The National Museum of the Palace of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania has elected Dr. Povilas Dikavičius, Senior Guide of the Education Department, as the Museum of the Year for his work in 2024. The award was given to him for his diverse competencies: he organized specialized professional development events for guides and educators of the Education Department of the Palace of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, strengthened cooperation with other museum specialists; organized the training of accredited guides and their professional development sessions, flawlessly represented the museum and the state by leading excursions for foreign delegations, presented the Palace of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at international scientific conferences held abroad; coordinated the specialist exchange program with the Royal Castle of Warsaw; creatively updated educational and engaging entertainment for children with educators.
The exposition of the Palace Museum – inexhaustible layers
P. Dikavičius, a guide working at the Palace Museum since 2022, says he still feels like a newcomer. The young scientist, who came from the world of historical science, had to adapt to the new nature of his work – from a quiet researcher to a guide who has to tell people about the twists and turns of the cultural history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and its surviving heritage every day. He was responsible for presenting the museum and the history of Lithuania NATO He is entrusted with more and more responsible tasks for summit delegations or he initiates them himself.
"The knowledge gained during my studies gives me confidence and inspires me to contribute to events of significance to the state – hosting international visits and coordinating the cultural program of the NATO summit at the Palace of the Governors Museum. However, the greatest incentive is the confidence expressed by my colleagues that I will be able to handle such tasks. When they notice you and trust you, it gives me the strength to work and confirms that I am moving in the right direction," says P. Dikavičius.
Povilas states that guides and educators stand on the shoulders of all other employees – without the meticulous work of restorers, archaeologists, architecture, cultural historians, and exhibition curators, the services of guides and educators would not be so highly valued: “The quality of our work depends on their work. Therefore, I accept this award not only as a personal merit, but also as the result of the entire museum's cooperation. The foundation on which the guides' work rests is the exposition itself, the museum. Here are layers upon layers. When leading excursions, I often mention the people who contributed to the creation of the Royal Palace Museum, the authors of the ideas, the discoverers.”
Excursion – through the eyes of a guide
P. Dikavicius, graduated Vilnius University After completing his studies in history, he decided to continue his studies abroad and enrolled in the Central European University in Budapest, and when the university moved to Vienna, he moved with him. He is a doctor of humanities, and defended his dissertation on the topic “The perception of honor among nobles in the 16th century in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania”. It sought the definition of honor in Renaissance writings, studied the legal aspect of its defense, and investigated cases brought on charges of insult. “My gaze was directed to the Central European context, so it can be said that my specialization is the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in Europe. Therefore, working at the museum is like a continuation of my studies – while preparing for excursions, I constantly discover the connections of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the whole of Europe. The international exhibition “Pace". Lilies of the Garden of History" was a great opportunity to take a closer look at the relations between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, for example, to examine the descriptions of Stephen Pace's journey accompanying Duke Vladislaus Vasa on his tour of Europe, from which we learn what reception ceremonies were held, for example, old operas crowned by a horseman's ballet. The ties were also nurtured by later generations of the Paces, and the best proof of this is the exchange of relics with the estate of Cosimo III de' Medici: the femur of St. Casimir was sent, and in return the tooth and lock of hair of the legendary Paces relative St. Maria Magdalena de Paci (Pazzi) were sent. We are exhibiting this relic at the exhibition, and it is a wonderful work of jewelers," says P. Dikavičius.
The Museum of the Year says: "A guide needs to be attentive to details, he has to switch the language mode with each group that comes to the museum. It happens by instinct or it doesn't happen (laughs)."
"When you meet with a group, you first take the temperature, looking for the right key to convey information. You tell the same stories, the same meaning, but at the same time you look for ways to make it acceptable and understandable to people. One of the things that is very important for a good guide is the ability to maintain the visitor's amazement. If you succeed, the visitor takes away the incentive to continue to be interested in and appreciate our history even after the tour," says P. Dikavičius.
The museum worker of the year believes that making a connection and getting people interested is one of the most important tasks: "Sometimes you suddenly see people's eyes start to glaze over... Then the alarm goes off - the group is slipping out of your hands. Then you have to "warm it up" again, attract attention. This is a really interesting task. And knowledge alone is not enough. Crafting a fable is one thing, but when you tell it in response to the audience, it also requires effort, energy, involvement, and observation. And that walk to meet the group always causes tension, which, when controlled, you manage to gain energy. But after the excursion, you collapse dead (laughs)."
Scientist, guide, skateboarder and photographer
"However, I am first and foremost a book person, so a book is also one of my leisure choices. I like when books have a story. It doesn't have to be a narrative story, it can also be an idea explored in a scientific paper, but sometimes its logical development interests me, and if it's done well, it's very inspiring. Another leisure hobby is photography. I take photos with old film cameras, I develop the films myself. Mostly it's travel, nature. I'm learning to photograph people, but it's not easy for me. I capture stories: I like to photograph passersby in architecture, and sometimes - just shadows or abstraction. I try to capture images that tell me something. The most impressive historical buildings or tourist attractions are "scratched" by other photographers, so for me the everyday moment and the beginning of a story captured in a photograph are more important," shares P. Dikavičius.
The guide of the Royal Palace Museum says that traveling is another of his passions: "I usually rest actively. I usually travel, this year I hope to take a walk in the Swiss mountains. Often the direction of travel is dictated by the collections of cultural values, so I have visited Italy and Austria more than once, but it has already happened that I usually have to be in Poland. "
P. Dikavičius also has hobbies that would seem unexpected for a museum worker: for example, he was involved in fencing for a long time. He also attended training sessions while writing a scientific paper in Hungary, and later in Austria.
"However, since adolescence, snowboarding and skateboarding have occupied a large part of my life. We have a small community of peers, we travel together with the goal of going somewhere to participate in competitions or watch them. In recent years, ski trips have had to be postponed, so in the summer, I often travel with this company, with a tent, skateboard and camera. Last year we went to Helsinki, and before that to Copenhagen and Vienna. For me, it is an escape from the cultural sphere, but even during these trips I find time to visit museums or historical residences," the Museum of the Year revealed.
Dr. Povilas Dikavičius, senior guide at the Palace of the Kings, admits that the best way to relax is to travel. He says: “New experiences, lessons – that’s what life is all about.”
