The collections of the National Museum of Lithuania have been enriched with the handwritten manuscript of the song “Music That Protects” by the Lithuanian hip-hop group “G&G Sindikatas”. This unique artefact was donated to the museum as part of an initiative to support Ukraine and as a sign of solidarity by Lithuanian society with Ukraine. According to the song’s author, Gabrielius Liaudanskas-Svaras, the lyrics of the piece have acquired particular relevance in today’s context.

G. Liaudanskas-Svaras has been contributing to support for Ukraine for more than a decade, since the outbreak of the war in 2014. This time, the act of support became closely linked with his personal creative work: in a 2025 fundraising campaign, the manuscript of the song “Music That Protects” was included as part of the initiative.

“It was a fundraising campaign during which people collectively donated around €18,000 to support Ukraine. The person who donated the largest amount was to receive the manuscript as a symbolic prize; however, in a sense, every contributor ‘took over’ a part of it. The patron who donated the largest sum — €3,001 – to support Ukraine, Mindaugas, who chose to remain anonymous, agreed that the manuscript should be transferred to the National Museum of Lithuania as an artefact worthy of preservation,” the artist said.

According to G. Liaudanskas-Svaras, the idea of incorporating the lyrics of a musical work into the fundraising process emerged unexpectedly while leafing through old creative notebooks.

“While going through my old notebooks, I found the original manuscript of the song ‘Music That Protects’. It is not a clean copy – it is a genuine working text, with crossings-out, corrections, and searches. To me, such manuscripts are the most valuable, as they reveal the creative process. Moreover, the theme of the song remains relevant today: ‘Music That Protects’ speaks about values, about light, about that which protects us. That’s how the idea was born to frame the manuscript and turn it not only into a document, but also into a meaningful object through which support for Ukraine could be raised,” the author explained.

The creator emphasised that the song was not written with a specific political or geographical context in mind, yet its meaning remains universal and timely.

“Good and evil, light and darkness have always existed in the world – this is a song about light. About music as a metaphor for those things that protect us and that form the foundation of universal human values. Today, in the context of Ukraine, the song resonates not only metaphorically: Ukraine is currently protecting both itself and all of us. It is paying with its blood for our peaceful sky, our everyday life, our celebrations,” the song’s author stated.

The manuscript will be preserved as a testimony of civic unity

A civic initiative that emerged in the context of support for Ukraine has thus acquired long-term cultural significance – the song manuscript has been transferred to the National Museum of Lithuania for preservation.

Rūta Kačkutė, Director General of the National Museum of Lithuania, who accepted the manuscript, emphasised that its inclusion in the museum’s collections is an important step in documenting both public support for Ukraine and the diverse, creative forms through which that support has been expressed as a significant part of contemporary history.

“For the museum, it is important to collect and preserve not only testimonies of the past, but also of the present – how society responds to pivotal historical events, and what forms of solidarity, civic responsibility, and unity it chooses. This song manuscript also reflects creative ways of mobilising support for Ukraine and becomes a meaningful document of collective stance and value-based choices,” said R. Kačkutė.

According to her, this context also highlights the role of music in shaping the place of contemporary creativity within cultural memory and social history.

“Not only traditional, but also contemporary music and other fields of art are capable of conveying ideas, values, and messages that matter to society. The manuscript of the ‘G&G Sindikatas’ song ‘Music That Protects’ bears witness to the power of music to unite people, safeguard memory, and strengthen the light of universal human values. We value the opportunity to preserve this manuscript for future generations,” R. Kačkutė noted.

The National Museum of Lithuania continues to collect artefacts related to the history of the war in Ukraine – commemorative objects, coins, postage stamps, and awards from Ukrainian institutions. This collection bears witness not only to important historical events, but also to the determination, solidarity, and shared conviction of Lithuanian society that Ukraine’s freedom is inseparable from our own security.

The National Museum of Lithuania holds the largest collection of history and cultural heritage in the country, preserving more than 1.5 million museum objects and uniting 12 branches.