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All Lithuania Kulionys Lithuanian Ethnocosmology Museum

Lithuanian Ethnocosmology Museum

The first museum dedicated to exploring humanity's cultural relationship with the celestial world.

Kulionys, Lithuania

Added By
Giedrius Puodzius
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Lithuanian Ethnocosmology Museum.   Andrius Aleksandravičius
Lithuanian Ethnocosmology Museum.   Andrius Aleksandravičius
Inside the museum.   Andrius Aleksandravičius
The view from inside the museum.   Andrius Aleksandravičius
Lithuanian Ethnocosmology Museum.   Giedrius / Atlas Obscura User
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About

At this unique museum, visitors are immersed in a world that blends the celestial realm with everyday human life.

The Lithuanian Ethnocosmology Museum, officially established in 1990, is the world’s first museum of its kind. It’s both a sky observatory and museum dedicated to highlighting humankind’s cultural relationship with the cosmos.

The museum originated the word “ethnocosmology,” which explores society’s many visual, emotional, ethnic, cognitive, and spiritual connections to the celestial world. The multidisciplinary topic delves into past, current, and future links between people and the cosmos.

The museum was founded to store, preserve, and disperse information about the newly invented discipline. Its creators were particularly fueled by a desire to explore Lithuania’s cultural connection with the stars, Sun, and Moon.

The building itself incorporates celestial themes into its architecture and design. It takes the shape of the Cosmic World Tree, with an underground gallery as its roots and a spacious glass observatory at its top. Its insides are full of ethnocosmological information, which encompasses anything from texts, images, symbols, art, and technology relating to the heavens. There’s also a telescope, which lets people gaze skyward and rekindle their own relationship with the cosmos.

Related Tags

Cosmos Museums Observatories Astronomy Culture World's First

Community Contributors

Added By

Giedrius

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe, Mista Maas

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Mista Maas

Published

April 4, 2018

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Sources
  • http://www.etnokosmomuziejus.lt/en/history/
  • https://www.lonelyplanet.com/lithuania/moletai/attractions/lithuanian-ethnocosmology-museum/a/poi-sig/1465313/1327691
Lithuanian Ethnocosmology Museum
Žvaigždžių str.
Kulionys
Lithuania
55.315355, 25.555047
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Nearby Places

Centre of Europe

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lithuania

Lithuania

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Places 52

Nearby Places

Centre of Europe

Paberžės seniūnija, Lithuania

miles away

Europos Parkas

Joneikiškės, Lithuania

miles away

Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Saint John

Visaginas, Lithuania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lithuania

Lithuania

Europe

Places 52

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