House of the Signatories, Vilnius

The House of the Signatories is a historic landmark that played a significant role in the country's struggle for independence. It was in this building that twenty members of the Council of Lithuania signed the Act of Independence of Lithuania on February 16, 1918, declaring Lithuania's independence from Tsarist Russia.

Originally built in the 16th century, the House of the Signatories was renovated in the late 19th century by Kazimierz Sztral in a Neo-Renaissance style based on a design by Russian architect Alexiey Polozov. The building features decorative sculptures on the second floor that symbolize agriculture and fishing, and two male busts on the third floor.

In 1990, Lithuania regained its independence from the Soviet Union, and the House of the Signatories was dedicated as a museum soon after. It opened to the public in 2000 and has been a branch of the National Museum of Lithuania since 2003. The museum uses traditional and contemporary techniques to showcase Lithuania's path to statehood, from the mid-19th century to the signing of the February 16th Act of Independence.

The exhibition in the House of the Signatories is organized around three central themes: nation, freedom, and statehood. Visitors are taken back to the second half of the 19th century and presented with a narrative from the Signatories' generation, who express their ideas, values, hopes, and dreams, and speak about their activities and determination to create a Lithuanian state.

In addition to multimedia techniques such as video projections, image and voice recordings, interactive information terminals, and virtual reality projections, the exhibition also contains many authentic, original artifacts and personal objects that belonged to the Signatories. These valuable pieces of memorial heritage have been donated or lent by the families of the Signatories.