Cultural Heritage Department suggests moving Soviet monuments to Grutas Park

Monuments to Soviet soldiers Lithuanian municipalities have recently removed should be handed over to Grutas Park, a museum of Soviet sculptures in southern Lithuania, the country's Cultural Heritage Department says.

The CHD has recently issued such a recommendation, the Culture Ministry said.

The document suggests that before removing local Soviet army-related monuments, local municipal administrations should first assess whether they could be accepted for storage or display by municipal museums or other dedicated spaces.

If not, the recommendation is to hand dismantled monuments over to Grutas Park.

Some municipalities have already done this on their own initiative.

Grutas Park, a museum near Druskininkai, was established in 2001 to exhibit monuments, symbols and signs from the Soviet period.

Started in late February, Russia's war in Ukraine has sparked the removal of monuments to the Red Army in a number of municipalities. Some 25 municipalities have already asked the CHD to reassess the legal status of 65 monuments on their territory so that they can be removed.