In 2002, memorial museum of Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas, a subdivision of local lore museum, was opened in Rygiškių Jonas gymnasium. However, the history of the museum began in 1968, by the initiative of Lithuanian language teacher Zigmantas Vidrinskas an exposition was opened in Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas school.
Eight years later, it was given a small wooden cottage in the school's area. Later the territory was returned to the monastery and the exhibition transferred to Rygiškių Jonas gymnasium.
The museum has over a thousand valuable exhibits. In the exposition you can see the writer's personal belongings, manuscripts, the poet's maternal dower chest, many valuable photographs, books, and work of arts by Eglė Valiūtė, Leonas Žuklys, Irena Katiniene, Bronius Leonavičius, Algirdas Stepoanvičius. Also in the museum you can see the documentary film about Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas directed by Vytautas V. Landsbergis.
Vincas Mykolaitis, known by his pen name Putinas (; 6 January 1893 in Pilotiškės, Suwałki Governorate – 7 June 1967 in Kačerginė), was Lithuanian poet, writer, philosopher, historian and interpreter. His most famous novel is “Altorių šešėly” (In the Shadow of the Altars). The 3-part novel was published in 1933 and caused a scandal in Lithuania as it described a priest doubting and eventually renouncing his calling. Mykolaitis was also a priest, but renounced his priesthood in 1935.
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