New Director of the Lithuanian State Historical Archives
On January 27, Darius Žeruolis officially assumed his role as the new director of the Lithuanian State Historical Archives.
D. Žeruolis is not only an experienced specialist in history and document management, whose extensive expertise promises significant developments in the institution’s activities, but also a person with a deeply personal connection to heritage and culture.
“I am not a random figure in this archive—history has always fascinated me, even though my formal education is not directly related to it,” says the new director. He emphasizes that his leadership will be guided by both professional experience and a personal passion for preserving the past. In his words, thinking about the future must go hand in hand with caring for history: “In 1991, Vladas Drėma introduced a unique work dedicated to Vilnius’ cultural heritage, Dingęs Vilnius (Lost Vilnius). Today, the Lithuanian State Historical Archives could play a similar role in preserving cultural memory.”
Beyond his professional interests, Darius Žeruolis is also distinguished by his cultural passions—classical music and books hold a significant place in his life. “Classical music is a metaphor—no matter how pleasant jazz may be, you cannot listen to it all your life,” he reflects, revealing his perspective on the balance between tradition and modernity. Over the years, he has meticulously built a personal book collection that now boasts an impressive 6,000 volumes. “Books are my weakness. Probably because I didn’t have many as a child,” he adds with a smile.
The expectations placed on the new director include modernizing heritage preservation processes while maintaining respect for history and culture, as well as strengthening the role of the archives in society.