Rūta Kačkutė, the director general of The National Museum of Lithuania, and Laurence des Cars, president and director of the Louvre Museum, signed a partnership agreement between the two museums on Tuesday. “The Louvre is one of the best and most professional museums in the world, which is why shared projects with it not only reflect how well-regarded The National Museum of Lithuania is but also serve as a sign that the solidarity of European museums is becoming a powerful weapon in the current geopolitical situation”, said R. Kačkutė during a meeting with one of the managers of the Louvre, Matthias Grolier. This is the first agreement between a Lithuanian museum and the Louvre. 

The agreement notes that the now established and strengthened cultural partnership between the National Museum of Lithuania and the Louvre will feature an exchange of information, pertaining to the field of museology, and the implementation of various projects, especially this year during the Lithuanian Season in France. 

“The National Museum of Lithuania and the Louvre Museum share similar responsibilities and challenges which is why this agreement outlines the prospect of a long-term, mutually beneficial cooperation”, said R. Kačkutė, rejoicing at the new opportunities. 

The cooperation between the museums will strengthen the already existing ties, as the origins of Lithuanian museology are closely linked to the Louvre, noted Indrė Urbelytė, art historian at the Kazys Varnelis House-Museum: “In 1923-1924, the founder of modern museology in Lithuania, Paulius Galaunė, interned at the world’s first institution dedicated to the study of museums – the prestigious Louvre School. He applied the knowledge he had acquired when he created the Čiurlionis Museum and, in turn, developing the culture of professional museology.” 

The first joint projects will begin this year in October. 

Among the first plans are training and a general discussion

The National Museum of Lithuania will organise an internship at the Louvre for specialists from national and state museums in October. The Louvre will prepare a special programme to share good practices in curating collections and present innovative solutions for the protection of exhibits. 

Another joint project will take place in autumn which will feature a roundtable discussion on the role of European museums in wartime and be held at the Louvre Dominique-Vivant Denon Centre, on the initiative of both museums. It will bring together speakers from Lithuania and France, as well as colleagues from Ukrainian and Polish museums. 

“Objects of tangible heritage, private and museum collections are constantly facing challenges that transcend national borders. Natural disasters, financial crises, theft, wars or climate change determine the future of these objects and collections. Today, in the face of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the looting of museums is becoming one of the primary tools of the occupation and the destruction of culture, thus, the preservation of heritage has become an important form of resistance and the preservation of identity. These processes once again highlight the importance of international solidarity and cooperation between museums during times of crisis. Once the war is over, the significance of museum solidarity will be highlighted during discussions regarding restitution, which is one of the most important tasks in the restoration of peace”, commented R. Kačkutė regarding the relevance of the future discussions. 

These are only the first plans for future cooperation; more projects, activities and training will be initiated in the future, which will encompass a variety of fields within museology. The signed agreement will be valid for three years and may be renewed.