Vladas Urbanavičius “The Embankment Arch”

The narrative of the “Vilnius Time” exhibition begins with one of the most controversial and attention-catching works in the Lithuanian art scene: the model of the sculpture Embankment Arch by Vladas Urbanavičius. Even before its installation in Vilnius, this sculpture, crafted from iron pipes and quickly dubbed “The Pipe”, emerged as a noteworthy instance of public engagement with art. While it elicits negative sentiments in some and positive emotions in others, the sculpture mirrors the bend of the Neris River, seemingly reflecting the silhouette of Gediminas Hill. Urbanavičius’s Embankment Arch, in a certain sense, reiterates the landscape of the city of Vilnius.

Not confined to sparking discussions upon gallery entry, the work also serves as a signature, with Vladas Urbanavičius, the sculptor and recipient of the Lithuanian National Culture and Art Prize, also being the architect behind the “Vilnius Time” exhibition.

On January 25, 1323, when Vilnius was first mentioned in the letter of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas, the city already existed. Thus, in the first exhibition room, we invite you to look back at the symbolic beginning of Vilnius – the prophetic dream of Duke Gediminas about the founding of the historical capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the variations of this story in both oral and visual culture.

The symbolic origin of Vilnius is closely tied to the legend of Gediminas’s dream, one of the most renowned and, perhaps, most significant stories for Lithuanian identity. The tale of the prophetic vision of the iron wolf was initially mentioned in the Lithuanian Chronicle in the 16th century. The earliest portrayals of Gediminas’s dream in art only emerged in the mid-19th century, much like other themes associated with the establishment of Vilnius. In this hall, you can see an interpretation of the construction of Gediminas Castle in the 14th century in a wood carving by the artist of the Romanticist era, Bronisław Puc, and the enduring remnants of the Vilnius Upper Castle throughout the centuries.

Balys Sruoga „Giesmė apie Gediminą“ (A Song about Gediminas)
Chicago, 1952
Illustrations by Viktoras Petravičius

Gediminas Tower

The western tower of the Castle Hill, the sole survivor to this day, remains a symbolic site for displaying the authority and power of the city’s rulers. It was here, on January 1, 1919, that the Lithuanian tricolour was raised for the first time, although it was not the initial flag to grace this spot. During World War I, the black, white, and red flag of Imperial Germany was hoisted on the Gediminas Tower. This moment was immortalized in a winter landscape by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski in 1917. The amateur painter Česlovas Strebeika’s artwork reminds us of another significant event in Lithuanian statehood – the reclamation of Vilnius as the capital in 1939. This event deeply moved the artist, who considered himself Lithuanian while residing in Vilnius, which was then a part of Poland. Close by, there is a linocut with vivid, dramatic colours by Samuel Rozin, an artist of Jewish descent who managed to escape from the Kaunas ghetto. In this piece, we see the Gediminas Hill tower with the Soviet Lithuanian flag. Life under Soviet rule was not kind to the artist. After Rozin emigrated to Israel in 1973, he was considered an outcast, and his name and work were forgotten in this country.

Views of the exposition

The first rooms in the exhibition are dedicated to the more accurate Vilnius time, which can be proven with objects, documents, photographs, and maps. We start the story with the traditional images of time – a clock and early calendars published in Vilnius.

Calendars from Vilnius

Jakob Gierke (late 16th century–1666)
Table Clock. Vilnius, 17th century
Copper alloy, steel, glass, casting, carving

A point of pride not only in this exhibition but also across the museum’s entire collection is a unique and exceedingly rare exhibit – a table clock created by the German craftsman Jakob Gierke, who resided and worked in Vilnius during the 17th century. Jakob Gierke is celebrated among the most renowned clockmakers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, with his creations deemed masterpieces of craftsmanship, technique, and art. Only a dozen clocks crafted by Gierke have survived to this day, and merely three are known in Lithuania. Historically referred to as “tile” or “toad” clocks due to their distinctive shape, these objects feature sides with glass panels that allow to observe the clock’s working mechanism, with carvings adorning even its components. The high level of craftsmanship is further evidenced by the fact that the sound of the clock can still be heard by turning the key placed nearby.

