An insider's cultural guide to Kaunas: no more 'fashion police', promise
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Version 0 of 1. In five words Second in size, not quality. What sound defines your city? Once quite widespread around the world, trolleybuses (electric buses that draw power from overhead wires) no longer exist in most countries. But, untypically for Europe, neither Vilnius nor Kaunas have trams, and trolleybuses remain the most important type of public transport. They run frequently and pollute less than regular buses. In recent years, the trolleybus network received a facelift, with newer vehicles and electronic tickets adding a ticket machine’s beeper to the signature sound of the trolleybus. Everyone’s tuning into… Choirs have a long tradition in the Baltic states. They were important in mobilising nationalism, and song festivals have gathered thousands of people ever since. Today, choir singing has an X-Factor twist: the Wars of Choirs offers a blend of professionalism, “localist” patriotism (one city, one choir) and an incubator for budding stars. Best current venue Ryšių kiemelis 837 (Communications Courtyard), which uses the central courtyard space of the Communications History Museum, is only open in summer. In addition to staging the trendiest Lithuanian and international bands, it also hosts vintage markets, lindyhop dances, poetry gigs and food feasts. Some areas are covered to protect visitors from the unpredictable Baltic weather, but in general the space is made to enjoy the open air. Who’s top of the playlist? While I appreciate that the local music scene is strongly skewed towards rock and metal, there are hardly any local bands that I would add to my own playlist. My friends, however, are quite fond of Mountainside. The band might have been around for a while – they formed in 1996 – but they successfully manage to reinvent themselves and stay fresh. A local philosopher, Dr Rytis Bulota of Vytautas Magnus University, plays the bass. Favourite local artist Writer, playwright and cultural critic Vaiva Grainytė is an icon for the young generation who look for inspiration and opportunities abroad, and not necessarily in standard destinations. She made a name for herself through her epic book about living in China. “If only my longing could be converted to petrol... there would be enough fuel for all of the Baltic states,” she wrote, describing her adventures as she studied Chinese characters, battled unknown viruses and learned to navigate overwhelming megacities. The look on the street In the turbulent 1990s, Kaunas was known for its “fashion police” – aggressive street gangs that harassed anybody who dressed “differently”, from dreadlocks to colourful wristbands. In the 2000s, the city was often ridiculed for its flashy but cheap look with lots of bling. Today the youthful city is finally embracing diversity. People in general tend to be conservative in their clothes and hairstyles, but a visible student presence and an influx of people who have lived abroad are slowly changing the face of the city. The colourful yet casual look is now pretty much everywhere. Beards were once so grandpa – now you can barely walk down the main pedestrian street, Laisvės alėja, without seeing at least three, on very young faces. Compared to Vilnius, Lithuania’s economic powerhouse, there are fewer mainstream jobs for students, so fewer pressures to look presentable. What’s the big talking point? Ten Walls (Marijus Adomaitis) was said to be the hope of Lithuanian music, until a homophobic rant on Facebook cost him his lucrative career. In a Facebook post in Lithuanian, Ten Walls called LGBT people “of a different breed”. His vague apologies were insufficient to stop several international festivals cancelling his shows, but not to stop him becoming probably the first Lithuanian to trend on Twitter. Best cultural Instagram account Kaunas-based press photographer Andrius Aleksandravičius frames what he sees through droplets of water, making his Instagram a surreal and beautiful place. What Kaunus does better than anywhere else Finding a niche. Due to historical factors, the Lithuanian capital (and Kaunas’s arch-rival) Vilnius has it easier when it comes to attracting funding and talent. Still, when it comes to culture, competition breeds invention. Home to the world’s only devils’ museum, Kaunas is forced to be unique to claim a place in the cultural world and heal its inferiority complex. Comedy gold While it would be difficult to speak about a local comedy scene, a Lithuanian comedy crew called Humoro Klubas (humour club in English) frequently performs in Kaunas and is always warmly received. The comedians started with rather unambitious gatherings in Vilnius, but they soon got the attention of Lithuania’s TV producers. In addition to touring Lithuanian towns and main emigre destinations (notably the UK and Norway), the comedians also organise visits of their favourite stand-up comedy stars to Lithuania. The men’s humour is still quite macho, full of homoerotic innuendo. This clip shows a rare performance in English. Moment in history Lindyhop is big among young Lithuanians, both at home and abroad. This Christmas lindyhop flashmob in 2013 deserves to become an icon of creativity in Kaunas. Artist Jolanta Šmidtienė is known for creating incomparable Christmas trees from recycled materials: her “emerald” tree, made from recycled green plastic bottles, captured the Guinness world record for tallest sculpture from plastic bottles, at 16 metres. Best street art The recent street art festival Nykoka (meaning “somewhat bleak”) aimed to change the realities it criticises in its name. Artists revitalised abandoned and otherwise grey buildings and invited locals to discuss the transformative potential of urban art. This mural, The Master, by Žygimantas Amelynas and Tadas Šimkus, is said to be the largest mural in Lithuania. From me Daiva Repečkaitė was born and raised in Kaunas, then lived in Vilnius, Gothenburg Sweden, Budapest, Kashiwa, Tel Aviv, Seoul and Luxembourg – before moving back to Kaunas to work as a researcher and freelance journalist. Five to follow Kauno burbuliatorius KaunasPhoto festival Kas vyksta Kaune (ne)nuobodi istorikė Kaunas Jazz |