Timothy Snyder
Balancing the books
Sixty years and more after the end of WWII, eastern European experiences of subjugation are often glossed over. This creates misunderstandings that could be avoided by an awareness of a common European history. Solidarity rather than national prejudice would motivate public opinion on matters of European politics.

Isolde Charim
Historical myths new and old
Surrounding the sixtieth anniversary of WWII were arguments that the suffering of eastern Europe goes unacknowledged. By implication, the memory of the Holocaust is a hegemonic discourse within the EU, rather than its binding principle. Here, a new myth is in the making: victim-hood divorced from political context.

Algimantas Grazulis
The protection of the Lithuanian manor house heritage – a constitutional duty for society
The architect Algimantas Grazulis claims that we should establish a network of civic and state government institutions and create a mixed coordinating council to protect and rehabilitate the heritage of manor-houses. But the system of civic competence (of rights, functions, etc.) is not yet drafted; more than that – society lacks an understanding of its necessity. But the essence is the same. Formerly, manor houses were ruled and developed by nobility, however now it is the duty of present-day society. Continued from issue no 2.

Almantas Samalavicius
The curse of Vilnius' Versailles
Antakalnis – once an extremely picturesque suburban area in the seventeenth century – became a place where Lithuanian nobility set out to build their residences modeled on the Italian palazzo type. Sluskai palace, built on the bank of the river Neris, is one of these structures that survives to the present day. Samalavicius discusses its present shape in an urban setting and the possibility of reviving the palace as one of the finest examples of Lithuanian Baroque residential buildings.

Kostas Kaukas
Uprising against uprising continues
Notes on the article by Vygantas Vareikis, "The occupation of Klaipeda region: Documents against myths" (Kulturos barai, issue no 2). This is not the first attempt to negate the uprising of 1923. An uprising against that uprising started immediately after the victory, and was continued by Polish polonists, German Nazis and Russian Bolsheviks. At the beginning of independence, some Lithuanian historians set out to continue this march.

Kestutis Sapoka
How many times did postmodernism "end"?
Polemical notes on the new concept of altermodernism suggested by Nicolas Bourriaud. It seems like the French theorist and curator is obsessed by the passion to create "immortal", common terms of art. I will try to provide a hypothesis for discussion of one more new coinage, that Bourriaud has ambitiously set out to legitimate, namely altermodern or altermodernism. The Tate triennial was held on this occasion and a book was published in which phenomenon of altermodernism is presented as something which really exists.

Max Alhau
Poems
Translated from French by Tomas Taskauskas.

Helmutas Sabasevicius
From heaven to hell
At the end of February, the international theatre festival Syrens and national programme Vilnius – Cultural Capital of Europe 2009 presented the newest trilogy by theatre director and set designer Romeo Castellucci (b. 1960) and his troupe Societas Raffaello Sanzio from Cezen (Italy) Hell. Purgatory. Heaven, created while freely interpreting Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. Sabasevicius discusses the brave visions and ideas of this master of contemporary theatre.

An important event in contemporary music, ISCM World Music Days/Gaida 2008, was held in Vilnius in October and November 2008
It was widely discussed beforehand, however there were surprisingly few comments after it was over. Thus, Kulturos barai publishes texts by musical critics and editors of musical journals: Gisela Gronmeyer (co-editor of German MusikTexte-Zeitschrift fur Neue Music), Jan Topolski (Polish journal of new music Glissand) and Andreas Engstrøm (Swedish new music journal Nutida Music and editor of ISCM World New Music Magazine) where the trends and programmes of the Vilnius festival are discussed as well as insights into contemporary Lithuanian academic music are provided.

About the meaning behind the sound
Musicologist Algirdas Jonas Ambrazas talks to Vita Gruodyte about the contemporary aspects of music, as well as a new role for musicologists. Kestutis Sapoka
Flood, sinking, distribution
Review of an exhibition by the German artist Reiner Splitt in Pamenkalnis Gallery.

Zecharia Plavin
The language of conscience
From the letters to musicologist Edmundas Gedgaudas. Zecharia Plavin, basing himself on an example by composer Karl Amadeus Hartmann, discusses the consciences of artists and art. It was discovered after WWII that Hartmann as the only one among the talented German composers did not collaborate with the Nazi regime. He remained faithful to freedom all his life. However, West Germany changed. It stopped looking within itself for the roots of historical humanism. Now everyone is urged to construct his own narrative and call it his own private conscience. Conscience has become a clumsy burden. This new version of conscience is so widespread that it is perfectly well accepted and we will need a shock to change it.

Irena Aleksaite
Even in step with a cock...
Thoughts after the Seagull by Rimas Tuminas and his pupils. "Saturday morning, as always, I listened to Culture Week on the radio. Director Rimas Tuminas was speaking about how he feels in Moscow, at the J. Vakchtangov theatre, where he works as its supervisor. I felt that the director's artistic position became clearer, though he did not mention his most successful productions, especially Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare, a play after which he was proclaimed the best director in Moscow. I was even more entranced when he spoke about Seagull...

Algirdas Patackas
About dew and the Holy Grail
The mystery of the Holy Grail is perhaps the most popular theme in mystic literature, created in the early Middle Ages from the apocryphal gospel of Nicodemus (IV-V A. D.). This theme in Christian tradition exists like a parallel text that reflects a rather long and complicate period – the shift from pagan times to Christianity. We can also find archaic footsteps, other than Celtic in Baltic, pre-Indo-European culture and hermeneutics of dew.

From the letters of diplomat Stasys Lozoraitis, written 1940-1941
Stasys Lozoraitis senior (1898-1983) was one of the most outstanding diplomats of modern Lithuania. His diplomatic biography is split in two – The first covers the period until 1940, the other the time which followed. The letters were written to his colleagues and friends after Lithuania lost its independence. Prepared for publishing by Rimantas Morkvenas. Continued from issue no 2.

Vygantas Vareikis
The loss of the Klaipeda region: between illusions and Realpolitik
Seventy years have passed since Klaipeda region was taken from Lithuania and it seems one can draw certain conclusions. However, the question whether we had to resist Hitler and thus bring danger to Lithuania's statehood or to proceed like we did in March 1939 is not yet solved. The first part of the study.

Mykolas Karciauskas
From the meetings with poet Eduardas Miezelaitis
"While looking through notes written over some ten years while in hospital, I was hesitant about whether they should be made public. Sometimes it seemed as if all these scrupulously taken notes had no value and meaning. But maybe they gain meaning when someone else reads them, trying to find out meanings or images, hidden symbols and conflicts?" The publication consists of authentic thoughts by Lithuanian poet Eduardas Miezelaitis about the past and the present.

Valdemaras Klumbys
A glance from above at the Soviet period
Valdemaras Klumbys, in reviewing the book Nenutrukusi styga (String that Was Not Broken) by Nerija Putinaite, notes that the general picture of the Soviet times remains unconvincing. It is like looking down from above and the author has failed to grasp the essence the Soviet era.

Krescencija Surkute
Ironical essay on Lithuania's cultural and political life

Published 2009-03-31