60th anniversary of the museum of Kaunas university of technology

This year, KTU Museum celebrates its 60th anniversary. On 24 May 1965, a memorial room dedicated to the former Rector Prof. Kazimieras Baršauskas was opened at Kaunas Polytechnic Institute. This date is considered the founding date of the KTU Museum. KTU Museum prepared two exhibitions to mark this anniversary: “The 60th anniversary of the Museum of Kaunas University of Technology” and “The history of the University in objects”. (The first exhibition is dedicated to the development and activities of KTU Museum, while the second displays exhibits that reflect the complex history of Kaunas University of Technology. The exhibitions were prepared by Dr. Audronė Veilentienė, Head of KTU Museum.

KTU Museum: facts and figures

On 9 April 1964, Kazimieras Baršauskas, Rector of Kaunas Polytechnic Institute, initiated the establishment of the institute. Kazys Papečkys (1914–1973), a translator and writer who was then working as a teacher at the Department of Foreign Languages, was appointed as the first head of the museum. Soon, after the death of Rector Prof. K. Baršauskas, it was decided to set up a memorial room in one of the museum rooms, which was opened on 24 May 1965, to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of Prof. K. Baršauskas. In September 1966, the exhibition of KPI history was set up in the fourth-floor corridor and the second room. After completing the preparation of this exhibition, K. Papečkys was appointed editor at KPI Research Sector. On 15 March 1974, the exhibition in the second room of the museum was replaced by KPI Communist Youth History Museum, established at the initiative of Marijonas Martynaičius, who was the Rector at the time.

In 1990, after Lithuania regained its independence, Kaunas Polytechnic Institute became Kaunas University of Technology. In 1991, Laimutis Vištakis (1928–2008) became the first full-time curator of KTU Museum. In 1998, a new museum exhibition, created by Assoc. Prof. Juozas Sveikata, was opened on the third floor of KTU Administrative Building. On 25 November 2008, an internal division, the Museum, was established in KTU Public Relations Department. On 2 December 2008, Audronė Veilentienė began working as the Head of the KTU Museum. On 27 March 2009, KTU Museum was legalised as an institutional museum after its statutes were approved by the order of the rector. The Museum’s subordination has changed several times: it belonged to KTU Cultural Centre, the Image Formation Centre, the Library, and currently it is subordinate to the Department of Research Affairs. Until 2018, the Museum had only one full-time employee – the head of the Museum. Since 2016–2017, the Museum’s communications were managed by Cultural Project Manager Žilvinas Rinkšelis. In 2018, Jonas Klėmanas, a long-time KTU photographer, began working at KTU Museum, and in 2024, Museum Curator Karina Lazauskienė joined the team. Since the end of February 2025, she has been substituted by Karolis Kumža. In 2011, KTU Museum became an associate member of the Lithuanian Museum Association, and in 2015, it became a user of the Lithuanian Integral Museum Information System (LIMIS). The Museum is responsible for preserving and promoting the historical heritage of KTU. The main supporters and patrons of the museum are the leaders and members of KTU Veterans’ Club “Emeritus” and members of KTU community. Thanks to Prof. Antanas Žiliukas, the Mechanical Material Resistance Laboratory of the University of Lithuania, founded in 1923, was preserved and included in KTU Museum.

Rector of Kaunas Polytechnic Institute, Prof. Kazimieras Baršauskas (1904–1964), on whose initiative the KPI (KTU) Museum was established. (Original – KTU Museum)

KPI Rector Prof. Kazimieras Baršauskas' desk calendar, which records the establishment of the KPI Museum in 1964 (Original – KTU Museum)

The first director of the KPI Museum was translator and writer Kazys Papečkys (1914–1973) (KTU archives)

List of the KPI Museum Council, written by K. Papečkys on April 27, 1964 (Original – KTU Museum)

KPI Rector Prof. Marijonas Martynaitis leads a tour of the museum, 1980s–1990s. (Original – KTU Museum)

Room of the KPI Youth History Museum, 8th decade of the 20th century (Original – KTU Museum)

KTU Museum exhibition, 1997 (photo by J. Klėmanas, KTU photo archive)

KTU museum exhibitions, set up in 1998, author doc. Juozas Algimantas Sveikata (1943–2008) with members of the Student Scientific Society in the Alfonso Jurskis Auditorium, 2005 (photo by J. Klėmanas, KTU photo archive)

