Kraštovaizdžio Estetinio Saugojimo Problemos

GARDENS AND PARKS IN LITHUANIA: HISTORY, PROBLEMS OF PROTECTION

The basic data of historical development of the Lithuanian historical gardens and parks in the beginning of my report: Lithuania was a pagan country in Europe and Christianized quite late - at the end of the 14th century and still for a long time afterwards not only individual trees but also holy oak groves, ascribed to the first public forests in Lithuania, were worshiped here. Detached relics of the ancient forests remain up to this day. Within the establishment of Christianity, the first orchards were established at monasteries, unfortunately there is not a single surviving or re-established monastery garden in Lithuania for today. Written sources indicate the oldest known landscape garden – Bishop Orchard in Vilnius mentioned in a script of 1387. The true period for gardening art coming to Lithuania was the Renaissance, when, under the strengthening influence of West European culture, the Renaissance style gardens became increasingly popular in Lithuania, and were planted at erected residences. During the times of Zygmunt II August, flamboyant Renaissance gardens where planted in Vilnius Lower Castle. History did not favour the survival of these structures, there are also no surviving or re-created Baroque gardens in Lithuania, except the only Sapiegos park of the 17th century in Vilnius, to be discussed later. The most famous in Lithuania is the park heritage from the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries, hiding in its structures the traces of bygone ages. The major share of surviving historical parks in Lithuania are estate parks that have gained the form of well-developed landscape compositions in big estates, representing the influence of major European landscape schools, and in smaller estates continuing the old noblemen traditions. The end of the 19th century is marked by impressive parks of European level created at magnate residences and comprising the golden fund of Lithuania today. One could mention 4 parks in Lithuania created by a famous French landscape architect Edouard André. During the soviet period 194 parks were given a status of nature monuments (90 percent of them are estate parks); 43 of them are architectural monuments. After proclaiming Independence, 100 parks were included into the Registry of Cultural Values and protected: 97 estate parks, and 3 city parks; Currently the Registry of Cultural Values contains almost 400 more estate parks which historical landscape gardening must be identified. Protection of Lithuanian historical parks and their landscape gardening is the field of activity of two ministries - Ministry of Culture, and Ministry of Environment. During the previous centuries Lithuania lost many cultural values. Complicated historical circumstances and 2 world wars were not conducive for the survival of historical parks. The best preserved parks are those belonging to the state, having gained their public function already in 1 Soviet times, where museums, institutes and botanic gardens are established. The most problematic areas are historical parks, reinstated to descendants or privatized, also parks with mixed ownership. Sapiegos’ Park in Vilnius Sapiegos Park was single-axed, regularly designed on a levelled surface, so-called “deep Italian type” that emerged in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the middle of the 17th century. Today this is the only Baroque residence in Lithuania with a Baroque park possible to recreate, still having surviving regular Baroque planning features. The main condition of further usage of this ensemble, thus also restoration the park, should beat one user interested in protection of the ensemble. Now the ensemble territory is divided: park belongs to the hospital established in the ensemble territory, palace is a state property and currently not used.

Lentvaris Park This especially artistic and professionally used hilly relief provides the conditions to emphasize the playful harmony of waters, artificial rocks, aqueducts, pathways and landscape gardening. Currently part of the Park belongs to the regional municipality, another part - to the Lentvaris Carpet factory, and the remaining part of buildings is privatized as flats. Preservation is problematic; recently a rapid urbanization process has started in an attempt to cover the territories of the unique cultural landscape surrounding the ensemble with buildings.

Privatized parks suffer from the “creativity” of owners. The reinstated or purchased manors and estates undergo park rearrangements, frequently depending on owner’s fantasy or taste – “it looks nice for me” – e.g., the attempts to move a pool closer to palace, or plant a plane-tree boscage. This situation is even worse in these privatized parks that are abandoned and turn into natural forest. Only a little part of parks is located in the cities, having a status of educational and cultural institutions. Major part of them is in rural areas, in former medium or small farms and manors, undergoing a period of big changes after the sovietisation. Such parks have an obvious tendency of dividing the territory into lots, while forming private domains.

Since this is the sixth decade of the 20th century, the Monument Restoration Institute was the main design organization specializing in development of restoration projects of historical parks for over 20 years. One must admit that the major share of projects remained un-implemented, and projects of that period featured insufficient historical composition analysis. For one part of parks that were not given the status of architectural monuments, not restoration but adaptation- reconstruction projects were prepared, but historical view of the landscape gardening was lost. Since the first decade from the restoration of Independence, only a few historical parks in Lithuania were arranged according to accurately prepared restoration projects: Švėkšna and Burbiškis parks. During the recent decade, the situation is changing, and interest of society and municipalities is in historical parks is increasing. For instance, the Rietavas Park is being arranged by the assets of municipality and state; project of Užutrakis Park rearrangement is prepared; design solutions for restoration of former Jesuit monastery garden in Vingis are prepared; new restoration project of Palanga park is prepared.

2 Based on the Venice Charter, none restoration of historical landscape gardening object can be commenced without thorough research, based on which the project is being prepared. Most often such thorough research is not conducted, and project quality often depends on the good will of owners and qualifications of specialists. The tendency of converting the historical parks into collections of exotic trees is observed, parks are being separated from adjacent historical landscape, environment surrounding them is urbanized.

Priority actions in the field of protection of historical parks in Lithuania specified by experts of European Institute of Cultural Routes in 2001 year still are relevant: 1. Historical evolution of Lithuanian garden art, links with other European countries still has to be revealed. 2. Obvious deficit of professional preparation – trainings, specialization in the field of restoration of historical gardens are necessary. 3. Education of the public on the topics of historical gardens and parks is required. 4. Inter-ministry level of cooperation is promoted (Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Culture); 5. Development of tourist routes to historical gardens and parks.

I.Kačinskaitė, 2008