Mickey Mouse

Hollywood star in the shtetl

Try to guess who this is. He's 94. Throughout his long career, which hasn't ended yet, he has appeared in over 130 films. He is truly famous and has 14 million followers on Facebook. His fans buy items featuring his image and ask to be photographed next to him. It is thought children recognize him more readily than they do Santa Claus.

Yes, it's Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney's most popular character. He was created in 1928 and immediately became a legend.

The residents of Lithuania in the period between the two world wars knew Mickey Mouse. Children and adults quickly fell in love with the character. By 1930 Mickey Mouse toys were being produced in Lithuania. There was even a sort of mini-Disneyland in the Eishishoyk shtetl (Eišiškės in Lithuanian). Mickey could be seen walking around town and people took photographs of themselves with the famous mouse. The photograph you see was taken around 1935.

As far as we know, the residents of Šeduva haven't handed down any such photos or stories about the animated character. They certainly did have the opportunity to see him, though: in Šiauliai and other larger Lithuanian cities the movie theaters showed Mickey Mouse cartoons.