Lithuanian Art Museum

(Art Museum of the Lithuanian SSR), located in Vilnius; one of the largest collections of Lithuanian art. Founded in 1941.

The museum consists of the central building (the former city hall, 1799; architect L. Stuoka-Gucevičius), which contains Lithuanian art of the 20th century, including that of the Soviet period, as well as folk art; the Art Gallery (opened in 1956; located in the building of the former cathedral, 1801; architect L. Stuoka-Gucevičius), which contains pre-20th-century Lithuanian and foreign art; the Museum of Theater and Music (1965), which contains sketches of costumes and stage sets, as well as Lithuanian folk and ancient musical instruments; and the Palace of Artistic Exhibits (1967; architect V. Čekanauskas). Branches of the museum include the Amber Museum in Palanga (opened in 1963) and the Art Gallery in Klaipėda (opened in 1972). The museum contains more than 110,000 items (1973). There are art-restoration workshops at the museum in Vilnius.