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Directorate for the Commemoration of the Millennium of Lithuania
under the Auspices of the Office of the President of the Republic of
Lithuania
S.Daukantas sq. 3, LT-01021 Vilnius
Tel./fax: +370 5 266 40 83,
tel. +370 5 219 18 44
E-mail: millennium@president.lt
Internet site: http://www.lietuvai1000.lt |
TO MARK THE MILLENNIUM OF LITHUANIA
THE MILLENNIUM SONG CELEBRATION OF LITHUANIA
SONGS OF THE CENTURIES
1-6 July 2009
In Vilnius
The first reference to the name of Lithuania in written sources
comes to us in the story related to the tragic end of St. Brunos
mission in1009 as described in the annals of Quedlinburg, Germany (Annales
Quedlinburgenses). The text written in the 11th century failed to
survive and its copy made in the middle of the 16th century is kept
in Dresden, Germany.
St. Brunon, alias Bonifacius, archbishop and monk was killed by the
pagans together with 18 of his brethren on the Russian Lithuanian
border on the eleventh year of his conversion and on the 9th of
March ascended into the heaven.
To impart significance to this important anniversary, a State
Commission on the Commemoration of the Millennium of the Name of
Lithuania was formed by the decree No.1293 of the President of the
Republic of Lithuania on 8 May 1997.
Founder of the State Commission on the Millennium of the Name of
Lithuania President Algirdas Brazauskas by the project of the
Programme for the Millennium of Lithuania model of the Royal Palace.
On 30 December 1997, the Directorate for the Commemoration of the
Millennium of Lithuania (CML Directorate) under the auspices of the
Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania was formed by
the decree of the President of the Republic of Lithuania No.1490 to
draw up, coordinate and implement the programme for the
commemoration of the millennium of Lithuania. Proceeding from the
proposals made by the educational, scientific and cultural
institutions as well as the broader public, the CML Directorate and
its Coordinating Board charted a Programme for the Millennium of
Lithuania (Programme), which was approved by the Government of the
Republic of Lithuania by its Resolution No. 971 of 18 July 2003. The
Programme is implemented by the CML Directorate, Ministry of Culture,
counties and municipalities of Lithuania, scientific and cultural
institutions as well as other organizations.
The Programme aims at:
consolidation and livening up of the historical and civic
self-awareness of the Lithuanian society;
making the cultural heritage more topical;
rendering assistance in the implementation of projects, which are
vitally important for the nation;
adequate introduction of Lithuania and its culture to the world.
The Programme is based on the principles of openness, statehood,
purposefulness and universality. It encourages state, municipal and
public institutions and organizations as well as all citizens of
Lithuania to develop and implement projects devoted to the given
anniversary.
Programme for the Millennium of Lithuania consists of three parts:
research and publishing projects;
cultural heritage and architecture projects;
national and international culture, art and social projects.
The majority of those projects are being successfully implemented.
CML Directorate Implements Research and Publishing Projects.
Implementing the goals of the Programme, the CML Directorate
staged contests for the preparation and release of publications
devoted to history and culture. In the period of 1998-2007, the CML
Directorate co-financed around 300 editions to this end, LTL 4
million were allocated. 235 books bearing the millennium mark have
already been published. They are delivered free of charge to the
libraries and representative offices of Lithuania abroad.
Publications, which are issued by using the funds of the Programme
for the Millennium of Lithuania, introduce the society to the
valuable editions devoted to history, culture and literary sources,
the most recent works on the science of history as well as
publications, which reveal and attractively promote the culture of
the country. Books published within the framework of the Programme
were exhibited in Lithuanian and world book fairs and expositions.
Prof. Alfredas Bumblauskas, President
Valdas Adamkus and prof. Edvardas Gudavičius to welcome the book
The History of Ancient Lithuania, 1009-1795. Photo by Džoja
Barysaitė.
Projects Devoted to Cultural Heritage and Architecture
In the process of preparing for the 750th anniversary of the
coronation of King Mindaugas, a monument to King Mindaugas was
erected in the capital in 2003.
In 2009, the National Art Gallery of the Lithuanian Art Museum will
be opened in Vilnius. At present, the building, which will house it,
is under reconstruction. The mission of the gallery is to accumulate
and exhibit modern and contemporary art of Lithuania, investigate
its ties with the world culture, broaden the horizon of the viewers
and develop the culture of perception of visual art.
Reconstruction of the Royal Palace of the Grand Duchy of
Lithuania in Vilnius is one of the most outstanding projects of the
Programme for the Millennium of Lithuania. The Royal Palace is to be
the symbol of the long-lived tradition of Lithuanian statehood and
national pride, an important historical centre of the international
relations, culture, art, law, finances and state administration of
Lithuania of the 13th- 17th centuries.
The reconstruction is being perceived as the reinstatement of
the symbol of the sovereignty of the state and the nation, as the
restitution of the historical truth, which is highly important for
the development of the national and civic self-awareness as well as
historical memory. The reconstructed Royal Palace shall be opened to
the public on 6 July 2009, the Lithuanian Statehood Day (the
coronation of King Mindaugas). The reconstructed Royal Palace of the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania shall become a poly-functional historical
centre of culture and shall organize a broad scope of activities in
the fields of the representation of the state, museology, education
and other aspects of culture and tourist information. It is planned
that the Royal palace will become an independent and an up-to-date
national institution to nurture and promote culture and its mode of
activities will be in line with the traditional methods as well as
those, which are tested in the world practice by institutions
accommodated in historical residences and at the same time it will
make use of all high-tech possibilities.