Silverware of 19th century Vilnius Goldsmiths

The History of Vilnius

The first historical studies on Vilnius – The History of the City of Vilnius in two volumes by Michał Balinski from 1836, and the four-volume Vilnius from Its Founding to 1750 by Józef Ignacy Kraszewski published in 1840–1842 – also reflects the efforts to explore and record the city’s past. Meanwhile, souvenirs from the late 19th – first half of the 20th century are displayed as tokens of the time spent in Vilnius.

Souvenirs of Vilnius

Vilnius Passport

Catholic Symbols of the City

In Juozapas Kamarauskas’s painting Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, created during his studies in Saint Petersburg, allusions to a late 19th-century legend are evident. The legend suggests that the artist bestowed the features of Barbara Radziwiłł (Barbora Radvilaitė) upon the image of the Mother of God. This conjecture finds support in the pearls glimmering in the darkness of the painting, which have become Barbara’s distinct attribute. Two emblems at the shoulder line bear symbols significant to both Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, and the nation as a whole – depicting the patron saint of Vilnius, St. Christopher, and the patron saint of Lithuania, St. Casimir. Kamarauskas’s painting, expressing the artist’s yearning for his homeland, transcends mere replication of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn and becomes an embodiment of symbols deeply resonant with Lithuania.

Agreement between the Dean of Vilnius Albert (Wojciech) Surowski and Vilnius Barbers. Vilnius, January 23, 1641

The Vilnius barbers’ guild, established in 1509, maintained its own altar in the Saints John Church. Guild members were obligated to attend mass regularly and were responsible for the upkeep and adornment of this altar. Similar to other craftsmen’s guilds, barbers could face fines for non-attendance at church services, and fines were also imposed on those who misbehaved or attended mass while intoxicated. In 1641, a twelve-point agreement was signed by Albert (Wojciech) Surowski, the dean of the Saints John Church, and the barbers of Vilnius. This agreement covered various aspects of their activities in the city, their work ethics, guild membership, as well as financial and religious matters.

Aside from their primary roles of cutting hair and shaving beards, guild members could also extract teeth, perform bloodletting, carry out basic surgical operations, and in extreme cases, even amputate limbs or attend to wounds and minor illnesses. It was not until 1775 that the first medical department, the Department of Anatomy and Surgery, was established at Vilnius University, and in 1781, the Faculty of Medicine was formally inaugurated. Consequently, prior to these developments, the medical services provided by barbers were quite common, primarily due to the scarcity of professional doctors during that period.

Views of the exposition

Photographs and video footage document Vilnius in a different way. Here, the city seems to be frozen in time – although not lacking in artistry, photographs most clearly reveal architectural and even political changes and the modernization of the city.

Views of the exposition

Józef Czechowicz, who is considered one of the first photographers of Vilnius, managed to capture what the Russification policy wiped out from the city. His magnificent one-of-a-kind album with images of Vilnius was gifted to Pope Leo XIII back in 1887.

Józef Czechowicz (1818–1888)
Images of Vilnius, 1860s–1880s

Brothers Leon and Miron Butkowski, who shaped the image of the city with their photographs in the second half of the 19th century, compiled and disseminated collections of Vilnius views, and were awarded several gold medals for their photographs

Leon and Miron Boutkowsky
Images of Vilnius from the Photographs Sets ‘Collection Vilna’ and ‘Boutkovsky Frs Vilna’, 1891–1915

The majority of photographs displayed in the exhibition hail from the 20th century. Vilnius was a great passion and a constantly shapeshifting muse of Jan Bułhak whose photographs are predominantly showcased here. Interestingly, this admiration did not manifest immediately. Upon his initial visit to the capital in the late 19th century, he found the then-Russian city unimpressive. However, upon his return two decades later, he viewed Vilnius through a different lens. Many of Bułhak’s photographs depict the streets seemingly cleared of people, with the artist occasionally retouching posters and thus creating an impression of the city as a scenery. Frequently captured from elevated vantage points like church bell towers, these images provide a unique perspective from strategically important locations not easily accessible during the war.

