We invite you to visit the Oginskis – Gargždai

The surname of Dukes Oginskis is primarily associated with music. However, this is not all that this famous family has left for our culture. Director of Rietavas Oginskii Cultural History Museum Vytas Rutkauskas residents of the neighboring districts are invited to come and meet these cool nobles, listen to interesting stories and participate in pleasant entertainment.

From Tsar to Rietava

There are more than forty places in Lithuania where the Oginskii princes, descended from the Ruthenians, left their traces. Part of their beautiful, rich road is also in Rietave. More than one first in the country’s history happened in this place: in April 1892, the first light bulb in Lithuania was lit here, the first telephone appeared here, the line of which extended to the palace of Counts Tiškevičius on the seashore… And the museum itself is located in the first professional six-year music school in Lithuania, raised from the ruins, which founded by Duke Bogdan Oginskis (1848-1909).

There are rumors that Bogdan, the founder of the music school – the son of Tsar Alexander II himself, because his mother – a maid of honor of the palace – had an affair with the ruler. However, the son bore the Oginski family name and inherited considerable wealth, including the manor in Rietave. Following in the footsteps of his father Irenaeus, he began to cultivate the estate, farmed according to the advanced methods at the time, organized the first agricultural exhibition in Lithuania, and bred zemaitsu. Bogdan was a nurturer of Lithuania, he supported the national movement, Lithuanian press was distributed in the estate. In the music school founded in 1872, children played and got acquainted with music theory. What’s more, an orchestra of sixty people has been assembled in Rietave. Suffering from a mental illness, Bogdan died childless, but Rietave left the spirit of patriotism and music.

The director of the museum, V. Rutkauskas, says that the museum workers aim to continue nurturing the musical legacy of the Oginskis, releasing works, reviving the 19th century. musical traditions that started here by bringing the public to classical music concerts. “We maintain relations with the great-grandchildren of Mykolas Kleopas Oginskis who live in Great Britain, Poland and other countries, we contribute to the research of the legacy of the Oginskis, we organize international scientific conferences, we aim to develop cultural tourism,” said V. Rutkauskas about the activities of the museum.

At this year’s book fair, the work published by the museum “Rietavas. Sightseeing routes of the Oginskii residence”. The director of the museum thanks the Department of Cultural Heritage, which partially financed the publication, and welcomes cooperation in the implementation of other projects.

What will you see?

4,000-4,500 visitors visit the Rietava Oginskii Museum of Cultural History a year. Educator and museologist Audronė Gečienė says that they are invited to participate in educational programs about the Dukes of Oginskis, how they came to this land, and what cultural heritage links connect Lithuania, Belarus and Poland. The museum has prepared education about the period of resistance, the history of opera, the life and culture of the people of Žemaitsa. Here you can get acquainted with the cultural heritage of the Rietava manor homestead, immerse yourself in the visions of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. Events, thematic seminars, round table discussions are organized on European Heritage Days, various exhibitions, meetings, and creative evenings are constantly held. During one of them, they got acquainted with the work of the Ukrainian film director Aleksandrs Dzidrovskis.

The museum invites the visiting visitors to wander through the labyrinths of the parks, special education has been prepared for this, because the collections of decorative plants and landscape art were another area where the Oginskis excelled. In their winter garden, palm trees, camellias, orchids flourished, swans swam proudly in the ponds, pheasants walked in the park, and the enchanting spectacle was completed by the sounds of music – orchestra musicians performing in picturesque places of the park. By the way, until the 19th century at the end of the 19th century, it was the largest landscape park in Lithuania, created from the forest by guest architects. The founder of the park, Ireneus Oginskis, had cultivated taste and had visited many European parks. It is a pity that this masterpiece was badly damaged during the Soviet era, but the Oginskii Cultural History Museum takes care of the maintenance of the preserved park.

V. Rutkauskas is happy that the museum welcomes visitors with a beautified and renewed look – the buildings of the residence of the princes Oginskii were renovated with the help of European Union structural funds. “After the conditions improved, we were able to open the door even wider, through which schoolchildren often pass, gathering at St. the pastoral service of the Archangel Michael Church, members of the Open Youth Center, the University of the Third Century,” said the director of the museum and invited the residents of the neighboring districts to come as guests, promising that the time in Rietav would not be long.

You can find out about the events and entertainment offered on the website before your arrival www.oginskiriet.lton the “Rietavas museum” Facebook account.