On October 13–17, 2025, the Lithuanian Folklore Archive hosted its traditional Folklore Week - a series of public events inviting visitors to explore the archive’s collections and engage in discussions about the preservation and dissemination of folklore.

The highlight of the week was the announcement of the laureate of the symbolic “Honey of Folklore” award. This year, the 19th laureate is artist, ethnographic researcher, and long-time friend of the Archive, Virginijus Kašinskas. He was recognized for his significant contribution to the Archive - a collection of video and audio recordings interweaving folk creativity, traditional customs, and memories of the struggle for freedom.

Virginijus Kašinskas has greatly enriched the Archive’s post-war resistance testimonies collection by donating video interviews with former partisans Jonas Kadžionis-Bėda, Andrius Dručkus-Kerštas, and Bronislovas Juospaitis-Direktorius.

Thanks to his efforts, the Archive also received the personal collection of folk artist Adolfas Gedvilas - founder of the “Šatrijos Romuva” community and initiator of the annual fire goddess Gabija celebration held on Šatrija Hill. This remarkable donation includes 103 video recordings, capturing, among others, the 2011 Gabija celebration at Medvėgalis Hill, Baltic faith weddings and christening ceremonies, and personal family moments of A. Gedvilas.

In addition, Kašinskas donated 86 video recordings from major folklore festivals, including “Skamba skamba kankliai,” “Tek saulužė ant maračių,” “Kanklės mano rankose,” “Sutarjėla,” and “Lietuvos dūdmaišių susipūtimas.” These recordings document calendar festivals over several consecutive years, allowing researchers to trace the continuity and transformation of traditions.

The donated materials also illustrate the evolving spaces of contemporary Lithuanian musical folklore — from community celebrations to national festivals. The Archive was further enriched with 17 film reels from the 1970s–1980s, depicting moments from Kašinskas’s personal and family life, offering glimpses into everyday customs and traditions during the Soviet period.

The Archive’s ongoing exhibition also presents over one thousand photographs that vividly reflect Lithuanian customs, traditions, and daily life.

The “Honey of Folklore” award was established on October 19, 2007, marking the 100th anniversary of renowned folklore collector Jurgis Dovydaitis’s birth - a date also celebrated as the Day of Folklore in Lithuania. The award honors contributors who enrich the Lithuanian Folklore Archive with valuable collections of manuscripts, audio, and video recordings, while not being employees of the Archive or the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore.

Photos by Andželika Jakubynienė