The first full-time university museum curator, Laimutis Vištakis (1928–2008), at the museum exhibition in 1998 (photo by J. Klėmanas, KTU photo archive)

Opening of the KTU Museum exhibition "From Higher Education Courses to Kaunas University of Technology" on February 16, 2010. In the photo: KTU Rector Prof. Raimundas Šiaučiūnas speaking, next to him – the author of the exhibition, KTU Museum Director Dr. Audronė Veilentienė. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, KTU photo archive)

The main supporters and patrons of the museum are the leaders and members of the KTU veterans' club Emeritus. In the photo: Emeritus Club Board, 2017. From left: President Doc. S. Raila, Secretary J. Samolaitytė, Vice Presidents Prof. R. Krivickas and Doc. J. Deltuva. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, KTU photo archive)

Thanks to Prof. Antanas Žiliukas, the Mechanical Materials Resistance Laboratory, founded in 1923 at the University of Lithuania by Prof. Kazimieras Vasiliauskas, was preserved and attached to the KTU Museum. In the photo: Prof. A. Žiliukas and Prof. K. Vasiliauskas' relatives at the KTU K. Vasiliauskas Materials Resistance Laboratory, 2004 (photo by J. Klėmanas, KTU photo archive)

Museum director Dr. A. Veilentienė gives a lecture to the KTU community entitled "The Gediminids' Pillars on the Soviet Monument," moderated by cultural projects manager Žilvinas Rinkšelis, 2017 (photo by J. Klėmanas, KTU photo archive)

KTU museum staff at the opening ceremony of the Historical Auditorium on February 14, 2025. From left to right: photographer Jonas Klėmanas, museum curator Karina Lazauskienė, museum director Dr. Audronė Veilentienė, and future museum curator Karolis Kumža. (Photo by Justina Šuminaitė, KTU photo archive)

Work of the Museum, 2010-2055

On 27 January 2010, commemorating the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Higher Courses, a new exhibition “From the Higher Courses to Kaunas University of Technology” was opened in the foyer on the first floor of KTU Administrative Building and in Room 108. In September 2010, KTU Museum website https://muziejus.ktu.lt was launched. In 2017, a new museum website https://muziejus.ktu.edu/ was launched (updated in 2025). Seven exhibitions were organised between 2010 and 2025. Two of them were implemented as part of a project by the Department of Cultural Heritage and the project “Adaptation of Cultural Heritage Monuments for Public Services”, partially funded by the EU. In addition, 19 stationary and mobile exhibitions and 90 virtual exhibitions were prepared. Almost all of the exhibitions and displays were created by the Head of the Museum, Dr. Audronė Veilentienė (one exhibition was organised in collaboration with K. Lazauskienė). Cooperation agreements were signed with Vytautas the Great War Museum and the Lithuanian Education History Museum (currently – the Lithuanian Education Museum). Digital copies of KTU museum exhibits were loaned to the Unit for Historical Memory of Parliamentarianism at the Office of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, and Lithuanian museums for exhibitions and publications, as well as to the Lithuanian Institute of History and the Lithuanian Institute for Cultural Research for scientific monographs, etc. In 2015, KTU Museum received a letter of acknowledgement from Irena Degutienė, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, for its assistance in organising an exhibition dedicated to Leonas Bistras, former Speaker of the Seimas, its cooperation, and its contribution to preserving historical memory. The Museum collaborated in the filming of historical documentaries “Laikinosios sostinės fenomenas” (The Phenomenon of the Temporary Capital), “Stop juosta” (Stop Tape), “Priešaušrio Lietuva” (Lithuania Before Dawn), and “Daiktų istorijos” (Stories of Objects). The Museum contributed to the organisation of commemoration events for national holidays and historical dates at the University, gave presentations at scientific conferences, published a KTU museum brochure (2015), a calendar dedicated to the 100th anniversary of higher education, and the scientific monograph by Dr. A. Veilentienė “The path of the history of Kaunas University of Technology”. Currently, KTU has 5 museum exhibitions and 2 long-term exhibitions, offers 5 educational programmes and tours to visitors, and has more than 3 400 exhibits recorded and included in the LIMIS.