THE VOICE OF INTERNATIONAL LITHUANIA
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Archive for September, 2011
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While we shelled
beans with him
an interview of Myra Sklarew
By Ellen Cassedy
ellen@ellencassedy.com
Myra Sklarew is the author of numerous books of poetry, including The Witness Trees, a powerful account of how she forged – and is still forging – a connection to her Jewish heritage in Lithuania. VilNews correspondent Ellen Cassedy spoke with Sklarew in Washington, D.C.
Myra, you have visited Lithuania twelve times in 18 years. What first drew you to the land of your ancestors?
In 1993, it occurred to me that with the end of the Soviet occupation, I could walk freely. I went with no knowledge. I didn’t know a soul and didn’t know the language. I just started walking.
Let’s listen to how you put it in The Witness Trees, your book-length poem with a Yiddish translation by the noted late Yiddish poet David Wolpe (a member of your Lithuanian Jewish family who immigrated to South Africa):
I wanted to go there
by feel, to see if Lithuania would tell me
its secrets, to see if I would
recognize myself in Lithuania, to marry the myth
of who I am with the myth of place. To find more
than the signs of the dead. To find evidence
of the lives of those I have come from.
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While we shelled beans with him
an interview of Myra Sklarew
by Ellen Cassedy
Myra Sklarew is the author of numerous books of poetry, including The Witness Trees, a powerful account of how she forged – and is still forging – a connection to her Jewish heritage in Lithuania. VilNews correspondent Ellen Cassedy spoke with Sklarew in Washington, D.C.
Myra, you have visited Lithuania twelve times in 18 years. What first drew you to the land of your ancestors?
In 1993, it occurred to me that with the end of the Soviet occupation, I could walk freely. I went with no knowledge. I didn’t know a soul and didn’t know the language. I just started walking.
Let’s listen to how you put it in The Witness Trees, your book-length poem with a Yiddish translation by the noted late Yiddish poet David Wolpe (a member of your Lithuanian Jewish family who immigrated to South Africa):
I wanted to go there
by feel, to see if Lithuania would tell me
its secrets, to see if I would
recognize myself in Lithuania, to marry the myth
of who I am with the myth of place. To find more
than the signs of the dead. To find evidence
of the lives of those I have come from.
Your family lived in the Kedainiai region?
Yes – in the town of Kedainiai itself, and also in 15 different villages, including tiny hamlets that are not even on the map. I was most curious about these little villages.
In Datnuva, where my family was once more than half the town, an elderly woman called out to me – she cried out – as we drove in. She looked very intently at my face and told me I looked exactly like someone she once knew. It turned out she’d known my whole family. I visited with her every year and took my granddaughter to meet her and her family.
Do you have advice for others who are considering a visit?
The most important things happen by happenstance, by walking. Save time to walk in the villages your family came from. Take chances, take risks. Don’t be afraid to talk to elderly people on the street. Remarkable guides and friends have made this possible for me.
Once on a very cold day in October, my guide and I came upon an elderly man shelling dried beans to store for winter. We sat down beside him, and while we shelled beans with him we asked – “How do you feel about Jewish people? What happened when the Jews were taken away? What did your children make of it?”
September 25, you plan to go to Kedainiai to attend a commemorative event at the site where more than two thousand Jews were shot in the summer of 1941 – including dozens of your own family members. New plaques will be unveiled, listing names of the victims. Why do you want to be there?
If you want to love where you come from, you can’t omit the sorrow. I never cease to discover things in Lithuania. There are lessons I am still learning about the cruelty we’re all capable of, and lessons about other ways of behaving. I always try to visit people who rescued Jews during the Holocaust, to figure out how they had the courage.
I’m particularly touched that not only Jewish descendants but the people of Kedainiai today, especially the Kedainiai Regional Museum, will bring this new memorial into being.
