KAUNAS FULL OF CULTURE
Flora
2020 JUNE Illustration by Marga Pieva
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Preservation and conservation – these are two different camps, two eco-ideologies, which simply cannot coexist because of their entities and creeds. But they do have an alternative – ecosophy. Nature suffers because these are the priorities of our society, simple, right? Philosopher and lecturer at Vytautas Magnus University, Dr Mantas Davydavičius, has many interesting and modern ideas about this moral dilemma. We have uploaded a conversation with him on our website pilnas.kaunas.lt on May 21, and we recommend you devote some time to reading it after you close the last page of this issue.
Welcome, dear summer We wanted to talk about flora, the daily companion of even the biggest townie, for a long time now. As always, the topic of this issue is a code word, a summary of how much of everything there is in Kaunas, what it is filled with, and what could be added. After all, a Kaunas resident is as close to Oak Grove as they are to Žalgiris and it is equally nice to feel a smartphone and a freshly picked cucumber – that you’ve grown – in your hand. As soon as the topics of this issue were agreed upon and divided, and we started to fantasize about the flowery pages of the magazine, something happened that will remind us of this spring as much as the tired word starting with the letter Q, and that thing is snow! Its particles were touching the ground at the same time as the falling fruit tree blossoms. We couldn’t help but capture these strange moments, but that is just the beginning of this month’s issue! Summer is slowly approaching
or has already come to other pages of the magazine. Flip through the pages and plan your trips to tree nurseries around Kaunas, learn when your favourite flowers will start blossoming in Vytautas Magnus University Botanical Garden, and find out why it is advisable to eat nettles and goutweed. After getting acquainted with the landscape architect, take a look at the invitation of the Landscape Design Festival that is currently taking place. Yes – the Student Square will look more beautiful in autumn! Also, in this issue: enthusiastic urban gardeners in Eiguliai (and warm greetings to their colleagues in Šilainiai gardens of the 8th Fort). You will also learn how Kaunas was developing parks and enjoyed nature in the interwar period and in the end, finally, an almost completely “live” event calendar. After all, the summer is here, and the culture is being reborn.
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Marius Lasinskas is a pharmacist-herbalist living in Neveronys village, Kaunas district, vice-president of Žolinčių Academy, lecturer, a doctoral student of Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy, author of the book Children in the World of Herbs (Vaikai vaistažolių pasaulyje), who, in his spare time makes herbal mixtures and consults anyone who wants to get acquainted with plants that provide health benefits. Marius has studied and worked in the pharmaceutical field, but when he couldn’t find all the answers to the important questions, he turned to nature and now shares his experience on the treasures found there, sometimes discovered even under the nearest balcony of an apartment block.
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Let’s start with a fireweed Julija Račiūnaitė Photos from the personal archive
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What was your path to herbalism, who were your teachers and inspiration?
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During the last Mother’s Day, I learned that when my mother was pregnant with me, she was picking Saint John’s worts. She was recently picking them again and remembered those times. At that time, my mother lived in Babtai and worked for Marija Baranauskienė (Lithuanian agriculturist, gardener, and doctor of biomedical sciences) as her main assistant. Thus, I was picking herbs along with my mother even before I was born, and now, I know where this vocation comes from.
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Other than that, my mother worked at Kaunas Medical University, and I often walked in its corridors as an elementary school student. So, my future choice of profession was sort of obvious from an early age. I only needed to choose between medicine, pharmaceutics, and odontology. My brother suggested being a surgeon, but I am too sensitive for that, I don’t like blood. Dentistry too – you have to spend all day bent next to someone’s mouth, and you also need to have an artistic sense. And then pharmacy studies shone in front of my eyes! I imagined a sage standing in a pharmacy advising people on health issues, communicating, and being beneficial. I really enjoyed this image and started the studies at the top of my class. I had very good grades at school, graduated from Kaunas Rasa Gymnasium. Although, perhaps they were not so great in the beginning because in the early years I strived to become the best football player in the world. I would return home from school, throw my backpack in the corner and go play football, whether it was summer or winter. During my five years of studying pharmacy, I became well acquainted with chemistry and its branches, 6
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delving deep into the whole chemical world – in other words – the world of pills. We also learned about plants – it was really refreshing to me. Later I had to do an internship and work in a pharmacy. While working there, it was sometimes painful to observe people who expect a very effective result from the pills but do not want to put any consistent effort into their own recovery process. After a while, I started working in one pharmaceutical company, thanks to which I travelled around Lithuania a lot, interacted with many doctors and scientists. And I still haven’t found the answer to the question that was bothering me: why do pills treat but don’t completely cure? In the end, I had to quit that seemingly good, and promising job and go look for answers in nature where people looked for treatments throughout all eras, before there were pharmacies and hospitals. Nature is the largest pharmacy, and its medicines are plants. So, after getting to know both sides, I still turned to nature. You are a specialist in both of these areas. Do you see any contradictions between them? Yes, I (and other specialists) give lectures on that. It’s definitely worth listening to and learning some things. For example, if you have a stomach ache, you shouldn’t immediately turn to pills. Perhaps you had one too many cepelinai in the evening before sleep, and the acidity increased. For that, you have fireweed, liquorice and other plants that reduce acidity. You don’t need to use pills for one-off disorders, pains, or inflammations. Of course, medicines are needed, and we should be glad that they exist; there are complex oncological diseases, heart attacks. After all, if we break a leg, we will definitely not treat it with plantain. You will need modern medicine for that but after you can apply an ointment made out
of common comfrey, reduce inflammation with marigolds or even put that same plantain. But there are definitely disorders that make us abuse pills. When we take too much of them, we sort of make them responsible for our health, especially if a lot of money has been paid. After taking a magic pill, you no longer have to do anything, neither watch your diet nor care about your mental health. But if you are constantly angry with your neighbours, how can you expect your liver not to hurt? The recipe is simple – you need to become a better person, to love others, accept others, and visit nature more often. The air in the forest is several hundred times cleaner than in the city, so when you walk you just breathe in the vitamins, they fly to your nose – all you have to do is inhale. So, as you see, I appeal in all directions: first of all, the specialists, who must understand that you should be kind to people, give good advice and attention. Once, a young man came to the pharmacy and said, “I am very nervous; they had prescribed me diazepam (a prescription-only mild tranquillizer).” I asked what was wrong with him and it turns out he was stressed about the exams. I advised him to
take a walk around Santaka and then see; maybe he won’t be needing that pill after all. The young man didn’t come back anymore, and I don’t know if the advice worked or not. People, on the other hand, need to keep in mind that they shouldn’t put their responsibility on the drug, doctor, or pharmacist. If you don’t get involved with your healing process, it is very difficult to help you. Ninety-nine per cent depends on You, the rest can be left to God and the pharmacist, and all will be well. As for the city resident, what herbs a person, who spends more time in an environment of increased pollution, is in a constant hurry, and experiences a lot of stress should know? Well, there are a few simple plants that you can currently find growing everywhere (the interview was conducted in mid-May) and which are extremely beneficial. And the most interesting thing is that the simpler the plant, the recipe or advice, the more useful and effective it is. We keep looking for some rarities brought from distant lands but just right here, anywhere you look, you will find
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dandelions – some of the best plants in the world. Near the bus stop, where I used to go to school from, near the library I visited during my study years – they are everywhere, even on Laisvės Avenue. It is the most amazing plant; you only need to learn how to consume it. In spring the benefits are in the leaves, that can be eaten, frozen, dried, put into a salad, basically used in any way you can think of while maintaining their effectiveness. You can also eat fresh blossoms. All you need to do is find a cleaner place and blow away the tiny insects. You will immediately get vitamins, the liver and the digestive system will get better, and the yellow colour, like the sun, means we will also gain in joy. And stems can be used to make “pasta.” Danutė Kunčienė, the president of Žolinčiai Academy (I am her deputy) could describe this recipe very vividly, 8
