From 10 June to 9 July, the Kaunas Faculty of Vilnius University was hosting an intensive beginners' (A1 level) Lithuanian language and culture course. World Lithuanians, foreign university students, lecturers and scholars were invited to spend the first month of summer in Kaunas: to learn the Lithuanian language free of charge, to deepen their knowledge about the culture and history of Lithuania and Kaunas in particular, and to establish international contacts with participants from all over the world. This year, 10 participants from Brazil, Scotland, France, Italy and Georgia took part in the course.
The summer course at Kaunas Faculty started with the event "Taste the Language", during which foreign students gathered at the Faculty for the first time. They met the lecturers, introduced themselves and discussed the course programme. The climax of the event was a degustation of Lithuanian dishes. The degustation showcased Lithuanian culinary heritage, living traditions and the cuisine of Lithuania's ethnic minorities, whose dishes are popular and widespread throughout the country today.
“The course took place in the eastern quarter of the Faculty, in Room XVI of the so-called Napoleon House. We were happy to answer questions about why the walls were plastered using such an ancient method, i.e., mixing lime and salt, and why the building retains a narrow medieval street. Guests are always impressed by the romantic brick and stone cellars, about which legends abound. The architecture of the Fachwerk is easily recognisable – we explain that the building was once owned by German-born citizens,” says Assoc. Prof. Rita Baranauskienė, delighted by the curiosity of this year's course participants.
The course programme includes the most important museums and places of interest that bear witness to the history and culture of Kaunas and Lithuania.
“At the Maironis Lithuanian Literature Museum, the students were most interested in the exposition of the history of Lithuanian literature called “Literature is Changing”, with exhibits from the 16th century to the present day. Indeed, literature is changing a person, because it is very important in many ways: literature teaches, reassures, motivates, broadens horizons, shapes attitudes, changes thinking and moods, and encourages the sharing of wisdom and emotions. The exposition uses not only interesting original exhibits and texts, but also modern technologies, which help to narrate the nuances of Lithuanian literature to the students in an engaging way and create memorable experiences,” says Assoc. Prof. Saulutė Juzelėnienė.
The students also visited Kaunas Town Hall, located in the Old Town, which is one of the oldest and most important buildings in the city. Dating back to the mid-16th century, the building today presents a modern permanent exhibition about the city's history, its present, its people and nature. The information is presented in both Lithuanian and English, making the exhibition particularly suitable for language and culture studies.
The lecturers say that the students were particularly interested in Kaunas Castle, built in the middle of the 14th century. This castle is the city's oldest historical object and one of the oldest brick castles in Lithuania. The exhibitions in the restored and reconstructed spaces of the castle tower bear witness to the history of the castle, recalling the most significant historical facts, personalities, and the transformation of the castle walls from the 14th century to the present day.
A memorable highlight of the course was a visit to the Folk Music Museum, where Lithuanian traditional music and the cultural heritage of folk music – an important part of Lithuanian identity – are presented in a contemporary and interactive way. In the modern exhibition, visitors can get acquainted with the variety of unique early Lithuanian musical instruments and also hear their sound. The students particularly enjoyed the opportunity to play the instruments themselves, sing the "karaoke" of the traditional folk songs, watch video clips of post-folklore performers and try out folk dances. The discussions went beyond traditional folklore, covering cultural similarities and even the favourites from the last “Eurovision”.
The unique architecture of Kaunas is introduced by walking along Laisvės Avenue and visiting the M. K. Čiurlionis Museum and the National Bank of Lithuania.
“Already in 2015, 44 objects of Kaunas' interwar modernist architecture were included in the list of European Heritage Sites, but with this architecture becoming part of UNESCO's heritage in 2023, the value of these experiences and narratives has grown considerably and has become much more widely understood. We complement the students' experience with a visit to the National Bank of Lithuania, where it is convenient to talk about the country's economy and the impact of the European Union. This year, a visit to the M. K. Čiurlionis Museum is particularly noteworthy, as the 150th anniversary of the composer, painter and cultural figure is marked by a lot of communication both in Lithuania and abroad – the participants of the course have a clearer understanding of the value of the knowledge they are gaining,” Assoc. Prof. Rita Baranauskienė explains the meticulous preparation of the programme.
One of the course participants, a French student Eolia, told us that the exhibition "Van Gogh and the Stars", organised by the Foundation Vincent van Gogh in Arles, France, featured several works by M. K. Čiurlionis – "Rex" (1909), "Night" (1905), and "Night. Etude" (1904/1905) – alongside those by other artists. M. K. Čiurlionis is the only Lithuanian artist whose paintings were presented in this exhibition together with the works of the most famous artists – Vincent van Gogh, Kazimir Malevich, Edvard Munch, Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee. Inspired by the Lithuanian artist, Eolia presented a research paper at her university on the work of M. K. Čiurlionis and dreamt of seeing his paintings first-hand. After visiting the museum's international and traditional art exhibitions and watching the virtual reality film "Creation of the Worlds”, the student was delighted that her dream had come true.
The aura of a living, ever-changing and people-made city was revealed to the course participants by visiting the renovated Yard Gallery and listening to the stories of Bella Shirin, a Jewish artist living there. Her personal experience provides a better understanding of the life of Kaunas Jews in the interwar and contemporary periods. She makes her experience meaningful by talking about her original wall paintings, which decorate the courtyard and other urban spaces. Bella, Ambassador of “Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022“, assured that "culture allows a person to learn and grow as a personality, and the culture of Kaunas spreads internationally".
The course organisers are pleased with the effective system that allows them to teach the Lithuanian language through lectures, trips, excursions and themed nights. They note that the course opens up more opportunities for those who want to learn one of the most archaic languages in the world, and that motivated students feel from day one how understanding the cultural and linguistic subtleties improves their experience in Lithuania and helps them to better understand the connections between different cultures and languages.
Lithuanian language lectures were given by Assoc. Prof. Saulutė Juzelėnienė and Assoc. Prof. Eglė Gabrėnaitė. The cultural programme was curated by Assoc. Prof. Rita Baranauskienė and Assoc. Prof. Saulutė Juzelėnienė.
The courses are organised within the framework of the Education Exchanges Support Foundation (EESF) project.