These lines from The Witness Trees (Dora Teitelboim Center for Yiddish Culture/Cornwall Books: 2000) speak eloquently about what you’ve found in Lithuania – and why you will continue to go back. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Here in America, if you rise early enough, in the dark,
if you go out of doors, you can smell autumn
though it is still August. Here and there, leaves are beginning
to fall, a few under the dogwood tree, oak leaves, poplar. And just
after dusk, when the earth passes through the dust stream of old
comets, if you look up you will see
meteor showers, the Perseids. Are these burning songs
striking at our atmosphere, like the hearts
of those who met their deaths untimely in Lithuania?
I tell you, once we have found our dead, though we cannot hear their
answering voices among the sounds of this world, we will tear
open the skin of the earth
to admit them. We will not lose them again.
Ellen Cassedy traces her Jewish family roots to Rokiskis and Siauliai. Her book, We Are Here: Memories of the Lithuanian Holocaust, will be published in March of 2012. She lives in Washington, D.C. Visit her website at www.ellencassedy.com.
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The Lithuanian –
Canadian Community is
alive and well
Ambassador Ginte Damusis with speakers at the 14 May meeting of Lithuanian Honorary Consuls in Canada and the Lithuanian Embassy Advisory Group for Promoting Scientific Cooperation between Lithuania and Canada , Toronto , Ontario.
News from the Canada : Science informs good Public Policy
The Lithuanian – Canadian Community is alive and well. When the call came from Ambassador Ginte Damusis to attend a meeting of the Lithuanian Honorary Consuls in Canada , academics and senior public executives from the Ontario Government , over 40 participants from 5 universities in Canada , USA and Lithuania assembled in Toronto on 14 May 2011 . The question addressed by the distinguished panels: How public policy supports or creates barriers to science and innovation.
The Director of Sunrise Valley, Andrius Bagdonas updated the group on Lithuanian’s science valleys. And a new Lithuanian- Canadian academic network was created under the leadership of Dr. Victor Snieckus , Queen’s University , Kingston , Ontario . A good start to ensure networks between our two great countries yields value for both As a consequence of the network and the efforts of Honorary Consul Paul Kuras , Dr Mindaugas Kiškis, of Mykolas Romeris University attended discussion on e-business and intellectual property rights at Queen’s University and requested, in view of his original studies in chemistry, to visit the Snieckus laboratories (see 031 and 035 jpgs). More exciting news in the wings – Second generation Lithuanian Canadian , Peter Pakalnis has set up a Lithuanian – Canadian Student Association at Queen’s University and will be recruiting interested students next week as university starts its new academic year . A third year political science student , Peter fell in love with Vilnius last summer after a first ever trip to his ancestral home.
Networking academics, public servants and young professional interested in building a new future for Lithuania is surely a good start !
Victor Vytautas Pakalnis , P.Eng. , MBA , M.Eng.
Professor, Kinross Professorship in Mining & Sustainability
Queen's University ,Kingston , Ontario Canada
follow me on twitter @vpakalnis
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Lithuania has an amazing 700-year history as an international melting pot. This has been especially evident since 1323, the year Grand Duke Gediminas founded Vilnius as Lithuania’s capital city and immediately decided to invite merchants, craftsmen, bankers, farmers, and soldiers from all Europe to come to the new capital, guaranteeing all freedom of beliefs and good working conditions. Vilnius became international, though with less of German or Scandinavian influence, as one could expect, rather influenced by Italy and Mediterranean ideas – greatly different from the other two Baltic capitals where Hanseatic influence became dominant.
VilNews will over some time this autumn publish articles about impacts of foreign nations and cultures here. We also welcome you, dear readers, to share with us information you may have about ‘foreign footprints in Lithuania’.
Karaims – Turkic tribe that found a new home in Lithuania
Karaim house in Trakai, 30 km from Vilnius.
The Karaims represent the smallest ethnic group in Lithuania, inextricably linked with the Crimean victories of Grand Duke Vytautas who brought 380 Karaim families to his castle in Trakai back in the 1390s.
