Published: 20250407
On 3 April, the Ambassador of New Zealand residing in Warsaw, Paul Ballantyne, visited the National Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, accompanied by his wife, Cristina Rivas Lopez, and the Embassy's Political Adviser, Albina Logachova.
The guests were welcomed by Dr Ramunė Šmigelskytė-Stukienė, Deputy Director General of the museum. She presented the more than 700-year history of the residence of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, highlighting the circumstances of the palace’s destruction, the significance of historical memory, and the process of reconstruction that led to the establishment of the museum. The discussion also touched upon the museum’s dynamic educational and cultural activities, its research priorities, and representative events.
Particular attention was given to a gift presented to the Ambassador – a copy of a passport issued to Michał Kleofas Oginski (1765–1833), a politician and diplomat of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, who was travelling to London. The passport bore the autograph of British diplomat William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland (1745–1814). This symbolic gesture reflects a historical connection between Lithuania and New Zealand: in 1790, both men were stationed in the capital of the Netherlands, and in 1806, a group of islands in the southern part of New Zealand was named after Baron Auckland, then head of the British Board of Trade.
The guests were introduced to the museum’s rich and distinctive archaeological exhibition, the reconstructed interiors reflecting the Late Gothic, Renaissance, and Early Baroque styles, as well as masterpieces of European art displayed in the Dr Pranas Kiznis Picture Gallery. The tour was led by Asta Junevičienė, Project Manager at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. The visitors showed great interest in the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the personal ties between rulers and states, historical cartography, and contemporary understandings of the world.
