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The Vilnius City Council today adopted a resolution approving the construction of a monument to President Antanas Smetona in Vilnius, but calls on the government to suspend the implementation of the results of last year’s tender. The Vilnius City Council seeks to participate in the selection of a monument to President Antanas Smetona and actively participate in the tender commission for the design of the monument, to agree on the essential principles and conditions.
The city of Vilnius was not included in the composition of the project competition commission organized by the Ministry of Culture. representatives of the municipality. The government is requested to suspend the implementation of the results of the tender for the monument to President Antanas Smetona organized in 2020 and not to conclude a public service contract with the winner of the tender. The city supports the idea of erecting a monument to A. Smetona, but this resolution asks the Government to include representatives of the Municipality in the composition of the monuments competition commission and to allocate sufficient time for the presentation of the works of the competition.
“Today, together with other members of the council, we unanimously decided that in order to smoothly organize the process of perpetuation of historical memory in Vilnius, the constant involvement of the municipality in the essential stages of the perpetuation process must be ensured. Community. for us as a city to decide together what is the best place for perpetuation, and if a competition is planned, agree on the essential principles and conditions ”, commented Deputy Mayor Tomas Gulbinas on the resolution.
With this document, the City Council undertakes to consider and present to the Government within a period of 2 months proposals for alternative sites for the construction of the monument to President Antanas Smetona. Likewise, it obliges the municipal administration of the city to participate in the bidding commission for the design of the monument.
The resolution draws attention to the fact that the city of Vilnius was not included in the composition of the project competition commission organized by the Ministry of Culture. representatives of the municipality, and according to the developers, the time allotted for the contest was too short. Furthermore, Vilnius v. Commission for Education and Culture Affairs of the Council and Vilnius The conclusions of the Commission for Historical Memory of the City Council mention that the artistic and architectural solution chosen for the monument is inadequate without coordinating the construction of the monument with the residents of the city and representatives of the municipality .
