first floor, and so on.
Toilets
Just utter the two magic words
kur tualetas
? (where’s the
toilet?) and away you go. Bars and hotels happily let you
use their facilities, although some have started to enforce
a small charge for non-patrons. With the exception of a few
non-tourist bars the vast majority of toilets are clean and
are stocked with plenty of paper and soap. A ghastly relic
from days gone by that refuses to go away even in many
of the swankiest establishments is the provision of a filthy
bucket, kept next to the toilet and used for the collection
of used paper.
Visas
Lithuania is a member of the European Union and the
Schengen area. Visitors from the EU as well as from 30 or
so other countries including Australia, Canada, Japan, New
Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United States
don’t require a visa to stay for up to 90 days within a six-
month period. A visa issued for any Schengen country is
also valid in Lithuania. For more information, take a look
at www.urm.lt.
Service
Anyone who spends more than a couple of days immersed
in Lithuanian life can’t fail to notice just how extraordinarily
indifferent if not just plain rude some public servants can be.
From the middle-aged lady in the post office to the waitress in
the expensive restaurant you’re dining in, don’t be surprised
to get no eye contact, and if you do get eye contact don’t
be too surprised to watch those eyes roll with contempt.
Even the ever-increasing examples of friendly service here
often come with an ineptitude of mammoth proportions,
so, if you’re sensitive to these things be prepared to bite
your lip and suffer. If there’s a culprit at work then it’s surely
management, from the mandarins who oversee the large
state organisations to the bar owners who can’t be bothered
to train their staff.
Language
L i t h u a n i a n i s a ve r y o d d l a n gu a ge i n d e e d. O n e o f
the oldest still spoken today albeit not standardised
until just a centur y ago, the tongue that time forgot
supposedly shares many of the same words with, of all
things, Sanskrit. With seven noun cases, four declension
patterns, absolutely no similarity to anything you’ve ever
heard before and an obligation to pronounce the stress
on every word in the right place to stand any chance
whatsoever of being understood, getting to grips with
the local lingo can take a while. Thank fully, most places
where tourists congregate are now fairly English-friendly.
Lithuania’s rich cultural past has also left an accumulation
of polyglots nationwide, with Russian spoken almost
everywhere, Polish in and around the capital and German
the closer you get to the coast.
Climate
Temperature, °C
Rainfall,
mm
30
100
20
10
0
75
50
25
-10
www.inyourpocket.com
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F
M
M
A
A
M
M
J
J
J
J
A
A
S
S
O
O
N
N
D
D
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Kaunas
In Your Pocket
kaunas.inyourpocket.com
kaunas.inyourpocket.com
May 2011 - April 2012
History
Culture & events
8
9
C onsid ered th e most Li thuanian o f th e th ree major
Lithuanian cities, Kaunas has always played a pivotal
role in the country’s history. The following is a succinct
o ve r vi e w o f t h e to w n’s m o s t n o te wo r t h y u p s a n d
downs.
650th anniversary stamps
Hanseatic Days / Kaunas City Days
May 19 - 22
Combining both celebrations in the same event, the
2011 festival should be better than ever. At the time
of going to press there was no in formation available
concerning what was happening. Previous years have
involved everything from medieval-themed markets
to rock concer ts. See w w w.hanzakaunas.lt for more
information.
Kaunas Carillon Concerts
Kaunas’ impressive, 35-
bell carillon was made in a
Belgian foundry in 1935. Lo-
cated inside the tower of the
Vytautas the Great Military
Museum (see p.36), regular
carillon concerts have been
per formed to an audience
in the square below since
1956. Concerts currently
take place every Saturday
5th century BC
Archaeological excavations suggest people were already
living in, or at least passing through, the area now known
as Kaunas.
Bike Show Millennium & Auto Show 2011
June 3 - 5
Fantastic if you like cars and motorbikes, a dirty, noisy and
smelly intrusion if not, this weekend of fun and frolicking is
now an established favourite in Kaunas. Events start on June
3 with a night rally, whilst June 4 sees all manner of things
going on from cross-country racing to the shows of the title.
