A delegation from Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, led by Oleksandr Sych, Chairman of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Council, visited the National Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. The guests learned about the museum’s history and activities, as well as Lithuania’s experience in protecting and presenting its cultural heritage.
The delegation also included Mariana Hrynechko, Chair of the Standing Commission on Culture, Spirituality and Information Policy of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Council, and Mariana Pidhaietska, Consultant in the International and Interregional Cooperation and Project Management Department of the Council’s Executive Office. The Ukrainian guests were accompanied by Karolina Narkiewicz, Chief Specialist at the Administration of the Vilnius Regional Development Council.
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The meeting focused particularly on the protection of Ukraine’s cultural heritage during wartime. Oleksandr Sych emphasised that Russian forces attack not only areas near the front line but also museums and cultural property storage facilities further away, using drones and missiles on a daily basis. He noted that it was therefore important for Lithuania to learn from Ukraine’s experience and prepare in advance for potential threats.
“It is far easier to lose valuable cultural heritage than to restore it later. Without it, there is no history, no memory and no future,” said the Chairman of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast Council. O. Sych also highlighted the importance of Lithuania’s support for Ukraine and the shared historical experience of the two nations, dating back to the era of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. According to him, relations between Lithuania and Ukraine are strengthened not only by their shared past but also by their solidarity today.
Marijus Uzorka, Deputy Director General of the National Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, introduced the guests to the history of the palace’s reconstruction, the museum’s activities, international exhibitions, educational programmes and representative role. He explained how the palace complex had been reconstructed over a period of just over two decades and how the museum had become one of Lithuania’s key venues for presenting the country’s history and cultural heritage. He also outlined plans for upcoming exhibitions of Ukrainian Baroque art at the museum, featuring works from the collections of the Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv and the Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery.
Following the meeting, the guests explored the museum’s exhibitions accompanied by Maria Frolova, a Ukrainian guide working at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. They showed particular interest in Lithuania’s history and the past of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
The visit provided an opportunity to exchange experience, discuss the geopolitical context and explore practical ways in which Lithuanian institutions could contribute. It also served as a reminder that protecting cultural heritage is inseparable from preserving the historical memory and safeguarding the future of nations.
