About

THE LITHUANIAN CULTURE RESEARCH INSTITUTE is a state research institute.

The mission of the Institute is to implement the national priority of Lithuanian studies by conducting long-term fundamental research at the highest level in philosophy and art studies, as well as interdisciplinary research and experimental development in the fields of Lithuanian cultural heritage and contemporary cultural processes. These activities contribute to the development of the Lithuanian state, society, culture and scholarship and are carried out in accordance with the principles and objectives of the European Research Area.

The objectives of the Institute are:

1. to conduct long-term research and experimental development in Lithuanian culture, philosophy and the arts (fine, visual, applied, music, performing and screen arts) that are significant for the continuity of the country's culture and society; to collect, systematize, preserve, digitize and disseminate Lithuania’s intangible and documentary cultural heritage; and to carry out fundamental research on Lithuanian cultural heritage, art, philosophical and religious thought, history, literature and interdisciplinary cultural studies, thereby maintaining the Institute’s status as a research institution of national significance;
2. to cooperate with representatives of government, civil society and the business sector; to undertake commissioned research and experimental development projects; and to provide expert, methodological and other professional services;
3. to disseminate research-based knowledge to society; to promote its application in culture and education; and to contribute to the development of an innovation-driven, knowledge-based economy and society;
4. to train researchers in the fields of art studies and philosophy; to contribute to the education and training of specialists; and, in cooperation with higher education institutions, to ensure research excellence at the international level.

The Institute employs 102 staff members, including 84 researchers, who are organized into nine departments according to their academic disciplines and research areas.

Researchers work in three main areas:

1. Research on Lithuania’s cultural heritage and art history, including studies of the culture of the ancient Baltic peoples, Lithuanian professional culture, Lithuanian art history, sacred art, folk art, visual culture, and the history and contemporary development of music and performing arts.
2. Interdisciplinary research on Lithuanian culture, including studies of the relationships between art, culture and society; Lithuanian culture in the context of European integration and globalization; interactions between national and cultural identities; comparative research on Lithuanian culture; and the translation and study of the cultures of Antiquity and the Middle Ages that are significant to Europe and Lithuania.
3. Research on the history of Lithuanian philosophy and contemporary philosophy, including studies of the history of Lithuanian philosophy and contemporary culture, fostering dialogue between classical and contemporary culture, and advancing contemporary ontological thought.

The Institute’s research groups carry out long-term research programmes and projects funded through competitive national and international research schemes. The Institute prepares comprehensive histories of Lithuanian culture and its major fields, including art, music, theatre and philosophy, and publishes monographs, multi-volume scholarly works and book series such as Dictionary of Lithuanian Artists, Lithuanian Religious Art, Lithuanian Theatre, Sources of the History of Lithuanian Philosophical Thought, History of Lithuanian Philosophy: Records and Investigations, and Unio Pictorum. It also publishes edited volumes, including East–West: Comparative Studies and Studies of Čiurlionis’ Creative Work, as well as scholarly journals such as Athena: Philosophical Studies, Sovijus: Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture, Sphairos: Cultural and Media Studies, Art History Studies, and Studies in Art.

The Institute actively participates in contemporary cultural processes in Lithuania and provides expert services in various fields.

The Institute has a Publishing Department that plays an important role in the dissemination of research results through the publication of books and periodicals and prepares the majority of the Institute’s research publications for release.