Villa at A. Smetonos Av. 81

Prosperous citizens of Kaunas, tired of the noisy and polluted city, used to go on holiday to resort villas built in the 1940’s at A. Smetonos Avenue. In 1933, when Panemunė received the status of as a resort town, local activity included health promotion and shindigs organized by holidaymakers. One of the most representative villas of the Golden Age of Panemunė is a building with number 81. 

Built in 1930 the building beside Panemunės Bridge had 3 apartments. The villa's owners, Kazys Zubauskas, a lawyer and a member of the Founding Seimas, and Barbora, his wife, lived on the second and attic floors. The majors Jonas Liuga and Stanislovas Uždavinys rented three-bedroom apartments on the ground floor.

The house was damaged by floods in the period from 1931 until 1936. The house owner was repressed in 1941 by the Soviets and died in exile. The building was nationalised. Later a Chess Club and kindergarten settled in this house. Finally, in 1989, the villa was returned to the owner's family. In 1994, the house underwent renovation. Some of the authentic details have remained inside the building since that time.

The architectural composition of the building is symmetric and blends well with the environment. Two-story glassed corbels overhanging the street and the yard, the superstructure of an attic and variety of window forms add lightness and liveliness. The arrangement of the facade's plank boards and different shades of paint enliven the house. The most spectacular decorative accent is a fretwork that has a shape of a half-moon and a sun on the attic. In the Interwar period, the fretwork was glassed-in to reflect the light.

When you walk A. Smetonos Avenue, also pay attention to other buildings that belong to the period when Panemunė was a resort town. If you look at the adornment of the building, you can guess their age. The early houses of the modernism period had pretentious shapes, more diverse decorative elements. The houses of the later period were less pretentious with more focus on functionality.

The most convenient way to reach this place is by car, bicycle, or public transport. The end of A.Smetonos Avenue marks the beginning of the educational path to Panemunė Pinewood.