The project
„Safeguard of Traditional Wooden Architecture of Vilnius City”

At the second half of 2009 Vilnius Old Town Renewal Agency implemented two projects financed by the Lithuanian Cultural Support Fund. Project „Historic Vilnius Organs“ has got support of 9 000 LTL and project „Preservation of Traditional Wooden Architecture of Vilnius City“ has got support of 10 000 LTL.

Project „Preservation of Traditional Wooden Architecture of Vilnius City“ was implemented in August – November of 2009 in a co-operation with heritage conservation specialists of Oslo City Municipality. Norwegian specialists shared their experience regarding useful and suitable means for the preservation of wooden architectural heritage. Meetings with residents and owners of wooden buildings of district Zverynas took place in the framework of the project.
Special information booklet “10 Advices for Wooden Architecture Owners and Users how to Maintain the Exterior of the Building” was issued.

Project partners were Dept. for Cultural Heritage Management of Oslo City (Byantikvaren), Cultural Heritage Division at the Urban Development Dept. of Vilnius City, and Žvėrynas district local authority. Main goal of the project was to create Plan of actions and means for Vilnius wooden architectural heritage preservation, and the informational publication for owners and users of historical wooden buildings re maintenance and treatment of historic wooden properties. The Project was performed in close co-operation among project partners, and local communities and historic property owners. Another goal of the Project is to improve the professional co-operation with Norwegian expert partners and to develop common projects on exemplary restoration of historic wooden architecture.

Two seminars in Vilnius and Oslo were organized in the framework of the Project. Delegation of Dept. for Cultural Heritage Management of Oslo City (4 persons including the Head of the Department) visited Vilnius on 28-30th of October. The Ambassador of Norway Mr. Steinar Gil, Vice mayor of Vilnius City Mr. Stanislovas Šriūbėnas, Norwegian architect Aage Myhre, who lives in Vilnius for more than 10 years, and representatives of Lithuanian State Cultural Heritage Commission, Ministry of Culture, communities of Žvėrynas and Naujininkai, representatives of media took part in the seminar. Meetings with specialists of Cultural Heritage Division of Vilnius Municipal Administration, owners of protected wooden architectural heritage buildings, and representatives of local communities and Žvėrynas district ward took place. Renovated or planned to be restored historic buildings were visited, debating means and consequences of restoration works.

Group of Vilnius specialists (Deputy Director of Vilnius municipal administration Mr. V. Dastikas, Head of Cultural Heritage Division Mr. V. Karčiauskas, Monitor of Žvėrynas District Ward Mr. T. Klimavičius and specialists of Vilnius Old Town Renewal Agency) visited Oslo in November 19-21th. Visit was aimed to get acquainted with wooden architectural heritage of Oslo, to discuss the preparation of the publication for owners and users of historical wooden buildings. Experiences of Norwegian colleagues was discussed, analyzed and compared with the practice and results of the management wooden architectural heritage in 1999 – 2009 in Vilnius. The Action Plan was drafted for the improvement of management of wooden architectural heritage in Vilnius. One day seminar took place during the visit. There were presentations on traditions of building in wood in Lithuania and Vilnius, also in Norway, and challenges of preservation of the wooden heritage were discussed. Participants of the seminar were Mrs. E. Dahle, Deputy Director of Cultural Heritage Management of the City of Oslo, architect Nils Marstein, former Director General of the National Directorate for Cultural Heritage (presentation on ICOMOS Charter for protection of the world’s wooden heritage), Dr. Ing. Lars Roede, Director of Oslo Museum (presentation on the Norwegian traditions of building in wood from stave churches to post-war villas), Yngvar Hegrenes, Head of department of the City of Oslo’s Department for Property and City Renewal (The urban renewal project in Oslo from the 1980’s. Goals, Legal and financial tools, Experiences related to the heritage values), representatives of Cultural Heritage Division, Urban and Planning Division, Foreign Relations Division, public institutions, Georgian State Cultural Heritage Department.

After the Seminar Project participants summarized results of the Seminar, debated further perspectives of the future co-operation.

Photo exhibition on the Project affaires will be developed by Vilnius Old Town Renewal Agency and Žvėrynas district ward in the district ward office.