Kipras Petrauskas Memorial Apartment

Address: K. Petrausko g. 31

Open: Tuesday - Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Tour and educational activity reservation: (8 37) 731 184, mkp.kasa@kaunomuziejus.lt

The memorial apartment of the opera singer Kipras Petrauskas is permeated by the interwar aura. The apartment consists of a corridor, a kitchen with a unique brass-decorated stove and seven rooms (3 memorial and 4 dedicated to exhibitions). They are all unique and tell a specific story.

 

Memorial rooms (singer Kipras Petrauskas’ office, living-room, lady’s room) are furnished with authentic interwar furniture and the walls are decorated with the paintings by famous Lithuanian artists P. Kalpokas, A. Žmuidzinavičius, L. Kazokas, K. Šimonis, V. Didžiokas, A. Gudaitis, Š. Zelmanavičius, V. Eidukevičius, etc. The other rooms feature impressive art deco style lamps, are full of sculptures and souvenirs given to K. Petrauskas for various occasions, as well as personal memorial objects that testify to the residents’ inclinations and hobbies.

 

In the office of K. Petrauskas, you will definitely notice an original wooden bookcase purchased in 1928, a small brass card table, classical style metal sculpture Gloria given to the soloist during the motor racing around Lithuania in 1930 and historical photographs of K. Petrauskas and F. Šaliapinas. The authentic K. Petrauskas Grotrian Steinweg piano can be found in the living-room alongside the oval table with chairs, reminiscent of Petrauskai family hospitality and the gatherings of the Lithuanian elite of the time.

In the room of the actress, poet, playwright and translator Elena Žalinkevičaitė-Petrauskienė you will be able to get acquainted with this extremely talented woman and listen to her poems from the poetry collection Eskizai (Sketches) published in 1930s. The poems where recorded by a professional singer and actress Marija Arutiunova.

 

The construction history of brothers Mikas and Kipras Petrauskai house is presented nearby along with the house’s residents and circumstances that determined the birth of the museum. The exhibition also features an impressive Petrauskai family tree which extends to this day. You will be able to listen to the vinyl records with songs performed by K. Petrauskas.

 

The former bedroom of K. Petrauskas was also turned into an exposition that introduces the visitor to the creative work and hobbies of the opera singer. It contains photographs featuring the characters of theatre plays, the historical moments of Lithuanian Opera Theatre creation as well as fragments from the tours in various theatres of the world. Also presented are programmes of performances, K. Petrauskas’ fan mail, postcards from colleagues and personal memorial objects: a large K. Petrauskas suitcase, an impressive silver vase with engraved autographs of theatricals that was given to the singer in 1926 during the celebration of the 20 years of professional work, a stage costume for Otello worn during the production of Verdi’s Otello. You will be able to learn about K. Petrauskas’ hobbies – hunting and fishing, to see his unique collection of spoon baits, a folding fisherman’s chair, a hunting rifle, manual bullet maker and many other exhibits.

 

A separate room in the apartment is dedicated to Mikas Petrauskas (1873–1937) – one of the most prominent personalities in the history of Lithuanian music culture. He was a composer, author of the first Lithuanian opera Birutė, choir organizer and conductor, pedagogue, singer, music promoter, lector and publicist as well as active promoter of Lithuanian culture in Tsarist Russian occupied Lithuania, St. Petersburg and later in the USA. M. Petrauskas created 2 operas, 17 operettas, many harmonized and original songs for choir, soloists and ensembles. A large photo collection, manuscripts of musical works and printed publications, documents, fragments of letters and notebooks, programmes of various events and other archival material in addition to a few remaining personal memorial items speak of M. Petrauskas’ meaningful life and reflect his personality traits.

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