Jan Bułhak (1876–1950)
Views of Vilnius, 1910s–1920s

Under German administration in Vilnius, Bułhak assumed a crucial role as the city photographer. This bestowed certain privileges, including permission to take photographs during curfew hours. The prevailing political circumstances marked pivotal moments in his journey as Vilnius’s most renowned photographer. Bułhak’s devotion to the city extended beyond images; he eloquently put it in words: “Vilnius prays with its graceful church towers, tells the legend of its walls and monuments, and resounds with an echo of its courtyards and streets…”

1919. Excerpt from the documentary footage (infantry march to Vilnius) / 1939. Excerpt from the film chronicle ‘Our Lithuania No. 235’ (Retrieving of Vilnius Region). Director Jurgis Linartas / 1944. Excerpt from Soviet Film Chronicle of World War II / 1949. Excerpt from the film chronicle ‘Soviet Lithuania No. 21’. Directors of photography Michailas Poičenka and Leonas Tautrimas, Lithuanian Film Studio / 1966. Excerpt from the film ‘Time Passes Through the City’. Director Almantas Grikevičius, director of photography Zacaharijus Putilovas, Lithuanian Film Studio / 1992. Excerpt from ‘Lithuanian Chronicle No. 15‘. Director and director of photography Eugenijus Ostašenkovas, Lithuanian Film Studio

Originals are held at the Lithuanian Central State Archives

In the lower floor of the gallery, visitors are first invited on a visual tour to the streets of old Vilnius. Naujasis Pasaulis (The New World), Popiškės, Užkaminiai, Vyskupiškiai, Karalienė – what stories do these place names found in the city’s plans of the first half of the 20th century have to tell?
The change of street names in Vilnius reflected not only the city’s political affiliation, but also the aspirations of the Lithuanian people for statehood. In the 1930s, in an effort to make the lost capital Lithuanian, efforts were taken to Lithuanianize its street names, even to coin new ones, such as, e.g., Sapnininkų street. You will find this street in the city’s plan prepared by the artist Balys Macutkevičius in 1938.

Vilnius Posters

Let’s reflect on another form of time by looking at where and how the residents and guests of multi-ethnic and multi-confessional Vilnius had fun. Probably everyone knows about the Vilnius tradition of celebrating the festival of the Lithuanian prince St Casimir, though it was not until the interwar period that St Casimir’s (Kaziukas) fair became a popular art subject.

The Kaziukas Fair in Vilnius

There were other, no less boisterous, fairs and markets accompanying religious holidays, such as St George’s market in Cathedral Square, a scene of which is depicted in the lithograph by Kazimierz Bachmatowicz, and St Peter’s fair in Antakalnis, painted by Wincenty Sleńdziński.

Kazimierz Bachmatowicz (1803/8–1837)
Lithographs from the portfolio ‘Recollections of Vilnius’ 1837

Bolesław Rogiński (1907–1990)
Herb Market, 1939. Etching

One of the most interesting traditions of old Vilnius that has been largely forgotten is the so-called witch markets held during Midsummer’s Eve. Next to St John’s Church, vendors would sell medicinal herbs, their blossoms and roots. The scene featuring the herb market and grass snakes was carved by the Vilnius artist Bolesław Roginski during the interwar period. This tradition is vividly described in the book Vilnius, the City Closest to One’s Heart by ethnographer Maria Znamierowska-Prüfferowa, a graduate of Stephen Báthory University and later, one of its teachers. She writes, “As you proceed along Pilies Street towards Saint John’s Church, you are immediately greeted by the sweet, intoxicating fragrance of fresh flowers and herbs. This scent becomes even more pronounced as you pass the sculpture of the Crucified Christ. Suddenly, you find yourself amidst dense rows of blooms – vibrant cornflowers, radiant daisies, deep-hued lupines, peonies, poppies, jasmines, white acacias, mesmerizing orchids, and a variety of wildflowers sprouting from the sidewalks, from baskets and jugs near seated and kneeling women. Mostly dried and some fresh medicinal herbs are displayed on laid-out pieces of linen fabric. Here, you will find chamomile, St. John’s wort, linden flowers, white nettles, horsetail, bistorta, comfrey, oak roots, motherwort, shepherd’s purse, and much more. […]. Additionally, among these medicinal herbs, you can find one of the most sought-after remedies – dried grass snakes, known for their effectiveness in alleviating various ailments.”

Leopold Pac-Pomarnacki (1907–1992)
History of Vilnius Zoo, Vilnius, 1936

About where the monument for Frank Zappa now stands, in 1926 a menagerie was opened with a dozen wild animals, belonging to the Vilnius educational workshop of naturalists. After acquiring more land and expanding the territory, it was renamed the zoo. Here you could see otter, beaver, badger, fox and wolf, squirrel, weasel, marmot, and even an old-world monkey named Moritz. A considerable part of the inhabitants of the zoo consisted of wild birds – partridges, doves, a couple of owls and eagles, bitterns, storks, gray herons, pheasants, swans, and wild ducks. The garden was especially popular among pupils.

