From Old Varėna and the wider Varėna region, let us now head towards Druskininkai. The journey will not feel long, as we will enrich it with encounters with the wood-carving art characteristic of our ancient culture, blacksmithing, and other elements of folk art. We will see how these forms of craftsmanship are used to honour the memory of Čiurlionis and, at the same time, to reveal the diverse history of Dzūkija.

Half a century ago, in 1975–1976, when the 100th anniversary of Čiurlionis’ birth was being commemorated, 26 folk artists camping in Perloja (under the guidance of the sculptor S. Šarapovas) created more than twenty pieces of small-scale architecture – wooden sculptures and stogastulpiai, decorated with relief ornaments, figurative compositions (inspired by folk songs and fairy tales, stylised Zodiac signs, and imagery from M. K. Čiurlionis’ works), multicoloured painting, and openwork metal art. Along the road from Old Varėna to Druskininkai, the ensemble of sculptures arranged in groups and individually at fourteen locations was named the Čiurlionis Route.

Opening of the M. K. Čiurlionis Route © Liudvikas Ruikas (LFS Rui 162), Lithuanian Photographers’ Association

As the long-time head of the M. K. Čiurlionis House-Museum in Druskininkai, Adelbertas Nedzelskis, vividly notes, “the passing of time increasingly highlights the value of these works. Today, the ensemble is understood as an important exhibition of Lithuanian folk art of that period, integrated into the wonderfully beautiful landscape of Dzūkija.” In 2018, this ensemble was included in the List of State-Protected Objects. Ahead of the 150th anniversary, most of the works were restored.

For Čiurlionis—whom, having got to know better, one would undoubtedly call a cosmopolitan—Lithuanian traditions and folk art were important; they were something that ought to be preserved, a core part of our art and of Lithuanian identity. This outlook is revealed both in his creative work and in his surviving letters and diaries. Leafing through his sketches or drawing albums, we would find dozens of works depicting koplytstulpiai, pieces of cross-carving, elements of traditional Lithuanian village architecture, or ritual events.

Sketches by M. K. Čiurlionis of stogastulpiai, cross-carving ornaments, and Druskininkai (1905–1909) © ciurlionis.eu

When preparing the Second Lithuanian Art Exhibition, in 1908 he wrote the following invitation in Vilniaus žinios:

National art has an especially great significance in the cultural liberation of every nation. It is the expression of first love, of the first delight in art, the first manifestation of the spirit, the first manifestation of creation. […] The committee of the Second Lithuanian Art Exhibition, addressing especially the esteemed countrymen and women living in the countryside, most earnestly asks—since there is now very little time left—to send as soon as possible your beautiful works, such as sashes, bedspreads, aprons, carved boxes, spoons, sticks, and in general all household items adorned in a distinctive way, decorated in the ancient Lithuanian manner.

The stogastulpiai that dominate the Čiurlionis Route represent an old Lithuanian tradition, belonging to monumental or small-scale architecture, most widespread in the regions of Samogitia, eastern Aukštaitija, and Dzūkija. Stogastulpiai were mostly erected along roadsides and near homesteads, more rarely in cemeteries. Their origins are linked to low grave markers similar to krikštai—one of the oldest forms of memorial monument—common in Protestant Minor Lithuania and nearby areas, made of wood and decorated with openwork carving.

A stogastulpis, vertical and reaching from a few metres to as much as 7–8 metres in height, consists of a square, polygonal, or sometimes profiled shaft. Attached to it are one or several little roofs—these may be square, polygonal, or round, and their corners are supported by curved brackets. According to the number of roofs, they are classified as single-tier, two-tier, or three-tier stogastulpiai. The brackets, roof edges, and sometimes the shaft itself are richly decorated with geometric, stylised animal, or plant openwork ornamentation. At the top of a stogastulpis, one often sees an openwork upper section called a saulutė (“little sun”)—a type of Lithuanian iron cross: the iron finials of sacred buildings and memorial monuments, as well as decorative interior ornaments. Forged iron saulutės form the largest part of Lithuania’s traditional cross-making heritage.

A. Liaukas’ saulutė (2005) © Ramūnas Virkutis (2020), LATGA, vle.lt

As the renowned art historian, museum curator, and artist Paulius Galaunė (1890–1988) wrote in one of his articles back in 1930:

The most beloved and most widely expressed branch of our folk art is the various forms of wood carving. […] For these carvings there was not only ample space in our land but also a natural way for people to express their individuality and originality. This was encouraged by the following: first, as we have emphasised when speaking about architecture, from ancient times the Lithuanian people lived in vast expanses of impenetrable forests, and thus there was plenty of wood available for sculptural forms. […] Wood is the easiest material to work with using very simple tools, even with nothing more than an ordinary knife. And the Lithuanian people have used knives since ancient times; throughout the entire history of our folk art, the knife has been the most widely used tool of the village artist. Therefore, almost every wooden object in our folk tradition is decorated with carved forms and patterns of various kinds. […] Today even foreigners acknowledge that through this sculpture, as well as through wooden stogastulpis crosses, the Lithuanian people have been able to convey far more about themselves to the people of Western Europe than one might have expected. […] Our task is to trace the artistic forms through which this sculpture has expressed itself and the inner language that our folk sculptor has instilled in it. […] This sculpture still remains a living expression of folk life.

We are certain that the most curious among you will want to stop at all fourteen stations, yet it is essential to visit at least a few of the ones that intrigue you most! And as we explore the sculptures and stogastulpiai, let us try to discern the imagery and storylines depicted in them.

This first group of compositions along the Čiurlionis Route consists of sculptures by I. Užkurnys and A. Gedvila:

❯ I. Užkurnys’ sculpture “Čiurlionis”

❯ A. Gedvila’s “The Birth of Čiurlionis” – a two-tier sculpture featuring figurative bas-reliefs beneath the lower roof and a forged iron saulutė in plant forms crafted by the blacksmith J. Praninskas; the bas-reliefs were painted by M. Bičiūnienė.

Both compositions are enclosed by a fence. On the fence is a decorative board by B. Dabrukas, inscribed with the names of the creators of the route ensemble.

❯ I. Užkurnys’ sculpture “Čiurlionis”

❯ A. Gedvila’s “The Birth of Čiurlionis” – a two-tier sculpture featuring figurative bas-reliefs beneath the lower roof and a forged iron saulutė in plant forms crafted by the blacksmith J. Praninskas; the bas-reliefs were painted by M. Bičiūnienė.

Both compositions are enclosed by a fence. On the fence is a decorative board by B. Dabrukas, inscribed with the names of the creators of the route ensemble.

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Prepared based on sources:

ciurlioniokelias.lt, tradicija.lt, ars.mkp.emokykla.lt, vle.lt, Aušra Česnulevičienė “Čiurlionių takais. Pažingsniavimai po Dzūkiją” (Vox altera, 2025)

M. K. Čiurlionio kelio I kompozicijų grupė Senojoje Varėnoje

M. K. Čiurlionio kelio I kompozicijų grupė Senojoje Varėnoje

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