On the 27-28th of March, a seminar “Understanding and presentation of the history on occupations” was held in Kedainiai Multicultural Centre for teachers, educationalists and museum workers.
Participants of the two-day seminar listened to the lecture by the International Commission’s historian Algirdas Jakubčionis on the traditions of Russian imperialism from the Middle Ages to the present day, a discussion was held on the situation of Lithuanian Jews during the first Soviet occupation, also how Lithuanians, Jews, and other ethnic groups suffered from the Soviet system. The seminar also analyzed the causes, periods and peculiarities of the Holocaust in Lithuania. Participants of the seminar gave a lot of questions to the lecturer, a member of the International Commission, Arūnas Bubnys, who emphasized that there would always be more questions than answers in the topic of the Holocaust.
A coordinator of educational programs Ingrida Vilkienė presented visual materials to the teachers – narratives of the Holocaust witnesses, revealing their experiences, and a documentary “Uncle Chatzkelis”. Participants of the seminar discussed that the film can be watched in parts with students and through one person’s biography to analyze separate historical events of the 20th century.
The director of the Kedainiai regional museum Rimantas Žirgulis presented the international projects of the museum that revealed the themes of the Nazi and Soviet occupations. Audronė Pečiulytė, the head of the multicultural centre, shared her experience on an international project implemented, telling about different attitudes of three generations of Lithuanian people towards the Soviet occupation.
When the director of the International Commission Ronaldas Račinskas was moderating the talk on a discussion of occupation topics with students, the teachers vividly shared their experiences and insights. According to Mr. Ronaldas Račinskas, “human and historical issues are relevant both for those living in the north of Lithuania and in the south of Lithuania. And if we raise questions ourselves – then we are looking for answers that help to create an open and stereotype-free society.”
The seminar was organized by the International Commission in cooperation with the Multicultural centre of the Kedainiai regional museum.
