The birthplace Museum of Bishop Motiejus Valančius

The museum was established in A. and B. Milašiai homestead in1969. Its founders are: a director of the Kretinga museum Juozas Mickevičius, Ignas Jablonskis and comes from this land an academician Adolfas Jucys. By 1990 the museum belonged to Kretinga museum and was its branch. Since1990 the Museum became addicted to the parish Kūlupėnai in which it is. In 1990 the museum was registered in the Municipality in Kretinga district [ a founder-district municipality ]. The full name of the museum is the birthplace Museum of Bishop Motiejus Valančius. The director of the museum is Algirdas Čėsna. In 1999 11 04 the museum was registered of the Republic of Lituania at the Ministry of Culture Order Number-473rd. The code of the museum is 188,206,780th. There is a material in the M.Valančius museum, which tells the story about the Bishpp's life and about his works in 1850-1875. There are his personal items, a cutlery, a table napkin, a sofa, which he enjoyed while he lived in Varniai, the ark, which the bishop gave abookcarrier in 1868. There is a barn, which is a folk's architecture monument in the homestead. There are equipped ethnographic exhibition in the five pantry granary, the auxiliary room for housewife, a girl's pantry, a cereal. It was restored in 1988.

Prices for services

Visiting the Museum [ 1 ticket]
For adults-3Lt
For students-2Lt
For pensioners-2Lt
For persons who are unable to work. For children who live in the
Children's Home and for shoolage children-admission is free.
A thematic tour of the museum and of the homestead [1 hour].
Four adults-15Lt
Four students-10Lt

The bishop of Lithuanian
Lowlanders * Motiejus Valančius (1801 – 1875)

Motiejus Valančius, the bishop and the writer of Lithuanian Lowlanders, was one of the most distinguished cultural and public man in Lithuania of the 19 th century. He led the diocese of Lowlanders at the time of the czarist Russia’s governing (1850 -1875). In 1858 M. Valančius organized the action of soberness, thanks to which Lithuanian had decreased using alcohol even for 8 times during short two years. He wrote about 50 books (in the Dialect of Lowlanders). The greatest of them can be mentioned: ,, The Diocese of Lowlanders’’, consisting of two volumes, ,,Kantychkos’’, ,,Palanga’s Juzė‘‘ and others. During the period of time of his bishopping, 49 churches were built, five hundred fifty ordinad‘s were concecrated on the priests, the reinforcement of sacrament was conferred for more than 900.000 children. M. Valančius also took care of establishment of Lithuanian schools and libraries. After the revolt of the national-liberation struggle (1863) the czarist government evicted the centre of Lowlanderds’ diocese from Varniai to Kaunas. In the period of prohibition of Lithuanian printing (1864-1904) M. Valančius organized and led the book-distributors. At his some time he was writing Lithuanian books and took care of their printing in East Prussia. Motiejus Valančius died in 1875 May 17 and was buried in Kaunas Cathedral. In 1969 there was founded the Museum of M. Valančius in his native land Nasrėnai. The only authentic building-a five store-rooms granary`, is left in the farm-stead of the native land. It is the national architectural monument of the 19 th century. The best reciters of Motiejus Valančius’ works come together in the native land of the bishop since 1994. On the 14 th of October, 1995, celebrating the bishop’s birth anniversary of 200, two hundred small oaks were planted near the farm-stead.
*book-distributors- people carrying secretely Lithuanian books from East Prussia to Lithuania under the oppression of czarist Russia in Lithuania.
*Lowlanders (žemaičiai) – Lithuanian, living in West Lithuania.