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Lithuanian Heritage at Risk as Radvilai Palace Repair Funds Fall Through
despite urgent needs, funding for critical repairs to the 17th-century Radvilai Palace has been denied, raising concerns about the preservation of a important cultural landmark.
Lithuania’s Radvilai Palace faces an uncertain future as requests for nearly €800,000 in repair funding have been rejected by the Ministry of Finance. The Lithuanian National Museum of Art (LNDM) initially requested €798,000 for repairs in 2026 and an additional €199,000 for 2027, but officials indicate the funds are unavailable due to budgetary constraints.
“Due to the limitation of the state’s financial capabilities and fiscal indicators, additional funds for the field of culture were not allocated for this project,” a representative from the Ministry of Finance stated. the Ministry of Culture echoed these concerns, acknowledging the building’s condition but stating it “does not have the ability to make new commitments for the years 2026-2028 by allocating the requested funding to the museum.”
Following the Seimas’s approval of the state budget on Thursday, the Ministry of Culture indicated a willingness to reassess the request. However, the museum has been encouraged to seek alternative funding sources. Officials recommend LNDM explore “internal resources within the scope of the institution’s managed budget,including earned income contributions and other legitimately received funds,” alongside phased solutions for addressing the building’s urgent needs.
Arūnas Gelūnas, Director of LNDM, expressed strong disapproval of the decision. “I don’t appreciate such statements to leave a valuable heritage under the rain and not allow it to be repaired even cosmetically for emergency needs,” Gelūnas said.
The Ministry of Culture’s 2024 budget totals €265.588 million, with a recent boost of €8.5 million from reallocated funds previously designated for the national broadcaster. While Minister of Culture Vaida Aleknavičienė acknowledged the additional funds would help offset budget decreases for some institutions, she emphasized that smaller organizations may still face challenges. “Smaller institutions…there will be a slight plus now,” she stated, adding that institutions reliant on self-generated revenue are better positioned to navigate budgetary pressures.
Gelūnas voiced skepticism about receiving any funding, citing a recent communication from the Ministry of Finance requesting a €66,000 budget reduction. “after such a call and such signals from the ministry, we no longer expect to receive anything,” he said, questioning the lack of response to the palace’s critical repair needs.
The current situation stems, in part, from a stalled investment project initiated in 2020 to adapt the Radvilai Palace for museum activities. Despite €6 million in state funding allocated this year, the project failed to meet its deadline, and a request to redirect funds towards emergency repairs was denied. Over the past six years,LNDM has spent over €2.3 million solely on preparing the technical project, according to the Ministry of Finance. Moreover, the Ministry noted that neither the Ministry of Culture nor the Lithuanian National Museum of Art included a request for continued funding during the 2026-2028 budget preparation.
arūnas Steponėnas, LNDM’s deputy director for investments, confirmed that a portion of the allocated funds was requested to address the building’s deteriorating condition, but these requests were also unsuccessful.
Founded in 1990,the Art Museum of the Radvil Palace now fa