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but basically, you need to grind the stems very well, add some sort of acid (for example, citric) and a teaspoon of honey. After three to four hours, the stalks soften, and the dish can be served. It is especially suitable for a tired city person because it cleans the blood vessels from cholesterol; it is suitable for people with anaemia, helps the intestines. So, if you want to cleanse the body, choose dandelion and if you want to fill it – a nettle! I don’t know where micro and macro elements, iron, etc. would be arranged better. In the spring we can consume the whole young nettle, and in the summer, until the fall, we should choose tops or smaller leaves. And in the fall, we collect seeds. Basically, the whole plant is useful. Things are a bit more complicated with the roots because they are knotty but greatly beneficial for the prostate. Thus, the
nettle is a bomb of micro and macro elements. And there is also something for those who do not like meat. I have tried different diets and can recommend goutweed, which is simply a meat substitute. And I would add another plant to this list. I am currently studying at Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy. I am in the second year of my doctoral studies, and the object of my dissertation is a plant called fireweed. I got to know it very well and discovered many valuable qualities, amazing things. Fireweed is a plant-adaptogen that helps to adapt to difficult living conditions, quarantine, stress, exams, friction at home. It will provide peace to those in wild spirits and will make the sleepy ones perkier. I recommend taking it in the first part of the day, although there are people who can drink it before bed. Black and green tea or coffee can be replaced by fireweed. This plant is also very valuable if you suffer from increased acidity, acid reflux, intestinal problems, inflammation, migraine headaches, or depression. When a person does not know which herb to start with, I always advise beginning with fireweed – you will hit the mark anyway! Therefore, fireweed is a friend of the nerves, dandelion cleanses the body, the nettle is a vitamin bomb, and we eat goutweed instead of meat. Later it is possible to add lemon balm, mint, and chamomile mixed in equal parts – it works especially well for children because it helps against bloating, inflammation, nerve problems. We live in a time when strengthening immunity is extremely important. Is fireweed useful for that? Yes, fireweed boosts immunity directly but most importantly it gives you peace of mind. People at the moment are very frightened, more often trusting themselves to all sorts of charlatans who profit from people’s igno-
rance and fear and who also abuse their health. And the fireweed gives you peace, and when you are calm, you can think straight. You recently wrote a book, Children in the World of Herbs. Why is it important to introduce children to this world? In fact, I am very happy, because lately, schools have been inviting me to give remote lessons. This is the third day that I devote an hour to that in the morning. Sometimes a hundred children from five schools join! It is important to teach a child from an early age because when educated, they will have more choices. And most importantly, they should be educated by your example. You cannot teach values and then turn around and do the opposite. Therefore, I wrote the book for a beginner, i.e. a child from 1 to 100 years. And when you learn something, you need to take the kids by the hand and go to the meadow to test that knowledge. A child who hasn’t heard from his grandmother, parents, or herbalists that oregano is a friend of the stomach, will resort to what he saw on a commercial or in their environment. But if they have heard of a friend of the stomach, they will start with the plant. So, a child will have a choice. The booklet is intended for the whole family because there you will find a family herbal medicine kit, how to dose herbs for all age groups, songs that improve digestion, and fairy tales about herbs, after all, everyone likes them. Since I have young children myself, I felt the need to start with this book and then move on to adults. It’s easier with adults, you just need to tell them a lot of things, but it is difficult to talk to children for two hours because at some point a child will assess that “this uncle is talking too much” and all your lectures will be over. I’m still learning to communicate with kids – it’s a real art. 2020 JUNE
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Has it ever happened to you that you planned to describe or otherwise review one particular object, but after arriving at it you realized that it would be more interesting to introduce the person who welcomed you there? The question, of course, is for the fellow journalists. And this definitely doesn’t mean that VMU Botanical Garden in Kaunas is so uninteresting that it is not worth talking about. Far from it. It is exceptional because of its age (in 2023 it will celebrate its centenary) and at the same time forever young and ever-changing, as if almost in front of your very own eyes. It is a garden that you can visit and get to know once again every year. That is - if it is not the goal of our guide, the head of Exposition and Collection Department Dr Arūnas Balsevičius, then at least ... a way.
Swing when you’re digging Kotryna Lingienė and Kęstutis Lingys Photos by Arvydas Čiukšys
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At the end of May, when we visited the garden, everyone was busy with work because, during the quarantine, the employees would come to work one by one and they were unable to prepare for the season on time. And the visitor numbers (they fluctuate depending on the blooming time of specific plants) this year will undoubtedly be regulated by government decisions. But Arūnas likes it, just as he liked the time of the quarantine, “I took some rest from people.”
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Arūnas came to work in Kaunas six years ago. He says he was being persuaded for a long time because he loved his job in Marijampolė Botanical Garden. Still, he agreed to become a “part-time” Kaunas resident and then finally – a full time one, walking to work on both feet, or more precisely, drive. He lives in a homestead, and you cannot say that he is a shoemaker who wears the worst shoes. “Outrageously worn-down and abandoned,” this is how Arūnas described the botanical garden that he found when he came to work there. When asked whether this was due to human resources or funding, he said “yes” twice. And the story is indeed confusing. It was Tadas Ivanauskas who invited the Swiss Constantin Andreas von Regel from Tartu to Kaunas. We will not offer an exact quote but something along the lines – we are establishing a university here. It is not there yet, but it will be, please come and set up a garden. Von Regel came and with the blessing of Kaunas residents visited many botanical gardens in Europe, bought seeds, and started to prepare. Of course, not in an open field. The classical manor of Aukštoji Freda built in the early 19th century with a park full of thick trees was perfect for it. There were also scandals. As Arūnas, who had leafed through the interwar period press, told us, Regel, who wanted to buy something for the garden had sold the stones of K AU N A S F U L L O F CU LT U R E
the manor, and the press found out... “Such is the aura.” Later the jurisdiction of the garden changed several times until it finally became a part of Vytautas Magnus University. In general, the botanical garden consists of several departments, and it is this one – the Expositions and Collections Department headed by Arūnas, that is the most visible. There is also the Science Department which even has separate collections invisible to the public, and the Department of Education and Services. It is thanks to the team of the latter that we find out when and what is blooming, what kind of work done by Kaunas residents has been noticed abroad, and what will the program of the soon-to-be-legendary Night of Scents be. By the way, it was Arūnas who brought the idea of the Night of Scents from Marijampolė to Kaunas. So, what did he find in Kaunas, and what did he decide to change? “The principle of a sacred cow prevailed here. If someone – perhaps an important party official – put something in this position, that’s how things must be. So, my first task here was to cut out such supposedly valuable, albeit truly banal, thick bushes. At the same time, it was my first meeting with the press as an employee of the botanical garden.” Therefore, Arūnas had to chase that sacred cow away. And so, last year the last “Soviet” relics – peonies planted back in 1968 – were dug out. Dahlias will reign instead of them. Now the only old, charming and valuable thing there, is Freda Manor Park. But what was wrong with the peonies and other plants that were planted earlier? “Before all the plants were behind the fence and if you didn’t know the overlooker of the fence, you never saw anything beautiful. Things are just like that in Minsk to this day,” Arūnas says. There was no lawn, no mowing; everything was overgrown. It wasn’t
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“As Professor Vida Mildažienė used to say – come on, take those buckets off your heads,” Arūnas laughs. He is also happy to have “weeded-out” the modesty of the garden – he also calls it a Soviet relict – when everything was just grey, green, red so that there wouldn’t be “any overload”. “A Frenchman wouldn’t understand that, after all, his garden would be inspired by the ornate dress of the lady of the palace, he is not familiar with the word “overload.” Basically, not only technical but also the artistic part of the work is important. In other words, you need to control both the shovel and the flight. Even if you are a big boss, you should not forget the shovel.
