Published: 20260710
During the four-day professional development programme, the Ukrainian participants will become acquainted with the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania Museum’s permanent exhibitions and temporary displays, as well as its approaches to collection management, conservation, exhibition design and museum practice. They will also exchange knowledge on the latest developments and innovative solutions with specialists from the Pranas Gudynas Centre for Restoration, Vilnius University and its Library, Vilnius Cathedral, the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, and Pažaislis Monastery. The programme also includes visits to Kernavė and Trakai. The training aims to foster professional exchange, strengthen the competencies of museum specialists and further develop long-term cooperation between Lithuanian and Ukrainian museums.
For many years, the Palace of the Grand Dukes has worked closely with Lviv’s leading museums on joint research, exhibition and educational projects. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has given this partnership an even deeper significance.
“In the past, we primarily shared the experience of Lithuanian museums. Today, however, we are increasingly learning from our Ukrainian colleagues as well,” says Dr Vydas Dolinskas, Director General of the Palace of the Grand Dukes. “Over the past several years, Ukrainian museum professionals have had to focus above all on safeguarding cultural heritage under wartime conditions. They have gained invaluable experience in evacuating collections, strengthening museums’ crisis preparedness and protecting cultural assets under constant threat. This knowledge is now becoming increasingly relevant to the entire European museum community. The professional development programme organised by the Palace Museum is therefore much more than an exchange of expertise. It is a partnership of equals, in which both sides share their experience and work together to find solutions for protecting Europe’s cultural heritage in the face of new challenges.”
The long-standing cooperation with Lviv’s museums will continue in the years ahead. At the end of this year, the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania Museum, in cooperation with the Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv, will open the international exhibition “Ukrainian Baroque,” which will be one of the flagship cultural events during Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The exhibition will introduce visitors – including political leaders from across Europe – to the outstanding heritage of Ukrainian Baroque art while highlighting the deep historical and cultural ties between Lithuania and Ukraine.
Another major joint project is planned for 2028. Discussions are underway to bring to Lithuania a selection of the finest and most celebrated sculptures by the eminent 18th-century Baroque sculptor Johann Georg Pinsel for a major exhibition at the Palace of the Grand Dukes.
The Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania Museum will also continue its professional development programme for Ukrainian museum specialists, while Lithuanian museum professionals will travel to Ukraine as part of the exchange. According to Dr Dolinskas, joint research projects and international exhibitions strengthen not only the partnership between Lithuanian and Ukrainian museums but also represent a tangible contribution to safeguarding Europe’s shared cultural heritage.
Photo: Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania Museum.
