The history of the flooded villages of the Kaunas lagoon was resurrected more than 60 years ago

After damming the Nemunas 61 years ago, villages were erected at the bottom of the Kaunas lagoon, whose inhabitants still remember and tell the stories of that region. For several years, the event “Footprints at the bottom of the lagoon” has been receiving great interest, revealing the uniqueness and uniqueness of the Samylai region of the Kaunas district. This gathering of the community, residents and guests of the Kaunas district is already included in the list of the main events of Kaunas 2022 and seeks its harmony in the European cultural space. This is not complicated as the content of the event is not sophisticated. The material collected during the year today, with the help of technology and a different approach, allows to reveal in a unique way the national identity of the country. To present it to the guests who arrived and to the inhabitants of the bottom of the lagoon who lived there, still remembering those days.

This year, the public was amazed by the composition “Yo soy debajo” created by the community actors and the mimic theater, illustrating the stories told by the inhabitants of the flooded villages. “After hearing the memories expressed by the inhabitants of the flooded villages, it took their breath away,” said Urtė, the spectator of the event.

Schools located in the Kaunas lagoon valley did not allow families with small spectators to be sad. The children bathed in soap bubbles, there was a painting workshop and a clay workshop. The Vido Kulokas herd introduced the gathering to the Samogitian horses. In the fairy tale house, it was possible to listen to fairy tales from the bottom of the lagoon, which were created and filmed during the quarantine by members of the ethnographic ensemble of the Samylai region “Samylai Senolė”. Music connoisseurs could enjoy the musical variations of the duo Blooming Vibes, as well as be the first to hear the new Saulius Petreikis World Orchestra program and participate in instrument education, hear the world’s most famous music performed by the cheerful guests of Klaipeda MemelBand.

This year, At the Bottom of the Foot Lagoon, presented another unique project: a sculpture park. “Climbing Out of the Water” is a composition of six impressive sculptures created during the week by the men of the Steel Beaver team, led by Raimondas Uždravis. This is another project that gives meaning to the memory of the flooded villages. During the week, impressive sculptures were created on the shore of the lagoon, which were taken to the Kaunas lagoon. They seem to recreate the image of 61 years ago, when people and animals climbed to the shore from the flooded Nemunas Valley, in the distance you can see the tower of an already sunken church. The project idea was supported and funded by the Lithuanian Culture Council and the Kaunas District Municipality.

The organizers of the event are glad that “Feet at the bottom of the lagoon” has already become a cultural sign of the country and is becoming recognizable not only for the local community and the region. The event grows every year and gains more and more popularity.