Žmuidzinavicius Museum
Encyclopedia
Žmuidzinavičius Museum, commonly known as the Devils' Museum , is a museum in Kaunas
, Lithuania
, dedicated to collecting and exhibiting sculptures and carvings of devil
s from all over the world. As of 2009, its holdings encompass about 3,000 exhibits. The collection was initiated by painter Antanas Žmuidzinavičius
(1876–1966). A memorial museum was established in his house after his death. At the time the devil collection had only 260 sculptures. As the collection grew, enriched by a number of gifts presented to the museum by its visitors, a separate three-storey extension was built in 1982. The devils, collected from different cultures, are diverse: some are just works of art, while others are incorporated into useful objects, some represent folk myths, while others express modern political ideas. For example, one sculpture depicts Hitler
and Stalin
as devils in a dance of death
over a playground littered with human bones.
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, dedicated to collecting and exhibiting sculptures and carvings of devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
s from all over the world. As of 2009, its holdings encompass about 3,000 exhibits. The collection was initiated by painter Antanas Žmuidzinavičius
Antanas Žmuidzinavicius
Antanas Žmuidzinavičius was a Lithuanian painter and art collector. Sometimes he used Antanas Žemaitis as his pen name....
(1876–1966). A memorial museum was established in his house after his death. At the time the devil collection had only 260 sculptures. As the collection grew, enriched by a number of gifts presented to the museum by its visitors, a separate three-storey extension was built in 1982. The devils, collected from different cultures, are diverse: some are just works of art, while others are incorporated into useful objects, some represent folk myths, while others express modern political ideas. For example, one sculpture depicts Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
as devils in a dance of death
Danse Macabre
Dance of Death, also variously called Danse Macabre , Danza de la Muerte , Dansa de la Mort , Danza Macabra , Dança da Morte , Totentanz , Dodendans , is an artistic genre of late-medieval allegory on the universality of death: no matter one's...
over a playground littered with human bones.