Bright summer evenings and days will be filled with an exclusive program: from the presentation of the hitherto unpublished philosophical heritage of Petras Klimas, signatory of the Act of February 16, to a sensitive commemoration of Romualdas Rakauskas’s work, from a one-day literature festival to the unveiling of a memorial plaque dedicated to the family of diplomat Jurgis Savickis, from a humor show to a concert by a quartet dressed in animation hero costumes.
“This year’s August repertoire is designed so that both Palanga residents and holidaymakers can find a space close to them – whether they are looking for deep academic discoveries, families with children, or fans of quality cultural leisure,” said Renata Lygienė, Director of the Services Department of the National Library of Lithuania.
Unveiling Historical Memory and Vilnius’ Secrets
The beginning of August at the reading room will be dedicated to visual culture and the history of the capital, presenting two new publications from the Lithuanian National Art Museum. The discussions will be led by Dr. Aistė Bimbirytė, director of the Vilnius Picture Gallery. The presentation of a new publication, “A Stranger Who Became Our Own, Vol. 2: The Multifaceted Face of Artistic Vilnius,” will take place.
Compilers Gabija Kasparavičiutė-Kaminskienė and Dainius Junevičius, together with 11 researchers from Lithuania, Poland, and Hungary, will unveil Vilnius’ stories from the 18th century Radziwill patronage to contemporary ballet. Visitors will also see Wilhelm Józef Zacharczyk’s “Vilnius Album” – one of the first representative photo-narratives about the capital from the 19th century. The book, with 52 photographic facsimiles, allows a return to city places that no longer exist.
Literature Festival “Waving Stories”
On August 7, the reading room will be flooded with a day-long festival combining creativity, theater, and music. On this day, children, teenagers, and adults alike will find an interesting event or meeting for themselves.
The festival program includes comic book creation workshops for children with Viktorija Ežiukas, literary improvisations and etudes for teenagers, a listening session of the LRT Radio Theater play “Adopted” by the National Library’s partners and a creative meeting with renowned actors Gabija Urniežiūtė and Ainis Storpirštis, a lively and witty meeting with Gintaras Grajauskas, laureate of the National Culture and Art Prize and the “Book of the Year Awards 2025” poetry category, and even – for the first time in the reading room’s history – “stand-up” comedy! Comedian Domas Raibys (Solo Theater) will present the humor show “Unemployment Calendar.” The one-day festival will culminate in a romantic and profound open-air concert by artist Darius Žvirblis.
Weekend for Families and Childhood Nostalgia
Traditionally, there will be a board game day “Come and Play” – professionals will help families and youth immerse themselves in classic and the latest games by Lithuanian creators. Also in August, children’s author Tomas Dirgėla returns to his native seaside with the slogan “Cool Kids Read Books.” Little readers can expect laughter, answers to the strangest questions, and selfies.
Unique Historical Discoveries
For the first time, the hitherto unpublished philosophical book “Reflections of All Days. Fundamentals of Philosophy” by Lithuanian diplomat, signatory of the Act of February 16, Petras Klimas, will be presented to the public. Prepared based on the original manuscript, the publication opens up the little-known intellectual world of the signatory – his reflections on man, time, state, and morality. The book’s compilers and historians will participate in the event.
The 60th anniversary of the Palanga Summer Reading Room is also dedicated to the presentation of a new album “Summer Reading Room in Palanga” compiled by Prof. Dr. Marija Drėmaitė. The publication will interest everyone who wants to delve deeper into Palanga’s unique cultural space. Using the history of one building, the album reveals several perspectives: the development of the resort, the stories of people who lived and created in Palanga, wooden modernist architecture, and cultural life.
During the presentation, the connections of diplomat Jurgis Savickis’ family with the Palanga Summer Reading Room and the National Library will also be discussed. We will remember the Savickis family’s summer house that was located on the reading room’s territory, and the Jurgis Savickis family archive transferred to the library on the initiative of the diplomat’s grandson, painter and poet Raimondas Savickas. R. Savickas, who will participate in the event, together with Prof. Dr. Marija Drėmaitė, will discuss Palanga, the history of the reading room, culture, and memory, and at the end of the event, a memorial plaque for the former Savickis summer house will be unveiled.
Commemoration of “World Photography Day ’26”: The Poetics of Eternity
World Photography Day will be celebrated at the Palanga Reading Room. Visitors are invited to a unique creative meeting of father and daughter – Romualdas Rakauskas (1941–2021), a classic of Lithuanian analog photography, and Eglė Rakauskaitė, a visionary of contemporary art.
During the evening, visitors will be able to see and purchase digital photography works by R. Rakauskas, author of the legendary cycle “Blossoming,” and immerse themselves in E. Rakauskaitė’s video film “Father” (from the MO Museum collection), which reveals a sensitive artistic connection between two generations.
Cinema and the Visual Magic of Japanese Animation
Young visitors to the resort will also be interested in a special Comedy Film Festival “Just No Dramas,” dedicated to children and youth. There will also be music. The resort will be filled with the music of wonders at the event “The Magic of Joe Hisaishi.” The charming “Ghibli” music quartet (Augustina Vizbaraitė, Povilas Lukaševičius, Saulė Augustina Žostautaitė) will present a musical journey through the world of Hayao Miyazaki’s animated films (“My Neighbor Totoro,” “Spirited Away” and others). The performers, dressed in costumes of their favorite film characters, will create a true visual and auditory fairy tale on stage.
Event location: Vytauto St. 72, Palanga – Palanga Summer Reading Room of the National Library of Lithuania.
All events are free. More information on the National Library’s website.
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