"The Golden Phoenix” award is incredibly important to us. It is a symbol of our success, a recognition of our social responsibility initiatives and the contribution of each one of us to the promotion of culture," – said Radosław Misztalewski, General Director of Public Company ORLEN Lietuva, as he expressed his gratitude at the solemn ceremony held yesterday at Vilnius Town Hall. – "We may speak different languages, practice different religions and preserve different traditions, but we are all equally raised by culture".
On 29 January, already for the ninth time, it was granted the prestigious award "Golden Phoenix", established by the Association of Lithuanian Cultural Centers. Five nominations for the most meritorious creators and promoters of cultural centers: "Culture and Art Creator of the Year", "Culture Sponsor of the Year", "Culture Partner of the Year", "Culture Politician of the Year" and "Culture Center Manager of the Year". This solemn event was graced by the presence of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, together with the country's First Lady, Diana Nausėdienė, and a whole host of honourable representatives of culture, politics, municipalities and society. The prestigious "Culture Sponsor of the Year" award was handed over to Radosław Misztalewski, General Director of Public Company ORLEN Lietuva, by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania Simonas Kairys.
Public Company ORLEN Lietuva has been a long-standing sponsor of cultural events both nationally and in the Mažeikiai district, where the Company's oil refinery is located. From the very first steps, the Company has been financing the International Art Festival, which has been running for the second decade, and has always contributed financially to the Mažeikiai town festivals, the Samogitian Bagpipe Festival, the Theatre Festival "I Have a Dream", the blacksmithing and dance events, as well as the Christmas tree lighting and Christmas fair concert programs. The tradition of presenting Mažeikiai people with the latest films by Polish directors is approaching its tenth anniversary. Support is also provided to culture-starved rural communities, education and cultural institutions, and heritage objects in the district.
"This award is at the same time a commitment for our Company to continue supporting cultural activities in Mažeikiai. Culture and education are vital in our industrial town. Therefore, we are determined to invest not only in modernization, but also in bringing together the best Lithuanian and foreign orchestras, theater actors, performers, dance artists and other creators", – said the General Director of Public Company ORLEN Lietuva, expressing his gratitude and committing to continue the tradition of sponsorship.
Our sincere appreciation to all those who have contributed to Public Company ORLEN Lietuva receiving this honourable award. We are honoured to hold “the Golden Phoenix” in our hands together with the other four award recipients: Dovydas Kaminskas, Mayor of Tauragė district municipality, who was recognized as "Culture Politician of the Year", Robertas Lavickas, Director of the Pasvalys Cultural Center, who was declared the best manager of the Cultural Center, and the association of rural communities “The region of Plungė", which became "Cultural Partner of the Year” and the creative team of the Joniškis Cultural Center recognized as the best culture and art creator of 2023.
ORLEN Lietuva inf.