On September 22 at 6:00 p.m., on the occasion of M. K. Čiurlionis’s birthday, we invite you to the opening of an exhibition at the Čiurlionis House in Vilnius, dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the composer and artist’s sister, Valerija Čiurlionytė-Karužienė.

Čiurlionis’s works of art form the golden fund of Lithuanian culture, and following the global celebration of the 150th anniversary of the artist and composer, we see that Čiurlionis’s work is becoming a significant spiritual phenomenon for the entire cultural world. Today, it is hard to even imagine what the world would look like without Čiurlionis’s work, yet between 1914 and 1953, the paintings of this great Lithuanian genius were on the verge of being lost no fewer than four times. It is remarkable that on all four occasions, Čiurlionis’s sister Valerija played a crucial role in saving his artistic legacy.

The exhibition—a gift for Čiurlionis’s birthday—lifts the veil on half a century of Lithuanian history, filled with wars, occupations, and political dramas, in the midst of which Valerija Čiurlionytė-Karužienė—called “Valkyrie” by her eldest brother— signed her letters “Vilks,” and in the final years of her life was called “Motule”—devoted and self-sacrificing, regardless of the circumstances—performed feats that are hard to fathom, so that today we can admire the work of M. K. Čiurlionis.

The exhibition was curated by film director and poet Romas Lileikis, with Giedrius Laurušas serving as the exhibition designer. Special thanks to Valerija Čiurlionytė’s grandson, Kąstutis Zakys, for granting access to historical documents and items from his personal archive that have never before been publicly exhibited.

During the opening, visitors will have the opportunity to meet the exhibition’s creators, learn about the behind-the-scenes process of creating the exhibition and its visual design, and hear about the historical circumstances that nearly led to the loss of Čiurlionis’s work.

The opening will also feature a new adaptation of M. K. Čiurlionis’s symphonic poem “In the Forest” for violin and piano, presented by violinist and composer Mihkel Kerem (United Kingdom/Estonia), who arranged the piece, and pianist Rokas Zubovas.

Exhibition curator Romas Lileikis summarized:

“In the whirlwind of history, Čiurlionis’s works could have been lost. It was essential to preserve them: sometimes even by taking drastic, fateful measures. Anything could have destroyed them: negligence, foreign aggression, or fear born of the grip of ideologies. It took courage, strength, and determination to preserve my brother’s legacy and restore the Čiurlionis family home.”

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EVENT INFORMATION

Date and time: September 22, 2026, 6:00 p.m.

Location: M. K. Čiurlionis House

Address: 11 Savičiaus St., Vilnius

Cost: Free

More information: HERE

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EVENT ORGANIZER

M. K. Čiurlionis House

Contact: mkc.namai@gmail.com / +370 646 53 503

Program

Opening of the Exhibition “A World Without Čiurlionis: Valkyrie/Wolf/Mother”

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