Donalda Meiželytė, who attended the opening of the exhibition, shared a memory from her student days and apologised
On Wednesday, a unique photo exhibition was presented to Vilnius residents on the CUP terrace. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the shopping centre has been brought to life in a new way in artists’ re-creations of historical images, revealing the transformation of Vilnius’ central business district. The well-known historian, Professor Alfredas Bumblauskas, told the gathered guests about the behind-the-scenes of the creation of the capital city.
A shopping centre on the right bank of the Neris River, barely touched by urbanisation – this was the unexpected vision of the new Vilnius sketched by the architects Nasvyčiai brothers in the 1970s. Today, the building is surrounded by skyscrapers in the active business district, while the entertainment and leisure areas become the city’s main attraction in summer.
Speaking about longevity, Ona Nevinskienė, who has been managing the shopping centre for almost twenty years, emphasized the importance of the ability to adapt to the changing needs of Vilnius residents. “The shopping centre has undergone a lot of changes in half a century and has become an inescapable part of the city centre, everyone passes by, everyone stops by, the right bank of the River Neris no longer seems to be imaginable without the shopping centre, and we are happy to be a part of the central business district,” said O. Nevinskienė.
During the event, Vilnius City Vice Mayor Donalda Meiželytė also shared her memories of the shopping centre. “The most beautiful lilacs in Vilnius always grew in front of the shopping centre, and during my student years, my friends and I used to come late at night to pick lilac branches. I am very sorry for that, but they were absolutely beautiful, and the memories and their smell have remained for a lifetime,” D. Meiželytė shared her personal story.
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