The First Lady visited sites of Lithuanian heritage and historical memory in Washington

During her visit to the United States, the First Lady of Lithuania, Diana Nausėdienė, visited the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the Victims of Communism Museum in Washington, D.C.

During her visit to the largest Roman Catholic Church in North America - the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception - the First Lady prayed in the Chapel of Our Lady of Šiluva located within it. Established through the efforts of Lithuanian communities in the United States and Canada, this chapel is one of more than 80 chapels in the basilica and, for over six decades, has borne witness to Lithuania's faith tradition, culture, and historical memory.

The First Lady met with representatives of the Lithuanian Catholic community in Washington, who presented the history of the chapel, the circumstances of its establishment, and its significance for the Lithuanian diaspora. She emphasized the contribution of the Lithuanian diaspora to fostering national identity and passing it on to future generations.

Diana Nausėdienė also visited the Victims of Communism Museum, where she viewed exhibitions documenting the crimes of totalitarian regimes.

The First Lady thanked the museum's leadership and community for their collaboration with the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania and emphasized Lithuania's commitment to further developing this partnership by involving more academic and museum institutions, with the aim of presenting as broadly as possible the crimes of the Stalinist regime and communism, also drawing on Lithuania's historical experience.

"Lithuania's experience bears witness to the price that must be paid for freedom. It is our duty to speak about the crimes of totalitarian regimes, preserve historical memory, and pass it on to future generations," Diana Nausėdienė said.

Lithuania has contributed to the development of the museum's exhibitions - the exhibition project implemented by the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania, designed to showcase exhibits from the period of Soviet occupation, has become an important part of the museum. Some of the exhibits prepared in Lithuania are now integrated into the permanent exhibition, and Lithuania, along with Latvia and Estonia, has been recognized as one of the supporters of the museum's establishment.

The First Lady stressed that consistent international cooperation is essential to raising awareness of the crimes of communism and strengthening democratic values worldwide.