Marking its 170th anniversary, the National Museum of Lithuania (LNM) is inviting the public each month to get better acquainted with one of its twelve branches. In November—when the atmosphere grows more solemn—LNM draws attention to the Former Detention House (T. Kosciuškos St. 1, Vilnius). Once a place where people were imprisoned, it has now become a space for experiencing history, leaving no visitor indifferent. Currently, visitors can feel the absurdity of everyday life in the Soviet era by playing the escape room game “Escape the Trap”, as well as learn about the exceptional discovery of the Curved Castle suburb in the outdoor one-object exhibition dedicated to LNM’s 170th anniversary.

From Manor to Prison Walls

In the past, a manor owned by the noble Chodkiewicz family of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania stood at T. Kosciuškos St. 1 in Vilnius. By the 16th–17th centuries, it had passed to another noble family—the Sanguszko. In the 18th century, the manor changed owners frequently.

Brick buildings were constructed here in the second half of the 18th century. The last owner of the manor, Jonas Chodasevičius, had his property confiscated by Tsarist Russia in the early 19th century. Soon after, the occupying authorities turned Gediminas Hill and the surrounding area into a military fortress, and the building was adapted for army needs.

At first, barracks operated here; later, a political prison was established. During the 1863–1864 uprising, more than a thousand people were held captive here, including eight of the twenty-one insurgents sentenced to death. After their executions in Lukiškės Square, their bodies were secretly buried atop Gediminas Hill.
The building’s purpose remained unchanged until the autumn of 2019—it continued to function as a detention center. Only the institutions controlling it changed: before World War I it was run by Tsarist military officials; later by Polish and Nazi German police; afterward by Soviet militia; and, following the restoration of Lithuanian independence, by Lithuanian officers. When the last detainees were transferred elsewhere, the building came under the care of the National Museum of Lithuania, which now organizes educational activities and exhibitions in the Former Detention House.

In 2024, archaeological research in the courtyard of the Former Detention House uncovered the suburb of the Curved Castle. Such well-preserved 14th-century wooden structures are extremely rare in Vilnius, and objects of everyday life made of wood and leather—materials that usually decay—were also found. This impressive discovery is presented outside the Former Detention House in a one-object outdoor exhibition created for LNM’s 170th anniversary.

Escaping Soviet Everyday Life

Visitors to LNM’s Former Detention House can currently book the escape room game “Escape the Trap.” The game is based on the highly popular LNM exhibition “Traps with Central Heating,” which depicted everyday life in Lithuania under Soviet occupation. Participants are invited to look closely at daily life during this occupation, to understand and feel its labyrinths—the escape room encourages not only solving tasks but also breaking free from the shackles of memory.
As Simona Širvydaitė-Šliupienė, director of LNM’s Former Detention House, explains:

“For older people who lived during the occupation period, the escape room becomes an opportunity to remember that era—with the promise that this time they will escape from it quickly. Meanwhile, young people who did not witness daily life under Soviet occupation themselves, but still feel its echoes, can learn about it more deeply through universal themes familiar to everyone—what work relationships were like at the time, how people spent their leisure, how they tried to obtain appealing music and clothing, how they perceived sexuality, and more. It’s especially interesting when groups representing several generations come to play. Focused on the shared goal of escaping, they are encouraged to talk about these topics and—hopefully—to understand one another better.”

Registration and more information: Tel. +370 682 50661 or email [email protected].

Until December 3, 2025, the grand LNM 170 journey-game is underway. Visitors who explore all twelve LNM branches and collect special stamps win museum prizes. For its 170th anniversary, LNM invites the public each month to get to know one of its twelve branches more deeply—and November is dedicated to the Former Detention House.