Inter-war Lithuania is often depicted as a state with deep Catholic traditions and high moral standards. Harsh censorship was in effect here and sales of obscene books were prohibited. Yet, were Lithuanians really afraid of nudity, had only marital sex and knew nothing about either syphilis or love for hire? The red-light district in Kaunas City, legal prostitution, the abundance of sexually transmitted diseases, and kiosks full of multiple types of condoms suggest that people from the past were not that different from us, and in some cases, even surpassed the present.
In this exhibition, you will be able to explore spicy details of the Lithuanians‘ intimate lives in the 1920s and 1930s, as well as other topics that are not frequently examined: historical perception of erotica, underwear, films, prints and other media for adults, sexual education, contraception and obscene folklore among other things. Additionally, for the first time in Lithuania, we present a recreated brothel room interior from Nemunas Street red-light district in Kaunas city.
Exhibition „Viewing by minors is prohibited“ is open from the 1st of August, 2024 in the Stankus and Abugelienė shop in Museum‘s Town.
Partners of the exhibition:
Šiauliai History Museum, Rokiškis regional museum, Museum of the Pasvalys region, The Museum of the History of Lithuanian Medicine and Pharmacy, Kaunas county public library.
Curators: Inga Levickaitė, Justas Rimavičius
Exhibition designer: Lina Jonikė
Conservators: Gražina Babkauskienė, Martynas Kosas
Technicians: Saulius Jonas Kandratavičius, Juozas Kniūkšta, Vygantas Jonikas
Digital graphics: Gytis Banys, Daiva Zubrienė, Rimgaudas Žaltauskas
Voice-over: Darius Narušis
Special thanks to: Janina Samulionytė