Lions of the War Museum
Jonas: “At the beginning of July 1962 and after graduating the 1st High School of Ukmergė (now the High School of Jonas Basanavičius), My classmate Vytautas Juknys and I, Jonas Navikas, arrived at Kaunas for the first time (!). After submitting our documents to the graduate admissions committee at the Central Office of Kaunas Polytechnic Institute (KPI) to enroll in the programme of radio engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, we reached a beautifully-shaped building on the other side of K. Donelaičio Street, which was then the History Museum. After looking around for some time, we noticed that individuals or groups usually take photos next to the lions. Having a photo camera at our disposal, we took photos of one another unaware of the fact that this place symbolizes the city of Kaunas. After coming back from Kaunas, you could show it with pride as a proof that you have visited Kaunas... These were the hot topics back then, when television was only making its first steps in Lithuania, and sightseeing tours were popular among both adults and school students. It is difficult to compare with contemporary technologies that have entered our daily lives...
Later after the entrance exams, we explored Kaunas city a bit more, visited the zoo, etc. not missing any opportunity to take a photo.
Vytautas Juknys has ended his working career in KPI with a PhD and held the academic title of the associate professor.
And me, I took a photo of my 4.5-year-old daughter Rūta and her mother Rita in February 1990, already aware of the fact that this is a place that the residents of Kaunas like to visit. Moreover, it is considered to be a place that represents the city (I have heard it from the residents of Kaunas, born and raised, who visited the lions and the little fountain together with their parents). These are traditions you pass on to other generations. (2018)