DESERVEDLY SO II: KAUNAS, UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE 🇱🇹🏛️🌟 "The modernist architecture of Lithuania’s second city Kaunas has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, but it will have to implement experts’ recommendations within a year and a half.
The decision was taken on Monday during a session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
'Kaunas modernist architecture inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List! This is a historic moment, especially considering that Kaunas Modernism is a relatively new heritage and especially considering the historical and political importance of the period when our modern statehood was born and developed,' said Culture Minister Simonas Kairys.
On Monday, after members of the World Heritage Committee voted in favour of including Kaunas modernist architecture in the World Heritage List, the Lithuanian Ambassador to UNESCO Jolanta Balčiūnienė invited everyone to come to Kaunas.
According to Culture Minister Kairys, the decision of the World Heritage Committee was unexpected.
Before leaving for the session, the Lithuanian representatives had set a goal that the application 'Modern Kaunas: the Architecture of Optimism, 1919-1939' be returned to the drafters with a request to make minor changes rather than to make substantial improvements.
'There was not much chance that Kaunas would be inscribed on UNESCO’s list at this session,' said Kairys [...] Before making the decision, the Committee members made a number of recommendations to Kaunas.
'The applicant country must submit a report on the implementation of the above recommendations to the World Heritage Centre by 1 December 2025 for evaluation by the World Heritage Committee at its 48th session,' the decision said.
Culture Minister Kairys is confident that the recommendations will be implemented.
'Of course, UNESCO [listing] is not only an honour, not only a source of pride, not only the strongest label for tourism, but it is also a responsibility alongside great opportunities. Yes, there have been some observations by experts, they will have to be evaluated, they will have to be taken into account, and the city of Kaunas will have to listen to them first. I think that with the energy we have after today’s decision, it is possible to do all these things,' Kairys told BNS on Monday.
One of the necessary tasks is to draw up a management plan for Kaunas New Town.
Kaunas was the temporary capital of Lithuania in the 1920s and 1930s. The city grew rapidly to accommodate its new functions.
Kaunas has dozens of outstanding examples of modernist architecture from the 1930s.
The UNESCO World Heritage List includes cultural and natural heritage sites and places of outstanding universal value [...]."
#kaunas #lietuva #lithuania #litauen #литва #unesco #worldheritage #visitlithuania #architecture #culture #baltischerdialog
https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2079271/kaunas-interwar-architecture-added-to-unesco-world-heritage-list
The decision was taken on Monday during a session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
'Kaunas modernist architecture inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List! This is a historic moment, especially considering that Kaunas Modernism is a relatively new heritage and especially considering the historical and political importance of the period when our modern statehood was born and developed,' said Culture Minister Simonas Kairys.
On Monday, after members of the World Heritage Committee voted in favour of including Kaunas modernist architecture in the World Heritage List, the Lithuanian Ambassador to UNESCO Jolanta Balčiūnienė invited everyone to come to Kaunas.
According to Culture Minister Kairys, the decision of the World Heritage Committee was unexpected.
Before leaving for the session, the Lithuanian representatives had set a goal that the application 'Modern Kaunas: the Architecture of Optimism, 1919-1939' be returned to the drafters with a request to make minor changes rather than to make substantial improvements.
'There was not much chance that Kaunas would be inscribed on UNESCO’s list at this session,' said Kairys [...] Before making the decision, the Committee members made a number of recommendations to Kaunas.
'The applicant country must submit a report on the implementation of the above recommendations to the World Heritage Centre by 1 December 2025 for evaluation by the World Heritage Committee at its 48th session,' the decision said.
Culture Minister Kairys is confident that the recommendations will be implemented.
'Of course, UNESCO [listing] is not only an honour, not only a source of pride, not only the strongest label for tourism, but it is also a responsibility alongside great opportunities. Yes, there have been some observations by experts, they will have to be evaluated, they will have to be taken into account, and the city of Kaunas will have to listen to them first. I think that with the energy we have after today’s decision, it is possible to do all these things,' Kairys told BNS on Monday.
One of the necessary tasks is to draw up a management plan for Kaunas New Town.
Kaunas was the temporary capital of Lithuania in the 1920s and 1930s. The city grew rapidly to accommodate its new functions.
Kaunas has dozens of outstanding examples of modernist architecture from the 1930s.
The UNESCO World Heritage List includes cultural and natural heritage sites and places of outstanding universal value [...]."
#kaunas #lietuva #lithuania #litauen #литва #unesco #worldheritage #visitlithuania #architecture #culture #baltischerdialog
https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2079271/kaunas-interwar-architecture-added-to-unesco-world-heritage-list
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Kaunas interwar architecture added to UNESCO World Heritage List
The modernist architecture of Lithuania’s second city Kaunas has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, but i...