Members of Lithuania’s Jewish community are calling for the preservation of the old Šnipiškės Jewish cemetery in Vilnius, opposing government plans to establish a memorial at the site of the former Concert and Sports Palace.
Rabbi Sholom Krinsky, a representative of the Chabad Lubavitch Jewish organisation in Lithuania, argued that the site should not be referred to as a "former cemetery" because thousands of people remain buried there.
"It is the former Vilnius Concert and Sports Palace. Former. But it is not a former cemetery; it is an existing cemetery," Krinsky told a press conference.
The Seimas has begun debating a proposal to adapt the Vilnius Concert and Sports Palace into a congress centre, while simultaneously commemorating the Jewish cemetery and the activities of the Sąjudis independence movement. The proposal also seeks to grant the building protected cultural heritage status of national significance.
The rabbi criticised the Soviet-era construction of the Sports Palace on the burial grounds and expressed opposition to the memorial concept.
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"We cannot build a memorial to something that is currently there, something that is alive. [...] We are asking to leave the cemetery where the cemetery was," Krinsky said.
He added that Lithuania has an opportunity to "act according to its conscience" and move away from the Soviet approach of destroying burial sites.
Dovid Katz, a former professor of Yiddish at Oxford University, highlighted the historical significance of the site. He noted that the oldest gravestone found dates back to 1487, suggesting the area could become a major historical and pilgrimage destination.
Katz also dismissed the architectural value of the Sports Palace, arguing that the building is not unique and should be demolished.
"As someone from New York, and probably like many people from Lithuania, we can agree that Soviet architecture is barbaric. There is certainly nothing exceptional about this particular Sports Palace. The claim that this building is heritage worth protecting is laughable," Katz said.
"One only needs to look online to find almost identical structures in places like Chelyabinsk, Bishkek, Stavropol, Minsk, or many other post-Soviet cities. If someone likes the shape of the roof, it can be moved to a park or some other place where Soviet relics belong," he added.
Lithuania’s parliament this week began debating a proposal to convert the building into a congress centre while commemorating both the old Jewish cemetery and the Sajudis independence movement.
The government has previously considered turning the building into a Jewish memorial and a site dedicated to the history of Lithuania’s independence.
The Sports Palace was built in 1971 on the grounds of the old Snipiskes Jewish cemetery, which had been active since the 16th century.
Demolition would be irresponsible – president
The former Vilnius Concert and Sports Palace is a symbol of a specific period in Lithuanian architecture, and its demolition would be irresponsible, President Gitanas Nausėda said later on Friday.
"This is an object of our architectural heritage [...]. I believe it would be irresponsible to demolish what is recognised as an architectural value reflecting a symbol of a certain period in our architectural development," the head of state told reporters during a visit to the Padvarionys border checkpoint.
The President said the planned adaptation of the building would not harm the memory of the Jewish tragedy.
"We invited the chairwoman of the Lithuanian Jewish Community [Faina Kukliansky] to a meeting at the President's Office, and she heard the plans being discussed. These plans do not include any ideas for noise or entertainment events. We are talking about very specific missions, conferences, perhaps serious music concerts, so I believe this would in no way negatively affect the tragedy of the Jewish people and its memory," Nausėda said.
According to the president, further discussion and a clearer presentation of the plans are needed, as misunderstandings have arisen due to a lack of information.
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