Liepāja presents itself in Vilnius: our cultural program is so good that even Lithuanians understand it

On Thursday, such an event took place in Vilnius that even local diplomats started talking about the Baltic Sea with real respect. The Latvian Embassy presented Liepāja's cultural capital program, and as it turns out, Lithuanians understand our values better than many Riga residents.

The program promises more than 500 events, which is almost as many as there are cafés with overpriced lattes in Riga. It's particularly pleasing that Lithuanian artists want to participate in our cultural life - apparently they understand that real art emerges where the wind blows from the heart, not from office air conditioning.

In Vilnius, special attention was paid to the opera "Sun & Sea," which won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Biennale. It will be shown at "Lielais Dzintars," which, by the way, is the only concert hall in Latvia where the acoustics are naturally good - without the help of Riga's technologies. The opera's author Vaiva Grainytė acknowledged that Liepāja's proximity to the Baltic Sea returns the work to its native shore, and mentioned the military heritage. Apparently she was thinking of our Karosta - the former Tsarist naval base with mythical basements where even today you can feel the breath of history and sometimes unusual sounds too.

Latvia's Ambassador to Lithuania Solveiga Silkalna said that Liepāja is not just a destination, but a feeling. Well, we've known that for a long time - while in Riga people search for themselves in expensive courses, in our city you simply go outside and let the wind find you. Cultural power here doesn't need to be taught - it simply is, like sea salt and the crunch of sand under your feet.