A special place for the study of Litvak heritage with more than 100 works gifted by Samuel Bak, who lived in Lithuania in his earlier years. The exposition also features the 19th century book of the Vilnius Jewish community, which the now 85 year-old Bak painted while living in the Vilnius ghetto. The world-renowned artist decided to found this museum named after him-self in his native Vilnius.

For 70 years, the creative path of Samuel Bak involved a kind of character language and style called allegorical realism. In the paintings you can see parts of Vilnius that were important to the artist and everyday life in the ghetto. The video guide provides a good understanding of the famous artist’s work, which is full of metaphors, and you can also read the artist’s biography. There is an educational workshop about the artist and the heritage of Jews in Vilnius for adults and children. The museum won the audience award at the Tendencijos 2018 competition in the public interior category.

Short biography:
Born in Vilnius on 13 August 1933.
1940-1944: During Nazi occupation he was held in the ghetto, imprisoned in a labour camp and hid in a monastery.
1942: Created the first exhibition of his drawings in the Vilnius ghetto.
1945-1948: Lived in a camp for immigrants in Germany and studied art in Munich.
1952: Studied at the Becalel Art School in Israel.
1993: Settled in Weston, Massachusetts, USA