Walter Buhe (1882–1958)
Vilnius in the Year of War 1916

Marija Račkauskaitė-Cvirkienė (1912–2004)
Circus, 1963. Oil on canvas

Views of the exposition

Vilnius had its share of difficult times. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the city was tormented by the plague and, after the doctors had fled, the people of Vilnius were left only with their faith. Then came the freezing winter of 1812 and the retreating Napoleon’s army on its last legs, which the locals refused to shelter for their own safety, and thus, Vilnius became a mass grave for the starving soldiers. Let’s also not forget the elements of nature – the great flood of Vilnius of 1931, which not only helped to discover the royal crypt, but also left thousands of Vilnius residents homeless.

And then there were the wars. The Second World War and the tragedy of the Holocaust left the most striking mark, wiping out a large part of the Jewish community and culture in Vilnius.

In the foreground of the winter landscape titled In the Sunlight by Marian Slonecki from 1925, we see the old Jewish cemetery in Šnipiškės. It was destroyed entirely by the Soviet authorities after the Second World War, and the Sports Palace now stands in its place. On closer inspection, the painting takes on a prophetic significance – St. Theresa’s Church (or Fishermen’s Church) is visible in the left corner. In the 1830s, the flooded Neris River damaged a part of the church adjacent to the Jewish cemetery. By 1844, the tsarist authorities had taken over the ruins and obliterated them.

While Slonecki actually saw the old cemetery painted in the foreground, in the background he also captured the church already demolished by the tsarist government and not seen by his own eyes. Today, the painting reveals both the church and the vanished Jewish cemetery, bathed in sunlight.

Graphic Works by the Students of Stephen Báthory University

In artworks, war is reflected in subtle ways – graphic works by the students of Stephen Báthory University convey stifled anxiety and indifference to the future, as if the past were a former and no longer accessible island of peace.

Vilnius per langus

Examining the works of Algirdas Petrulis and Antanas Gudaitis, deciphering their narratives about the years of hardship proves challenging. Generally, depictions of Vilnius during the Second World War often present the city through windows. Outdoor painting was forbidden during the Nazi occupation, prompting artists to capture Vilnius from private spaces, such as their studios, workplaces, or homes.

For instance, Algirdas Petrulis’s portrayal of the Old City of Vilnius from the window of City Hall is now scarcely recognizable. Bombed by the Soviets during the war, the right (eastern) side of Vokiečių Street lay in ruins. Subsequently, after clearing the debris, the street was widened and transformed into a promenade after the war.

Views of the exposition

The Weathervane, constructed in 1973 in the modern residential area of Lazdynai, adjacent to the well-known Soviet-era Erfurtas Restaurant, arguably brought sculptor Teodoras Kazimieras Valaitis into the limelight. It marked Lithuania’s first venture into abstract and kinetic metal sculpture. Simultaneously, it stands as a profound example of Aesopian language in art, for The Weathervane frequently indicated, and continues to indicate, the westerly direction of the wind. To be sure, western winds are predominant in Lithuania. It is essential to recall that during the early 1970s, Western ideas, music, books, and even the western wind often carried negative connotations. Regrettably, The Weathervane of Lazdynai, though still standing in public space today, has suffered from severe neglect. In this exhibition, you will encounter a scaled model of this minimalist, kinetic composition comprised of pure geometric forms, with its symbolism remaining intact. The Soviet grip that took away the freedom of expression forced artists to send concealed messages in their works, which were silently loud cries for help.

The opposite is conditional time – a non-existent, imagined, utopian, could-have-been Vilnius, as seen in standardized imaginative panoramic views of the capital in 15th – 16th-century chronicles and atlases, and the watercolours of the old houses and streets of Vilnius, filled with imagination and great love for the city, by Juozapas Kamarauskas.

Imaginative Panoramas of Vilnius

Arguably the first image of Vilnius was printed in the Nuremberg Chronicle in 1493. However, this portrayal includes elements not characteristic of Vilnius, such as a crescent adorning a basilica or a river encircling a city-island. Did Vilnius truly look like this in the 15th century? A scrutiny of the Nuremberg Chronicle reveals that the same image was used for cities like Padua, Nice, or Marseilles. In the 15th century, it would have been impractical for an artist to travel extensively and capture cities from life. Thus, standardized imaginative panoramic images were commonly employed.

