Vilnius prison opens for Christmas with light installations

The Lukiškės Prison in Vilnius, a century-old former maximum-security isolation facility, opened to the public for the first time during the 2019 Christmas holidays. Built in 1902 by Russian tsars, the prison now hosts the Alternative Christmas Yard initiative, featuring light installations, a water-made Christmas tree, and other experimental artworks centered on the theme of metamorphosis. The project was coordinated by Lithuanian manager Darius Kupliauskas, who stated that the installations symbolize Vilnius as an open and courageous city ready to confront its dark history and transform it into something unexpected. The prison's closure inspired the installation, and Kupliauskas hopes it marks the start of a new artistic tradition. Historically, Lukiškės Prison was used by Russian tsars, German administration during WWI, the Polish government of Vilnius, the Lithuanian government (1939–1940), Soviets, Germans during WWII, Soviets again, and finally the Lithuanian government after independence in 1990. The Lithuanian government decided to close the prison years ago, but prisoner and staff relocation was completed only in summer 2019. The exhibition runs until January 5, 2020.