Lietuvos kaimo paveldo politika ir perspektyvos

Vikšnienė A. „Policy and prospects of Lithuanian country heritage” / scientific research adviser associate professor A. Baležentis, Mykolo Riomerio university Faculty of strategic governing and politics Department of environmental politics and governing. - 2006. Research object: Lithuanian country heritage. Rapid disappearance of country heritage is a very actual topic. It is very important to revive old traditions and customs as well as develop the new ones. Protection of cultural values in the countryside is very complicated because of problems in governing of cultural value protection, property regulations, and lack of finances. The purpose of the research: to estimate what regulations and methods have been employed in order to protect Lithuanian country heritage and how these means are put into practice. Main tasks of this research: 1. to discuss the theoretical subject of cultural heritage: main concepts and terms, institutional structure and legitimacy aspects; 2. to discuss the status of country heritage, its governing and usage as well as the problems in protection of country heritage; 3. to analyse Lithuanian laws, strategic and programme documents, which govern the protection of country heritage; 4. to provide the prospects for cultural heritage in Lithuania. Currently national policy of cultural real estate heritage has been formed by Seimas, Government and Ministry of cuture. The department of cultural heritage is responsible for administration and governing of protection of cultural real estate heritage. Every municipality has a department for protection of local cultural heritage. State cultural heritage committee is formed from Seimas, President of the Republic, Government expert and adviser who is in charge of all heritage protection issues. There are two main laws which govern the protection of Lithuanian cultural heritage: Protection of cultural movable property and Protection of cultural real estate. These laws define the responsibility of certain institutions for protection of cultural heritage. The new law was promulgated in 2005 in order to improve the system of heritage protection in Lithuania. According to the statistics of year 2004, there were 6832 movable and real estate heritage values listed in Cultural heritage register and 1528 heritage values were proclaimed monuments. Moreover, there were 30372 objects of cultural heritage included in the register of Lithuanian Republic. State government allocates 20 million Litas to take care of all cultural real estate heritage objects. As a consequence of limited financial support, the condition of these objects is deteriorating and shortage of funds does not allow applying them in scientific or educational spheres. Remaining cultural heritage is significant in the system of settlement in Lithuanian countryside. The main part of Lithuanian cultural heritage is estates. During the period of independence only 400 estates remained compared to 200 estates existing in 1991. Therefore, it is very important to preserve and protect cultural heritage. Problems of property, lack of funds, narrow-minded consumers’ attitude and indifference of local communities to cultural values are the main legitimate, economic and social issues to be solved in order to protect countryside values. The analysis of Lithuanian Government programme for the period 1990 – 2006 has showed that the primary goal of Government programme was to restore cultural life affected by Soviet Union government. Starting from the tenth Government programme, goals in the sphere of heritage are defined and means to achieve them are described. Although all Government programmes and other documents related with heritage and its protection claim that it is important to preserve and protect our cultural countryside values, in fact all these processes are not active. This research paper provides prospects which assure the protection of cultural countryside heritage: growth of traditional trades and business, financial support of European Union and other countries and development of country tourism. Neither social, nor economic situation in Lithuanian country is auspicious. Many countryside residents especially young ones are moving to towns. Therefore, rural areas are becoming deserted. Consequently, cultural countryside is deteriorating heritage created by nature and people is vanishing. In conclusion, lack of attention to the protection of heritage for future generations, shortage of financial support and indifference of society are three main problems our cultural heritage protection faces nowadays.