New Vilnius museum presents Lithuanian history as reality in progress

The reconstruction of the former tsarist barracks that house the cultural facility took more than a decade

The new House of History, a subdivision of the National Museum of Lithuania, opened its doors in Vilnius on Thursday, the Russian language service of public broadcaster LRT reported.

Never-ending story

The House of History is located in one of the buildings of the former tsarist barracks complex on Tadeusz Kościuszko street. According to the National Museum, its affiliate promises to become an exhibition space where "history is presented not only as a fixed past, but also as a reality that we all reflect on and which we continue to create."

The director of the National Museum of Lithuania Rūta Kačkutė announced that the purpose of the new museum is to present research in “plain language” and that the exhibitions will be family-oriented. A cafe is planned on the museum premises, and various cultural events will take place in the courtyard.

“We'll start with an exhibition of Egyptian mummies. We will talk about those mummies that are kept in Lithuania, how they came here, and what they represent,” explained Rūta Kačkutė.

The building, a designated cultural heritage site, has been reconstructed and adapted to the museum's activities. The makeover lasted more than ten years and cost around EUR 9.5 million.

War and Peace

According to museum data, the barracks appeared on this site around 1880 and the complex retained its military purpose ever after, including during the Second World War, when German troops were stationed here.

The complex was transferred to the National Museum of Lithuania almost three decades ago. At present, in addition to the newly opened House of History, it houses the collections of the National Museum’s Department of Ethnic Culture and Anthropology and a repository of exhibits.