The last of the defensive forts built in and around Kaunas to protect the westernmost point of the Russian Empire, work began on the Ninth Fort in 1902 and was completed on the eve of WWI. In 1924 it was turned into a prison, serving this purpose under the Lithuanians, Soviets, Nazis (who used it as a death camp, see Jewish Kaunas for more) and then the Soviets again for a few years after WWII. The museum was established in 1958, and has grown over the years to include exhibitions on all aspects of the building’s gruesome history. Even a short tour takes over an hour, but the time spent getting here and spending time taking everything in is more than worth the effort. Most things are labelled in English and guided tours can also be booked in English. Compelling and highly recommended.
Admission: adults 5Lt, children 3Lt.
Ninth Fort Museum comments
- Letitia - USA, Vermont, Brattleboro
It's a bit of a chore to get to the 9th Fort, but definitely worth going there for the sobering history lesson. The museum exhibit is interesting enough, but a tour through the prison itself is a slap in the face. Some benches right near to the killing pits offer a place to sit and reflect on what happened here. If the wind is blowing, the tall trees behind the benches create an unsettling swishing noise that draws attention to the fact that some of them (the trees, that is) are probably old enough to have witnessed the crimes. - 01
Nov
2009George Williams - USA
I visited the Ninth Fort a few years ago. There was a lady in the museum at the bottom of the hill that reminded me of a stereotypical officious Soviet Russian out that one read about during the cold war. The legacy of the USSR lives on in these relics.
Jan
2010