Exhibition “Hello, Hello. This Is Kaunas Calling”
Kauno rotušė
Nemokama
On 12 June 1926, the words "Hello, hello – Lithuanian Radio – Kaunas", spoken by Petras Spaičys, marked the beginning of Lithuanian radio. This date is now celebrated as the centenary of Lithuanian radio – a milestone that transformed everyday life, the dissemination of information, and Lithuania's connection with the wider world. Although only 323 radio receivers were registered in the country at the time of the first broadcasts, radio waves soon reached an ever-growing audience. Radio became much more than a technological innovation – its voices, stories, and sounds accompanied daily life and became an inseparable part of society.
To commemorate this important anniversary, Kaunas Town Hall presents the Philips Deutschland 456A tube radio receiver, manufactured between 1936 and 1937. This device illustrates the technological progress of the period and the growing importance of radio culture in Lithuania. During the interwar years, radio receivers became a key source of information, music, and news. At the time, the Dutch company Philips was well known in Lithuania as a manufacturer of modern and reliable radio receivers. Its products were distributed through the Lithuanian Philips joint-stock company, located at 17 Laisvės Avenue in Kaunas.
Here you can see a single radio receiver, while on 10 December we will invite visitors to explore the history of Lithuanian radio in greater depth at the upcoming exhibition “Radio Hill”. The exhibition will present the development of radio in Lithuania and reveal how this technology shaped the lives of the people of Kaunas who created and listened to radio broadcasts. It will be an opportunity to discover authentic artefacts and experience the story that has connected Lithuania through radio waves for one hundred years.
The exhibit will be on display at Kaunas Town Hall from 12 June to 9 December 2026.