Visit the first tattoo museum in Lithuania!

In the Old Town of Vilnius, on Literatų Street, the first Tattoo Museum of its kind has recently opened. And it’s the first one in Lithuania and all the Baltic States. Its founder, Giedrius Bardauskas, the owner of the "Angis Tattoo" tattoo salon, says that while traveling through exotic lands, he collected knowledge about tattoo techniques and historical souvenirs, which today form the invaluable museum exhibit.

Although permanent body drawings have a deep history and tattoos have many different meanings in various cultures, few museums in the world tell and educate on this topic. However, the owner and master of the tattoo craft, Giedrius Bardauskas, has opened such a unique place in his salon "Angis tattoo". He says that each museum artifact is related to the history of tattoos, different techniques, and the tools used to execute them, with exhibits he personally brought from various distant exotic lands.

"When I opened my studio, I started to delve into various tattooing techniques, especially, how it is done in the Amazon jungle, India, Cambodia, Indonesia, Africa, and other parts of the world where tribes lived or still live. I traveled a lot, interacted with local old masters, learned, and explored how ink, needles, and other instruments are made. Later, I brought these tools back to Lithuania as souvenirs and for twenty years collected my collection. Since I always liked educating people who were interested, the idea to open a museum, where anyone interested could visit, was born," says Giedrius.

The museum's founder reveals that, regardless of time or culture, the essence of a tattoo is the same everywhere - ink injected under the skin - but the technique and the symbolic meaning of the eternal drawing on the body have changed. In ancient times, tattoos had to be earned, as they showed belonging to a particular tribe, nation, or social class. Although today these drawings have become more decorative, the master insists that a tattoo still has to suit the person who wants to get it.

"In the old days, tribal leaders, the best hunters, the best warriors, kings, and aristocrats used to adorn themselves with tattoos as symbols, but their meaning has changed over time. Now it is more like a decorative element, like a code by which a person with a tattoo will be accepted by others. And it happens that the tattoo does not correspond to the person, it happens that the person himself changes, his environment changes, and in the new environment the tattoo is no longer acceptable. But it is, after all, for the rest of your life, so it is not easy to remove it. Lasers can only remove the ink and then cover it with another drawing on top," says Giedrius.

He does not hide that the tattoo culture in Lithuania is only counting its third decade of history because when he started his master's work, there was very little accessible information. Fortunately, today everything has gained momentum, and tattoo masters have reached a high professional level.

"The history of professional tattoos in Lithuania starts around 1995-1996. When I opened the first salon in my hometown of Šiauliai, there was no internet or easily accessible information on how to do tattoos. I had a friend living in America who sent me my first machine and ink, and I started my activity from a general understanding. Later, I sent many students into the world, who, like me, brought new tattooing methods, techniques, and equipment to Lithuania while traveling. That's how everything started to grow, and if ten years ago there was still a transitional period, today tattooing has reached a professional level," assures the master.

This museum opened by Giedrius is the first and only one not only in Lithuania but also among all the Baltic countries. There are only a few such places in the world, so there is already joy that the list of museums in the capital will be supplemented by a unique location that will attract curious visitors.

"Here under one roof is a large collection that tells about the first tattooing techniques in humanity, from different countries and tribes. For example, Buddhists tattoo with long needles, elsewhere special sticks are used to introduce ink under the skin, the tapping technique is widespread in Polynesia, and Japan has its own unique tools. All of this can be seen, learned about, and heard about by visiting this museum," says Giedrius.