Trends of urban heritage protection in Lithuania today

This paper discusses the urgent problems of urban heritage valuation and its treatment in present Lithuania. The contradictions in the system of listing, unclear responsibility of the authorities, and inadequate role of the local communities are revealed as the basic factors in the lack of efficiency of urban heritage preservation. The construction of new tall buildings in the buffer zone of the Old Town of Vilnius and neglect of other numerous sites of urban heritage reflect the most evident problems of urban heritage preservation. The system of urban heritage protection should be reconsidered in the context of recent international documents on cultural heritage protection and changes of the social structure of Lithuanian society. Democratization of the valuation process and involvement of the local communities in processes of protection are regarded as fundamental in its revitalization.