Tracing The History Of Grutas Park
In 1990, Lithuania became the first Soviet Republic to declare independence and claim an independent, sovereign identity. At this time, there were several Soviet statues erected all over the country and these were taken down and put away at several places. Entrepreneur Viliumas Malinauskas was struck by the unusual idea of collection these statues and creating a Soviet theme park in Lithuania using the statues and various other relics. Viliumas Malinauskas sought permission from the authorities in Lithuania to claim possession of the sculptures for the purpose of building a museum from them. He intended to run the museum on the basis of private financing and was interested in recreating the Soviet Gulag prison camps in the theme park.
Owing to the controversial nature of the idea, the concept was met with severe opposition and criticism and even today, the park is a subject of much debate and discussion. Though Viliumas was granted the permission to build the park, several of the original ideas were modified and even rejected since they were deemed too problematic. One of these included the idea to transport visitors to park in a train fashioned after those from the Gulag camps. Viliumas Malinauskas and his creative Grutas Park were awarded the Ig Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.
Apart from the museum and relics the Grutas Park also houses a small zoo, cafés and playgrounds. All of these are marked by the presence of objects from the Soviet era. From time to time there are stage enactments of festivals performed under the Soviet regime.
What To See In Grutas Park
The display in Grutas Park is made up of 86 statues. As many as 46 different sculptors have worked on these statues and the creations are organized on the basis of the spheres. The statues represent different socialist and soviet activities, a large number of who were ethnically from Lithuania.
The Soviet Sphere is made up of the sculptures of the four Lithuanian Communist Leaders. The leaders were executed following the Lithuanian coup d'état in 1926. This sphere also contains sculptures of some activities from the period of the Lithuanian Soviet War of 1918-1919.
The Terror Sphere is made up of sculptures of individuals who were the founders of the Communist Party of Lithuania. This sphere also includes sculptures of those who were officers in the Red Army. One of the famous features of this sphere is the sculpture of Felix Dzerzhinsky who is known the world over as the creator and organizer of the concept of the Red Terror.
The park also has a Totalitarian Sphere, Red Sphere, Death Sphere, and Occupation Sphere.