"What comes next? The burning of books? Russia’s decision to rename a museum dedicated to Kristijonas Donelaitis, a classic of Lithuanian literature, is yet another unacceptable attempt at rewriting history," Nausėda stated in a post on social platform X.
"Even though the old inhabitants of Lithuania Minor, now part of the so-called Kaliningrad Oblast, are long gone, the last signs of Lithuanian culture there must be safeguarded. No matter how hard Russia tries, Karaliaučius will never become Kaliningrad!" Nausėda wrote.
Russia has announced that Donelaitis’ Museum, established in 1970 in Chistye Prudy, would be renamed to Literature Museum. Lithuania’s Ministry of Culture has addressed the Consulate of Lithuania in Kaliningrad over the issue.
Kristijonas Donelaitis (1714-1780), a Prussian Lithuanian poet and Lutheran pastor, lived in Lithuania Minor, then in the Kingdom of Prussia. He is the author of the first classic Lithuanian language poem, The Seasons.