Journey to Bauska

Journey to Bauska

If you are interested in vehicles, or at least drive a car, be sure to visit Bauska and museums of antique vehicles in Bauska region. It was said by the members of antique vehicles club “Klasika” and their friends when they shared their travel experiences after visiting neighbouring Latvia.
It all started this summer when “Klasika” organised an exhibition of antique vehicles in Biržai. The club members got acquainted and became close friends with their neighbours of the other Memel (Nemunėlis River) side and were invited as the guests. Each year, the club’s season ends with eventful sightseeing tours, which gives meaning to the annual activities of the club. So this year, on 12 October, it was decided to visit friends in Latvia, to share experiences, broaden horizons and curiosity. As Riga Motormuseum is currently being reconstructed, it was decided to start a trip from the museum branch in Bauska.
In Soviet years, at the same time, the Antique Vehicles Museum in Bauska was property of “Uzvara” collective farm and a branch the main farm museum “Lauku sēta un mašīnu muzejs“, which is located in the Gailiši district. After Latvia regained its independence and the breakup of collective farms, the changed owner of the museum didn’t managed to maintain this too costly branch in Bauska. In the beginning, Bauska museum premises were rented and, after a while, bought by Rigas Motormuseum. So, in this way the antique vehicles museum became Bauska branch, the property of the Riga Motormuseum. After the recent reconstruction, not only the premises of Museum expanded, but also the diversity of exhibits increased. The museum exhibits are exposed in a hangar, which is divided into two halls. The first room displays the inter-war vehicles: Soviet and foreign agricultural machinery, cars for ordinary soviet citizen, buses and specialized vehicles – military and fire-fighting vehicles.
In the second room, there can be seen exclusive, rare European and American cars, luxury vehicles of the Soviet nomenclature, the last of the Soviet Union produced car models (Žiguli, Moskvich, Volga) and the motor bikes, motorcycles collection. On the second floor, you can return to childhood. This collection is made of the Soviet toys related to cars and everyday life at that time.
The „Bauskas Motormuseum” staff member Maris Berzinš welcomed and greeted “Klasika” club members at the door. After a warm and sincere reception, they were led inside the museum, where a guide Janis Plucis presented interesting and sensational facts about the museum and its exhibits. The tour of the museum lasted more than three hours and was not boring.
After satisfying the curiosity, “Klasika” members thanked their colleagues Latvians and rushed 12 km from Bauska to the amusement complex „Mikelis”, where not only can you relax and entertain, but also find out how Žiemgala peasants lived in the region in the first half of the twentieth century. Also, this place is known as a “Lauku sēta un mašīnu muzejs“ (Ethnographic homestead and agricultural machinery museum). Ever since 1975s, the kolkhoz-millionaire “Uzvara” began to build an ethnographic homestead museum in Gailiši district. At first, there was brought and a newly built house, two barns, shed and the forge. It was restored in authentic peasant farm environment with implements, household items and tools. It was not enough, so, the second part of the exhibition set for vehicles gradually emerged. Particularly for the vehicles used in agriculture. Now the museum exposition consists of tractors, soil cultivation tools, threshers, trucks and cars collection. This place reminded us the “Klasika” club member’s Dalius Linkevičius farm museum in Sodeliškis. After walking across the autumnal park, looking over the farmstead, listening to interesting museum guide story about the exposition and the particular exhibits, “Klasika” club photographer Dainius invited everyone to be recorded in time and great environment. When the sun started to roll near the ground, there was a time to say goodbye to fellows Latvians and get ready for home. The journey was long, so we had to share the impressions already in Biržai, at a welcoming house of Lina and Jonas Vireliūnai. The fish soup greatly cooked by owners and red-heated bathhouse was perfect for the season closing evening.One other interrupting, remembering new and new details from a trip to Bauska and from the club this year activities, “Klasika” club members still came to the common conclusion: this 2013 season has been very successful for the antique vehicles club. This year’s main event – the parade and exhibition “Biržai 2013”, on 3 August, was the best, most numerous and best quality event in the five-year history of “Klasika”. Great relationships were establish not only with the company UAB Urmas, Lithuanian Classic Car Club, but also with our colleagues Latvians from Rigas Motormuseum and AAK – Antique Automobile Club. And finally, the eventful tour to Latvia completed the 2013 season, which definitely confirmed and proved that all we will meet at upcoming historical vehicles exhibition by “Klasika” club in Biržai in the new 2014!

Photos by Dainius Nagelė