Today, on February 5th, the acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy Rostyslav Karandieiev met with the Deputy Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Ukraine, Jurgita Jankūnienė, and the cultural attaché of the Embassy of Lithuania in Ukraine, Tomas Ivanauskas.
Rostyslav Karandieiev expressed gratitude for the solidarity and support shown towards Ukrainian culture, particularly for assistance in organizing the exhibition “Bakhmut. Faces of Genocide 1942/2022” and facilitating the touring of the Kharkiv National Opera and Ballet Theater named after Mykola Lysenko in Lithuania.
“Preserving intangible cultural heritage is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy. After all, it is our identity. In every country, identity is unique, and when we protect it, we express our respect for our own history. Therefore, today, we particularly need to foster the formation of a resilient identity among our citizens who are currently residing abroad,” stated the acting Minister.
According to him, there is consideration for the possibility of including the element of intangible cultural heritage “Holy Supper (Christmas Eve Supper) in Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine” in the UNESCO List.
Jurgita Jankūnienė emphasized the continuation of bilateral cooperation and the assistance that Lithuania provides to Ukraine on its path towards the European Union.
In turn, Tomas Ivanauskas assured of the continuation of long-term support for Ukrainian artists temporarily staying in Lithuania, providing scholarships to representatives of culture, offering Ukrainians the opportunity to visit museums for free, fostering cooperation between cultural institutions, as well as organizing exhibitions of Maria Pryimachenko’s works and arranging tours for the Kyiv Wind Orchestra in Lithuania.
“I understand how important it is for Ukraine to receive not only material support but also support on an emotional level. Our joint program allows us all to come together and do everything possible to meet the current cultural needs,” noted the cultural attaché of the Embassy of Lithuania in Ukraine.
Additionally, he introduced a program of initiatives in Ukraine, including the revival of Lithuanian film days in Ukraine, celebrating anniversaries of Lithuanian artists, organizing tours of Lithuanian jazz performers in Ukrainian cities, and presenting a large book exhibition at forums in Lithuania.
“We also plan a project of cooperation between the Kyiv and Vilnius Toy Museums, which involves an exhibition of Ukrainian motanka dolls in Lithuania. For us, this is a very unique form of art,” shared Thomas Ivanauskas.
Rostyslav Karandieiev supported the proposed initiatives and assured of readiness to contribute to their implementation.
