According to Mindaugas Sinkevičius, the building should meet the interests of the Jewish community.
“It could be important not as a Sports Palace, but as some kind of memory palace, where there would be harmony and agreement between two sides – both the Jewish and Lithuanian communities. But that agreement is not easily reached, discussions are needed,” M. Sinkevičius told journalists on Wednesday.
“A solution should be sought on how to activate that building, thinking about how to reflect the situation of the Jewish cemetery, the interests of the Jewish community, but also not forgetting that the building is a very important monument of our Rebirth and Sąjūdis period,” he said.
According to him, discussions about the future of the abandoned building will move to autumn: “We will discuss not only with representatives of the Jewish community but also with the Speaker of the Seimas.”
M. Sinkevičius discussed the issues of the Vilnius Concert and Sports Palace and the Šnipiškės Jewish cemetery territory on Tuesday with representatives of the Good Will Foundation. The Government Communication Department then reported that, according to the Prime Minister’s assessment, any historical memory projects must unite, not divide.
It is stated that the Prime Minister assured that the Cabinet of Ministers is and will remain open to seeking solutions based on dialogue and cooperation principles.
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As BNS reported, in May the Seimas began considering a draft resolution proposing that the Government adapt the Vilnius Concert and Sports Palace into a congress center, also commemorating the old Jewish cemetery and the activities of Sąjūdis in this territory.
Part of the Jewish community opposes the establishment of the congress center; they would like the palace to be converted into a Lithuanian Jewish history memorial.
With public opinions differing on what should operate in the currently dilapidated Vilnius Concert and Sports Palace, the Seimas Culture Committee decided to postpone the decision until autumn.
The committee should form a working group to prepare a refined project of the future Congress Palace’s functions, and the Ministry of Culture would ensure that the palace is declared a state-protected cultural heritage object of national significance. Currently, it has the status of a regionally significant protected object.
According to the previously approved project, the reconstructed palace would include conference spaces, a library, a culture and information center, Rebirth and Sąjūdis exhibitions, and a Jewish history memorial and educational space.
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