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Alaska

For a long time, the northernmost state in the USA had no true Lithuanian community or heritage. That was changed by Svaja Vasnauskas Worthington, who established the Little Lithuanian Museum & Library in the Chugiak suburb of Anchorage in 2021.

Little Lithuanian museum in Chugiak

Little Lithuanian museum in Chugiak

Before that, Svaja was thinking about putting her family items in storage.

However, her family was quite important in Lithuania. The family's history follows well the history of up to 100 000 Lithuanians who were forced to flee the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1944. Svaja‘s grandfather was Stasys Šilingas, a minister of justice of Lithuania before World War 2, who was exiled by the Soviets in 1941 to the Gulags for 20 years because of his pro-Lithuanian-independence activities. It was his and other relatives' fate that forged the decision of Svaja‘s parents to leave Lithuania as the Soviets reapproached.

Part of the exhibit

Part of the exhibit

Understanding this, Svaja decided to acquire a house and open a museum instead; the initial collection of family items was expanded by other items related to Lithuania that Svaja had acquired. Typically, she meets every visitor in person and tells the story of Lithuania through these items. Among them is the luggage that her parents left Lithuania with, the map of their journey (followed by so many other soon-to-be Lithuanian-Americans at the end of WW2), as well as printouts of the family history. As the family history, artworks and quotes are meant to represent the history of the whole of Lithuania, these are supplemented by the maps of Lithuania, Lithuanian sports memorabilia, linens, weaving, information about famous Lithuanians and Lithuanian-Americans, and more.

The museum consists of a small yellow building (a former beauty salon). The building is decorated with Lithuanian symbols, a Lithuanian flag, and is also surrounded by other Lithuanian elements such as the "Lithuania Dr." sign.

Svaja plans to expand the museum with a Lithuanian painting gallery nearby, from her family collection.

Lithuanian artworks inside the museum

Lithuanian artworks inside the museum

Alaska Alaska's Little Lithuanian Museum & Library became quite well known quickly and has been described in both Alaskan and Lithuanian media, Alaskan official guides, and tourist sites, with many Lithuanian tourists and local Americans visiting it.

The museum is typically opened only in summer and one needs to inform Svaja about the visit as it is open by arrangement only. Still, the museum receives visitors daily as it received quite singnificant media attention both locally and in Lithuania.

Svaja's relatives persecuted in the Soviet terror

Svaja's relatives persecuted in the Soviet terror

Svaja had also become an honorary consul of Lithuania and organizes various Lithuanian events in Alaska. While Alaska never had Lithuanian immigration, the community actually consists of people of Lithuanian heritage (typically, descendants of pre-WW1 immigrants) who relocated to Alaska from other parts of the USA over time. Lithuania's honorary consulate is formally located in the museum, thus the museum has its sign. The museum's website is www.lithMuseum.org .

Svaja Worthington near the museum entrance

Svaja Worthington near the museum entrance

At least two locations in Alaska's Katmai National Park may be related to the early Lithuanian immigrants to America. One of them is Walatka Mountain range, named after John Walatka (1909-1970), a pilot whose father August Walatka immigrated from Lithuania. He owned an air taxi service and was the chief pilot of Northern Consolidated Ailines bush fleet. He founded lodges not far (on Alaska's distances) from what is now Walatka Mountains (Bristol Bay).

Another is the Fure's cabin, built of wood by Roy Fure, a trapper and prospector who claimed that he was an immigrant from Lithuania. He tried to build the cabin in order to claim land, something that was then possible in Alaska. However, this was precluded by the fact he wasn't a citizen of America and so the cabin became a property of the National Park Service after his death in 1962. His cabin was later inscribed into the National Heritage Sites list "as an exeptional example of historic log craftmanship, and for its representation of the lifestyle of early 20th-century non-native Alaskans". It can now be rented by hikers and other tourists from the National Park Service (as Fures Public Use Cabin). It is possible to spend a night there, however, it is some 50 km from the nearest roads. The cabin has a single room and is likely constructed in 1916. A windmill tower (without a windmill) stands nearby.

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