Come on, take those buckets off your heads.
The manager is generally satisfied with his staff. He says that the team was renewed although it is difficult to attract young people to the botanical garden. The most scandalous fact is that Lithuania no longer offers botanical studies, which is precisely what Arūnas studied. The botanical garden would take in at least five new employees! Salaries are not high, but there is an attempt to offset that with work trips to the botanical gardens abroad – not so much for holidays as for inspiration. And tru-
We could try to recount in detail the number of VMU Botanical Garden collections, species, and varieties, describe the conservatory and the cacti that peacefully spend their winters nearby, invite to the pergola, but you can see all that by yourselves when you visit. It seemed more interesting to convey an earthly philosophy in which a sense of aesthetics goes hand in hand with getting your hands dirty without fear. When you come, some things will have changed after
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ly, it is eye-opening for the gardeners returning from the trips. They see how work can be done; what aesthetics can be created from nature.
We keep mentioning the gardens of other countries – friendship and synergy between them really exist. Arūnas named Salaspils, or the Latvian National Botanical Garden, as the closest to us and not only spiritually. He says that he no longer has anything to exchange with his Latvian colleagues – and plant exchange is a very important tradition. After all, collections need to be constantly updated. “We have nothing to buy in the nurseries. It happens that you drive there and see that you already have everything.”
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really western, so to speak. And there was also no communication between the team. You want a person to weed out your bed, you call his superior, and he contacts the person. Or there is a curator who just sits in the office and doesn’t see the plants at all. Arūnas realized that things could and should be different while travelling. For example, to the largest rose garden in the world located in Sangerhausen in Germany. Arūnas said that there might even be too many roses for the human eye, but the organization of work was memorable. “Well, maybe the Z generation wouldn’t like it,” our guide laughs and says that it became a normal procedure in Kaunas as well, for the employees to change each other, the gardener can sit down behind the cash desk. “A person must be universal, and by learning something new, he discovers himself and becomes a part of a collective. He cannot seriously be weeding out the same bed for twenty years.”
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In any case, dahlias could be considered the most popular at the Vytautas Magnus University Botanical Garden. And not only the ones in the garden but all over Kaunas. We will only remind you that a special variety of dahlia was bred in the honour of Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas, who is often cited in our magazine. There is also a variety called Old Kaunas – true; it was not bred by the employees of the botanical garden but by a breeder Jadvyga Petravičienė. Kaunas’ dahlias are valued and acknowledged in the world. Last year, our guide brought the second prize of the Concours International du Dahlia 2019 Parc Floral de Paris for a variety of dahlia that he bred, called Freda Kristina Pink. Now, this flower from Kaunas, the name of which consists of both the name of the manor and the name of Arūnas’ colleague, is grown in the Paris Botanical Garden. Just like the Orija bred by the botanist, that one the hearts of the public in 2018. Tulips experienced a bit of a mishap this year. There are around 400 varieties here, and the first ones blossomed when Botanical Garden was
closed due to quarantine. But in the near future, it will be difficult to admire the tulips in this garden, and the deer are to blame for this. Living freely in the vicinity of the manor, they became quite bold and started to snack in such a way that not even a bulb remains. And tulips are not the only thing they enjoy – thujas and elephant-eared saxifrage are on their menu as well. So, the employees of the garden fence the last remaining tulips. And the deer are probably browsing the real estate ads in other areas. No one wants to fight these beautiful creatures, but it is wrong to destroy the other’s property, especially when it is so gorgeous. They will move out. And the geese that Arūnas brought from his own homestead live well in the park and do no harm to anyone. One of them has already reached a very solid age. There are ducks too, of course. How would a pond look without them? They are wild. We also met a very pretty Muscovy duck. However, we are not at the zoo, so it is time to see the future educational garden, which is one of Arūnas’ ideas. Natural processes are slow, so we will have to wait for the fruits of various countries, growing right there, next to Freda Manor, for a few more years. But that is the idea – to present the geography of fruit trees and to offer a taste of ripe fruit. Now that travel has become impossible; such delicious and cheap walk sounds tempting. We fantasized a bit: perhaps it will be possible to buy jams made by the botanists? Maybe. Things happen in other gardens. For example, in Prague, you can sit under the vineyards, observing the flowing Vltava and sip the drink produced right there by the gardeners as if they were ancient monks. Maybe someday that will happen in Kaunas, after all, the currently renovated main building of the manor will have to serve some function.
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our visit because the garden is a living organism. Rosarium – one of the most special in Lithuania – will definitely leave an impression. And we also like the newly prepared corner of various rhododendrons. And the ginkgo, or course, ginkgo biloba, is blossoming this year. It was so inspiring that the illustrator made space for it on the cover of the magazine. We were also very interested in an oak grove planted in honour of conservationist and anthropologist Birutė Galdikas. It contains oaks that are the descendants of those from the pagan times, marked on a natural heritage list. The idea is truly kaunastic, but to date, they are very small, so we will probably have to wait for that striking impression and the ancestral cry conveyed by the oaks.
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Landscape architecture encompasses almost everything that is under the sky. Think of such iconic places as New York Central Park or Park Güell in Barcelona but also consider Vienybės Square in your city, the local Oak Grove, and even your own backyard. Green roofs, urban farms, or corporate campuses – all that define the landscape that Mantas Pilkauskas, chairman of Lithuanian Union of Landscape Architects, landscape architect, and lecturer of Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy, tells us about.
Living in spacetime Monika Balčiauskaitė
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Dad of Mantas Pilkauskas, landscape architect Regimantas Pilkauskas, was one of the authors of the campus currently known as VMU-AA. Photo by VMU-AA.
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Why did you find it interesting, and how did the profession of the landscape architect as well as the academic discipline appear in your life? I studied forestry at the Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (hereinafter – VMU-AA). During my studies, I had also studied forestry abroad at the University of Eastern Finland and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. I participated in a week-long Baltic universities’ program course on the topic of landscape architecture. The example of my father, Rimantas Pilkauskas, was also very important. He introduced me to this profession and showed me the opportunity to specialize in landscape architecture after having obtained a broad forestry education. Just like me, he had studied forestry, but for the most part of his life, my father designed parks, squares, cemeteries, and, along with his colleagues, planned residential areas. He also taught at the Academy of Arts, Faculty of Architecture. Occasionally he would take me to the objects that he was working on, and I still remember that for me, as a child, it was like a vacation. He would inventory and design the park plants, and I would observe and admire. Can you tell us about working together with your father? The first park where I carried out project supervision was in Utena City Garden, which was being set up by my father at the time. Back in 2010, together with my father and brother Vainius (he graduated from Vilnius Gediminas Technical University with a degree in architecture), we won the project proposal of Vyžuonaitis Park in Utena in an open competition of ideas. We prepared a technical project, and this year, when the funding was received, 2 0
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the construction of paths and planting of the trees, bushes, and flowers started; soon children’s playgrounds will be installed. Sometimes there is a decade-long gap from the birth of the idea and its implementation. You are a landscape architect, chairman of the Lithuanian Union of Landscape Architects, and lecturer at Vytautas Magnus University. What is your daily routine? Now, during the quarantine, I sit at home. I read lectures remotely and have mastered the possibilities offered by the Moodle and Big Blue Button platforms. I comment on students’ works, their project outlines. I feel happy that in June we will be able to start the internships in parks with students. VMU-AA greenery and landscape design courses have one group of students each, and it seems like we all know each other. After the internship, the groups become like one big family. I also design privately. Together with the Lithuanian Union of Landscape Architects, we organize events, Greenery Space seminars, and paint during plein airs. A friend mentioned that associate professor, dr. Filomena Kavoliutė, who teaches geography in Vilnius University, has presented her students with a metaphor of cake, referring to the landscape. According to her, both the cake and the landscape are made out of many different ingredients and elements, which together create one coherent system. How would you describe the landscape? I tend to compare it with a clock. The landscape consists of components of living and inanimate nature, the interaction of which is expressed
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John Dixon Hunt’s book Greater Perfections: The Practice of Garden Theory states that there is no separate or independent theory of landscape architecture and, in most cases, it relies on theories of other disciplines. Do you agree?
