The Baltic Times pays a visit to Stalin World, whose proprietor won the 2001 Ig Nobel Peace Prize for creating Lithuania’s most popular tourist attraction:
In addition to statues of Russian and Lithuanian communist leaders, indoor displays feature a variety of memorabilia. One small house represents a typical reading room, housing books filled with Soviet propaganda and communist messages. Mannequins in pioneer uniforms seem to jump out of nowhere, watchtowers line the perimeter, and loudspeakers blare party-approved music.
For the little ones, the park features a small zoo, home to a variety of exotic birds. Near the entrance is a playground equipped with (thankfully) post-Soviet-era swings and slides. While you can still find some Soviet favorites on the restaurant’s menu — sprats, a very thin borscht, and buckwheat kasha — up-scale entrees are also available. The Dzukija region is known for its mushrooms, and they star in several dishes. Don’t forget to visit the souvenir shop for a deck of propaganda-poster playing cards or a Stalin shot glass.
Grutas Park is only three kilometers from Drus-kininkai, a famous historic spa town. On the road from the park are a few superb shashlik restaurants, offering excellent grilled meat alongside Armenian side dishes. Anything with eggplant is guaranteed to be delicious…