KGB Museum (Genocido Auku Muziejus), Vilnius

...everyone knew this was the KGB HQ, it was not known that people were held in detention here and even tortured. They get a steady trickle of former inmates coming back, and telling them what went on. We were shown the room with bullet holes in the walls, where people were shot dead. So I guess there are not so many to tell the tale.

The guide, although a young man in his 20s who had not lived through much Soviet time in Lithuania, was ...
...to open up so much of ths history of the place through his enthusiasm for communicating his subject.

There were a lot of middle-aged Americans in our party and they seemed shocked and horrified by the place. This seemed rather odd to me as a Brit. I'm middle aged, and I think we in the UK had known all this was going on in Soviet times...I was surprised that Americans didn't too...

All what going on?? Well, there were ... more

We visited the museum in late 2004. From the outside it looks like another rather grand town building - but below street level are the chilly and dreary corridors with cells off them. We were told that although everyone knew this was the KGB HQ, it was not known that people were held in detention here and even tortured. They get a steady trickle of former inmates coming back, and telling them what went on. We were shown the room with bullet holes in the walls, where people were shot dead. So I guess there are not so many to tell the tale.

The guide, although a young man in his 20s who had not lived through much Soviet time in Lithuania, was knowledgeable, dedicated and emotional about the place. He was able to open up so much of ths history of the place through his enthusiasm for communicating his subject.

There were a lot of middle-aged Americans in our party and they seemed shocked and horrified by the place. This seemed rather odd to me as a Brit. I'm middle aged, and I think we in the UK had known all this was going on in Soviet times...I was surprised that Americans didn't too...

All what going on?? Well, there were tiny 'reception cells' where you waited perched on a ledge in the dark. There were cells in which the floor was a pool of water. At one side was a small concete slope. So you couldn't lie or sit and relax at all, as you were always edging down into the (very cold) water. There was a well-padded cell with a straight jacket.

We were only able to see a very small section of the large building - just the cells and entrance area - but I understand that as time goes on a lot more will be added.

 

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