Kelmė District Municipality
Samogitia
writer's birthplace memorial museum
Žemaitės g. 7, Ušnėnai village, Užventis Eldership, Kelmė District
55.81070, 22.76260
30-45 minutes by prior arrangement
late spring to early autumn
Povilas Višinskis Memorial Museum, P. Višinskis homestead-museum
Povilas Višinskis Birthplace: a reed-roofed homestead
Povilas Višinskis Birthplace in Ušnėnai is an authentic reed-roofed Samogitian peasant homestead where one of the most important organisers of the Lithuanian national revival was born in 1875. It is one of Samogitia's most intimate writers' birthplaces, surviving in place with entry room, chamber, and smoke kitchen.
The homestead is special because it recalls two figures of literary history: Povilas Višinskis himself and writer Žemaitė, who lived next door. Today it is a memorial museum and a branch of Kelmė Regional Museum.
Povilas Višinskis, organiser of the national revival
Povilas Višinskis (1875-1906) was a literary critic, publicist, and one of the most energetic organisers of the national movement. Educated at Šiauliai Gymnasium and St Petersburg University, he wrote the notable work Antropologinė žemaičių charakteristika and photographed Samogitia.
During the press ban he distributed forbidden Lithuanian publications and organised book smuggling. After the death of Vincas Kudirka he became the leader of the Varpininkai group; in 1899 he helped stage the first Lithuanian play, Amerika pirtyje, in Palanga; in 1905 he founded the Šviesa book-publishing company; and in 1902 he was among the founders of the Lithuanian Democratic Party. He died in Berlin at only 31 and is buried in Rasos Cemetery in Vilnius.
The writers' mentor
Višinskis's most important legacy is the writers he encouraged. He drew Žemaitė, Šatrijos Ragana, Lazdynų Pelėda, and Jovaras into literature and helped publish their first works.
Žemaitė's debut appeared in 1895 through his connections, and in 1891 he taught Marija Pečkauskaitė, the future Šatrijos Ragana, and encouraged her to write in Lithuanian at nearby Užventis Manor. The Ušnėnai homestead is therefore a kind of cradle of Lithuanian literature.
Homestead museum and Žemaitė
The memorial museum opened in the homestead in 1960, and in 2014 the homestead was restored, including renewal of the reed roof. The exhibition is devoted to both Višinskis and Žemaitė: it shows their works, a bust of Višinskis by sculptor Vladas Žuklys, books by winners of the Žemaitė Prize, and photographs.
Žemaitė lived right nearby, across the fence from the Višinskis homestead. Her house has not survived; only a memorial stone marks the place. In one small corner of Ušnėnai, the memory of two Lithuanian literary classics is intertwined.
Visiting
The homestead-museum does not have a regular public schedule; visitors are accepted by prior phone arrangement. Contact information and visiting conditions are listed on the official Kelmė Regional Museum page, so check them before arriving.
Allow 30-45 minutes. The visit is most meaningful when combined with nearby Užventis Manor, where Višinskis taught Šatrijos Ragana, and other Kelmė-region sites.
