National Culture and Arts Prize

The Vilnius Prosecutor's Office has closed a pre-trial investigation into allegations of sexual harassment at the Vilnius Academy of Arts (VDA).

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė has let US-based Lithuanian artist Žilvinas Kempinas, a laureate of the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts and an American citizen, to keep his Lithuanian citizenship.

Lithuania's top-ranking officials have delivered condolences over the passing of tenor Virgilijus Noreika, one of the most prominent Lithuanian opera soloists who has been awarded the National Culture and Arts Prize.

The head of Vilnius Women's House, a non-governmental organization running a crisis centre for women, has called on the Lithuanian parliament to ratify the so-called Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, saying that it would help fight sexual h...

Lithuanian National Culture and Arts Prize winner, photographer Gintautas Trimakas, who has been accused of unacceptable behaviour toward female students, is leaving the Vilnius Academy of Arts (VDA).

Jonas Gasiūnas, professor at the Vilnius Academy of Art and National Prize winner, is stepping down after anonymous accusations of sexually exploiting his female students, lrytas.lt news portal said.

Allegations that Jonas Gasiūnas, a professor at Vilnius Academy of Arts, prominent painter and Lithuanian National Culture and Arts Prize laureate, sexually abused female students should be probed by law-enforcement bodies, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said on Wednesday.

Audrius Klimas, the rector of Vilnius Academy of Arts, or VDA, says that Professor Jonas Gasiūnas has been suspended for two weeks following reports that he allegedly sexually abused female students.

Prominent Lithuanian actor Donatas Banionis was recruited as a KGB agent during the soviet rule, the Lithuanian Genocide and Resistance Research Centre said.

This year's National Culture and Arts Prize has been awarded to actress Eglė Gabrėnaitė, writer Danutė Kalinauskaitė and photographic artist Gintautas Trimakas.

Winners of this year's Lithuanian National Culture and Arts Prize will be announced at the Culture Ministry in Vilnius on Monday.