The National Museum of Lithuania will participate in a nationwide protest initiated by the cultural community. At 2 p.m., M. K. Čiurlionis’ symphonic poem “The Sea” will be played simultaneously in all branches of the museum. After the musical event, visitors are invited to participate in events specially dedicated to this occasion on the theme “How did Lithuanians resist?”. These free tours and meetings at the museum’s branches will recall historical and contemporary examples of civil resistance. In the evening, the LNM will join the building lighting blackout event “Without culture – darkness.” At that time, the lighting in all museum branches will be turned off. One of the most prominent symbols of statehood, the tower of Gediminas Castle, will also be plunged into darkness.

A decisive moment for the future of culture

Rūta Kačkutė, Director General of the National Museum of Lithuania, emphasizes that today and the coming weeks will be decisive for the preservation of Western values in Lithuania. According to her, only a united, civic-minded, and supportive society can prevent the threats that have already reached the country’s cultural sphere. “The Trojan horse has already set foot in the country – our fundamental values are under attack. I invite everyone to clearly and actively express their civic position: come to the nearest cultural institution near your home and take part in the protest. To the sound of M. K. Čiurlionis’ work “The Sea,” we can express our disapproval of “Nemuno aušra” – a phenomenon that threatens freedom, independent creative thinking, and the autonomy of cultural institutions,” says R. Kačkutė.

She recalls that similar processes are already underway in some Central European countries—Hungary and Slovakia—where cultural institutions are being systematically weakened and creators are forced to conform to the government’s narrative or remain silent. “Let’s not make the same mistakes. Let’s not allow actions that undermine the foundations of democracy to become normalised. Lithuania still has the opportunity to resist and choose the path of Western culture. There is nowhere left to retreat – this may be the last chance,” says the director of the LNM.

The symbolic significance of the Gediminas Castle tower

On October 5, the Lithuanian National Museum will extend the day of protest into the evening by joining the campaign “Without culture – darkness,” during which the lighting in all museum branches will be turned off. This blackout campaign serves as a reminder that without culture, there is darkness not only in buildings but also in society.

The focus of attention is on the Gediminas Castle Tower of the LNM, one of the most important symbols of statehood. It was here that the Baltic Way began in 1989. The tower’s observation deck offers a panoramic view of Vilnius, and the Lithuanian flag flying nearby reminds us that Gediminas Tower is a symbol of Vilnius and of Lithuania as a whole.

Program of events at LNM branches:

2 p.m. Symbolic performance of M. K. Čiurlionis’ symphonic poem “The Sea”

2:10 p.m.

• Gediminas Castle Tower (Arsenalo g. 5, Vilnius) – tour “The Tower – a Symbol of the Road to Freedom.”
• The Bastion of the Vilnius Defence Wall (Bokšto g. 20, Vilnius) – tour “We Defended and Will Defend: The History of the Bastion.”
• Jonas Basanavičius’ Birthplace (Gimtinės g. 17, Ožkabalių I k., Vilkaviškio r.) – tour “Words as Weapons: J. Basanavičius’ Fight for the Survival of the Nation”.
• House of Histories (T. Kosciuškos g. 3, Vilnius) – tour with curators Dr. Povilas Blaževičius and Sigita Mikšaitė of the exhibition “History Wags the Tail,” who will tell how dogs and their owners became heroes of the resistance.
• Castellans’s House (Arsenalo g. 1, Vilnius) – tour “Understanding Lithuania,” during which participants will learn about the main ideas that shaped Lithuania’s identity and discuss what lessons we can learn from them in today’s context.
• Kazys Varnelis House-Museum (Didžioji g. 26, Vilnius) – tour of the exhibition “Madonna of Laukžemė. Uncovering 600 Years of Secrets,” which tells the story of the threats to heritage preservation during the Soviet era.
• The House of Signatories (Pilies g. 26, Vilnius) – tour of the museum and its surroundings: “Žemaitė’s Vilnius” (fee required). The writer’s voice will resound once again, reminding us of social and cultural issues that are still relevant today. Žemaitė’s Vilnius will become a space where the past and present meet to discuss the future of our society and culture.
• The Old Arsenal (Arsenalo g. 3, Vilnius) – tour “Our Oldest Weapons.”
• The Jonas Šliūpas Museum (Vytauto g. 23a, Palanga) – events “Who Was Afraid of Šliūpas?” Visitors will learn about the multifaceted, uncompromising personality of Dr. Jonas Šliūpas, who was active in Lithuania and in exile at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century in educational, political, and diplomatic contexts. The forgotten, not always “convenient” Jonas Šliūpas will be presented, drawing attention to the progressiveness and relevance of his activities today.

2:30 p.m.

• Vinco Kudirkos Museum (V. Kudirkos g. 29, Kudirkos Naumiestis, Šakiai District) – tour “Bell ringers as the unarmed resistance of the Lithuanian intelligentsia. J. Bagdonas, K. Grinius, V. Kudirka, J. Staugaitis”

The Lithuanian National Museum is the first public museum in Lithuania. The history of the museum is inseparable from the development of museum studies in Lithuania, and its origins date back to 1855, when Eustachijus Tiškevičius established the first public museum in Lithuania, the Vilnius Museum of Antiquities, based on his own collections. Today, the National Museum of Lithuania holds the largest collection in Lithuania – more than 1.5 million exhibits that are significant to Lithuanian history and culture.