A Photographic Exhibition of Kaunas Modernist Architecture opened in Pretoria
The photographic exhibition Architecture of Optimism: Building a Modern Capital in Kaunas, Lithuania, 1919–1939 by Gintaras Balčytis, Rymantas Penkauskas and Gintaras Česonis was opened to the public at the Link Gallery of Pretoria University on February 2, 2023.
Ambassador Dainius Junevičius highlighted recent cultural events of Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022 and encouraged diplomats to support the Lithuanian nomination. He said: “The decision was expected to be taken at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee last year. However, the session was postponed due to Russia's war on Ukraine. It will be held this September in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Lithuania sincerely hopes that all member countries of the World Heritage Committee, including South Africa, will vote for the inscription of Kaunas' modernist architecture in the UNESCO World Heritage List.“
Kaunas, the provisional capital of Lithuania from 1919 to 1939, is an outstanding example of a modern city subject to rapid urbanisation and modernisation. The modern city of Kaunas presents a series of outstanding and well-preserved examples of more than 6000 buildings, designed for a new capital city. The nomination dossier to inscribe Kaunas Modernist Architecture to the UNESCO World Heritage List has been submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in 2021.