Landscape and Urban Planning and the Landscape Journal about the need to develop a theory of landscape architecture. Do you notice a lack? The lack of theories in Lithuanian is noticeable, but those who read in English or German can really fill this gap. A reader of the theory of landscape architecture is available in English, containing a wide range of texts by various authors or illustrated dictionaries. The theory is important and can make a difference in our lives, but landscape architecture is a practical speciality. I can’t imagine a change in public spaces without design.
I agree. In landscape architecture, we rely on other sciences: botany, geometry, fine art theory, history, ergonomics, engineering, and sociology. We use the knowledge of various sciences to transform the landscape and bring man closer to nature. What is special about the nature of landscape architecture as an independent discipline?
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in space and time. One would like to eat the cake while it is fresh and not let it spoil. Meanwhile, the clock can tick and rotate its hands, showing the change of days, months, and years. Of course, when explaining the concept of landscape, I refer to the theory of systems and the physical geography of Lithuania described by Professor Alfonsas Basalykas.
We, unlike building architects, do not design an object in space, but space or space systems. We also must not forget the dimension of time. We plant small plants, flowers, shrubs, and trees. It takes a certain amount of time for the trees to grow, so the role of flowers and herbaceous plants is crucial in the first years. Seasonality is also important. I like to say that we live in spacetime. When you invite someone to a meeting it is not enough to agree on a specific meeting place; you also have to mention time because we might be late for a birthday or a festivity of blooming apple trees or tulips. For the past three decades, researchers in the field of landscape science have raised questions in the academic journals
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The formation of the relationship between man and the natural landscape is the main task of this discipline, encompassing agricultural, natural, and environmental methods, identified as practical tools. What do you think is necessary to work together effectively? I would omit the word “natural” or paraphrase it to “building a relationship between man and nature (both animate and inanimate).” Today’s human population would not survive only in nature. People dam rivers, drain wetlands, burn huge amounts of coal, build cities, and gradually change the landscape to suit their own needs. The oceans and mountains catch our eye, but the natural processes that take place in them can be fatal – we need to beware of volcanic eruptions, floods, animals, or even viruses. When it becomes discouraging to spend time indoors, we discover parks, forests, educational trails, and cycling paths. Some problems can be avoided by planning territories: regions, cities, and settlements. Here, the role of geographers and urbanists is, of course, of utmost importance. When designing residential neighbourhoods, the most successful projects are often those in which
What impact does the landscape have on human productivity at work? Huge. Terrain, climate, air, and water are inanimate elements of the landscape, on which, all the flora, fauna, and humanity depend. The broad definition of landscape architecture mentions three main areas of activity: landscape planning, landscape design, and landscape management. Which process is the most complicated? Landscape planning and landscaping design differ in their scale. To successfully design on a large scale, we must first get acquainted with the small scale and look at the whole of the territory as if from a bird’s eye view. And the opposite is true when planning the neighbourhoods. We need to understand the needs of the people and the specifics of the designers. Landscaping or the management of its elements’ greeneries involves designing, setting up, and maintenance – here the key role is played by the customer. If they are educated, express their needs, and set measurable goals, a much better result is achieved. What is your opinion about the famous phrase, “Kaunas is a green city”? Let it be a challenge and an aspiration to preserve more green public spaces, build new bicycle paths, or equip public beaches. Of course, it’s neither easy nor cheap. I am sorry that museums and swimming pools are being built on Nemuno Island because people will lose the park. Imagine we could have had a park on the island.
It would also be nice if the park trails were repaired. Trees are increasingly being filled with concrete, and the new ones are being planted in the deserts of road metal, granite, stone blocks, and asphalt, in the holes that are too small. The stretch for tree growth is smaller, there are less water and air for the roots as well as nutrients, and there is no opportunity for the soil to replenish itself from the humus formed in the rotting leaves. In the long run, the trees will have difficulties growing, and it is possible they will not delight us with lush and healthy foliage in the future. Priority was given to communications, paving, the low price, and convenience of repairs leaving little room for plant roots. Do Kaunas residents care enough about the landscape? I am glad that the municipal government took Kaunas city resident’s needs into account and allocated funds for park maintenance, reconstructions, path and children’s playground repairs. The threat I see is the privatization of water protection zones and drinking water wells. When the city council changes the general and special plans, the city residents may lose important resources as opportunities arise to construct buildings. Are you working on any landscaping project today? Yes. I really hope that people will like the dune park in Melnragė, near the northern pier of Klaipeda port. The wooden path has already been built, the laying of the tabby path has started, benches are gradually being built. The only thing that’s left is to design the stands and take care of the implementation of the project.
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building architects include not only engineers but also landscape architects. Then we can enjoy the greenery of the courtyards.
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Urban gardening is a trendy-sounding term that is actually very close to Lithuanian hearts. When last year I visited the four-decade-old gardens of the 8th fort of Kaunas Fortress, the women there – smiling and full of health – told me that they started longing for garden beds right after they moved from the village to the city. Let’s not limit ourselves to Šilainiai – look around the apartment block courtyards of any neighbourhood. Now maybe less often, but a few years ago, not only ornamental plants but also herbs and vegetables grew under the balconies. And we shouldn’t write it off to the Lithuanian character.
Celery in a sandbox Kotryna Lingienė Photos by Alina Butrimė
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What is your relationship with this neighbourhood, its architecture, the local community?
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Your own food, grown from the seed, watered and cared for with your own hands, albeit a bit lop-sided, is always more beautiful than a foreign product placed on a shelf at a grocery shop as if it was a jewellery store. The value of locally grown, locally consumed produce is severalfold. We must consider the cost of logistics, the pollution caused by trucks or planes, and simply the compatibility of biofields. Well, I went a bit overboard here, but such examples as Alina and Mantas Butrimai initiative in Eiguliai truly inspire you to think about who you are, what your real environment is, what you put in your body and what can you do about it. Not only for yourself but for the neighbours, the community – for Kaunas. By the way, we called Alina, who has been tending to her yard garden for two years now, on that strange week in May when it snowed. She said she could not wait to transfer the bean seedlings that have been occupying her windowsills, to the garden beds in the yard. We will have to visit them at the end of the summer and see for ourselves what those Eiguliai-grown celeries look like.
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Mantas and I are little gardeners – the newcomers of the neighbourhood. Two years ago, we moved to this – then very foreign and unfamiliar – district. We were fascinated by large spaces at home and in the yard, the nearby Kalniečių Park and Kleboniškis Forest. It was summer, and we were delighted by the greenery of the unusually spacious yard for the apartment block neighbourhood, seen through the windows. In the middle of the first autumn, when it rained for days, there was less joy and light grey proud multi-storeyed buildings darkened from the rain, and it seemed that it wasn’t the rain but the teardrops of their sadness monotonously knocking on windowsills. It took one season without greenness to K AU N A S F U L L O F CU LT U R E
understand how important it is in this oasis of reinforced concrete. During the first year, we also noticed how distanced people were. We came from a cosy apartment block, where you would always find people looking for communication when you went outside, and if there weren’t any that very moment, they wouldn’t take long to appear. At first, we found that unusual but we got used to it very quickly, and after moving here, we started looking for the same thing. Probably no wonder we didn’t find it. We observed the yard and asked ourselves why people who are out walking dogs don’t stop for a more extended conversation, why mothers with children settle next to different sandboxes and why people coming out from different houses for a walk, who seem equally bored and yearning for communication, pass each other by without even glancing into each other’s eyes. How and when the idea of Eiguliai gardens was born? The idea came to Mantas during our first winter in Eiguliai. It seemed like a complete utopia; we talked about it, laughed, and forgot. We talked about it more than once, but it seemed so foreign in this oasis of reinforced concrete that we ourselves had a hard time believing in it. But then, there was someone who not only believed in it but also encouraged to implement it. Mantas shared this idea with Raimonda Šiudeikytė, Eiguliai Fluxus Labas agent during the white clay workshop held in the Parkas department of Kaunas City V. Kudirkos Library. Thus, began our friendship and the birth of the Courtyard garden. We are grateful to Raimonda; without her support, the Courtyard garden would remain a utopian idea. The action takes place in sandboxes. Why there? Don’t the little neighbours object that tomatoes are growing in their territory?
