Skriaudžiai "Kanklės": a century old music making tradition

In 1906, Pranas Puskunigis (1860–1946), originally from the Šakiai region, came to Skriaudžiai as an organist, where he gathered local residents and students of the Veiveriai Teachers’ Seminary and began teaching them to play the kanklės (Lithuanian zither). The Skriaudžiai ensemble “Kanklės”, now celebrating its 120th anniversary, is the oldest continuously active artistic collective in Lithuania. 

Puskunigis himself hollowed out the first kanklės typical of Suvalkija (a region in southwestern Lithuania) for his students; later, following his example, generations of Skriaudžiai masters crafted these instruments. To this day, the sounds of locally made kanklės resonate in Skriaudžiai. These instruments are typically twelve-stringed, distinguished by a curved base and soundholes in the shape of the letter “f” or a sunburst. The kanklės of the Suvalkija  region are known for their bright, clear timbre and are tuned in the ancient manner—with the lowest (longest) string tuned an octave below the first.  

The Skriaudžiai “Kanklės” ensemble developed a distinctive playing style and repertoire. It consists of local vocal and instrumental folklore, as well as music recorded, adapted, or composed for the kanklės by the ensemble’s leaders: Pranas Puskunigis, Leonas Puskunigis, and Antanas Degutis. The repertoire is further enriched by old folk songs learned from the “queen of songs”, Adelė Kazlauskienė of Gustaičiai village, and hymns that have long been sung on various occasions. Current members of the ensemble have inherited the music-making tradition and performance techniques from their predecessors and leaders. 

The ensembles “Kanklės” and “Kankliukai” are the primary guardians of this tradition. Most Skriaudžiai kanklės players have participated in these groups since childhood. For the people of Skriaudžiai, the kanklės is a heirloom; by playing them they preserve a spiritual connection with the past. The musicians take great pride in being the bearers of the authentic Puskunigis school, disseminating the traditional repertoire and maintaining archaic playing techniques. The elder players feel a deep commitment to passing this symbol of Suvalkija’s regional identity to the younger generation.

Submission by Veiveriai Culture and Leisure Centre of Prienai District Municipality, 2025

Tradition bearers – former and current members of the ensembles “Kanklės” and “Kankliukai”, individual kanklės players and ensembles active in towns and villages across the Suvalkija (Sūduva) region