Cultural Heritage Department at the Ministry of Culture initiates the action of financial support for the renewal of most valuable authentic historic Vilnius cemeteries. The Department together with Vilnius City Municipality invites private persons and institutions to become patrons of one or a few selected tombs of Bernardines and Rasos cemeteries.
Rasos, Bernardines, Saules and Antakalnio cemeteries are the oldest and most valuable cemeteries of Vilnius. Rasos cemetery was established in 1801; Bernardines cemetery established in 1810. Famous people who lived and worked in Vilnius at the 19th century are buried there; and their graves are important monuments for all over Europe. Many tourists especially from Poland visit the cemeteries every year. In 2005 Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus opened the board in Bernardines cemetery with inscription to patronize the restoration of the cemetery.
Vilnius City Municipality implements the restoration project of Rasos cemetery since 2019. Bernardines cemetery also needs more attention. Video created by the Cultural Heritage Department presents more information on the value of Rasos and Bernardines cemetery (in Lithuanian):