A beach established in a Vilnius’ square, which is known for memorials commemorating Lithuania’s independence, has been criticised by politicians for “degrading” memory.
The temporary beach established in Lukiškės Square earlier this week is flanked by a former KGB building – which now housing a court and features names on its exterior walls of those who had died there – as well as a museum on Soviet occupation and the country’s independence struggle.
Read more: Vilnius turns central square into sandy beach
Vilnius mayor said the purpose of this initiative was to enable people to celebrate freedom.
On Thursday, Lithuania’s ruling bloc proposed a draft law on the intended use of Lukiškės Square, saying the beach “poses a threat of degrading the historical memory of the nation”.
The bill says the square should “reflect fights for Lithuania’s independence and the memory of freedom fighters who lost their lives for the country’s independence”.
“The current state of the square and its management are not compatible with its historical and urban significance,” it said.
The bill on the memorial status of Vilnius’ Lukiškės Square has been registered by Ramūnas Karbauskis, leader of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS), and other MPs representing the ruling bloc.
Gediminas Kirkilas, leader of the Social Democratic Labor Party of Lithuania in the opposition, and his colleagues also signed the draft bill.
Karbauskis said the Vilnius authorities violated "all principles of respect for our history".
"Uprising participants were killed in this square, and also many [other] things [happened in the square] that do not allow such things that the Vilnius municipality has done," Karbauskis said.
He vowed to adopt a law as a matter of urgency
The local authority of Vilnius used approximately 300 cubic metres of sand to create the artificial beach, which was opened to the public earlier this week.
The square has previously been used for concerts, an ice rink, and other installations.
Lithuania’s state language inspectorate (VLKK) also said two English-language signs used in the beach – ‘Open Beach’ and ‘Sharks. No swimming’ – break the law on state language.
A representative from the Vilnius municipality said the signs will be changed.
Vilnius mayor: ‘impotents [in terms of] ideas’
“I said a few years ago that the best memorial to freedom in Lukiškės Square would be [to see] happy and free people,” Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius posted on Facebook on Thursday.
“Nazis, who had their headquarters nearby, have evaporated from our land. Soviets, who stayed here for longer, have also been driven out and are now rotting outside Lithuania. And we, the winners, are celebrating our state, our capital Vilnius," he said.
Šimašius said the parties who criticised the initiative are “impotent [in terms] of ideas”, and said they are more concerned “with preventing people from being happy and proud that Lithuania and its freedom had won”.
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