The National Museum of Lithuania celebrates its 170th birthday in 2025. The year-long celebration will begin in the Gediminas Castle Tower, the symbol of Vilnius and Lithuania. From 1 January, visitors are invited to visit a one-piece exhibition featuring the tricolour hoisted in the Tower during the occupation on 7 October 1989. On 1 January 1919, when the Germans withdrew from Vilnius, a group of ten volunteers hoisted the Lithuanian tricolour for the first time in the Gediminas Castle Tower. In the evening, the volunteers marched to Gediminas Hill. As the sun set, three volunteers climbed to the top of the tower and hoisted the Lithuanian tricolour on the mast. The soldiers honoured the hoisted flag with three volleys from their revolvers. A guard of honour was left at the flag. The flag hoisted on 1 January 1919 flew for only a few days. The guard remained on duty until the evening of 5 January. 6 January. On 6 January, the Red Army occupied Vilnius and left only a red splinter on the mast of the tower. The Lithuanian tricolour was raised and lowered depending on the political situation. It was raised for the last time on 7 October 1988 and has been flying ever since. The Gediminas Castle tower (Arsenalo st. 5, Vilnius) will be open in February.