Kernavė cultural reservation (in Kernavė, Širvintos district) is a
unique object of UNESCO world heritage. The complex project of the
research, regeneration and introduction to the public of the values
present in it will allow to bring into being the dormant
possibilities of the Kernave cultural reservation to become an
object representing the pre-history of Lithuania and the early
period of the formation of the state.
The Vytautas Magnus Military Museum (Kaunas) is under reconstruction.
It endeavours to become the most up-to date museum relating the
tales of the struggle of the Lithuanian state and the Lithuanian
nation for freedom and independence and introducing the history of
Lithuania and other countries as well as the soldiership.
The M.K.Čiurlionis National Museum of Art (Kaunas) is the oldest and
largest museum in Lithuania. After its reconstruction, scheduled in
the Programme for the Millennium of Lithuania, the museum will
display a major part of the legacy of the great and highly talented
Lithuanian artist M.K.Čiurlionis (1875-1911) and new vistas to
acquaint visitors with the evolution of Lithuanian fine arts.
In 2009, the complex of
Open Air Museum of Lithuania (in Rumšiškės,
Kaišiadorys district) will be completed. Preserved in the museum is
the historical and cultural heritage of everyday life from the end
of the 18th to the beginning of the 20th centuries. The museum
spotlights the peculiarities and oneness of the national identity of
Lithuanians, teaches the society succession of traditions and
invites the visitors to have a rest.
The Millennium Programme also provides for the commemoration of the
Battle of Saule (1236) by a memorial complex in Joniškis district.
Since 2006, the CML Directorate has staged contests for educative
projects related to cultural heritage. Projects promoting the
nurturing and knowledge of cultural heritage have been further
developed.
National and International Projects Related to Culture, Art
and Social Sphere Designed for the Year 2009
In 2003, the CML Directorate initiated and financed the
composition of a piece of music devoted to the State of Lithuanias
750th anniversary, and this gave birth to the opera-ballet Fire and
Faith by Bronius Kutavičius.
The International exhibitions Žalgiris Battle, Classicism of
Vilnius, Christianity in Lithuanian Art and the most valuable
collection of the sacral fine arts Treasury of Vilnius Cathedral
were organized in the Lithuanian Art Museum. The CML Directorate
supported the exhibition of the painting Fowl in Kwedlinburg by the
painter Filomena Linčiūtė-Vaitiekūnienė. When in 2009 Lithuania will
be celebrating the millenium of its name, three international
exhibitions Art of the Balts (coordinated by Vilnius Art Academy),
Jogailian Europe (coordinated by Lithuanian Art Museum) and
Lithuania in Ancient Documents (coordinated by the Department of
Archives of Lithuania) will be organized in the Royal Palace.
The CML Directorate uses the funds of the Programme for the
Millennium of Lithuania to co-finance scientific conferences devoted
to the problems of Lithuanian history and culture.
On the occasion of the commemoration of the millennium of the name of
Lithuania, a feature film on history should be produced.
The millennium of the name of Lithuania urged the capital of the
State of Lithuania, Vilnius, to seek the status of the 2009 European
Cultural Capital. It was officially granted on 14 November 2005 by
the Resolution of the European Council No.2005/815/EU. The Programme
funds are used to finance those projects, which will attract the
guests and our countrymen by the events of modern culture and will
make the cultural life of
Vilnius close to each citizen of Europe.
All publications and events as well as projects within the framework
of the Programme for the Millennium of Lithuania, which are furthered
by the CML Directorate, are marked by the symbol of the millennium of
Lithuania (author - Ilona Kukenytė)
Filomena Linčiūtė-Vaitiekūnienė. The News. The Year 1009. 84x90 II.
Linen, acrylic.2002.
Designer Robertas Jucaitis. Poster devoted to the millennium of
Lithuanias name 70x100 cm. Opaque paper, TetraColour printing,
2007.
Commemoration of the millennium of Lithuanias name is advertised
free of charge in city information stands by JCDecaux JSC
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29 October 14 November, 2008 in Helsinki (Helsingin satama,
Länsiterminaali, Hietasaarenkuja 8) / 2008 m. spalio 29
lapkričio 14 d. Helsinkyje (Suomija) (Helsingin satama,
Länsiterminaali, Hietasaarenkuja 8)
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/ 26 November 18 December, 2008 in the Embassy of the
Republic of Lithuania to the Republic of Estonia (Uus tn. 15,
Tallinn). Opening Times: Tuesday to Thursday 13.00 16.00;
http://www.ldm.lt/Renginiai/Millennium_virtual_en.htm
Directorate for the Commemoration of the Millennium of Lithuania
under the Auspices of the Office of the President of the Republic of
Lithuania
S.Daukanto a. 3, LT-01021 Vilnius
Tel/fax: +370 5 266 40 83,
tel. +370 5 219 18 44
E-mail: millennium@president.lt
Internet site: http://www.lietuvai1000.lt |
