Grutas Park

Grūtas, Lithuania

Grūtas Park (Grūto parkas) is a sculpture garden of Soviet-era statues and an exposition of other Soviet ideological relics from the times of the Lithuanian SSR. After Lithuania regained its independence in 1990, various Soviet statues were taken down and dumped in different places. Viliumas Malinauskas requested the Lithuanian authorities to grant him the possession of the sculptures, so that he could build a privately financed museum. This Soviet-theme park was created in the wetlands of the Dzūkija National Park. Many of its features are re-creations of Soviet Gulag prison camps: wooden paths, guard towers, and barbed-wire fences.

The exposition, consisting of 86 statues by 46 different sculptors, is organized into spheres. Each of the statues features a Soviet or socialist activist, many of them ethnic Lithuanians. The Totalitarian Sphere features sculptures of the main Communist leaders and thinkers, including Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Karl Marx. The Terror Sphere is dedicated to sculptures of founders of the Communist Party of Lithuania (Zigmas Aleksa-Angarietis, Vincas Mickevičius-Kapsukas) and officers of the Red Army (Feliksas Baltušis-Žemaitis, Ieronim Uborevich). It also has a sculpture of Felix Dzerzhinsky, the organizer of the Red Terror.

The Soviet Sphere includes sculptures of the four leaders of Lithuanian Communists, executed in the aftermath of the 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état, and activists of the Lithuanian–Soviet War of 1918–1919. The Red Sphere is dedicated to Soviet partisans, including Marytė Melnikaitė. The Occupation and Death Spheres showcase the brutal side the Soviet regime: mass deportations, suppression of the Lithuanian partisans, etc.w

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Address

A4, Grūtas, Lithuania
See all sites in Grūtas

Details

Founded: 2001
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More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.way2lithuania.com

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

RichHomiePug Pug (2 years ago)
Great Soviet statues and a beautiful park. However, the animals that were kept there, were held in unacceptable conditions.
Clive Milton (2 years ago)
A blend of the natural and the absurd. Many Soviet-era icons, surrounded by an eclectic petting zoo, randomly out of context. The back story is dark and without any comic value. The collection symbolises what I love about this country and its people; the ability to take a sideswipe at history and, whilst not lessening the historical significance, poke fun at its earlier slave masters. Visit. Whether in bright sunshine or deep snow
Stuart Menges (2 years ago)
Just bizarre and awesome at the same time. Come for the Lenin, stay for the lovely soviet ambiance. Its... Strange.
Eric Foley (2 years ago)
Interesting place to see old statues, propaganda artwork, etc. They also have a zoo and a big playground to entertain the kids. It is interesting to see the Soviet playground equipment, and it is interesting to see how low Soviet safety standards were. There is a ship swing that seems particularly dangerous if you were to walk in front of it not paying attention!
A Z (2 years ago)
a good place to spend time with your family. Older people will be able to remember those times, and younger ones will play in the playground. I liked the cafe and advised you to take care of the guide, it will be much more interesting. Far away from Vilnius
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