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Our yard is really very interesting – we have eight large sandboxes. Eight of them, next to each other! Unbelievable, isn’t it? It seems like the planners predicted how alienated people would become here or perhaps that is precisely what they planned? Children have not used two reinforced concrete boxes for a long time. Last year we settled in one of them, the one that has been abandoned the longest, and this year we plan to occupy the other one. There are six more left for the little ones, only four of which are used. It was a very attractive place for us – our little gardeners were playing in the sand nearby and would join us occasionally. A raised bed was made in an unused sandbox. We didn’t want to create a new alien object; we wanted to tame and extend the functionality of what already exists K AU N A S F U L L O F CU LT U R E
but is not used. More neighbours joined us, which surprised and greatly delighted us. We met our yard colleagues – Daiva and Leonardas’ family and their little gardener. Together we brought a lot of quality dirt and gladly began the construction. What do Eiguliai residents grow? Is there some idea behind the choice, perhaps brought from the villages, the “real” gardens? Or maybe you’re growing products for some specific recipe? During the first gardening season, we grew everything we could think of – from radishes to pumpkins. It was an interesting experiment, a test of environmental tolerance for other ideas, and this experiment was a great success.
The purpose of this garden was not to have food; it was more of an educational garden for the city kids and an interesting experience when you could go out to the yard, pick a wild strawberry, a salad leaf, a radish and eat it right there or bring home some green of the celery for your soup. We found like-minded people here and fun communication, exactly what we lacked in the yard.
definitely a more emotional aspect. Taking care of plants, observing their growth provides a great deal of peace and joy, which was really sorely lacking at the time.
How many neighbours are gardening? Do you distribute jobs, garden beds, and the like, or things are much simpler?
It is true. Engaging in serious gardening, where there is a lot of monotony, you can calm down and relax, sink your hands into the soil and dig around for half a day. Our garden is very small. The meeting of five adults and three children was very dynamic, energizing, full of optimism, and the joy of knowing that there are people nearby who want to create, communicate and build a cosier yard together. You can feel the movement and joy and belief in what we do even from the photos. We saw through the windows that older neighbours started to sit down for a conversation on the bench near the Courtyard garden, which has encouraged many to have a conversation, discussion, or make new acquaintances. We hope that the psychological well-being has improved not only for those who worked with the soil but also for those who observed, supported or discussed the idea.
Have you noticed that this year, gardening, although it has been slowly becoming relevant for some time, has become even more important? I read that with the onset of the pandemic and the closing of jobs and shops, seed sales have increased significantly in the US. Apparently, there are both financial and emotional aspects. And how are things here? It’s difficult to speak for others, but we have to admit that we stuffed our windowsills with seedbeds and pots before the quarantine. For us, it is
Is it difficult to become a gardener? Where should a Kaunas resident who lives in a block apartment start? Becoming a gardener is really easy when you dare to start. Last year, it seemed like a utopian idea to us. Talking about it and the supportive people we met on the way helped implement it. Probably the most important advice would be: look for like-minded people, talk, communicate, and create!
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The Courtyard garden was created by two families and Raimonda, who, from the very beginning, supported Mantas’ idea. And they all had the same goal – communication and a wish to have a small garden near home. Everyone willing contributes to its care and utilization of the harvest; we cannot really say how many neighbours got involved in this experiment. We were happy to see the “vanishing” weeds and disappearing wild strawberries and greens because it showed that the community had embraced this idea and silently supported it. Maybe this year, these silent helpers will join us, and we will create together. If not, we will continue to welcome silent support.
What does work on a garden bed give a person except for the full belly? Does immersing your hands in the soil really improve your psychological well-being?
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“Rarely does a city have such beautiful surroundings as Kaunas. The high banks of Nemunas and Neris, where a distant view expands onto the valley of these rivers; the beds of smaller streams, such as Girstupis ... Jesia, Marvianka – the countless deep ravines with overgrown banks, through which, streams babble into Nemunas in spring; old, giant oaks and linden of Aleksotas, Freda, Vytautas Hill, and Marva make up the real ornament of our city, which should be all the more cherished because it was created by centuries and if destroyed, can hardly be rebuilt.”
To plant all over the provisional capital Paulius Tautvydas Laurinaitis
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Aukštoji Panemunė forest in the 1930s. Archive of Kaunas City Museum
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An oak tree planted by the first Lithuanian Olympians. Photo by Paulius Tautvydas Laurinaitis
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This is how daily newspaper Lietuva described the geographical position of Kaunas in1922. And indeed, Kaunas has almost always been famous for its green surroundings. And yet, in the 1920s, there was a constant emphasis in the press on the scarcity of greenery within the city limits, which were not wide at the time. The city streets still lacked the trees around them and the official parks – City garden and Vytautas Hill – had an entry fee to maintain the cultural activities that took place there: orchestral performances and film screenings. Although the issue of cleaning the other green zones, such as Ąžuolynas or Mickevičius Valley, was constantly raised as an important question, unfortunately, the concern about their systematic development arose much later. There was another problem that also existed in the city centre in the chaos of early independence. in 1920 the press wrote, “Kaunas city board, either out of sympathy or out of necessity relinquished all the city squares and gardens, all locally-grown trees as well as those imported from abroad, to that horned animal. ... Near the public square, Laisvės Alėja, the square next to City Garden and Vytautas Hill – all the trees were gnawed off by goats.” On the other hand, there was another enemy that Kaunas residents faced when going on holiday. After several years it was reported by the press, “There is a certain warning written in 3 languages in Mickevičius Vallery that forbids to drive horses and bicycles. I wonder why no one is making sure the rules are being adhered to ... Now, cyclists constantly “riding” here and there on a narrow path prevent the people from walking and even run over some or scare them.” And yet, alongside, there were a number of initiatives that aimed at making the urban area greener or
encourage public involvement in the issue. Even the pursuit of botanical garden’s establishment declared the goal, “To create a deeper love not only with plants but also with nature and the actions that determine it.” In 1921 two organizations were established in Kaunas that worked on tree planting development throughout the country. These were the Tree Planting Committee initiated by Tadas Ivanauskas, Liudas Valionis and other naturalists, and the Society for the Beautification of Lithuania, founded by Juozas TumasVaižgantas and other public figures. These initiatives soon merged. Although the goals of the Society for the Beautification of Lithuania were much broader, one of its most important aims was the annual planting campaigns. Every year, at the end of spring, tree planting festivals were organized during which around 100 thousand trees were planted in Lithuania, and in the second half of the 1930s, that number increased to one million. Almost all major public organizations and schools were involved, and children were officially exempted from school for one day. Every year the festivities had their own theme, for example, in the first one – in 1923 – the Freedom trees were planted, commemorating the fifth anniversary of independence, the following year Vilnius trees were planted to mark the 600th anniversary of Vilnius, and in 1925 the festival was dedicated to Aušra trees that were supposed to commemorate the national revival movement. As can be seen from the Vilnius tree campaign, these celebrations often had a political theme. For example, the President’s trees were planted in 1927, in 1926 and 1935 it was Klaipėda trees, and in 1934, on the occasion of Antanas Smetona sixtieth anniversary, the sapling celebration of the Leader of the nation took place.
