As one of the most unique residential districts of the capital of the Soviet era - Lazdynai - celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, on Tuesday the Lazdynai "Ryto" community, the community "Jonažolių kaimas" and the Lazdynai Eldership are organizing a forum-discussion "Lazdynai's past stories and future visions".
The first session of the forum will review the beginning of construction, goals and uniqueness of Lazdynai residential area. Why is this residential area attracting more and more interest? Why is it making a comeback, or rather appearing on the tourism map? The II session of the forum will aim to discuss the current Lazdynas. What is relevant today? What are the local community's expectations and relationship with the living environment? What future awaits this residential area? Is it still exceptional or an ordinary Soviet district? How should we treat the newly built block where the community "Jonažolių kaimas" is located? Is it part of Lazdyni?
These and other questions will be answered by well-known artists of the 20th century. architecture and urbanism researchers - architectural historian, doctor of humanities and Vilnius University Prof. of the Faculty of History. Dr. Marija Drėmaitė; architect, Vilnius University Faculty of History lecturer dr. Viltė Janušauskaitė; architect and doctoral student of the Faculty of History of Vilnius University Matas Šiupšinskas; sociologist, lecturer at the Faculty of Philosophy of Vilnius University, interested in urban studies, the relationship between man and architecture, dr. Dalia Čiupailitė; heritage conservationist Gytis Oržikauskas. Albertas Kazlauskas, the founder of "Gatve gyvos" will participate and discuss at the event; architect-urban planner Augis Gučas; Lazdynas Gediminas Karalius, the author of the existing sculpture "Morning"; Monika Čekanauskaitė, daughter of architect Vytautas Edmundas Čekanauskas; Director of the Lazdyna Library. librarian Dalia Abromavičienė; Virmantas Baronaitis, chairman of the community "Jonažolių kaimas"; Elder Mindaugas Buchys of Lazdynai; architect, director of the Cultural Heritage Center Virgilijus Kačinskas; Chairman of the Association of Vilnius Communities, Prime Minister of the Republic of Užupis Sakalas Gorodeckis.
Hazelnuts, surrounded by contrasting natural terrain, is one of the first and largest residential areas of Vilnius. When designing the new residential area, architects VE Čekanauskas, Vytautas Brėdikis, Vytautas Balčiūnas and Gediminas Valiushkis preserved a large part of the forest. The public spaces and greenery of the district created by them have survived to this day. No less important and interesting are the only partially preserved elements of the small architecture of one of the most unique residential areas of the Soviet era - paved paths, equipped benches, outdoor lamps, children's playgrounds, even works of art - sculptures that have become landmarks and aesthetic accents. This year, as Lazdynas celebrates its 50th anniversary, the forum invites you not only to get acquainted with the distinctive features of Lazdynas, the spirit of the place and its changes over time, but also to clarify future perspectives.
Built five decades ago, Lazdynai was considered at that time as a residential area with a unique structure of the new part of the city, based on the characteristics of historical development. The charm of Lazdyni, which was created behind natural natural barriers (waters, hills, greenery), was motivated by its "deeply meaningful humanism": the functional zoning of the district, the service system, especially clearly distinguished pedestrian and traffic flows, giving preference to the latter, the relationship between architecture and landscape. It is interesting that in the 8s sociological research revealed that even 91,6 percent residents would stay in Lazdynai, even if they were offered to move elsewhere. In other residential areas built during the Soviet era, the percentage of such residents was much lower.
in 1974 Lazdynai was awarded the highest award of the time in the Soviet Union, which was the first for a residential area of mass construction. in 1993 Lazdynas was recognized as a cultural heritage site and entered in the Register of Cultural Values due to architectural and urban planning solutions. To this day, the district is protected due to its historical significance, unique landscape and greenery.
