Šiaulių politician halts virtual awards after questions over nominees

Šiaulių City Council member Gediminas Beržinis Beržinskas suspended a virtual award initiative after LRT.lt questioned his decision to nominate politicians facing legal problems alongside historic Lithuanian rulers.

Beržinis Beržinskas, 67, announced the “Order of Memory: For Lithuania” on social media. He nominated Grand Dukes Gediminas, Kęstutis and Vytautas the Great, as well as Šiaulių Mayor Artūras Visockas and council members Gintautas Lukošaitis and Saulius Stasiūnas.

The politician presented the initiative as a conceptual digital performance and an artistic project created in cooperation with artificial intelligence programs. He said it was not a traditional or official award, but rather “an artistic sign of remembrance, an expression of the author’s civic position and an invitation for society to discuss what truly deserves our respect.”

He described Gediminas as the creator of the state and Vilnius, Kęstutis as a brave defender of Lithuanian lands against the Teutonic Knights, and Vytautas the Great as a ruler and military commander who strengthened Lithuania.

Visockas was nominated for “state-level thinking, progressive work for Šiauliai and the courage to raise issues important to Lithuania’s future.” Lukošaitis was recognised for creative work dedicated to Lithuania and its defence, while Stasiūnas was cited for his “sincere and direct words, civic courage and determination to speak when many choose silence.”

A corruption case involving Visockas is being heard at the Šiauliai Regional Court. LRT.lt reported that the other two current Šiauliai politicians also have legal problems.

After receiving questions about the nominations, Beržinis Beržinskas ended the initiative. “I do not see much point in analysing a project that has already ended or returning to all the questions you raised. This topic is simply closed for me,” he said.