Šakiai District Municipality
Suvalkija
regional ethnography and history museum
Beržų g. 3, Tubeliai village, Lukšiai Eldership, Šakiai District
54.94260, 23.19360
1-1.5 hours; with the manor, up to 2.5 hours
summer season, May-September
Zanavykai Regional Museum, Zanavykų muziejus
Zanavykai Museum: regional memory at Zypliai Manor
The Zanavykai Museum is the ethnography and history museum of the Zanavykai region, located in the Zypliai Manor homestead in Lukšiai, Šakiai District. It is the main museum of Zanavykija, preserving more than 50,000 museum objects and telling the region's story from the earliest times to the present.
It is important to distinguish the museum from the manor. Zypliai Manor is the ensemble of buildings and park, while the museum is a Šakiai District municipal institution occupying two former farm buildings of the manor. The main palace is used for the cultural centre and events, while the museum is housed in the former carriage house and the Crafts House.
Who the Zanavykai are
The Zanavykai are one of the subethnic groups of Suvalkija, also called Sūduva, living in the northern part of Šakiai District on the left bank of the Nemunas, around Šakiai, Kudirkos Naumiestis, Griškabūdis, and Lukšiai. Linguistically they belong to the southern West Aukštaitians, but ethnographically they are Suvalkiečiai.
It is thought that the name zanavykai may come from the Nova River with the Slavic prefix za, meaning "beyond", and refer to people living beyond the Nova. This is an etymological hypothesis, so it should be treated as a suggestion. The museum is dedicated precisely to this region's identity, history, and everyday life.
History and exhibitions
The museum's origins go back to 1928, when the first Zanavykai Museum opened in Šakiai Žiburys Gymnasium; it burned down in 1944. The present museum was founded in Girėnai in 1986, was named the Zanavykai Regional Museum in 1992, and moved to Zypliai Manor in 2014, where the exhibition opened in the former carriage house. In 2022 the separate Crafts House was opened.
The ground floor of the carriage house presents regional history: education, book smuggling, signatories from Sūduva, deportations, and notable people. The second floor holds a rich ethnography exhibition from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century, focusing on agriculture, animal husbandry, and beekeeping. In the Crafts House, old crafts are presented interactively: carving, blacksmithing, weaving, pottery, winemaking, and bread baking.
Visiting
At the time of research, during the summer season from May to September the museum was open Monday-Thursday 8:00-17:00, Friday 8:00-15:45, Saturday 10:00-17:00, and Sunday 10:00-15:00; winter hours were shorter. A museum-only ticket cost about 4 EUR, while a ticket for the whole Zypliai Manor complex cost about 7 EUR. Check exact hours and prices on the official page.
The museum itself takes 1-1.5 hours, while with Zypliai Manor and a guide the visit can take up to 2.5 hours. Groups and guided visits should register in advance. The best time is the summer season, when opening hours are longer and the manor park is at its most attractive.