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Students chilling in the Oak Grove. 1929. Archive of Kaunas City Museum
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Next year’s planting campaigns were dedicated to the Press, the Unity of the Baltic States, Jonas Basanavičius, or the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of independence. The planting of the first, symbolic trees was accompanied by massive landscaping work. Naturally, the centre of such celebrations was the provisional capital where major celebrations were held on that occasion. For example, the planting of Vilnius trees lasted for two days, and the program included solemn processions, rituals in the Garden of the War Museum, free concerts, and performances. Representatives of the President’s office, the Seimas, the Government, and the largest organizations solemnly planted the first, symbolic tree of the campaign in the current Vileišis Square. The figures for the 1930 campaign tell us about the K AU N A S F U L L O F CU LT U R E
massive scale of the festival. After planting the first, symbolic tree of Vytautas the Great, later, 1360 students from 22 schools, including representatives of Russian, Polish, and Jewish educational institutions, participated in planting spruces in Aukštieji Šančiai and Marvelė. 1935 During the planting of Klaipėda trees, it was planned to plant trees in many areas, both within city limits and in the suburbs: in the Oak Grove, Mickevičius Valley, Pažaislis, Aukštieji Šančiai, Panemunė, Marvelė and Linkuva. Symbolic trees had become a popular way to give meaning to one or another idea or event. For example, in Šančiai, we can still see the oak planted by the first Lithuanian Olympians, who, after returning from Paris, planted it near the main artery of the neighbourhood. On the other hand, the press also highlighted the frequent destruction
of trees. For example, the symbolic larch alley, planted by the most important figures of the state in 1924, received some negative opinions from sports organizations back then because it was planted in the middle of their fields. In 1937 it was completely destroyed. “Despite the efforts made by the municipality and the sums of money allocated for that purpose, a considerable percentage of the population emerges who not only underestimate the efforts of the municipality but at the same time consciously and unconsciously do indescribable damage to the city by fouling the squares and paths with various waste,” one of the authors stated in the press in 1938. Another one expressed his opinion on the trees that are being cut due to the development of infrastructure and construction works, “Soon we will refer to the Green Hill as the Grey Hill.” Although the municipality made efforts to plant around the city streets and replant the broken trees (for example, about 2,000 European horse chestnuts and maples were planted along the streets in 1932), the press would often note how poorly their maintenance was and would criticize the sluggish approach to the development of green spaces. “On a hot day, it is very difficult to find shade from the sun in the city centre. The city’s flower beds are also very primitive,” wrote the newspapers of the time. The decisions that allowed the grazing of animals in the Oak Grove or building in the green spaces were also criticized, “Some unknown “keepers of order” armed with large sticks are driving people away from other parts of the Oak Grove. Apparently, it is forbidden to trample down the grass because hay needs to be made here ... The beautiful surroundings of Kaunas are going south. Scarps
are being polluted; the tree alleys are being destroyed, soon the public will not be able to use Mickevičius Valley. Panemunė Forest is being constantly reduced, and Oak Grove is being surrounded by new buildings.” Many ideas were suggested for the development of parks, but they would often get stuck in bureaucratic labyrinths, although they were part of official city policy. For example, the Society for the Beautification of Lithuania developed a twenty-year beautification plan of the city that projected the merging of the Oak Grove, Mickevičius Valley, and Panemunė Pinewood into one large park, which was later integrated into the new general city plan. At the very end of the 1930s, the issue of greenery became much more important. For example, in order to prevent destruction, the city municipality adopted a mandatory order “on the protection of urban greenery”, which imposed fines up to 500 Litas for any destruction of trees or shrubs. Not only the Oak Grove was starting to be maintained (its previous developments were unsuccessful) but Panemunė Pinewood entered the city’s domain, and further efforts were made to establish parks on the Neris embankment in Vilijampolė, Nemunas Island and several other places. Many of the results of tree planting campaigns can be seen in Kaunas and its surroundings today. Still, how many symbolic trees have survived to commemorate one occasion or another? So far, no systematic searches have been carried out. But, perhaps, it would be an interesting thing to do in the conditions dictated by the situation today, which will inevitably lead to a greater focus on getting to know your country better this summer.
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Hopefully, we will have motivated at least some of the readers of this issue to roll up the sleeves and look around for a plot of land or a garden bed. Even if the environment is not suitable for that, one or two plants should be able to fit in the apartment. This mission – to visit three nursery gardens located around Kaunas and one flower farm – lasted a hundred kilometres and almost a full workday. Let’s not forget the tips – some of which were not recorded but settled in our memories – on what to combine with what and how to begin. All of the people we visited will help and advice on any issue related to a tree, bush, or flower; all you need to do is contact them. One additional loved and cherished plant on this planet is a big plus.
Time to get to work Kęstutis Lingys Photos by Arvydas Čiukšys
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Simas’ flowers Ovos St. 36, Kuras village, Zapyškis eldership, Kaunas district “At first we were selling cucumber and tomato seedlings, but the arithmetic is simple – you earn three times more from flowers,” Simas succinctly starts his twenty-year-old story. His flower farm operates on a self-service basis, and the visitors really like that. It is like an endless shop, and in its pavilions, your eyes twinkle, and you go weak in the knees. It is possible to get lost, but help is always nearby. Farmworkers listen, advise and 3 8
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help compose your future home or homestead decorations. Fashion is as relevant here as it is in clothing stores – if five years ago, bright colours dominated, now it is the era of pastel. By the way, the same thing was confirmed to us in the VMU Botanical Garden. Climate change is also relevant – plants that can survive the heat are now popular. For example, sunflowers were particularly successful last year.
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Raudondvaris nursery garden Medelyno St. 1, Raudondvaris, Kaunas district The nursery, founded in 1927, once belonged to Raudondvaris forest stewardship and after the change of departments, it now belongs to Dubrava regional subdivision of Kaunas Forest Enterprise. In the interwar period, this nursery was a “kindergarten” for future forests; later
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fruit trees were grown here, then roses and other flowers. Ornamental woody plants are now growing in Raudondvaris. This is the only nursery where the action takes place “from seed”, that means – no import!
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Juragiai nursery garden Virbališkių St. Tvarkiškiai village, Garliava eldership, Kaunas district The fifteen-year-old history of this nursery garden confirms the fact which has been repeated many times in the magazine – miracles do not happen overnight. Its founder said it was the parents who grew flowers that inspired him to take up a similar activity. Here you will discover a wide variety of goods, and the owners are constantly on the lookout for news and various curiosities. They say 4 2
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that now various grass is in fashion. You will find here one thousand and five hundred “exhibits”, however, now, in the summer it is not really the season, so you should visit next spring. Even during the quarantine, people lined up behind the fence to buy magnolias. And Juragiai nursery is rightly proud of them.
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Garliava nursery garden Sodų St. 99, Jonučiai village, Kaunas district. We are welcomed in Jonučiai with these words, “We stand out because of our big, shaped plants. We try to provide people with something exceptional.” Not only ornamental plants are large here. Neatly shaped pine tree with a capital T can cost over ten thousand. There are also deciduous trees, but coniferous trees are closer to Lithuanian hearts – you know, so they would provide joy in 4 4
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winter too. Some are grown here from the seed, some are brought from the Netherlands and Germany (those that are suitable for our climate, of course), and that should not come as a surprise knowing that it takes half a hundred years to create a truly exclusive exhibit. And what did we have in Lithuania half a century ago? Right. The price is also influenced by decades-long handwork.
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Contemporary Circus Festival “Cirkuliacija” Vilijampolė and online
education process will intervene in the Vilijampolė area. The audience will virtually meet the participants of the Festival on podcasts, and the live performances of the guests are postponed till the next year. This meeting will allow the audience to get to know the troupes more closely even before seeing the actual performances.
