Kauno miesto muziejus: tarp istorinio-geografinio centro ir etnografinio regioniškumo

LTJau ne vieną dešimtmetį muziejus yra regioniniu ar nacionaliniu lygmeniu veikianti institucionalizuota jungtis tarp visuomenės ir istorijos, simbolių bei šiuolaikinių gyvenimo aktualijų. Pasitelkdamas šiuolaikinei visuomenei priimtinus (ir kuo interaktyvesnius) edukacinius metodus, atitinkamos tematikos muziejus aktyvia veikla orientuojasi į kultūros politikos nubrėžtas gaires. Kauno miesto muziejus – vienas iš seniausių muziejų Kaune, Kauno tarybos sprendimu savo veiklą atkūręs 2005 m. Po 2013 m. rugsėjį įvykusios muziejaus reorganizacijos buvo prijungta dar keletas skyrių. [Iš straipsnio, p. 13]

ENThe article analyzes the expression of regionalism and ethnicity in Kaunas City Museum. The paper briefly introduces the readers with the basic directions of activities of the museum and the detailed discussion comes about the two departments of the museum. The first one – Kaunas City Museum is explored in the context of historical-geographical region. The second one – Povilas Stulga’s Museum of Lithuanian Folk Instruments is analyzed in the context of ethnographic Lithuanian regions. Considering the themes of the museum, the motives of the chosen vitalizing characters and symbols are given. The article concludes that Kaunas City Museum constructs a historical narrative referring to the main chosen topics and the characters embodying them. There are three basic characters: the resident of the Old Kaunas (a merchant or a craftsman, the 15th – 17th centuries), the resident from the interwar Kaunas (patriot, Lithuanianness developer, intellectual, smetoniška girl / lady), and the resident of the industrial city of the Soviet era (the employee from Kaunas radio factory Banga). The main symbol of the museum – Taurus – is used not only in representation of the museum, but also as one of the most important legends (narratives) and as the character of the educational games. This choice is not accidental, because it is based on the coat of arms of Kaunas which is recorded in the historical sources.The department of Kaunas City Museum – Povilas Stulga’s Museum of Lithuanian Folk Instruments – relies on the similarities and differences of Lithuanian ethnographic regions and the tradition of the folklore. Perhaps the zithers (kanklės), which is the main Lithuanian folk music instrument, mostly reflects different Lithuanian ethnographic regions. While the division of the ethnographic regions according to the zithers and their types was not wellestablished, currently four ethnographic regions such as Aukštaitija, Žemaitija, Suvalkija and the Lithuania Minor are pointed out. Dzūkija does not come among them, because there has not been any tradition of playing zithers in this region. The other exhibits in the museum do not reflect regionalism definitely. The museum also presents not only the musical but also another traditional Lithuanian activities reflecting the whole Lithuanian ethnic culture. [From the publication]