Main Exhibition
Located in the attractive 18th-century New Arsenal, the nature of the National Museum of Lithuania evokes the peaks and valleys of Lithuania’s modern history rather more effectively than its collections themselves. Its somewhat rambling permanent collection is strongest in its repository of portraits, ecclesiastical objects, coins, and books from the Lithuania’s four centuries in union with Poland (1387-1795). The combined state was the largest and most powerful in Europe in the late 17th century, but unfortunately, the displays contain precious few descriptions in Lithuanian, let alone English, to elucidate this.
The visitor is left to infer Vilnius’ role as a major center for the counter-Reformation from the plethora of liturgical objects, although, quite frankly, the folk art collection of traditional carved crosses is rather more extensive and interesting. While other museums amply elucidate Lithuania’s role as a center for Jewish culture and the country’s suffering under Soviet occupation, it’s a pity that neither is touched on here. One could put this down to Vilnius’ exclusion from the inter-war Lithuanian Republic, when it was ruled by Poland as Wilno and Kaunas served as the country’s capital, consequently becoming home to the country’s best museums. Unfortunately, this piece of history is ignored as well.
The National Museum proper’s saving grace, however, is that it plays host to good temporary exhibitions. At the time of my visit, one covered the recent discovery of a mass grave of French soldiers from Napoleon’s invasion of Russia (which began in present-day Lithuania) and of historic maps of Vilnius. These were thoughtfully curated and accompanied by good explanations-–it is to be hoped that the museum as a whole is renovated to resemble them.
Archaeological Exhibition
The Museum’s oldest collections are thoughtfully displayed in the Old Arsenal, which is entered on a separate ticket. The ground floor’s exhibitions contain archaeological finds from the entire country, arranged chronologically and covering the period from the Paleolithic era to the birth of Christ. Considering the fact that Lithuania remained pagan until 1387, the longest of any European country, this is a somewhat arbitrary choice, but there’s little else to complain about, as the finds are immaculately labeled in Lithuanian and English alike. Pride of place belongs to amber jewelry and well-preserved wooden implements from the vicinity of modern-day Palanga on Lithuania’s Baltic coast.
The upstairs exhibition consists of thematically arranged displays covering the period between the birth of Christ and the formation of the Lithuanian state in the 13th century. Several glass cases document daily life and trade during this period by displaying excavated objects. Others illustrate the cultures of the diverse tribes that Grand Duke Mindaugas welded into the Lithuanian nation by means of mannequins dressed in the clothes and jewelry they are thought to have worn, carrying reconstructed tools and weapons. The superb English explanations accompanying both exhibits and several contemporary excavated graves are the best I encountered anywhere in the Baltics.