Seeking the authentity of the park

Kolekcininkai, kurie renka pašto ženklus ar senas knygas, patiria įvairių išgyvenimų. Siame straipsnyje pasakojama, kaip kraštovaizdžio architektas, tarsi kolekcininkas, daugelį metų įvairiais būdais rinko medžiagą apie Palangos parką ir jo kūrėjus, svajodamas prisidėti prie parko pirmykščio pavidalo arba bent prie jo pirmykštės idėjos išlaikymo. Plane prancūzų kalba užrašyta "Birutės parkas". Šį gražų ir labai prasmingą pavadinimą parkas gavo nuo Birutės kalno ir greta augusio Birutės miško, kuriuos vietiniai žmonės taip vadino per šimtus metų. I960 m. tuometinės vyriausybės nutarimu Palangos parkas pavadintas Botanikos parku. Birutė arba Tiškevičiai sovietinei liaudžiai priminė feodalinę arba buržuazinę praeitį ir buvo nepriimtini. Tik botaninė jo reikšmė galėjo būti rimtu pagrindu paskirti lėšų parko priežiūrai. Dėl senojo parko pavadinimo sugrąžinimo jau buvo rašyta spaudoje, o Palangos parko šimtmečiui skirtos konferencijos dalyviai 1997 m. rugsėjo 6 d. nutarė pasiūlyti Palangos savivaldybei apsvarstyti šį klausimą. Palangos parkas yra labiausiai prižiūrimas parkas Lietuvoje. Nauji duomenys apie parką įgalina padaryti jį iš tiesų pavyzdingą.[...] The first authentic data about the park were obtained by digging the ground. In 1964 the rose-garden was investigated by making furrows with a horse-plough. Fragments of gravel paths were discovered, which enabled to recreate the path network. In 1979 the flower-garden (Fr.Jardin fleuriste) marked on the plan by L (I b inset) was investigated likewise - students of the Vilnius Academy of Fine Art dug ditches. Information was obtained about the exnetwork of paths the route of the water supply pipeline and the sites of pedestals. [...] Andrė Kaeppelin, a great grandniece of E. Andrė gave to Palanga park excellent copies of the plans of Palanga and Lentvaris parks. These ancientplans are invaluable documents on the history of Lit-huanian landscape architecture and irreplaceable material to park restorers. [...] The comparison of the authentic plan of the park (I b inset) with the present park shows many deviations. The plan bears the inscription in French "Pare de la Birouta". For hundreds ofyears the high sand dune ofthe park and the forest surrounding it, which later became park, was called Birutė. In 1960 the Soviet government named the park "botany". It still bears this name. The parterre in front of the mansion has no more pillars joined by garlands. The tennis court (E) is neglected and overgrown with grass. The two arbours (D) are gone. The only memory of the estate stables (B) is the drawing made by architect Vladimiras Zubovas in 1947. If many of these things were recreated the park would come alive. As we now have the authentic plan the flower-garden can be easily recreated (L). According to the authentic plan the flowerbeds should lie round the mansion and in the flower-garden. Growing colorful flowers which are now being planted in forest glades, along the paths and at random places should be given up. I suggest that a new vase with a dedication inscription to Edouard Andrė be put on the ancient pedestal in the flower garden. That would remind everybody of the projector of Palanga park, The Lourd at the foot of Birutė hill is not foreseen in E. Andrė plan. It was constructed on the initiative of the owners of the park, as it was the fashion at that time and one must admit it being in harmony with the site. E. Andrė did not plan a single sculpture, at present there are seven in the park. Some of them are in harmony with the park, marking the history of this site. The statue of the "Blessing Christ" is a problem. Instead of the vase originally planned in the flower-garden was erected by wish of the park owners in the past and at the initiative of some energetic people in the present a high metal figure dull and lifeless, the sun being at its back. Thus the artistic harmony prevailing between the mansion and the parterre was thoroughly changed and may be distorted. The wide-spread opinion that a beautiful object suits always and everywhere is wrong. It may be proved by the effect of the erection in 1960 at the frontal entrance of Palanga park of the sculpture "Eglė the Queen of Grass-Snakes" by Robertas Antinis (father). This excellent sculpture could become the centre of composition of some new square, but an easier though wrong way was taken. By the insertion into the space of the old park of the striking sculpture the scenery of the approach to the mansion became changed, so does the sequence of the impressions of the visitors of the park: the culmination being carried to the prologue. The park was changed, reformed, its author, the great creator of parks, mocked at. The seekers of the authentity of the park might dream that the "Blessing Christ" was moved to a church-yard and "Eglė the Queen of Grass-Snakes" would rule over an important square of Palanga. The creators of the park delighted in Palanga forests Renė Andrė has written: "We took care to leave in the parts which are far away from the mansion the uneffectedforest, to preserve its severe and grand character". To go by him in many places of the park the woods should not be thinned but thickened. Palanga park is the best looked after park in Lithuania. The new data about the park enable us to make it really examplary