Lithuanian Parliament unanimously condemns Russia’s policy of destroying Lithuania’s historical memory and culture

The Seimas, responding to the destruction of the Lithuanian nation's historical memory in the Russian Federation, has adopted a resolution. It notes that:

On April 19, 2026, in Tomsk (Russian Federation), the Square of Remembrance for Victims of Political Repression was destroyed. A monument to Lithuanian political prisoners and deportees, erected in 2016 with funds from the Lithuanian state, was removed. The "Stone of Mourning," dedicated to the victims of Bolshevik terror, was dismantled, and other national monuments dedicated to Latvian, Estonian, and Polish victims of Stalinist repression were also destroyed.

Furthermore, educational institutions and Lithuanian language schools are being closed. In the Kaliningrad region, an association responsible for fostering the Lithuanian language was deregistered by court order; the activities of artistic ensembles are being suspended. Also in the Kaliningrad region, the name of the Kristijonas Donelaitis Memorial Museum in Tolminkiemis—one of the region's most famous sites—was changed to the "Museum of Literature." In Tilsit, a commemorative plaque for the writer and philosopher Wilhelm Storost-Vydūnas, who lived and worked there, was torn down. In the city of Vladimir, a memorial honoring Archbishop Mečislovas Reinys, the interwar Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, was demolished. Lithuanian history is being falsified, and everything associated with Lithuanian history and culture is being obliterated.

"We view this as a policy of neo-Stalinism, aimed at erasing the memory of the totalitarian regime's crimes and shaping a narrative that suggests there were no political repressions in the Soviet Union. Russia seeks to justify its aggression against Ukraine, including territorial claims, to cast doubt on the statehood and historical justice of the Baltic States, Ukraine, and other countries that were occupied and annexed by the Soviets, and, of course, to spread disinformation," said Remigijus Motuzas, Chair of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs and one of the initiators of the resolution.

With the adopted document, the Seimas condemns the deliberate policy pursued by the Russian Federation regarding the destruction of historical memory and Lithuanian culture;

Expresses its protest against such barbaric actions by the authorities of the Russian Federation and demands the restoration of destroyed monuments and symbols of historical and cultural memory in Tomsk, the Kaliningrad region, and other Russian regions;

Emphasizes that the destruction of historical and cultural memory and the denial of Soviet repressions contravene significant acts and principles of international law;

Urges the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania to appeal to the United Nations, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and other international organizations with a request to evaluate the deliberate destruction of the victims of the totalitarian regime and of cultural memory and heritage in the Russian Federation, and to take concrete actions in defense of historical truth and the freedom of memory.

79 members of the Seimas present for the vote voted unanimously in favor of the resolution "On the Destruction of Historical and Cultural Memory in Russia" (No. XV-883)).

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