During the 600 years that they have lived in Lithuania, this small Turkic people have preserved a strong national consciousness. A rather inward-looking community life, firm moral principles based on the teachings of the Karaim religion, and steadfast adherence to tradition - all these things have contributed to the survival of the people, of their basic characteristics, such as language, customs, and rituals, and thus, of their national identity. What also helped the Karaims of Lithuania survive under difficult conditions was the tolerance and respect for them expressed during all those centuries not only in the everyday contacts between people but also in the official state documents of various periods.
An exceptional period in the history of Lithuanian Karaims was the Soviet occupation, which thoroughly shook up the accustomed foundations of Karaim community life. The consequences of that time, which are still felt today, make it much more difficult for people to "return to their roots," to the rhythms of their national life.
Many world scholars are interested in the cultural heritage that Lithuanian Karaims have preserved to the present day. The still living Karaim language, which belongs to the West Kipchak subgroup of the Turkic family of languages, receives the most attention. It is being studied from several angles - as a language that has preserved rare old forms and words that have disappeared from other languages of the Turkic family and also as one that has borrowed and in its own way adapted some features of vocabulary and syntax from neighbouring languages (Lithuanian, Russian, and Polish).
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Lithuania has an amazing 700-year history as an international melting pot. This has been especially evident since 1323, the year Grand Duke Gediminas founded Vilnius as Lithuania’s capital city and immediately decided to invite merchants, craftsmen, bankers, farmers, and soldiers from all Europe to come to the new capital, guaranteeing all freedom of beliefs and good working conditions. Vilnius became international, though with less of German or Scandinavian influence, as one could expect, rather influenced by Italy and Mediterranean ideas – greatly different from the other two Baltic capitals where Hanseatic influence became dominant.
VilNews will over some time this autumn publish articles about impacts of foreign nations and cultures here. We also welcome you, dear readers, to share with us information you may have about ‘foreign footprints in Lithuania’.
Karaims – Turkic tribe that found a new home in Lithuania
Karaim house in Trakai, 30 km from Vilnius.
The Karaims represent the smallest ethnic group in Lithuania, inextricably linked with the Crimean victories of Grand Duke Vytautas who brought 380 Karaim families to his castle in Trakai back in the 1390s.
During the 600 years that they have lived in Lithuania, this small Turkic people have preserved a strong national consciousness. A rather inward-looking community life, firm moral principles based on the teachings of the Karaim religion, and steadfast adherence to tradition - all these things have contributed to the survival of the people, of their basic characteristics, such as language, customs, and rituals, and thus, of their national identity. What also helped the Karaims of Lithuania survive under difficult conditions was the tolerance and respect for them expressed during all those centuries not only in the everyday contacts between people but also in the official state documents of various periods.
An exceptional period in the history of Lithuanian Karaims was the Soviet occupation, which thoroughly shook up the accustomed foundations of Karaim community life. The consequences of that time, which are still felt today, make it much more difficult for people to "return to their roots," to the rhythms of their national life.
Many world scholars are interested in the cultural heritage that Lithuanian Karaims have preserved to the present day. The still living Karaim language, which belongs to the West Kipchak subgroup of the Turkic family of languages, receives the most attention. It is being studied from several angles - as a language that has preserved rare old forms and words that have disappeared from other languages of the Turkic family and also as one that has borrowed and in its own way adapted some features of vocabulary and syntax from neighbouring languages (Lithuanian, Russian, and Polish).
During the times of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Karaims suffered severely during the Chmielnicki Uprising of 1648 and the wars between Russia and Poland in the years 1654-1667, when many towns were plundered and burnt, including Trakai, where in 1680 only 30 families were left. Catholic missionaries made serious attempts to convert the local Karaims to Christianity, but ultimately were largely unsuccessful. The local Karaim communities still exist in Lithuania (where they live mostly in Panevėžys and Trakai regions) and Poland. The 1979 census in the USSR showed 3,300 Karaims. Lithuanian Karaim Culture Community was founded in 1988.
