Vindašiai Homestead – Home of Lithuanian Word and Music
In Ylakiai, at Sedos Street 27, stop by the Vindašiai homestead. Its history is a blend of bookselling, music, and people who cared about preserving the Lithuanian word. This place also commemorates the young Broniai Jonušas, who stopped by here from the neighboring village of Pašilė.
During the years of the Lithuanian press ban, 1864–1904, the homestead owner, Dominykas Vindašius, was one of the most active booksellers in the area. Banned Lithuanian books and press transported from Prussia would find a hiding place in his home. This activity was punishable by punishment, so each hidden publication also posed a risk to the owner’s freedom and family safety.
The homestead also attracted local intellectuals – teachers, church choirmasters, musicians. People who were united by a concern for the language and culture of their region would meet here. Bronius Jonušas, who was interested in music, would also visit this house. This connection allows us to get to know his youth more broadly – through the environment and people among whom the future composer grew up.
Today, the traditions of the homestead are continued by Algirdas Vindašius and Eglė Dvarionaitė-Vindašienė. Their preserved family memory and stories help us understand how the history of one house is intertwined with the past of the entire region.
Stopping by the homestead, remember the time when Lithuanian books reached the reader secretly, and their path depended on people's courage. This house invites you to get to know those who protected the word, shared knowledge, and created a place to meet.
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