Millions of euros worth of jewels were stolen from the Louvre in Paris over the weekend, and hopes of recovering them intact are dwindling by the day; Lithuanian museum leaders say it highlights the need to invest in museum security.
Lithuanian museums do not disclose their most valuable collections for security reasons, but Marius Pečiulis, head of the Lithuanian Museums Union, said investments are being made in both technology and staff training. He said all museums, without exception, have someone on duty around the clock, security and alarm systems, and sensors that signal window damage. Larger museums have contracts with private security companies.
The Čiurlionis Kaunas National Museum of Art houses more than 350,000 works of art, and its director, Virginija Vitkienė, said there have been no theft attempts, but the museum continues to strengthen its security. Additional staff are being hired ahead of major events and exhibitions, and security systems were reviewed and upgraded ahead of the Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis anniversary in September.
Rita Pauliukevičiūtė, director of the Lithuanian Ecclesiastical Heritage Museum, is currently in France and said her French colleagues are visibly concerned about the “wave of museum thefts.” She added that what is most shocking is that the thieves are after materials – silver and gold for melting and precious stones to remove from jewelry – rather than artistic or historical value.
According to Paulukevicute, some French museums no longer list exhibits in their catalogues. Lithuanian museums
have not yet adopted this practice, but they are reluctant to comment on the value of their collections.
The security systems at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania in Vilnius were upgraded in 2018, when they exhibited more than 100 million euros worth of treasures from Dresden. After returning to Germany, the jewels were stolen in 2020. Most of the collection was later recovered. Vydas Dolinskas, director of the Palace of the Grand Dukes, pointed out that more than 10 million euros had been invested in security systems in Dresden, but this did not deter criminals, so museums must constantly invest in protecting their collections.
The Vilnius Museum has its own internal security system, a contract with a private security company, and direct communication with the police.
Although thefts from Lithuanian museums are rare, they do happen. Three years ago, silver and amber objects were stolen from the Lithuanian Open Air Museum.
The largest theft occurred in 2002, when criminals stole a 3.7-kilogram piece of amber, known as the Sun Stone, from the Amber Museum in Palanga. It is considered a national treasure, and the theft was widely reported in the media. The thieves were caught when they tried to receive a reward for information about the location of the Sun Stone.
Read the whole article in English here: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2721129/how-are-lithuanian-museums-protecting-their-collections-from-burglars
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