Grutas Park is an impressive collection of Soviet time sculptures located 130 kilometres southwest of Vilnius, close to the town of spas Druskininkai. The park is a museum of sculptures of revolution, tyrannizing administrative system and leaders of the acquisition time. The Americans call it by name “Stalin World”.

From 1989 until 1991, during the restoration of Lithuanian independence, many monuments from the Soviet times were dismantled like in many former Soviet countries. With the absence of any storage procedure they were piled in storehouses and backyards. Thanks to such “preservation” many monuments were damaged and eventually could have been totally destroyed.

Hesonos Klubas public agency was the winner of the tender called by the Ministry of Culture in 1998 for the establishment of an exposition of dismantled monumental sculptures from the Soviet period. The manager of the venture, Viliumas Malinauskas, was planning to establish the exposition using private funds without asking for financial support from the state. Building the exposition grounds was also considered crucial for the development of tourism in Southern Lithuania. The work of preparing the exposition started in early 1999. Grutas Park was officially opened 1 April 2001.

The meaning of the monuments is quite different today than during the Soviet times. The statues of former idols Stalin, Lenin etc. nowadays remind of the dreadfulness of the Lithuanian recent history. The nation lived under the Soviet power and complied with its ideology for 50 hard years. To date no other museum or cultural institution has endeavoured to this comprehensively exhibit Soviet relics. At Grutas Park the monumental sculptures are positioned in a 2 km long exposition, where guard towers, fragments of concentration camps and other details resemble Siberia. Grutas Park is situated on a 20 hectare area, exhibiting 86 works by 46 authors.

Information centre - museum

The wooden building of the museum resembles a cultural house like ones that were built in the 1940’s and 50’s. The sound, cinema and photo documentaries collected and displayed at the information centre and museum show and denounce the propaganda culture, pseudo-science, aims and forms of the Soviet ideology and disclose the genocide of the Lithuanian nation.

Holidays and events

On the 1st of April each year caricatured humour feasts are arranged at Grutas Park. On this day the park exposition presents “live” characters of the Soviet period: Lenin, Stalin, pioneers, partisans, secretaries of the central committee, etc. The park also celebrates the 9th of May – Victory Day. Holidays of the socialist period arranged by special order of tourist groups from Lithuania and all over the world have gained extreme popularity.

Cafes

At the Grutas Park cafes, which service more than 250 visitors at a time, you can for example taste dishes with mushrooms - the goodies of the Dzukija region. You can also check out the non-traditional “nostalgia for the old times” menu including Sprat po russki, Prošcaj molodostj cutlet, and Nostalgija borsch.


Opening hours: The park is open daily year round
In winter 9.00 - 17.00
In season 9.00 - 20.00

Grutas Park
Grutas, LT-66441 Druskininkai
Tel. +370 313 55 511
Mob. +370 682 42 320
Fax. +370 313 47 451
E-mail: info@grutoparkas.lt
www.grutoparkas.lt