On Midsummer Night, the anniversary year cycle “The Growth of the Sun. The Protecting Bear” came to life in Šiauliai

On 23 June 2026, the Šiauliai 790th anniversary programme cycle “The Growth of the Sun. The Protecting Bear” invited residents and visitors to the Midsummer celebration, where Baltic traditions, creativity, community and the power of fire came together. From early evening until midnight, the city turned into a living open-air experience – the elemental courtyards invited visitors to journey through the world of ancient customs, the programme of the State Ensemble “Lietuva” attracted audiences to the Sundial Square, while at night four monumental fireclay sculptures were unveiled on the shore of Lake Talkša, embodying the symbols of the anniversary year.

Presented by Šiauliai City Municipality. Organised by Šiauliai Culture Centre.

Midsummer has long been regarded as a special time of transformation, when the longest day of the year gives way to the shortest night. This year, this magical boundary between light and darkness acquired an additional meaning – it became an important part of the Šiauliai 790th anniversary programme cycle “The Growth of the Sun. The Protecting Bear”. The events telling the story of the city’s history, symbols and community values came together on Midsummer evening into one shared experience, inviting people not only to remember the past, but also to rediscover their connection with their city, its people and traditions.

The Water Element Courtyard, located in Zubovai Park, became a space of tranquillity, transformation and living tradition. Here, visitors were welcomed by the ritual “Gates of Transformation”, inviting them to symbolically leave everyday life behind and enter the festive Midsummer space. Songs performed by folklore ensembles, creative activities and the natural surroundings created a special atmosphere where the tranquillity of water met the living connection between people and their environment.

In the Earth Element Courtyard, located next to Šiauliai City Municipality, ancient crafts and traditional ways of life came alive. Coin minting, leather and brass workshops, the sound of skrabalai, educational activities on baking šakotis, and works by folk artists invited visitors to experience what had been passed down from generation to generation over the centuries.

Meanwhile, the Air Element Courtyard, located in Povilas Višinskis Square, was filled with lightness, movement and community spirit. Folk dances, educational activities, tastings and festive bustle created a lively and constantly pulsating space filled with music and smiles. A special atmosphere of mystery prevailed in the Fire Element space located in the courtyard of Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy. Fortune-telling using kupolės, the aromas of herbs, the ritual performance “Amber Dust” and the ancient craft of striking fire from flint recalled the sacred nature of this night and its special place in the Baltic worldview.

As the evening moved into its second half, participants gathered in the Sundial Square. Here, the State Ensemble “Lietuva” performed the concert programme “We Are Lithuania!”, inviting audiences to explore the nation’s cultural heritage through music, dance and live stage storytelling. As the music played, an uplifting atmosphere filled the Sundial Square – people enjoyed the summer evening, socialised, danced and together awaited the approaching culmination of Midsummer Night.

However, the greatest wonder of the evening awaited by Lake Talkša. As midnight approached, hundreds of people gathered near the “Iron Fox” sculpture, where, in the light of fire, accompanied by the sound of sutartinės and the rhythms of drums, four monumental fireclay sculptures – “The Awakening Bull”, “The Protecting Bear”, “The Eye of Providence” and “The Ducal Hat” – were unveiled. These works, created during the large-format fireclay sculpture symposium “Pillars of the Sun”, became an artistic interpretation of the symbols of the city of Šiauliai and a striking highlight of the anniversary year. The sculptures were created by artists Irena and Vilius Šliuželiai (Lithuania), Beāte Kate Ločmele (Latvia), Rūta Kurpniece (Latvia), Tiina Kaljuste (Estonia), Živilė Bardzilauskaitė-Bergins (Lithuania) and Domilė Ragauskaitė-Svirnelienė (Germany). The creative process, which had taken place on the shore of Lake Talkša for more than a week, transformed into an impressive spectacle on Midsummer Night, allowing visitors to witness how clay, fire and the artists’ visions turn into symbols telling the story of the city.

The vaidilutės entering the ritual space by torchlight, the singing of sutartinės, drum rhythms and dance movements created a solemn atmosphere where ancient Baltic traditions, contemporary art and a living community experience came together. The unveiling ritual featured the Pasvalys sutartinės singing group “Rags”, Šiauliai Culture Centre choreography studio “Aušrelė” (artistic directors M. Kosaitis, V. Adomėnaitė-Butnorienė), the folk dance ensemble “Šėltinis” of Šiauliai Jovaras Progymnasium and Didždvaris Gymnasium (directors V. and R. Laugaliai, G. Urbonavičius, G. Petrauskė), and the folk dance studio “Šermukšnėlė” of Šiauliai Dainai Progymnasium (artistic director I. Šerpytienė, director E. Račkauskas).

The fire glowing in the darkness of the shortest night of the year, the sound of music, dance and art became one shared story about the City of the Sun. Midsummer evening once again reminded us that the strongest traditions live not in the pages of history, but in people’s encounters, shared experiences and moments that remain in memory for a long time.

Information is provided by Aušra Brijūnienė, Head of the Amateur Arts Department of Šiauliai Culture Centre, mob. +370 655 25 527, e-mail ausra.brijuniene@siauliukc.lt.

Photos by Rolandas Parafinavičius, Gintarė Daknytė and Liubov Yarmoshenko.

More photos can be found on the Šiauliai Culture Centre Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/siauliukulturoscentras/photos_albums