Krištopaitis Antanas
(1921 – 2011) artist, collector, ethnographer, public figure, Honorary Citizen of Šiauliai city.
Studied at Valdomai primary school, Šiauliai boys’ gymnasium. In 1940, Antanas Krištopaitis, a graduate, was arrested, and in 1942 was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He spent 17 years of his youth in prisons and camps, in the Urals and Siberia. In exile, he worked as a camp artist, later as an artist at the Ulan-Ude Opera and Ballet Theatre, created scenography for 14 operas and ballets.
In 1958, he returned to Lithuania, to Šiauliai. In 1958-1982, he was a senior artist-decorator of the Šiauliai Drama Theatre, head of the decoration workshop, decorated more than 120 performances.
Throughout his life, Antanas Krištopaitis drew, painted, and poured watercolors. He especially devoted a lot of energy to recording the heritage of folk architecture – while traveling around Lithuania, he poured and drew about 600 churches, about 200 mills, many historical and natural monuments (mounds, monumental trees, anniversary, memorial monuments) and other images. This is an invaluable artistic and iconographic treasure, the significance of which is constantly increasing, because some of the painted objects no longer exist, others have been replaced, their environment has changed.
He created a large series of self-portraits, about 60 self-portraits are counted, which, as a unique exposition, were entered in the Lithuanian Book of Records in 1996. The artist participates in exhibitions, his works have been acquired by the Telšiai, Plungė, Kretinga museums. The largest number – 645 paintings – are kept in the Šiauliai Aušra Museum.
For his active participation in the cultural life of the city, work in local history, and recording of historical and architectural heritage, Antanas Krištopaičis was awarded the Mikelis Prize in 1997 and the Peliksa Bugailiškis Prize in 2001. By the decision of the Šiauliai City Municipality Council on September 11, 2003, he was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Šiauliai.
