THE ENVIRONMENT
The closing conference of the UNESCO World Heritage Year in Lithuania will take place remotely on December 16. Seimas, the Lithuanian parliament, designated 2020 as the year of UNESCO World Heritage in Lithuania. A highlight of the year‘s accomplishments was the progress in bringing Kaunas modernist architecture closer to the World Heritage list. Other priorities and possibilities will be discussed at the meeting being convened by the State Cultural Heritage Commission. Its purpose is also to emphasize the importance of the UNESCO World Cultural and Naturual Heritage Convention for Lithuania. Already on the list are Vilnius‘ Old Town historical centre, the archeological site at Kernavė, the Curonian Lagoon and the Struvė Geodesic Arc. Application for Kaunas modernist architecture to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list is being prepared, and the preliminary submission has been approved. The conference is intended to increase public awareness of the universal importance of these places and the need to preserve them for future generations. Lithuania became a member of UNESCO in 1991.
The conference will take place at http://unescokonferencija.zoomtv.lt. Registered participants will be allowed to present questions. Live streaming can be seen on the LithuanianCultural Heritage Commission’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/kulturospaveldokomisija.
Speaking of UNESCO Sites…
Worth a look? A bilingual book published in 2017, titled Curonian Spit as the Voice of Conscience (Kuršių nerija kaip sąžinė) by Lithuanian writer and philosopher Arvydas Juozaitis. An introduction to this UNESCO World Heritage site and its various elements, with facts presented by the national park’s staff. At the time of publication it was available at the Park visitor centres in Nida (Naglių g. 8) and Smiltynė (Smiltynės g. 11) for 8.50. euros.
