In the old farm building, Violeta founded a museum of Christmas tree toys, the only one in Lithuania: it even receives visitors from Korea and the United States | Lifetime

The town of Miežiškės in the Panevėžys district is famous for the fact that the only Christmas tree museum in Lithuania is located here.

“Antique Christmas tree toys”, stresses V. Karklytė, creator of this idea and director of the museum.

Violeta works in the library and the museum is a community activity. The museum itself is not private, it belongs to the community of the city of Miežiškės.

“Usually there was an anchor in our museum before the holidays,” said V. Karklytė, because like everyone else, this year is different, marked by quarantine.

The first idea is an exhibition.

It all started in 2010. Then Violeta, who works in the library, came up with the idea of ​​organizing an exhibition of old toys for Christmas trees.

“By then, the mass production of Chinese toys had already started. Most of them are plastic. It was just hobby. I wanted it completely I would not enter into non-existence old toys, and I came up with the need to make an exhibition, to remember how the Christmas tree was decorated, what toys.

I asked the people of Barley to bring toys or decorations that they still have, what not out to the container. In two months, people brought me more than 200 different Christmas displays, ”said V. Karklytė.

Christmas is over, the new year is over, and the exhibition is over. Violeta says that people kept calling her and offering to go to the guests: to see the toys, maybe someone would be interested. Furthermore, the toys were offered not only by the residents of Miežiškės themselves, but also by their relatives, friends and acquaintances.

“This is how the house began to be filled with toys, various decorations and paraphernalia. It occurred to me that I needed to create a museum, ”Violeta said.

Offered to look for a building for the museum.

Just at that time V.Karklytė in Miežiškės implemented a project of the Local Action Group (Local Action Group – an association formed by the community and other non-governmental organizations, companies, municipal representatives – aut.).

“I showed people on my computer to the Local Action Group what collection I already have. I mean, all I need is a museum, a building. A few months later, I spoke to the Local Action Group again. Until now I remember what he told me. No. good day, and that my dream comes true. I heard that at the door ”, said the interlocutor.

LAG members suggested that Violet look for a building where such a museum could be located, and she set out to implement the idea with funding from the European Union by submitting a project for funding.

“The community of residents of Miežiškės had a building that is a former dependency. I suggested renewing it. So the building has been rebuilt from scratch. Now it is a new building, “Violeta said.

Several buildings, including this estate, were taken over by the local community of the parish to which the buildings used to belong. One of them has a community function room and the old farm was kept intact. So, for him, laughs the interlocutor, it is time for it to become a museum.

The schedule must be agreed in advance

Now, says Violeta, there is no room in the museum. There are around 3,000 toys, decorations and other Christmas attributes.

“We would like to expand the exhibition, but the European funds are now about business and there are no community projects left. The museum is cultural, not the one that generates profits.

We would like to extend the building as there are still empty foundations. Then the museum would be bigger, more spacious and more comfortable for people, ”said V. Karklytė.

Several hundred visitors come to the museum each year, including visitors from Korea, the United States, England and Germany: “The number of visitors increased when there was no quarantine. We are not a typical museum, the time of the visit must be agreed in advance “.

Among the exhibits are World War II toys

The New Toy Museum does not accept unless it is an exclusive and rare exhibit.

It happens that people who come are surprised that they expected to see only toys, but there are many exhibits related to Christmas and the New Year in general.

“They see old plastic Christmas trees and old candle holders. We also have World War II toys, ”Violeta said.

Violeta says that the Christmas tree toys are also a reflection of the time: the World War II toys made in Germany in the museum are with swastikas and eagles.

And here are “edible” toys, such as the corn toy and others that appeared in the time of N. Khrushchev. Later, when J. Gagarin ascended into space, the Christmas trees were decorated with the attributes of the astronauts.

Found a garbage bag at the door

“We have a modern and unusual toy: a woman who really wanted to contribute bought a five-carat gold bubble in Chinese porcelain.” Visually, it doesn’t stand out, but when it counts, people are surprised, “said the museum’s founder.

It is true that there are almost no modern toys here, and the one Violeta spoke about is a rare exception.

There are hardly any modern toys here.

“We pay special attention to old toys. But, for example, we have another modern bubble, it is with Vytis. Have you seen a toy Christmas tree with a vine?” Said the interlocutor.

Exhibits come here in different ways. For example, in the early years of the museum’s existence, Violeta found a garbage bag placed next to the museum: “Somehow the heart worked. I thought people didn’t like it, they started carrying garbage. It’s good that I didn’t kick my leg. It was full of toys and decorations. “

Looking for not only toys but also stories

Violeta herself looks for interesting and exclusive toys that can become exhibits.

“There are several auctions that we buy there. We exchange with collectors, there are also facebook thematic groups. But very often toys and various decorations come with their own stories. We tell those stories on field trips, there are also educational programs, ”said V. Karklytė.

The founder of the museum is happy with this year that is coming to an end. This year, the museum managed to acquire several pre-war Lithuanian Christmas and New Year cards: “We are very happy. These postcards are really hard to come by. Only through collectors. “

Violeta herself contributed much knowledge about this activity: “Catalogs were published, they are still there. Here I am waiting for the catalog published by the Ukrainian collector, which contains all the grandparents under construction for frost and snowdrops, which were produced in Ukraine, apparently, from 1939 to 1969. So the knowledge also comes from the catalogs.

If you want to be interested, attract a visitor; must tell you something interesting, so you are looking for interesting stories and events. And discover “.

And the question about the most expensive exhibition I had to buy has no answer: it remains a secret.