A flurry of cultural events in Šiauliai on the occasion of February 16th

On February 16, 2025, Šiauliai will celebrate a historic victory for freedom, meaningful to the entire country. This year, events, festive concerts, educational programs, and citizenship initiatives dedicated to the Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania will take place in the city of Saulė throughout February, culminating on February 16, when it will be possible to celebrate freedom together with compatriots by participating in the solemn ceremony of raising the Lithuanian state flag, an inclusive procession-performance, and other events promoting Lithuanian identity.
Organizer – Šiauliai City Municipality. Organizer – Šiauliai Cultural Center. Events are free.

February 16, 1918 changed the history not only of Lithuania, but also of each of us. Twenty signatories of the Council of Lithuania, with their signatures, consolidated freedom, which opened the door to an independent, democratically founded country. The Act of Independence of Lithuania allowed the renunciation of all state ties that had ever connected it with other nations.

In Šiauliai, the work of the signatories has been integrated into the commemoration for several years. Mykolas Biržiška, Jonas Vileišis, Steponas Kairys and Alfonsas Petrulis are people whom the city of Saulė is proud of and remembers every year. This year, the celebration of the holiday brings a historical example, connected with our own contribution and the desire to make the holiday meaningful, reviving historical memory.

“107 years ago, we began our path to freedom. Today, as we celebrate Lithuania, where we can grow, prosper and speak our native language, we also remember our fight for freedom of speech. "Let this week of cultural events inspire you to search for your roots and history, which we can be proud of," says Daina Kinčinaitienė, Head of the Culture Department of the Šiauliai City Municipality Administration.

On the eve of the Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania, on February 15, at 2 p.m., the traditional concert "We were born Lithuanians" will be held in the Chamber Hall of the Šiauliai Cultural Center (entry will be by invitation only). The Šiauliai Cultural Center Chamber Choir “Vasara” (artistic director K. Lootė), which has been organizing the event for more than three decades, will be joined this year by the Šiauliai “Dagilėlis” Singing School 1st grade boys’ choir (teacher R. Koržanovienė), the Šiauliai District Municipality Cultural Center mixed choir “Ventus” (director H. Mockienė), the Skuodas District Cultural Center women’s choir “Apuolė” (director R. Andersen) and the Šiauliai Cultural Center Chamber Choir “Bičiuliai” (artistic director R. Daukantaitė). It is hoped that the emotional, unity-building songs will not only remind us of our roots, but also take us to the green forests and fields of our homeland, for which our compatriots fought.

On February 16, a festive Sunday, at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., the Holy Eucharist will be offered at the Cathedral of St. Apostles Peter and Paul (Aušros tak. 3). Mass, and at 11:30 a.m. a solemn ceremony of raising the Lithuanian national flag will take place in the Resurrection Square. This year, the tricolor will be raised by the honorary citizens of the city of Šiauliai, educators Violeta and Romualdas Laugaliai, who have been instilling love for national dance for more than four decades. The event will be attended by the Šiauliai Wind Orchestra (artistic director and conductor S. Vaičiulionis, conductor G. Brūzga), soloists Adrijana Balsytė, Juozas Janužas.

Immediately after the solemn ceremony, at 11:45 a.m., Šiauliai residents and guests of the city will be invited to a journey back in time. The characters of the Street Theater’s interactive, engaging procession-performance “Signatories Go for a Photoshoot” that will begin in the Resurrection Square will accompany the event participants along Vilniaus St. Boulevard and Tilžės Street to the courtyard of the Šiauliai Julius Janonis Gymnasium. The organizers of the event invite the townspeople to travel along a route full of improvisations, which will not lack either the transmission of historical memory or the creation of an unexpected, unique connection with the observer. The procession will end with the immortalization of the signatories in the courtyard of the Šiauliai Julius Janonis Gymnasium. Until 2 p.m., it will be possible to visit the Jonas Krivickas Museum of the History of the Julius Janonis Gymnasium for free.

On the festive day, there will be no shortage of patriotic songs in Šiauliai, which the townspeople will be able to hear at the concert "Lietuva Tėvynė" organized by the Šiauliai City Concert Institution "Saulė" and at the festive concert "Ta Lietuva" by the folklore ensemble "Salduvė" of the Šiauliai City Cultural Center "Laiptų galerija".

The historic day will be crowned by the folk dance concert "Tėvynės spalvos" held at the Šiauliai Cultural Center. The festival organizer, the folk dance group "Vajaunas" (artistic director R. Laugalis) of the Šiauliai Cultural Center, will be joined by Šiauliai city choreography groups and will reveal the beauty of the national dance that has been cherished for years. The event organizers point out that free invitations to this concert have already been distributed.

It will also be possible to celebrate freedom at other events of Šiauliai city institutions and organizations. Residents of Saulė city will be able to enjoy excursions, lectures, and free visits to the branches of the Šiauliai "Aušra" Museum and the Šiauliai Art Gallery.

On Sunday, the Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania, Šiauliai residents are invited to travel by bus routes 12 and 21, where the 16th literary and artistic action "Independence Routes" will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Poetry by Lithuanian authors will be read by actors of the State Šiauliai Drama Theatre: Juozas Bindokas, Monika Šaltytė, Nomeda Bėčiūtė, Vladas Baranauskas. On city buses at 11 a.m., Šiauliai residents and city guests will be given tricolor flags made by students.

The full program of events can be found on the websites of Šiauliai City Municipality (www.siauliai.lt) and Šiauliai Cultural Centre (www.siauliukc.lt).

Information is provided by Asta Vaitkienė, Head of the Event Organization Department of the Šiauliai Cultural Center, mobile +370 671 42 901, e-mail asta.vaitkiene@siauliukc.lt. 

Photo by Rolandas Parafinavičius and Liubov Yarmoshenko.