An exhibition dedicated to commemorating the 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s membership in NATO opens at the State Knowledge Center – MadeinVilnius.lt

March 29 A new exhibition “NATO20: The mind is freed in the discussion” is opening at the State Knowledge Center of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, dedicated to commemorating the 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s membership in NATO. In the exhibition, the creators look back at the history of the Alliance, invite to examine the principles of collective defense, present the advanced technologies developed in Lithuania and their contribution to NATO security. As in other exhibitions of this center, visitors are encouraged not only to observe, but also to participate – this time, interactive game elements are integrated in the round table, which has become a symbol of the exhibition and discussions.

“The 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s NATO membership is a special celebration. 20 years ago, Lithuania decided without hesitation to associate its security with membership in the Alliance – a family of collective defense where one stands for all and all stand for one. This choice guaranteed us the freedom of Lithuania and the opportunity to create and grow our own state. It was the best decision, the smartest investment, which enriched us with a large circle of allies and friends”, said the President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, the initiator and patron of the exhibition “NATO20: Frees the mind in discussion”.

At the center of the exhibition is an interactive table that not only imitates the meeting table of the North Atlantic Council of NATO’s central headquarters, but also invites visitors to sit at it. With the help of interactive projections, visitors are invited to get to know the history of NATO, learn about Lithuania’s accession to NATO and our contribution as a country to the security of the Alliance. The table in this exhibition is not only a set of forms and elements of the game, but also a means for discussion, around which the 2023 events are arranged. Chairs used during the NATO summit in Lithuania. To mark the NATO summit in Vilnius, the exhibition also includes more authentic details of the event: armchairs, chairs, tribune, as well as a specially created video.

The NATO exposition installed in the State Knowledge Center consists of several dozen different exhibits: from today’s high technologies being developed in Lithuania, to examples of drones, telecommunications equipment or food rations for NATO soldiers. According to the organizers and curators of the exhibition, all of them illustrate the history of the Alliance and allow us to look at the present and the future.

According to Aurim Lukmins, creator of the content of the exposition of the State Knowledge Center and the historian who co-created the exhibition, dr. Kęstutis Kilinskas, a lot of attention in the exhibition is devoted to revealing the principles of collective defense. This topic is also presented through the signs of the allies’ presence in Lithuania. For example, the exhibition includes a model of the plane of the NATO air police mission in Lithuania, and through different stories of people working in NATO – engineers, parachute preparers, avionics specialists and others – that tell that everyone must contribute to the collective security of the Alliance.

The new exposition also presents the exhibits of partners “NT Service”, “UAB Aerodiagnostika”, “UAB Brolis Semiconductors” and “RSI Europe”.

“NATO20: The Mind Frees in Discussion” can be visited during the working hours of the State Cognition Center. The visit is free.