Commemoration of the Day of the Genocide of Lithuanian Jews “The Path of Memory 1941–2026” to Take Place in Šiauliai

On 23 September 2026, Šiauliai will commemorate one of the most painful dates in Lithuanian history – the Day of the Genocide of Lithuanian Jews. The commemoration “The Path of Memory 1941–2026”, taking place across the city, will bring together commemorative speeches, music and a procession to honour the victims of the Holocaust and recall the tragedy that befell the Jewish community of Šiauliai. The event aims to preserve historical memory and encourage the city community to remember these events together.
Organised by the Šiauliai Cultural Centre, the Šiauliai County Jewish Community and Šiauliai City Municipality. Partner – the International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania.

23 September is commemorated in Lithuania as the Day of the Genocide of Lithuanian Jews. The date was chosen for a reason – on 23 September 1943, the Vilnius Ghetto was liquidated. Every year on this day, the victims of the Holocaust are commemorated throughout Lithuania. Before the war, more than 8,500 Jews lived in Šiauliai. In 1941, following the beginning of the German occupation, the number of Jews in the city increased to around 14,000, as refugees from other parts of Lithuania also sought shelter here. Shortly after the occupation began, a ghetto was established in Šiauliai, encompassing the Kaukazas and Trakai areas. Thousands of Jewish residents were imprisoned there. The ghetto remained in operation until 1944, and the majority of its prisoners were killed or deported to other Nazi camps.

The commemoration of the Day of the Genocide of Lithuanian Jews will begin at 11:00 AM on Žalgirio Street, at the site of the first ghetto gate, where brief commemorative speeches will be accompanied by a musical tribute performed by young musicians from the Šiauliai Saulius Sondeckis School of Arts on guitar and cello (teacher Marius Būda). A procession will then proceed from the first ghetto gate, past the Square of the Righteous, to the second ghetto gate – symbolically connecting the two former ghetto areas and recalling the path taken by the Jewish community of Šiauliai more than eighty years ago.

Also, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, as part of the European Heritage Days programme, the Ona and Peliksas Bugailiškis House will be open to visitors free of charge. The ground floor features displays about the life and work of Peliksas Bugailiškis, as well as the preserved authentic interior of the house, associated with the development of cultural initiatives and ideas of a free Lithuania. Those wishing to learn more about Peliksas Bugailiškis may contact Virginija Šiukščienė, Deputy Director of the Šiauliai “Aušra” Museum. The house also hosts the straw garden exhibition “Under the Golden Gardens” by the P. Bugailiškis Ethnology Centre.

Today, visitors can also see the exhibition of works by Aleksandra Jacovskytė, Adomas Jacovskis and Marijus Jacovskis at Gallery “Laiptai” free of charge. The exhibition presents photography, drawings and paintings by three artists from one family, reflecting different yet interconnected perspectives on the human being, time and memory. The exhibition will be open until 3 October 2026.

For further information, please contact Edita Smindriūnaitė, Head of the Exhibitions Department at the Šiauliai Cultural Centre, tel. +370 656 13 886, email edita.smindriunaite@siauliukc.lt.