MUSIC 05 14 – 06 25
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Photo by D. Ališauskas
This June, the Festival will return to Kaunas in a new format and invite the audience to virtual meetings. The theme of this year is called “Private Zone”. The main program of this Festival will be transferred to the next year, but two aspects of the Festival will be emphasised this year: education and communication. The Festival takes place in different places in the city every year. This year’s focus is on the Vilijampolė elderate, the location of former Kaunas Ghetto. This “distanced workshop” will develop new skills and raise the qualifications of artists. Over two weeks, the artists will engage together via video conferences and then have different practical exercises to explore individually. The performers will communicate with the lecturers virtually; discussions and attempts will be made to link their research with specific places in Vilijampolė. Finally, the results of the
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Festival “Corpi Sonori: Sugihara House” Online
The Festival, which turned virtual this year, usually travels around fascinating locations and invites to explore experimental music, visual and sound arts. In 2020, the Year of Sugihara in Lithuania, the event is dedicated to the diplomat’s legacy. Every week the audience will hear one part of the Corpi Sonori created by Lithuanian and Japanese artists, their letters to Sugihara of sorts. Each of them is like a series of films reflecting the changes in the flow of time. Surprise, boredom, tension, tide and flow will change each other and will become colours that supersede reality. Audio and visual are these days’ documentation of the Corpi Sonori 2020. The sounds of Sugai Ken (JP), Tujiko Noriko (JP), Masahiro Takahashi (JP), Lithuanian artists Žygimantas Kudirka, Pijus Džiugas Meižis and Darius Čiuta, who had to play on the balconies, rooms, corridors, staircases or courtyard of Sugihara House, will be complemented with Tadas Stalyga and Albinas Liutkus captured visuals of Kaunas city and Sugihara House.
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“Pakrantė” event space, Nemunas island
“Adform Yard”, Rotušės a. 20
Live: Saulės Kliošas
Live: Jazzu
Photo from the band’s archive Photo by the organisers
The creative team at Žalgirio arena decided to extend the free time zone outside, while large-scale events are under a big question in the country. “Pakrantė “is a chill zone full of food trucks, DJs and good mood, and every Saturday a live show is planned there. The first ones to perform are Saulės Kliošas, an iconic Lithuanian disco / R’n’B / funk band that leaves nobody sitting.
Jazzu is Lithuania’s hottest singer, brave and bold, yet still true to her underground roots. The singer strives to make the audience feel comfortable, to help them relax and celebrate life in her beloved country. Thursday, 06 11, 8:30 pm
Live: Alina Orlova
“Adform Yard”, Rotušės a. 20
More culture visit.kaunas.lt
Photo by Dainius Dambrauskas
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Calendar Alina Orlova’s folk- and cabarettinged acoustic music might remind the listener of such diverse acts as CocoRosie, Cocteau Twins and Anthony and the Johnsons (all being her personal favourites), but it is really much more than just a sum of these influences – mainly because of Alina’s inimitable voice itself.
Saturday, 06 13, 9 pm
Live: Giedrė
“Pakrantė” event space, Nemunas island
Friday, 06 12, 9 pm
Live: Baltasis Kiras
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Next up for “Pakrantė” is Giedrė Kilčiauskienė, a singer known not only for her silk-soft voice but also for various collaborations with local jazz acts. Her newest album was released last year, and we can’t wait to hear it in the open air. Saturday, 06 20, 9 pm
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Photo from the band’s archive
Bright, crisp and romantic, yet funky and very danceable – no wonder the band has a massive audience in Kaunas and Lithuania in general. Their biggest hit is a song about painting one’s lips red – with ketchup!
Live: Junior A
“Pakrantė” event space, Nemunas island
More culture visit.kaunas.lt
Photo by Nerijus Kuzmickas
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Junior A is a young Lithuanian musician’s one-person project that’s been a massive surprise in his country’s music scene. In early 2017, he started recording lo-fi electronic music in his room and almost immediately after uploading his songs he got onto Spotify’s US Viral playlist. Friday, 06 26, 8:30 pm
Live: The Roop
“Adform Yard”, Rotušės a. 20
June
There was once an alternative rock band The Station, but right before quarantine they decided to remodel themselves and their music and now are into The Matrix, Blade Runner and 2020.
EXHIBITIONS 03 20 – 06 30
Photography exhibition “Greetings from the 20th century” M. Žilinskas Art Gallery, Nepriklausomybės a. 12
Photo by Paulius Zaborskis
The Roop are on fire even if they didn’t get the chance to try their luck on the Eurovision stage in Rotterdam this year. Their entry song “On Fire” is both a hit and a viral video, as well as dance challenge and an inspiration for many interpretations. Do you already know the dance moves? Saturday, 06 27, 20:00
Live: Sinstation
“Adform Yard”, Rotušės a. 20
“The Well”, 1959
“Greetings from the 20th century” – such is a favourite phrase of one of the most prominent and conspicuous Lithuanian photography artist’s Antanas Sutkus (b.1939). The extensive exhibition in Kaunas is distinguished for the abundance of new photographs. Sutkus has worked with his photography archive for more than twenty years and still discovers forgotten moments and many affecting images from the past. These works feature a whole photographic epoch that introduces Lithuania and its people of the 20th century. Sutkus invited young
Photo from the band’s archive
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Calendar colleagues Berta Tilmantaitė and Artūras Morozovas to be curators of this exhibition. “These photographers are close to me for their sensitivity to humans, and I am especially curious about the interpretation of my works from a younger generation’s point of view,” says the photographer. While selecting the works, the curators aimed to show already seen and well-known works as well as the new ones, including the photographs taken during the last few years. The exhibition runs through May 31.
Kaunas City Museum Folk Music Branch, L. Zamenhofo
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04 12 – 12 31
Temporary Exhibition Of Post-folk Festivals
popular folk, electronic folk, etc.). The popularity of these festivals suggests that folk music is still important for contemporary people, and it may be one of the ways to create a distinctive relationship with the past of the nation. This exhibition displays five continuous post-folk festivals: “Suklegos”, “Mėnuo Juodaragis “, “Kilkim žaibu “, “Jotvos vartai”, and “Saulėtosios naktys “. It demonstrates the attributes of the festivals and the photos which reveal their uniqueness and development. All these festivals are related to post-folk music, but its “concentration” is different. “Suklegos” is the Festival of only this particular music genre; “Kilkim žaibu “represents both folk and post-folk music, while post-folk music, its variations, and the activities related to the Baltic culture dominate the festival “Mėnuo Juodaragis “. In the festivals “Jotvos vartai” and “Saulėtosios naktys “, post-folk music only complements the programme oriented towards history or art.
More culture visit.kaunas.lt
Photo from the archive of organisers
Post-folk is a broad music genre which combines folk and other music genres. At the end of the 20th century, post-folk music festivals started, which represent different variations of this genre (folk-rock, folk-metal,
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K AU N A S F U L L O F CU LT U R E
05 05 – 08 09
Exhibition of Vilnius Bookbinders Guild “Bookbinders Books”
M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum Of Art, V. Putvinskio G. 55
05 15 – 10 31
June
Open-air exhibition “All hail the Governor of the State! Centennial anniversary of the Lithuanian Constituent Assembly“
Historical Presidential Palace in Kaunas, Vilniaus g. 33
Photo by the organisers
Vilnius Bookbinders Guild was established in 2003 and unites 20 members at present. Among the founders of the guild were book restorers at the largest libraries in Vilnius, later they were joined by several leather art masters (graduates from a well-known leather art and bookbinding school in Estonia), one graphic artist, a representative of book art, an art historian, and a connoisseur of paper marbling – all of them being related to the craft of bookbinding, in one way or another. The guilders not only restore and make ordinary bookbindings. Alongside with bibliophilic artistic bindings, they create experimental or conceptual works and design authors’ books-objects. Besides, members of the guild perform training and education practice, carry out research, participate at exhibitions and organise them themselves, thus popularising the craft and art of bookbinding. The exhibition presents over 60 works, as well as photographs taken before and after the restoration, and a stand of the marbled paper.
