This year, Lithuania celebrates the 33rd anniversary of terrible historical events. The Šilutė Culture and Entertainment Center invites everyone to remember in the silence of prayer, by candlelight, and see through children's eyes what makes our Lithuania free.

As every year, we encourage you to join the „Light of Victory” campaign. On January 13, a civic initiative taking place throughout Lithuania invites you to light memorial candles in the windows of homes and institutions at 8 o'clock in the morning.

In the evening of the same day, at 4 p.m., St. In the Church of the Cross in Šilute, a holy mass will be offered for the defenders of freedom and the state of Lithuania.

The most important highlight of the Freedom Defenders Day in Šilute is at 5 p.m. The exhibition of children's drawings „Freedom!” opens in the cultural center. Motherland! Without tears!”.

In cooperation with the National Museum of Lithuania, we prepared an exhibition in which the 1991 to create all of Lithuania and 2024 Children's drawings of Šilutė district, giving meaning to the differences and similarities of what January 13th was and is in the eyes of children. 33 years after this event, will the same images dominate the subconscious of today's children as they did in 1991? Will there be tanks, soldiers and a TV tower? Or maybe the associations with this day have changed? Take a look around the child-free exposition of children's drawings and feel the Day of Defenders of Freedom then and now.

During the opening of the exhibition, witnesses of the events of January 13 will also share their memories in the program. The amateur art collectives of the Šilutė Culture and Entertainment Center, vocal ensemble „Vox Libri” (director Rasa Golubovskienė), sacred music mixed choir „Laudamus” (director Irena Šemeklienė), women's vocal ensemble „Vaivora” (director Gražina Liaudanskienė), mixed vocal ensemble „Mingė” and folklore ensemble „Verdainė” (director Regina Jokubaitytė).

The organizer of the event is Šilute Culture and Entertainment Center

Partners: Lithuanian National Museum, Šilute Rifle Company, Šilute Chamber Drama Theater, Šilute Žibai Primary School, Švėkšna „Saulė” Gymnasium

Sponsored by Šilutė district municipality