Antanas Chesnulis Sculpture and Recreation Park (Misko muziejus Girios Aidas) description and photos - Lithuania: Druskininkai (Topic)

Antanas Chesnulis sculpture and recreation park (Misko muziejus Girios Aidas) description and photos - Lithuania: Druskininkai. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Misko muziejus Girios Aidas.

Photo and description

The famous sculpture and recreation park is located 3 kilometers from the town of Druskininkai in the village of Naujasodes, on the territory of the Antanas Cesnulis manor. The park is a unique exhibition of sculptures carved from wood by folk artist Antanas Cesnulis.

Antanas Cesnulis once worked as a tractor driver in the nursery of the Druskininkai forestry enterprise. Here he not only regulated machines and mechanisms, but also planted and then nursed rows of pines. But, the most interesting thing is that no one around him suspected that the artist's talent was hidden in him. A. Cesnulis studied painting at Vilnius State Secondary School of Arts for 3 years. Then he built a house for himself, he made furniture himself: cabinets, tables, stools, beds. Decorated the house with artistic cornices, original chandeliers, cozy curtains.

Working in the forestry, Antanas made tables, benches, lamps, stools. Later they began to entrust him with more complex work. The master made artistic cases of telephone sets from pine outgrowths, and he also made large wooden barriers. I spent a lot of energy and patience folding the windows of a souvenir booth out of uneven knots.

An author's exhibition of Antanas Chesnulis was first organized in the Forest Echo Museum. There were portraits, lamps, bookplates, wood bas-reliefs, sculptures. His first major work was a sculptural group dedicated to the Lithuanian folk tale "Spruce - Queen of Snakes". For a long time the artist was in search of forms of expression for the figures of Azuolas, Egle, Dryabule. The sculptures organically blended with the beauty of the park.

The whole republic quickly learned about the creations of the capable master. Chesnulis began to work not only for his own nursery. The Panevezys Forestry Production Association now has a lumberjack table made by an artist. For the Puniai pine forest he created sculptures of a warrior and a priest, and a monumental pillar was erected on the Laesliai collective farm.

Chesnulis was invited for the first time to the gathering of folk craftsmen. At the first workshop he created a sculpture of a bull-maker and donated it to the Lithuanian National Park. Then he came up with a beautiful work "Two Cockerels", which was presented to the kindergarten of the collective farm named after A. Snechkus.

Every year Antanas Cesnulis takes part in a seminar of the Society of Folk Art on the Curonian Spit. The young artist was awarded the honorary title of folk master.

But back to the estate of Antanas Cesnulis. It stands on the banks of the Ratnichele River. At the entrance to the estate, visitors are greeted by a windmill. It consists of 4 floors, on each of which there are sculptures created by the owner. Guests are seized by a quiet, fabulous mood. The mysterious atmosphere in the park is created by wooden sculptures located among trees, bushes, on the hills of a magnificent landscape. One gets the impression that they have been standing here for many hundreds of years and have long become akin to the surrounding nature.

If you walk from the mill in the direction of the Ratnichele River, you will see the unique Rupintoyele wall. In its stone niches are carved figures of the grieving Christ, the work of all Lithuanian masters. Along the river bank you can see the composition "Life of a Man and a Tree". It is a unique combination of the natural beauty of an old pine tree and carved oak figures.

Here you will also see a stage where the dance takes place to the music. And around there are characters from the works of Lithuanian authors, Antanas Venuolis, Ventsas Kreve and others. And finally, you will see a large gazebo with tables. Shown here are the Bread Path reliefs. The exposition is constantly updated with new creations.

Topic: Antanas Chesnulis Sculpture and Recreation Park (Misko muziejus Girios Aidas) description and photos - Lithuania: Druskininkai.