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Lukiškės Square, which until recently was a symbol of liberation from Soviet shackles, is increasingly becoming a battleground for historical memory. It is like Jerusalem in our historical memory, where, as in real life, the tension in the air can sometimes smell almost physically. Once upon a time, I myself had to be at the epicenter of the stones of confusion between Muslims and Israelis at the Lion Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, and I will never forget that tension and the sense of danger exploding in midair. A similar drama seems to break out in today’s public discourse, in which the great politicians regroup to fight for the historical truth, as if sharpening their own arguments, which will soon occupy Lukiškės Square.
It is true, there is still no tension in Lukišk plazas Square, it feels faster than in Berlin, Düsseldorf or any other western city: people are relaxed, happy … I would like to write “free” The use of the word ‘freedom’ As he would say, he would already be codified to promote the Freedom Party, of which I admit to being a member and one of the founders. So I decided to abstain and, at least in this sentence, escape without the word “freedom”.
It is difficult to say how long this good mood will last in Lukiškės Square: Ramūnas Karbauskis has made it known in public and especially aloud through all the media that the Seimas will take the deprivation of the Vilnius mayor, Remigijus Šimašius by law. Serious. When Ramūnas decides to take revenge on someone, he does so. You don’t choose any of the tools, you don’t look at the prices. There is no need to look for examples, we have removed a multifunctional complex with a national stadium of 30 years, it will not be difficult to remove a square from the city. Or maybe it will?
Only we are right!
“All the rascals who think differently than we do!”, Those who are not saluting in historical memory, although not, it is better to say it, who are looking for political dividends in the period prior to the Seimas elections. The fact that conservatives have long taken advantage of the patriotic line and reserved the creation of narratives of historical memory only for themselves is customary and not particularly surprising because of the opportunistic sharpening of historical issues during the electoral period, mobilizing National Union voters.
This week is especially notable for shouting a hostile slogan of the shimashuu genre, they get along well with conservatives and guarantee additional qualifying votes for those who desperately need to secure the highest possible positions on the list. Here, too, my colleague from the Vilnius City Council, vice chairman of the Historical Memory Commission, Kamilė Šerait tries, annoyed, trying to require the mayor to explain why the Historical Memory Commission did not receive the beach project of Lukiškės for your consideration. But, as I have already mentioned, the proactivity of conservatives on this issue has been unstoppable and surprisingly insurmountable.
A little more surprised were the new voices in Tokat’s historical memory. The Liberal Movement, in the person of Mr. Seimas’ member Eugenijus Gentvilas, joined the ranks of the conservative Taliban, renouncing any allusion to liberalism, not just condemning the “oasis of hedonism” as the Seimas member called Lukiškės beach. And although Gentville says that he does not support the laws that regulate the activities of the squares, his position is increasingly correlated with conservative doctrine. We will soon see how much liberalism all those who call themselves liberals have. Karbauskis has already launched in the loop – wait!
Historical memory or political mathematics?
And the leader of the Peasants and Greens Party suddenly begins to demonstrate conservative patriotism, calling the actions of the Vilnius City Municipality to desecrate the square. Strong, really!
Karbauskis refrains from putting bile on the mayor of Vilnius and therefore hated the liberals, whom Vilnius residents have entrusted to rule the capital for the second consecutive year, having increased the number of seats for the mayor’s team in the last municipal council elections. Ramūnas Karbauskis’ hatred of the Freedom Party and one of its leaders, Remigijus Šimašis, may seem at first glance based on a purely political deduction: humiliating the mayor and saying that he does not face the commemoration of the square. It is increasingly clear that the peasants are trying to form a narrative created especially for the elections, that the Vilnius mayor does not get along, only Skvernelis and Veryga get along. And yes, both here with that patriotism and historical memory, there was only the fear of losing power.
In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, Remigijus Šimašius has become a symbol of a different policy: a leader who has demonstrated determination and effective management in the face of complex challenges. Such an unexpected new leadership, obviously a very dangerous green one chunta Increasingly appointed peasant leaders, who unscrupulously pass the fundamental principles of democracy, cynically exercise the power that is still in power to disrupt the most important projects in the capital, to the detriment of political and ideological opponents. It is worth mentioning here that to implement the Vilnius mayor, who undermines the aforementioned narrative, the hopes of Vilnius and the whole of Lithuania to have a multi-functional complex with a long-awaited national stadium were shattered at the last minute. And this is a great loss not only for Vilnius residents, but also for the sports community. The private cultural sector, which is going through extremely difficult times, has been deprived of a serious opportunity to undertake solid projects at European level to organize events that we could not have just because we have not been able to build a huge stadium in any European capital.
