Mažeikiai District Municipality
Samogitia
Memorial museum of an aviation pioneer, a branch of Mažeikiai Museum
Akmenės g. 10, Viekšniai, Mažeikiai District
56.23240, 22.51950
30-45 minutes
year-round, as an indoor museum
A. Griškevičius Museum, Museum of Lithuanian aviation pioneer A. Griškevičius
Aleksandras Griškevičius Memorial Museum: the Samogitian Daedalus
The Aleksandras Griškevičius Memorial Museum in Viekšniai is housed where Lithuania's aviation pioneer Aleksandras Griškevičius spent his final years and died in 1863. Because of his daring ideas about flight he was nicknamed the Samogitian Daedalus.
This is a small museum of a few rooms and a branch of Mažeikiai Museum. It matters as the opening page of Lithuanian aviation history and as part of Viekšniai, a town known for several distinctive museums.
Aleksandras Griškevičius, aviation pioneer
Aleksandras Griškevičius (1809-1863) was a poor nobleman fascinated by technology and especially aviation. In 1843-1850 he designed several flying machines, and in 1851 he published the book Žemaičio garlėkys, describing a controllable aerostat, mechanically operated wings, and even a steam-powered propeller. It is regarded as the beginning of Lithuanian aviation thought.
In 1855 he tested his machines by taking off from the roofs of houses and other buildings. A story says one attempt failed and an angry governor ordered the machine destroyed; that belongs more to legend than firmly documented fact. Griškevičius was not born in Viekšniai, but near Krakės; he lived and died in Viekšniai.
What you will see
The main exhibition, The Beginning of Lithuanian Aviation, presents a model of Žemaičio garlėkys reconstructed from surviving drawings; the original machine has not survived. The museum also shows Griškevičius' autograph, copies of his books, Lituanica aircraft models, and aviation instruments.
A neighbouring room holds an ethnographic exhibition about early twentieth-century life in the Viekšniai area: household objects, furniture, clothing, and a large collection of flax-processing tools. Educational activities for children include making a kite or a model aeroplane.
Visiting
The museum was established in 1981. During research it was open Tuesday to Friday 9:00-17:00 and Saturday 9:00-16:00, closed Sunday and Monday, with an adult ticket around 2 EUR. Check current times and prices, and arrange group visits in advance.
A visit usually takes 30-45 minutes. A trip around Viekšniai works well as a half-day route combining the Griškevičius, Pharmacy, and Biržiškos museums.