According to the Lithuanian Karaims website the Statistics Department of Lithuania carried out an ethno-statistic research "Karaim in Lithuania" in 1997. It was decided to question all adult Karaims and mixed families, where one of the members is a Karaim. During the survey, for the beginning of 1997, there were 257 Karaim nationality people, 32 of which were children under 16.
From linguistic and ethnogenetic point of view they belong to the oldest Turkish tribes - Kipchaks. This ethnonym (Kipchak) for the first time was mentioned in historical chronicles of Central Asia in the 1 st millennium BC. Anthropologically ancient Kipchaks were very close to Siberia inhabitants Dinlins, who lived on both sides of the Sajan Mountains - in Tuva and northern part of Gob.
Karaim priests,Khadji Seraya
Khan Shapshal together with
Simon Firkovich, 1930
In 5th cent. BC Kipchaks lived in the West of Mongolia, in 3 rd cent. BC they were conquered by Huns. Since 6 - 8 cent., when the first nomadic Turkish empires were founded, Kipchak's fate is closely connected with the history and migration of the Middle Asia tribes.
In Middle Ages Kipchaks started to play an important role in the Eastern Europe. European historians and linguists call them Kumans; Russian scientists call them Polovtsy. In Turkish literature they are known as Kipchaks.
Following after Turkish oguzes, who were the biggest Turkish tribe, in 10 th cent. Kipchaks crossed the Volga and settled in steppes near the Black Sea and Northern Caucasus. Huge territories occupied by Kipchaks from the West of Tian- Shan to the Danube, in 11-15 th cent. were called Dest-e-Kipchak (Kipchak's steppes). They did not have an integral state; khans guided the union of different tribes.
Khasar's kaganate, spread over southern territories of contemporary Russia, in 9 th cent.being at its blossom, was famous for its religious tolerance. Karaim missionaries reached the kaganate in 8 - 10 cent. passed their faith to some Turkish tribes (Khasars, Kipchaks-Kumans, and others), living in the southern steppes of Russia and Crimea. Common language and religion united these tribes as a nation for a long time; the name of religion became ethnonym. Contemporary Lithuanian Karaims are the descendants of those tribes.
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The Karaims of Crimea, Galich-Luck area, Lithuania and Poland who have common origin, past, religion, language (with dialects), spiritual and factual culture, make the same nation.
The history of Karaims is connected with Lithuania since 1397-1398. According to the tradition, The Great Duke of Lithuania Vytautas, after one of the marches to the Golden Horde steppes, had to bring from Crimea several hundreds of Karaims and settle them in the Great Duchy of Lithuania. Vytautas could bring Karaims after he had beaten one of the hordes not far from Azov. Transference of several hundreds Karaim families and several thousands of Tatars was not done once. It was connected with the state policy of The Great Duchy - to inhabit the empty areas, to build towns and castles, to develop trade and economic life.
Initially, Karaims were settled in Trakai between two castles of The Great Duke, present Karaim Street. Later they were found living in Biržai, Naujamiestis, Pasvalys, Panevėžys, however, Trakai has always been the community's administrative and spiritual centre in Lithuania. Karaims themselves began to hold it not only a homeland, but as fatherland, too. Throughout the centuries their ethnic and cultural relations with the Karaims from Crimea and Galich-Luck areas were not interrupted either.
In order to get thorough information about Karaims' social, cultural, ethnic and religious situation, in 1997 The Statistics Department of Lithuania carried out the ethno-statistic research "Karaims in Lithuania". It was decided to question all adult Karaims and mixed families, where one of the members is a Karaim. During the survey, i.e beginning 1997 there were 257 Karaim nationality people, 32 among them were children under 16.