The final day promises eight hours of concerts in the yard
in front of the Kaunas State Musical Theatre (see p.10). Full
events online at www.bikeshow.lt.
12th century
In
1140
the Arabic cartographer Al Idrisis marks Kaunas on
a map as Quaynu, Qanys or Kabnu. A small fort is built on
the site of the present Kaunas Castle.
and Sunday at 16:00.
14th century
Kaunas is first mentioned in a
1361
Crusader chronicle,
described as a famous fortress in the Grand Duchy of
Lithuania. The year is considered to be the city’s year of
birth.
Akacijų Alėja
July 9
The now well established outdoor festival of bards and
folk music in a fabulous setting at Kulautuva some 15km
west of the city, Akacijų Alėja offers a fun day out for all the
family. And yes, you’ve guessed it, no list of performers was
available at press time. Have a look at www.akacijualeja.lt
nearer the time.
If a Čiurlionis coin (see p.10) doesn’t tickle your fancy, how
about some stamps? To celebrate 650 years since the
founding of the city, Kaunas has issued a sheet of three
stamps featuring three buildings in the city representing
a particular architectural style, namely the Old Town Hall
(see p.36), Central Post Office (see p.46) and Perkūnas
House (see p.40). The sheets are available for 9Lt from
the aforementioned post office and are available in a run
of just 20,000.
Pažaislis Music Festival
June 5 - August 28
A series of predominantly classical concerts in the fabulous
setting of Pažaislis (see p.11), this is one of the highlights
of Kaunas’ cultural calendar. See www.pazaislis.lt for
information on performances and tickets.
15th century
Kaunas acquires Magdeburg Rights in
1408
. In
1441
the
Hanseatic League establishes a post in Kaunas. The post
remains until
1532
.
Kaunas Photo
August 23 - 26
Going from strength to strength, Lithuanian photographer
Mindaugas Kavaliauskas’ labour of love that’s the now
regular Kaunas Photo international photography festival
opens its doors on August 23, with major events taking
place over three days as well as many exhibitions going on
for well over a month. Kavaliauskas puts on a good show with
plenty of surprises. No surprise however is the current lack
of information, which the monitoring of www.kaunasphoto.
info should fix.
16th century
With the
1569
Union of Lublin, Poland and Lithuania form a
Commonwealth. Kaunas grows with the introduction of its
first school and public hospital.
Kaunas In Art
June 10 - August 10
The 4th international contemporary art festival featuring
works in all media including exhibitions, installations, video
projections, performance etc. by artists from home and
abroad. Events and shows take place all over the city and
are organised by the excellent Meno Parkas gallery (see
p.10). A full list of activities should be online before too
long at www.menoparkas.lt.
17th century
Continuous war fare with Russia and Sweden sti fles
economic development. Tsar Alexis’ armies burn Kaunas
to the ground in
1655.
A plague claims many of the city’s
inhabitants two years later.
19th century
In
1812
Napoleon begins his fateful assault on the Russian
Empire from a hill above Kaunas.
20th century
On
February 16, 1918
the
Ta r y b a
(Lithuanian Council)
proclaims independence. On
October 9, 1920
Poland
breaks the controversial Suwałki Agreement and annexes the
Vilnius region. As a result, Kaunas is unexpectedly promoted
to the status of provisional Lithuanian capital and enters a
short-lived Golden Age. The city becomes a vibrant centre for
cabaret singers, writers and architects. Dozens of Function-
alist-inspired buildings are erected, of which many remain to
this day. Independence ends with the signing of the
1939
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Lithuania is subjected to Soviet and
Nazi occupation in turn. The Holocaust in Lithuania begins in
June
1941
, with the killing of Jews in Kaunas beginning a few
days before the arrival of the invading Germans. The city’s
Jews are forced into the notorious Kaunas (Kovno) Ghetto
and a massive forced labour and extermination campaign is
begun. The city’s Ninth Fort becomes a mass extermination
camp, with over 30,000 Jews from Kaunas and places as
far away as France executed at the site. Lithuania is reincor-
porated into the Soviet Union on
July 7, 1944
, and Kaunas
b e c om es an i mp or tan t c e n tre for te c h ni cal e d u cati on, m e di cal
research, transportation and manufacturing. For most of the
Soviet period, Kaunas is a Closed City. Kaunas becomes a
free city along with the rest of the country when Lithuania
declares independence from the Soviet Union on
March 11,
1990
.
