Zita Kelmickaitė's 75th Anniversary

There are people who unite a nation: Zita Kelmickaitė's 75th anniversary at the Vilnius Town Hall

On October 16 at 6:00 PM, the 75th anniversary of ethnomusicologist, educator, folklore promoter, and public figure Zita Kelmickaitė will be commemorated at the Vilnius Town Hall. The evening dedicated to her will feature the documentary film "Zitai" by director Vytautas V. Landsbergis, and the Vilnius University folklore ensemble "Ratilio" will bring the evening's participants together through song.

"There are people who, by their very presence, unite a nation. Even when they are no longer with us. Zita Kelmickaitė is one of them," says Ramunė Landsbergienė, director of the public institution "A Propos Studija".

The documentary film "Zitai" is director Vytautas V. Landsbergis' personal narrative about Zita Kelmickaitė and her generation. The film transports viewers to Lithuania in the 1980s–1990s—a time when the revival of folk songs became not only an expression of cultural identity but also an important part of the national rebirth and the path to Independence.

Using previously unseen archival footage and the voice of Zita Kelmickaitė herself, the film tells the story not only of an exceptional individual but also of an entire generation that nurtured national identity. It is a story about a time when a song could become a form of quiet resistance, uniting people and strengthening a sense of community.

The name of Zita Kelmickaitė is inseparable from the revival of Lithuanian folklore. She actively contributed to the folklore movement and was associated with the "Skamba skamba kankliai" festival and other initiatives that brought traditional culture out of archives and into the living interaction of people. For her, folklore was not a relic of the past, but a living culture that helps a person understand their roots and strengthens national consciousness.

Zita Kelmickaitė also had a special connection with the Vilnius University folklore ensemble "Ratilio". The collective, which has been singing, dancing, playing music, and cherishing dialects for nearly six decades, was led by Zita Kelmickaitė for three decades.

"Zita's love for the rural person and her passion for traditional culture still live on in the new generations of the ensemble. At the birthday evening of our former leader, the 'ratiliokai' will lead well-known folk songs so that we may resonate with a strong sense of community," says Vilius Marma, artistic director of "Ratilio".