Eerie strangeness of the Cold War

Grūtas Park, easily one of the oddest museums in Europe, is dedicated entirely to Lithuania’s decades-long Soviet past. Extending across an open-air space, the museum showcases authentic sculptures that, once removed from their lofty pedestals, were simply piled up in backyards and storehouses.

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Upon winning a tender called by the Ministry of Culture in 1998, the public agency Hesonos Klubas collected numerous intact sculptures (i.e., those not yet bought up by metal traders or destroyed, as happened in the neighbouring countries) and established a permanent exposition. In addition to sculptures, Grūtas Park also displays Soviet military equipment, posters and paintings, busts, vehicles, toys, books, monuments and other accouterments of the regime.

To get visitors even deeper into the spirit of days gone by, the museum features a peculiar café that serves old Soviet-era dishes. Meanwhile, children are welcome to a mini zoo – home to a variety of animals, from peacocks to bears. For more active entertainment, they can also explore a well-preserved amusement park or, in Soviet terminology – Lunapark.

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Eerie strangeness of the Cold War