Yesterday, at the European Heritage Awards ceremony held in Brussels, the National Museum of Lithuania (LNM) received international recognition – it was awarded the prestigious 2025 award for its initiative to support Ukraine.

The winners of the competition were selected by an independent panel of 11 experts, who evaluated 251 projects from 41 European countries. This year, the prestigious European Heritage Awards (European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards) went to 30 exceptional initiatives from 24 European countries. The National Museum of Lithuania was evaluated in the category of citizen engagement and awareness-raising, which received the most applications – as many as 85.

The LNM campaign “Ukrainian culture has no one to defend” was carried out from November 2023 to February 2024. The most necessary restoration tools were purchased and delivered to Ukrainian restorers with funds raised by the public. This initiative has become an example of how cultural institutions and civil society can respond unitedly and quickly to a crisis, protecting heritage and strengthening solidarity in Europe. The support campaign was organized by LNM together with LRT and “Strong Together”, the campaign partners are the Lithuanian Museums Association (uniting 100 museums), the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO and the National Museum of the History of Ukraine.

“This award testifies not only to the efforts of the museum, but also to the unity of the people of Lithuania in the face of the war in Ukraine. This support campaign, implemented together with partners, has shown that historical and cultural heritage is not just a testimony of the past – it demands our responsibility here and now. Our support for Ukraine continues and must continue,” said Rūta Kačkutė, Director General of the LNM.

The ceremony was attended by European Commissioner Glenn Micallef and Europa Nostra Executive President Hermann Parzinger. Among the distinguished guests was Sabine Verheyen, First Vice-President of the European Parliament, representing the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola.

Commissioner Micallef congratulated all the 2025 laureates: “This year’s winners have once again demonstrated how diverse and rich the diversity of Europe’s cultural heritage is. I warmly congratulate all this year’s laureates for their outstanding achievements in safeguarding and enhancing our common heritage. Their exceptional skills, innovative work and great dedication serve as a model for future heritage conservation practices. By showing a special commitment to our common heritage, professionals and volunteers have demonstrated how communities can be engaged both locally and internationally, bringing together people from different backgrounds and generations to work together for greater inclusion, social cohesion, sustainability and a better future in Europe and beyond.”

H. Parzinger, Executive President of Europa Nostra, said: “Europe’s shared culture and values ​​are facing threats from both outside and inside. This year’s laureates demonstrate the power of heritage to unite Europe and its citizens towards a more beautiful, harmonious, sustainable and democratic society.”

The awards ceremony took place on 13 October 2025 in Brussels, at the iconic Art Deco Flagey building, during the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2025. The five 2025 Grand Prize winners and the People’s Choice Award winner were also announced at the awards ceremony. Each of them received a cash prize of €10,000. The Grand Prize winners were selected from this year’s thirty winners by the Europa Nostra Board, based on the recommendations of an independent panel of experts.

The summit, held in Brussels, brought together over 600 representatives of the European Union institutions, policymakers, heritage professionals, volunteers, civil society actors and other participants. The event was also broadcast remotely, allowing a wide international audience across Europe and beyond.

The European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards are the most prestigious European cultural heritage awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in the fields of heritage conservation, research, education, civic engagement and digital innovation. The awards have been organised since 2002 by Europa Nostra, Europe’s leading cultural heritage organisation, together with the European Commission, and are co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme. The competition aims to honour the best heritage projects and initiatives across Europe, to promote international cooperation, professional excellence and public engagement, and to demonstrate that cultural heritage is a cornerstone of European identity, resilience and unity.

The National Museum of Lithuania is the first public museum in Lithuania. The history of the museum is an integral part of the development of Lithuanian museology, and its origins date back to 1855, when, through the care of Eustachijus Tiškevičius, based on his accumulated collections, the first public museum in Lithuania was established – the Vilnius Museum of Antiquities. Today, the National Museum of Lithuania houses the largest collection in Lithuania – more than 1.5 million exhibits significant to Lithuanian history and culture, and unites 12 departments.