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History

Kirtimai cultural center building was erected in 1958 by the initiative of the local grain factory and was specifically aimed for the entertainment of grain factory’s workers. The club, named “Kalinka” by visitors, was established in the said building. In this club, workers celebrated various holidays and came for entertainment, it was a gathering place for various activities. Back then, discos named ‘’Mylėk ir lauk” (translated as ‘’Love and wait’’) in the club were organized 4 times per week and were conducted in 3 languages – Lithuanian, Russian and Polish. The same dance evenings, renamed to ‘’30 and over” are still successfully going on and are believed to be the oldest dance gathering tradition in Vilnius.

In 1970, the cultural center was founded as a mobile library, in 1978 it became a stationary one and operated until 1991. When the library closed, the second floor housed a video library. “Kirtimai House of Culture” was home to a variety of art groups, clubs, musical ensembles and hobby groups, such as: meeting club “Friendship”, country bands, instrumental and vocal ensembles, folk dancing, accordion ensembles, art classes, folk ensembles, children and adult reading and drama clubs, choreography, ballroom dancing classes, various genres of vocal ensembles, piano classes and rhythmic dance groups. All bands, clubs and ensembles participated in various concerts representing the city and various bands and choirs participated in national song festivals.

The most loyal visitors of the cultural center may remember the days when auditions for the most famous musical contest “Vilniaus bokštai” took place in the center. In 1971 there was an attempt to organize an underground rock festival however the manager of the festival was arrested the night before and the center temporarily sealed.

Kirtimai cultural center was officially founded and registered by Vilnius City Council in 2006.