OPEN ARCHIVES OF KAUNAS

*Gintaras: *"One detail stuck to my mind from the dismantling of Leninas monument: next to Donelaičio Street, under a tree, I saw an elderly couple, probably of Russian nationality. They held arms and... cried silently. Even though everyone was in good mood, but I felt pity looking at them: they believed him for their entire life, and now, there was emptiness in front of them...." (2014)

Robertas Antinis: Orbita was a superb club. It was special.

*Birutė: *"It was a long time ago... When in 1955 I‘ve settled down in Kaunas together with my parents and saw the sculptures of lions in the Garden of the War Museum, I was so surprised. For me, a 12-year-old villager, it was so beautiful, so beautiful – that was the first time I saw sculptures. I stood in front of them and stared, stared... Then, I came closer, petted... and hugged, both, one after another. Probably somebody at that time could have been very surprised, maybe I did look foolish, but for me it was an unforgettable joy, which I still remember. It took me a while to go through my photo archive. But I‘ve found a small amateur photo, taken in 1958, where I am sitting on a lion. Why am I sitting there, who got me up, who took it? It was 60 years ago. Probably someone from my classmates. It used to be the place for our meetings, dates, walks. I'm sure the lions are still "alive" in my classmates' memories. The music of the bells, fully seated benches, and the children splashing in the fountain – all of it had remained in my memory. And the unforgettable garden of roses. I‘ve lived in Aleksotas for a really long time, at the First Julijanava. When we went to the city with my classmates, our route (we would save money for ice cream, movies...) most often would be: Veiveriai road, Aleksotas cemetery, Aleksotas funicular (students could use it for free), Aleksotas bridge, Town Hall, Vilnius or St. Gertrude Street... And the garden of the War Museum, museum, Lions used to be almost mandatory objects. Our walks around the "city", would usually end in Vytautas Park. Lions became a part of my life. I‘ve visited them during my youthful days, after marriage – with children and grandchildren. I would still visit and pet my lions nowadays. I've went through "Memory Places" - a wonderful idea. Thanks to the author. Almost all of those places have been visited, walked and dropped by... All the places are still "alive" in my memories. Kaunas has already become my city - walked, sensed, ever more loved. "MY" LIONS – are in Kaunas. Lions, have a happy upcoming Anniversary!” (2018)

*Gintaras Vitulskis: *These pictures are from the 1930s: in one of them, there is a festive formation of yachtsmen (or maybe sea scouts) captured as seen from Aleksotas, and the other one with Aleksotas in the background. In 1932, the yacht club was established next to Aleksotas bridge in a building floating on a pontoon platform, the so called brandwacht. There were premises with administration, a restaurant and dressing room for sportsmen. Later this building was renamed and became Perkūnas Yacht Club. (2014)

*Lili Kristina Vaičekauskaitė-Čepauskienė:* If someone is collecting historical material, there is an interesting episode. Photo (see photo No. 2) pictures mother of the Lithuanian partisan Kazys Veverskis (pseudonym Senis). Our family became acquainted with her under very interesting circumstances. This one time, my mommy went to the post office to run some errand and found a crying woman there. She came to send a parcel to her relatives imprisoned in Siberia, but she could not write their address. Then my mother brought her home to Vasario 16-osios Street, and my father packed everything nicely, wrote down the address and posted it for her. And this acquaintance was the one that lasted. I remember this woman visiting us for many years in relation to this matter. I called this woman my granny Veverskienė. (2014)

*Arūnas*: “I spent my childhood and youth in Kaunas. I managed to find a few photos. It makes me happy that people captured in them are still alive and well. So are the lions. The first photo was taken in 1956. From the left: me, my cousin Vytautas, my cousin Laimutė and sister Rūta. The second one was taken in the spring of 1969. While studying in Kaunas Polytechnic Institute (KPI), we had a big beat band Meteorai and before a trip abroad, we decided to shoot our promo photos in the garden of the Museum of War which was dear and interesting for us. From the left: me, keyboard, drummer Antanas Mačys, guitar players and vocals Gerardas Balaišis and Jonas Toleikis. Some of them have not parted with music to this day. We all wanted to be the Beatles in those times. We were restless. So, I am sending you another photo, without lions, capturing the attempt to fire at the central office of KPI with one of the museum's cannons...” (2018)

*Gintaras: *Posters started to appear in Kaunas, just like in Vilnius, after the bloody events of January 13. They condemned the unjustifiable behaviour of the occupant army towards the residents of Lithuania. Since during these events I was in Vilnius, I could only capture these posters in Kaunas a week later, after I came back home from Vilnius. (2014)

*Lili Kristina Vaičekauskaitė-Čepauskienė:* The flood of 1946 in Kaunas was a very strong one. The picture shows my mother and me on an ice flow at the corner of Vasario 16-osios and K. Donelaičio streets. After that year, there were no more floods like that.

*Lili Kristina Vaičekauskaitė-Čepauskienė (2014): *We would often play in Miesto Sodas. There used to be a toy shop Du Gaideliai, where Miesto Sodas restaurant is currently located.

*Alma: *It is very nice to remember how people would gather in the Oakwood Park. In summer, it was full of people. Even though there were no normal paths in there back then. Some would play the harmonica or guitar. Everyone would gather in groups or families to spend some time in nature. It is also very pleasant to remember Song Festivals. The songs used to fly all around the Oakwood Park. 

Sculptor Robertas Antinis sharing his memories about  people of Laisvės avenue and Kaunas (2014).

When I was sixteen, it was the first time, when I brought my photo camera to the Oakwoord Park, Darius and Girėnas Sports Centre, the Hall and the Stadium. It was during the World Lithuanian Games in the summer of 1991. I followed the participants marching from the Old Town. There were crowds of people, great mood, no mournful atmosphere. The second day of the Games was coloured in bright green: a boy who carried Detroit Kovas flag gave me five dollars for a photo that I handed him when we met. My first honorarium in cash! As my aunt Zita (currently living in Detroit) found out, his name was Tadas Baukys. The euphoria did not last long. Shots were fired at the Lithuanian boarder and the crowds moved to Vilnius: again, for a funereal.