Grafų Kosakovskių meno vertybių likimo pėdsakais
ENCultural history of Lithuania is notable not only for its folk art, but also for its art collections gathered by the local nobility. Nearly every estate had variable collections from aristocratic families. Unfortunately, they had been greatly destroyed during wars. A great deal of them had been taken to Russia, Poland, Germany as nobody took care of them in here. The Kosakovskiai family estate of Vaitkuškis (owned by them since 1740) had been plundered as many others. When World War I broke out German soldiers lived in the estate: they tried to sell the forest and the estate belongings. Great harm was done by the retreating Russian army. Only its library and the remnants of the archives were left. In the 19th c. it must have been enriched by books brought from Varšuva. Later, about 1907, the library was divided and a part of the books: books on religion, phylosophy, nature sciences, mathematics, geography, medicine, history, music and fiction were taken to the neighbouring Lyduokiai estate. During the search for information about collections, which had found their way to the Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis National Art Museum, the material concerning the appropriation of private collections was noticed. Documents with the lists of the Kosakov- skiai library in Lyduokiai and successful efforts to preserve the remaining riches of the estate were immortalized in microfilms.In 1919-1920 after the declaration of the basic law of land reforms, the Vaitkuškis estate was appropriated and divided among the new settlers and poor peasants. The last owner Jonas Eustachijus (1900-1979), the Joungest son of Stanislovas Kazimieras Kosakovskis moved to Warszawa, approximately in 1910-1912. As there were no real owners, the rich library and archives of Vaitkuškis were started to plunder. The great gallery was taken to Warszawa, too which latere, in 1944, was burnt. Other art treasures were simply thrown away or stolen. The architectural ensemble of Vaitkuškis estate was also destroyed and left without care. At present a part of the then rich Kosakovskiai library is kept in Kaunas Technological University Library, a part of the historical material is in Lithuania’s Central State Archives, in the Lithuanian State Historical Archives, in the Mažvydas National Library, Manuscripts Department, and in the Lithuanian Science Academy Library, Rare Publications Department. Among the remaining books from the Vaitkuškis Library, 65 photo albums were found. A catalogue with descriptions, having a great iconographic value, belonged to that collection as well. By the way, one photo albums is in the Ukmergė Museum of Ethnography, another part of the collection (approximately 800 photos) is in Mažvydas National Library, Manuscripts Department. The Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis National Art Museum has some items, which had belonged to the Vaitkuškis art estate: lithography on silk, three projects of the Lyduokiai church, a project and a plan of a granary, two projects of the Lyduokiai estate. They are ail enlisted in file No. 1002 of the fund No. 391 that are found in the Central State Archives (unfortunately, five journals of count Kosakovskis and the etchings, done in 1769, were not found). Nothing more but some photos, belonging to private persons, some paintings, and several things are left from the rich coilection of the Kosakovskiai.
