Exposition of old calendars in Kuršėnai

In Milvydas Manor, not far from Kuršėnai, Laurynas Ivinskis, the author of the first Lithuanian calendar, spent the last years of his life, was also buried here and a monument for him was erected in the central square of the town. In commemoration of the 170th birth anniversary of this enlightened man (in 1980), ethnographers of Kuršėnai town, under the guidance of teacher, honorary ethnographer Sigita Lukienė, started the collection of calendars. A Museum of Calendar was opened in Kuršėnai Cultural Centre (currently, Šiauliai District Municipality Cultural Centre) on 21 December 1996. Its opening coincided with the 150th anniversary of publication of the first Lithuanian calendar. A large archives of the calendars of various formats collected over the years and donated by the Lithuanian residents is divided into the thematic groups, such as the Old ones, Art, Nature, Foreign, Religious, Pocket, etc. In total, there are around 8400 pieces of calendars in the Museum. In the beginning of 2021, the calendars were moved into the new premises in the Centre of Ethnic Culture and Traditional Crafts of Šiauliai District established in the renovated Gruzewski Manor.