Kedainiai is a fairly large Lithuanian city, which for many centuries was dominated by the Jewish diaspora. Their settlement in Kedainiai began around the 17th century. Their district was considered to be a block located near the market square. There they earned a living by trading and renting out taverns and customs houses, leading a sedentary lifestyle. At the same time, the first synagogues began to appear in the city. In 1923, a census was conducted in Kedainiai, according to which 2,499 Jews lived in the city. However, the Holocaust almost destroyed the three-hundred-year history of the Jewish community of Kedainiai.
After the end of World War II and the restoration of Lithuania's independence, many city streets and memorials returned to their Jewish names. One of the first synagogues built in the city was also restored. The Kedainiai Regional Museum opened there in 1993.
The museum's collection consists of about 50,000 items, divided into historical and ethnographic, written, photographic, artistic, numismatic and auxiliary units.
One of the most impressive items in the museum is the crosses of the most famous Lithuanian woodcarver Vincas Svirskis, unique exhibits, documents of the XVII-XVIII centuries, as well as a set of furniture made of the horn of the 19th century from the Apitalaukis estate. All items carved from wood are worked out to the smallest detail. Even the facial expressions of Jesus on the cross look very natural…
The museum presents a large number of historically important documents and household items. Visitors are also particularly interested in an old bicycle, which is perfectly preserved and presented in one of the halls.
The museum has a large number of interactive zones, but all of them are voiced in Lithuanian. In English, there are only captions to the exhibits. Therefore, those who want to immerse themselves in the history of this ancient city with a difficult fate, it is better to take a tour with a guide who will tell you in detail about each exhibit and how the exhibition was collected bit by bit.
The impression after the museum is bitter and heavy. But it is necessary for a modern person to know history, with all its good and bad moments. Otherwise, you will not have a complete and multifaceted picture of the world in your mind.