Lithuania to demolish controversial “Moscow House” in Vilnius through community effort

The Lithuanian government will attempt to demolish the so-called “Moscow House” in Vilnius through a community-based initiative, Environment Minister Kastytis Žuromskas announced Thursday, after four years of failed efforts to enforce a court order for its removal.

Speaking to the Baltic News Service (BNS), Žuromskas confirmed plans to launch a public call for demolition proposals, framing it as a novel approach in Lithuanian legal history. “A new competition to demolish the Moscow House will likely be announced shortly to mitigate risks—if this unprecedented method of executing a court ruling through community effort fails for any reason,” he stated.

The minister acknowledged that if obstacles arise, authorities would revert to a traditional procurement process. He noted that Vilnius Municipality had previously deferred responsibility to the State Territorial Planning and Construction Inspectorate but will now align with Mayor Valdas Benkunskas’ proposal to pursue the community-driven solution.

Benkunskas emphasized urgency in repurposing the site for Ukraine’s diaspora needs, calling the Soviet-era building a “spy house” (šnipų namai). “The only real solution is to demolish it swiftly and allocate the space to the Ukrainian community,” he said in a statement, welcoming the minister’s “non-standard approach.”

The controversy stems from a 2020 court order to demolish the structure—linked to Soviet-era intelligence—after its ownership ties to Russia were severed. Repeated tenders collapsed due to legal disputes or unqualified bidders. Most recently, the Kaunas Regional Court upheld the Inspectorate’s rejection of a bid by construction firm Regina ir Co, whose appeal had stalled progress. The Inspectorate declared the latest tender void in December 2025 after all four applicants failed qualification checks.

The State Inspectorate reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing the demolition order while “exploring effective solutions within legal transparency,” per a BNS statement. Amendments to Lithuania’s Charity Law, currently under parliamentary review, may enable the Inspectorate to accept pro bono demolition work as a form of corporate sponsorship.