The change in the number of Karaims during the period of 40 years is shown:
| 1959 | 1970 | 1979 | 1989 | 1997 | |
| Total number of Karaims | 423 | 388 | 352 | 289 | 257 |
| Compared to total resident population, % | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
Distribution of Karaims by age and sex:
| Karaimes | Male | Female | ||||
| total | % | total | % | total | % | |
| Total | 257 | 100 | 132 | 100 | 125 | 100 |
| of whom by age groups, years | ||||||
| below 16 | 32 | 12.4 | 14 | 10.6 | 18 | 14.4 |
| 16-29 | 38 | 14.8 | 21 | 15.9 | 17 | 13.6 |
| 30-39 | 30 | 11.7 | 17 | 12.9 | 13 | 10.4 |
| 40-49 | 31 | 12.1 | 17 | 12.9 | 14 | 11.2 |
| 50-59 | 50 | 19.4 | 34 | 25.8 | 16 | 12.8 |
| 60 and above | 76 | 29.6 | 29 | 21.9 | 47 | 37.6 |
According to the living place:
| Total | of whom children below 16 years | |
| Total | 257 | 32 |
| Vilnius | 138 | 20 |
| Trakai | 65 | 9 |
| Grigiškės (Trakai region) | 6 | 1 |
| Lentvaris (Trakai region) | 4 | 1 |
| Kaunas | 4 | - |
| Noreikiškės (Kaunas region) | 4 | - |
| Panevėžys | 31 | 1 |
| Naujamiestis (Panevėžys region) | 2 | - |
| Pasvalys | 2 | - |
| Šeduva (Radviliškis region) | 1 | - |
There are many specific elements of Karaim cultural heritage, but especially the conscious following of national traditions makes the preservation of Karaim identity possible. And during the long course of time and despite various historical difficulties the main Karaim rites were kept up. Their power even today stimulates the youth's feelings of national identity.
At the engagement
ceremony the youth is
electing the leader of all
the wedding and handing
him over a thin withy red-
banded stick 'chybukh',
which is for symbol of
leader's power
Karaim' rites are related to the most important moments of human life - birth, marriage and death. Religious calendar and seasons circle give some special occasions as well (for example, young moon, harvest, sacrifice festivals, etc.). But even in the religious festivals it is more important for the Karaims to preserve their national customs.
The most solemn rite observed by the Karaims up to these days, is the wedding (toj). For a birth another kind of festivities are dedicated. When a girl is born, in kenesa kutlamach (a blessing prayer and giving of a name) should be offered. When a boy is born, the occasion used to require much greater celebration. However, nowadays it is just limited to a short ceremony in kenesa (the name of the newborn is loudly announced and a special blessing is sung) and a little party at home.
Karaim girls in national costumes
When a person dies, he is usually buried as soon as possible. There are Karaim cemeteries in Trakai, Vilnius, and Panevėžys. When laying down the corps, his relatives sit by the closed coffin till the burial. At that time the elder men of the community recite the psalms. There is a custom to burn as many candles, as many family members are morning. The coffin inside is lined with flax. Karaims are buried with their faces to the South. During the burial ceremony the people are not allowed to visit other burial-grounds. If the kinsmen invite, guests return to the deceased person's house. The prayers for his soul are recited there once more. Such public prayer sahynč (remembrance) is held in the deceased person's home every day the whole week, also after thirty days and in a year after his death.
The breaking of
bride's cake "Kielinlik"
One of the brightest and most solemn agricultural festivals Orach toju (Harvest festival) can't be held any more, because after the II World War Karaims lost their lands. During the last harvest festival in 1938 a harvest wreath was made, which up to these days hangs in Trakai kenesa. It only reminds us of the former close relations between Karaims and the holy nature.
