Crime in the Vilnius museum: an exceptional exhibit was stolen, the director revealed the circumstances | Culture

The theft was reported on Sunday followingnoon. The museum worker immediately called the police, who arrived and began an investigation.

Director of Vilnius Museum Rasa Antanavičiūtė 15min stated that it is suspected that the exhibit was stolen on Sunday, and the person who appropriated it entered the museum following buying a visitor’s ticket.

The cigarette case itself was kept under a glass hood, so the person who committed the theft had only to lift it and simply take the exhibit.

R. Antanavičiūtė admitted that there were no video cameras in the museum until now, but they are planned to be installed following this event.

The stolen exhibit was from the collection of the Vilnius Museum, not insured, and the museum owner estimated its price at 5 thousand. euros.

In 1931, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his priesthood, this named cigar case was given to Gerard Domkas, a well-known priest of that time, who worked in the Franciscan monastery, Vilnius, Trakai street.

Vilnius Museum. photo author Saulius Žura

This silver cigar case is decorated with the monogram GD and the inscription in Polish “Na pamiątkę Jubileuszu 10-lecia Kapłanstwa swemu O. Dyrektorowi Gerardowi ofiaruju Bracia i Siostry Kongr. Fran. 1921-29.VI-1931 w Wilnie” (on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Priesthood for his t[ėvui] boss Gerard is given by pran[ciškonų] congress[egacijos] brothers and sisters. in 1921 June 29 – 1931 In Vilnius).

According to R. Antanavičiūtė, it is likely that there are more such cigarette cases made in Warsaw, but the uniqueness of this one lies in its dedication and records, which testify to a part of the history of Vilnius.

The museum acquired the exhibit in 2021.

According to the head of the museum, it is paradoxical that the exhibit was stolen from the exhibition called “Hoard. Save. to reveal Museum detective”, but admits that the idea of ​​the exhibition detective was completely different from what it became following this theft.

Žygimantos Gedvilas/BNS photo/Rasa Antanavičiūtė

“In the exhibition, we talk regarding the museum collection – how the exhibits appear in the museum. We also pay attention to the museum workers, who become researchers and detectives in this work, clarifying who the objects belonged to, what is the history of their origin, etc. And now we have our own detective, which is not encouraging,” said R. Antanavičiūtė.

The head of the museum noted that she reported this theft not only to the police, but the photos of the missing cigarette case were also published on social networks, and colleagues, friends, and collectors in Vilnius, Lithuania and Poland were informed.

We believe that this theft was committed in order to sell the exhibit.

“We believe that this theft was committed in order to sell the exhibit. And not necessarily in Lithuania – the clergyman left Vilnius for Gdańsk following the war. At the same time, he took away a copy of the image of Mary from the Dawn Gate, which is still kept in one of the churches of this city today. It is for this reason that we believe that the exhibit belonging to this well-known clergyman in Gdańsk may be sold,” –15min spoke R. Antanavičiūtė.

The head of the museum also asked those who noticed this exhibit in the flea market or on the Internet to inform the Vilnius Museum or the police regarding it.