And when it comes to “organizing” with Lukiškės Square, I would like to remind Mr. Chairman of the Seimas Culture Committee, whose political influence is the Ministry of Culture, that the Ministry of Culture held the Lukiškės Square Memorial Competition , which was legitimately won by A. Labašauskas’ “Freedom Hill” project. . This topic is still relevant and the debate has returned: a great opportunity for all of us to remember that the winning project has not yet been implemented and the government’s commitment to this project, as far as I know, has not been fulfilled either. The obligations of the state with the author have not been fulfilled so far and this becomes a bad case, which does not constitute good practice and does not create the necessary prestige for future state orders.
Manipulating historical memory before the elections is a crime!
I join this discussion feeling compelled to respond as chairman of the Vilnius Historical Memory Commission. The heated debate on the issue of historical memory has begun, directly affecting the spaces of the Capital and historical memory. At the beginning of the electoral period, our commission is simply attacked with requests and suggestions on how one or another problem of historical memory should be urgently resolved. I believe that one of my important duties as chair of the commission is to protect the commission from pre-election politics. It is even more important to protect historical memory in itself so that it does not become hostage to political manipulation.
We have repeatedly had the opportunity to experience how quickly the problems of historical memory can ignite discord, divide society, and weaken national unity. I consider that current attempts by politicians to use the Kazzes from the historical memory of Lukiškės Square for political struggle are especially dangerous. Therefore, I ask politicians to refrain from escalating the themes of historical memory during the electoral campaign. Clearly, the only way to find reconciliation and reconciliation on painful historical issues is not the hasty adoption of new laws, but dialogue, for which elections are not the most appropriate time.
The Vilnius Historical Memory Commission did not consider the issue of Lukiškė beach nor did it consider the issue of the skating rink or other events or events in one or the other square, this is not the competence of this commission. The Commission addresses perpetuation issues, seeks the systematic formulation of principles, and monitors the practical implementation of these principles as necessary. And even if the commission were to ask if we would agree to such a volume in Lukiškės Square, by donating, I will not get away with the freedom manifesto here without the word “Freedom”, I would definitely support it; I hope that other members of the commission also agree. I see a subtle and at the same time powerful symbolism: in the square imprisoned by Soviet monumentalism for many decades, an oasis of sand emerges and emerges, which the residents of Vilnius soon fill with authentic noise. And this is right under the windows of the old KGB palace: the new generation of Lithuanians, who are free (well, again, I have not escaped without the word) and relaxed, who are not afraid of the gene and have far fewer complexes .
This form of freedom in no way means disrespect for the freedom fighters who have fought for freedom and who have suffered in the area of this plaza. Rather, freedom is celebrated in the most authentic way.
On Tuesday, feeling it was worth rushing to form a personal opinion that they might be urgently needed, I walked from the township to Lukiškės Square to see the beach live. I recommend doing this to anyone who has that opportunity, to whom this theme resonates. Theoretically, resenting or otherwise participating in the discussion alone, but when you experience the live mood there, it certainly remains, as long as you’re not engaged. It is a successful manifesto of freedom. I do not agree with the experts in a hurry to determine that this performance is incompatible with the commemorative purpose of the square.
Overall, in recent months, statements made by some state officials are more reminiscent of political hostage speeches than assessments by professional experts. And if anyone sincerely believes that Lukiškės Square should remain stagnant, that its purpose is to be quiet and coldly monumental, and therefore empty, open up, you yourself do not fit in with the current reality and global trends of historical memory and the monumentation.
We protect them. Now we believe!
When we regained our freedom, or more precisely, recaptured it with songs without firing a single shot and, as a result, it became a global phenomenon of freedom, we had 30 years to protect our Homeland from enemies, from ourselves, from generation of the Soviet era seeking to loosen up or “pricratize” in search of something. A new generation has grown with new priorities, instead of devoting all their efforts to preserving what is already safe, this generation wants to create and further develop the open source of Lithuania.
Now is our time and our will to love the Homeland as the heart dictates. My heart is happy that today in Lukiškės Square, which is historically important to all of us, it is not the bars or cafes, not the momentary events that cause a stir, but a performance of freedom throughout the summer that resonates.
Gediminas is a member of the Council, President of the Vilnius City Municipality Historical Memory Commission.
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