Introduction to the Special Issue of “Aktualu rytoj / Relevant Tomorrow” on the Interaction between Memory Institutions and the State

Abstract

The introduction presents the special issue of the journal “Aktualu rytoj / Relevant Tomorrow” titled “Memory Institutions and the State: Connecting History, Understanding the Present, and Building a Future,” compiled on the basis of an international conference of the same name held on November 7–8, 2024, at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. The Statehood Center at the National Library of Lithuanian, which organized the event to mark the library’s 105th anniversary, invited participants to analyze the dynamic relationship between memory institutions, the nation, and the state in various contexts. The author of introduction discusses the significance of galleries, libraries, archives, and museums in the life of the state, as well as their impact on democratic society, cultural policy, historical memory, and public opinion. Particular attention is paid to the ongoing Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has revealed the role of memory institutions in documenting wartime experiences, safeguarding factual knowledge, and strengthening society’s resilience to disinformation. The articles show a broad geographical and thematic range of research into the interaction between memory institutions and the state.