Eurobasket 2011
September 14 - 18
The event of the year i f you’re a local needs little in
the way of introduction. Games take place in the city’s
brand new Žalgirio Arena (see p.10). A full list of matches
and cities where they’re being played is online at www.
eurobasket2011.com.
18th century
Swedish troops seize the city in
1701.
Two large fires in
1731
an d
1732
destroy many of the city’s buildings. In 1795
Kaunas is absorbed into tsarist Russia.
LAB
Found inside the former Sanitas factory at (K-5) Vytauto
3 is LAB, a squatted space where people both live and
organise events. Modelled on the now almost archaic
DiY culture philosophy, those with an interest in this
brilliant contribution to society should expect all the
usual things such as vegan food, punk bands, dogs and
taking responsibility for your own washing up. There’s
no working hours of course, no website and not much
sign of an entrance. A fine anarchic addition to the life
and times of Kaunas.
Historical names
AURA-21
September 22 – 25
The international contemporar y dance festival AURA
celebrates its 21st outing with a host of professional
dance companies from around the world per forming in
conventional and not-so conventional spaces around the
city. See www.dancefestival.lt for more.
The national poem of Poland
Pan Tadeusz
(Lithuanian,
Ponas Tadas) by the 19th-century Romantic poet Adam
Mickiewicz (Lithuanian, Adomas Mickevičius) opens
somewhat confusingly with the words ‘Oh Lithuania, my
fatherland!’ The fact that the Polish Mickiewicz referred
to Lithuania as his fatherland serves as a good example
as to just how linguistically bewildering things can get in
this part of the world. It should therefore come as no
great surprise to learn that the Grand Duchy of Lithu-
ania was ruled by somebody known as both Vytautas
(Lithuanian) and Witold (Polish) whose capital was
known as both Trakai (Lithuanian) and Troki (Polish)
and who spoke… Ruthenian. Vytautas/Witold probably
ate kugel (Yiddish) and kugelis (Lithuanian) for lunch,
and when he died was he buried in Vilnius (Lithuanian)
and Wilno (Polish). A cause for much heated debate in
Lithuania, not least among its more patriotic citizens,
Kaunas In Your Pocket
apologises for any bad feeling
caused by what some may consider a misuse of some
of the words used in this guide. There’s not a lot we can
do about it. Adam Mickiewicz incidentally was born in
what’s now Belarus.
Kaunas International Film Festival
September 27 - October 9
A fine international affair featuring films of all persuasions
both made in Lithuania and further afield as well as
discussions and other cinema-related activities. The
website is at www.kinofestivalis.lt.
Kaunas Jazz
October 2011, May 2012
Arguably the best jazz festival in the country, the twice-annual
Kaunas Jazz Festival takes place in venues around the city.
Once again it’s too early to know who’s playing in either 2011
or 2012, but do expect quality performances in all genres
featuring musicians from home and abroad. The spring
festival is the bigger and better of the two annual events.
See www.kaunasjazz.lt for more information.
21st century
2011
Lithuania commemorates the centenar y of the
death of the painter and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas
Čiurlionis (see p.3). The country hosts the EuroBasket 2011
competition in various Lithuanian cities between
Aug u st 31
and
September 18
.
Kaunas
In Your Pocket
kaunas.inyourpocket.com
kaunas.inyourpocket.com
May 2011 - April 2012
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