Another group of works is unimplemented and destroyed projects: a sketch of the Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus by Antanas Vivulskis, a version of the monument to the founding of Vilnius by Gediminas Karalius, and the already postmodern visions of Vilnius in the simulations by Mindaugas Navakas. The latter caused quite a scandal in 1986 – a solo exhibition held at the Union of Architects was ordered to close after an hour. It is obvious that the artist’s simulated interventions were at odds with the ideology of that time.

Unimplemented and destroyed projects

Mindaugas Navakas (b. 1952)
Vilnius Notebook (1–2), 1981–1986; 1988–1994
Zincography

Augis Gučas (b. 1940)
Drawings of the High-speed tram (premetro) project, 1988
Vilnius Regional State Archives

Romanticism is strongly present in simultaneous compositions, in which Vilnius, although recognizable, is unrealistic and non-existent. Looking at imaginative simulations of Vilnius through the eyes of the artists, we see alternative hypothetical cityscapes.

Hypothetical Urban Landscapes

Views of the exposition

The last part of the exhibition is dedicated to Vilnius, a city familiar to everyone and unique. In the great hall, we invite you to discover how the city looks during different seasons. Here you will see the efforts of Romanticist artists to express their inner states through nature, and the works of Soviet-era painters who conveyed their own vision of the modernist city. Whether in times of war, plague, or dreams, the change of seasons is a constant; the cycle of nature never stops and becomes the only given.

Spring

Summer

Autumn

One of the most striking depictions of Vilnius landscapes featured in this exhibition is a painting by Bronisław Jamontt from 1932. It reflects his admiration for the Dutch landscape painting tradition and his aspiration to unveil a romanticized portrayal of pagan Lithuania. The vibrant alleyways, enigmatic courtyards, and the architecture of the Old City of Vilnius, surrounded by robust century-old oak trees and looming storm clouds, stand out as prominent motifs in Jamontt’s work in the interwar period. His painted and pastel sketches of Vilnius garnered acclaim from both exhibition critics and art enthusiasts. This particular painting was owned by Vilnius residents – relatives of the renowned Jewish physician and doctor of medical science, Zemach Shabad, who served as the inspiration for the literary character Dr. Aybolit in Korney Chukovsky’s children’s poem.

Jamontt’s most prolific years unfolded in interwar Vilnius. He participated in exhibitions hosted by the Vilnius Artists’ Society, pursued further studies at the Faculty of Arts of Stephen Báthory University, assumed the role of Ferdynand Ruszczyc’s assistant at the Department of Landscape Painting in 1931, and rose to the position of professor in 1937. During the wartime occupation of Vilnius by the Nazis, Jamontt stayed in the city and continued to paint it. Even after repatriating to Toruń in 1945, he frequently revisited Vilnius in his paintings. Among his winter landscapes, we invite you to explore a courtyard of old Vilnius. This modest-sized work was a Christmas gift from Jamontt to his former student, Stanisław Rolicz, in 1948 – a memento of the beloved yet lost city.

Winter

In the winter landscape of Vilnius painted by Česlovas Znamierovskis in 1973, we would like to draw your attention to the structure adjacent to the fence to the left of the centre of the image. This structure is the focal point of the former Bernardine Garden, which underwent renovations during the Soviet era and was transformed into the Youth Garden. This structure is the dance pavilion known as Sarajus. In Lithuanian, “Sarajus” translates to mean a shed, a barn, or a shack. This was the nickname given by Vilnius residents to the dance floor, which gained immense popularity among high school students, university students and professors, and cultural workers. It was in operation from the mid-1950s until the late 1970s. At Sarajus, Vilnius residents not only swayed to popular tunes but also revelled in the rhythms of rock and rock’n’roll. This wooden pavilion, shrouded in legends and frequently reprimanded by the Soviet authorities, met an unfortunate fate in the summer of 1978 when a fire erupted under mysterious circumstances. The older generation of Vilnius residents still hold vivid, albeit not always pleasant, memories of this entertainment venue situated in the Youth Garden. Jurgis Kunčinas, one of Lithuania’s most celebrated prose writers, spared no spicy details about the local customs and traditions of Sarajus in his short story “Rotonda”, written in 1996.

Views of the exposition