VILNIUS PALACE OF CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS

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About

Vilnius Palace of Culture, Entertainment and Sports, better known as the Palace of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is an impressive architectural gateway to the Žirmūnai district, which was built in 1980, when Žirmūnai was the first project of modern Soviet urbanisation.

Designed by Algimantas Mačiulis, the palace is an example of late modernist architecture, and a bold counterbalance to the Baroque Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, located on the other side of the river. The brutalist architectural expression created by Mačiulis was inspired by the American architect Paul Rudolph, whose work is dominated by the contrasts of massive structural forms.

The building reflects the architect’s meticulous work. Every detail has been considered, starting from the appearance of the building itself and ending with the furniture and door handles designed by the interior architect. The seven-storey building is also rich in pieces of art, embellishing the open spaces of the building: the chandeliers created by Kazimieras Simanonis, the impressive metal composition by Algimantas Mizgiris, and the fresco created by Kornelijus Stoškus.

The building is also the place of many stories, ranging from political changes to the first international trade fairs and the Lituanika rock music festivals that started here. The original interiors, reflecting the period in question, remain fascinating today due to their architectural quality. In addition to that, their potential has been particularly exploited by filmmakers: a scene from the TV series Chernobyl was filmed here.