The open-air photography exhibition is ready for your attention in the front garden of the Historical Presidential Palace in Kaunas. The garden is open to visitors every day from 7 am to 9 pm. The exhibition will be on display until late autumn. Historical photos and thorough captions both in Lithuanian and English tell the story of the significant turning point in Lithuanian history – the gathering of the Constituent Assembly. 05 15 – 06 30
Exhibition “Grand Tour: Testimonies Of The Travel In The Barons Von Der Ropps Art Collection” M. Žilinskas Art Gallery, Nepriklausomybės a. 12
Bartolomeo Scedoni. “The penitent Mary Magdalene”
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Calendar
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The exhibition presents in a broader context the artistic values of Pakruojis Manor – exhibits of sculpture, painting and the applied arts (porcelain and glass) – collected by the representatives of several generations. Moreover, they had survived and had been preserved at the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art and Šiauliai “Aušra” Museum. Regarding the fact that the Ropp collection in the 19th century was well-known in the Baltic German provinces and had been thoroughly documented it was possible to highlight in the exhibition the survived treasures of Theodor von der Ropp’s original collection, accumulated in various European, in the main, Italian centres. The newly discovered biographical material in the Latvian archives and the family chronicles enabled to bring to light the personality of the initiator of the collection, to provide a more extensive picture of a well-educated representative of the Age of Enlightenment and his consistent activity.
More culture visit.kaunas.lt
05 15 – 09 06
Photography exhibition “Natural Woman” Kaunas Picture Gallery, K. Donelaičio g. 16
Karina Leontjeva. Photo by D. Ščiuka
Photographer Peter Lindberg inspired the collection of sophisticated portraits by aspiring photographer Dainius Ščiuka, It is a journey of authentic femininity, paving a way to a different perception of female beauty, void of stereotypes and prejudices. This exhibition is a tribute to WOMEN – real, active, courageous women with stories to tell and immense self-confidence. The “Natural Women” exhibition is a series of thematically sensitive, visually impressive and genuine portraits which feature unique, interesting Lithuanian women who do outstanding work in a wide array of fields.
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June
06 06 – 09 13
Exhibition “Key to the Childhood City” Kaunas Picture Gallery, K. Donelaičio g. 16
no longer existent Jerusalem of Lithuania – allowing us to peep through a keyhole secretly. It presents lithographs, drawings and paintings of objects from the artist’s childhood such as the streets of Vilnius that often turn into claustrophobic courtyards located on the strictly demarcated territory of the ghetto. It also represents still life compositions, which form yet another kaleidoscopic puzzle emerging from the depths of the artist’s memory, composed of fragments of memories that are ‘glued’ together to form the world of the past. In Bak’s artwork, glass bottles, cups or vases never form a complete puzzle, and there is always a missing element, such as an eyelet or a crack in a glass. Until 08 31
Samuel Bak “Sound of Blues”
The exhibition presents 75 artworks by Samuel Bak created from 1946 to 2007, which are part of the collection of the Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History. The exhibition is dedicated to the year of the Vilna Gaon and Lithuanian Jewish History, celebrated in 2020. An exhibition of Samuel Bak’s artworks of this scale is represented in Kaunas for the first time, and a large part of the artworks that reached Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History in May 2019 as a gift from S. Bakas to Lithuania, have not been shown in Lithuania so far. The exhibition Key to the Childhood City is a glimpse into the city of Samuel Bak’s memories – the
Photography exhibition “We will travel again“ Underground parking lot in Maironio g.
Photo by the organisers
A brand new hotel Moxy Kaunas Center has been ready for opening for a few months now – due to the quarantine; the grand ball has been postponed to the end of the summer when we hope more tourists will
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Calendar be back in Kaunas. The worldwide campaign “We Will Travel Again”, ran to support tourism businesses and initiatives around the world, became the motto of this exhibition at the hotel’s underground parking. The photographies are by travel photographer Deividas Matkevičius who happens to live in Iceland.
06 11 – 07 04
Exhibition “Trapped by Oxymoron” Gallery “Meno parkas”, Rotušės a. 27
06 11 – 07 04
Exhibition “35 years together” Gallery “Meno parkas”, Rotušės a. 27
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One of the most expressive, original and active painters in Kaunas, Elena Balsiukaitė-Brazdžiūnienė, will present her newest paintings in this exhibition. The even better news is that the gallery will also be open on Sundays starting June.
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Elena Balsiukaitė-Brazdžiūnienė
Edmundas Saladžius. Untitled. Linocut, 1991 m.
Edmundas Saladžius (LT) and Aleksander Olszewski (PL) are not both great artists, but also long-term buddies. In their joint exhibition, friends will present graphic, digital graphic and paintings.
More culture visit.kaunas.lt
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Exhibition “Siberia Stories” Kaunas Gallery, Vilniaus g. 2
Triin Kerge’s video piece “Children of Siberia”
The group exhibition will provide a wide spectrum of views of artists of various generations at deportations by Soviet occupants.
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June
MORE 06 01 – 06 07
Virtual Kaunas Marathon
Photo by Elijus Kniežauskas
This year, to ensure everyone’s health and safety, the annual Kaunas marathon is virtual. It means you get to chose distance, time and the best place for you where to run. Fill in the registration form and pay a registration fee. Record your results in any sports app, save app result link on your profile in Kaunas marathon website. To run safely, every participant will get a unique Kaunas marathon scarf for running. Moreover, the organisers will donate a 25% entry fee sum from every registered participant to charity organisations. Don’t forget to share your photos and emotions online with hashtags #BekSuKaunu and #KaunoMaratonas.
Saturday, 06 06, 1 pm
Šilainiai Species Rally Eight Fort
In 2020, the ongoing Šilainiai Project is focusing on the biodiversity of the neighbourhood and long-term strategies for public space. Many Šilainiai residents are proud of how green the neighbourhood is. However, these green spaces are slowly shrinking or are under threat, often without realising, by the decisions of the residents themselves. The Eighth Fort of Kaunas Fortress is a military heritage site that is now a park for the local communities. Part of the process of creating a long-term strategy for Fort, the locals are going to investigate its biodiversity and produce a Fort biodiversity map. Collection of data will be done collaboratively with residents by using a free app iNaturalist from April until September 1 2020. Everyone from the fifth-grader to nature experts will be able to participate, all you will need is a smartphone or a photo camera and access to a computer. In the inauguration event, you’ll meet a naturalist, biological diversity expert Tomas Pocius, and together with him search, photograph and recognise different species of animals, birds, plants and mushrooms.
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pilnas.kaunas.lt
“For Lithuanians, oaks have been sacred for centuries. These trees might not seem that important in Indonesia, yet orangutans eat the acorns, and I care immensely about orangutans.“
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Kaunas Artists’ House, V. Putvinskio g. 56
Editorial office:
Vytautas Magnus University Honorary Doctor Primatologist, conservationist, anthropologist Prof. Birutė Galdikas
KAUNAS FULL OF CULTURE Monthly magazine about personalities and events in Kaunas (free of charge)
Authors: Artūras Bulota, Arvydas Čiukšys, Austėja Banytė, Emilija Visockaitė, Julija Račiūnaitė, Kotryna Lingienė, Kęstutis Lingys, Marga Pieva, Monika Balčiauskaitė, Paulius Tautvydas Laurinaitis, Rita Dočkuvienė
Patrons:
KAUNO MIESTO SAVIVALDYBĖ
RUN 500 10 COPIES. TIRAŽAS 000 EGZ.
K AU N A S F U L L O F CU LT U R E
ISSN 2424-4465
Leidžia: Publisher:
2020 2017No. Nr. 62 (58) (18)