"Vilnius deserves to have the right and reason to be proud of the fact that such an outstanding figure came of age in the city; by naming Tomas Venclova an honorary citizen of Vilnius, the ties between the poet and his beloved city will be strengthened forever," the Directorate of Vilnius Memorial Museums said in its nomination letter.
35 years ago, Venclova published his correspondence with Czeslaw Milosz, another celebrated writer born in Vilnius, in an essay titled "On Vilnius as a Form of Spiritual Life." Thanks to this publication, the world learned more about problems of Soviet-occupied Lithuania and Vilnius.
Venclova will become the 11th honorary citizen of Vilnius.
