On November 15, 2024, in France, near Nice, at the La Citadelle Museum in Villefranche-sur-Mer, the exhibition “Lithuanians on the French Riviera: The Photographs of Diplomat Antanas Liutkus, 1941–1953” was opened. This exhibition is part of Lithuania’s Cultural Season in France. It was initiated by Antanas Liutkus’ son, Perkūnas Liutkus, and organized by the Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) Lithuanian Emigration Institute, the President Valdas Adamkus Library-Museum, the Lithuanian Central State Archives, and the National Museum of Lithuania.
The opening ceremony was attended by the director of the VMU Lithuanian Emigration Institute Prof. Egidijus Aleksandravičius, Lithuania Emigration Institute historian and researcher Dr. Asta Petraitytė-Briedienė, and the director of The Valdas Adamkus Presidential Library-Museum Arūnas Antanaitis.
The exhibition, previously presented in Lithuania, was showcased in Kaunas last year and later toured the country before reaching France. It features the photographs of diplomat Antanas Liutkus (1906–1970), capturing the lives of Lithuanians on the Riviera. These images are not only a testament to the diplomat’s artistic talent but also serve as a personal historical record of the Lithuanian community’s life in refugee camps and their daily experiences during and after World War II.
The exhibition will remain on display until January 26, 2025.
Photographer: Henrikas Gulbinas.