KARAIM ORGANSIATIONS IN LITHUANIA
At present, two organisations of Lithuanian Karaims of having legal status and unifying all the Karaims of Lithuania are executing their activities:
1. The Religious Community of Lithuanian Karaims - one of the nine state-recognised traditional religious communities, is legally a successor of the Karaim religious community that existed in Lithuania since the end of 14th century. Its governing structure consists of the General Meeting of the Community, the Spiritual Board and the Community Board. Traditionally, Chairman of the Community is the Highest Priest. The Community is a self-governing and independent body from the spiritual authorities and public powers of other countries.
2. Lithuanian Karaims Culture Community - is executing its activities since the year of 1988. Its governing structure consists of the General Members' Meeting and the Board elected by the Meeting. The Board elects the President.
Contact e-mail address: lkkbpost@takas.lt
Both of these communities are non-profit organisations. Their members are not obliged to pay any membership fees. The Communities cannot suffice themselves and often they are supported by the State, other donors, and, sometimes, by the contributions of the members.
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| PLEASE NOTE The article ‘Arrogance, ignorance and an airport comparison’ was first published in a VilNews newsletter last year. The below ‘Opinion Letters’ were received by then. |
Sending e-mail to Lithuania is like sending it to the black hole of the universe
Vytautas Sliupas
I wish to add another bit of advise to your fine article on Ignorance.
Lithuania's business people and government officials are yet to learn the necessity of good communications.
Without a two way communication there is no possibility for further contacts.
One of the most frustrating experiences I had was in e-mail (before that it was in regular "snail mail") communications. I would write and write but receive no reply (with only a few exceptions).
When I was working, our management had a rule - "answer all letters received in not more than three days. If there is no answer to be given, than at least acknowledge the receipt".
One of my American colleagues, who was sincerely trying to help Lithuania, said "Sending e-mail to Lithuania is like sending it to the black hole of the universe. Everything goes one way and nothing comes back". No wander he is now disenchanted and helping others.
Vytautas Sliupas, P.E.
www.aukfoundation.org
Burlingame, California
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Lithuania’s inflation is on downward slide
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Jekaterina Rojaka
Chief economist, DnB NORD bank
Lithuania’s consumer price inflation plummeted from 4.6% y/y in July to 4.4% y/y in August. Monthly change stood at -0.4% and was well below the consensus and DnB NORD estimate (-0.2%).
The main reason for drop in inflation was seasonal decline in food prices, as well as prolonged sale of clothing and footwear. Downward slide in producer prices (-1.1% m/m in August) relieves some cost pressures.
Assessment: We expect consumer prices to stay on the downward trend if the oil price holds at circa its current level. In this case inflation is set to slow down to 4% by the end of 2011.
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Arrogance, ignorance & an airport comparison
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Lithuania’s Prime Minister, Andrius Kubilius.
Arrogance and ignorance are not particularly positive characteristics of anyone, and I understand it well if some of our VilNews' readers, who see that I use these words together with a picture of our Prime Minister, predict that I will now be criticising him. So let me hurry to say that these two words are meant for all questionable behaviours seen performed by our governing forces since 1990, not solely for Mr. Kubilius.
I must admit that I over the past 20 years have seen a few Lithuanian leaders whose arrogance and belief in their own excellence in some cases have prevented progression and good development for Lithuania. Still today I miss leaders who are good at listening to their own Lithuanian people, wherever in the world they may live, and I miss leaders able to inspire and be unifying figures and good examples for the nation they are appointed to serve. Leaders able to lead, not only manage.
I have also very much been missing to see our leaders seek advice from other countries and its own diasporas; to learn from mistakes and experiences these nations went through during the years when Lithuania was still under Soviet rule. Instead, time after time, we have seen Lithuanian leaders trying to reinvent the wheel.
PM Kubilius' profound measures for savings and cuts during the very serious financial crisis Lithuania still experiences, is for me an example of just that. In my opinion, the type of medicine he has been using is to compare to putting the brakes on for a car that already stands still, or closing the tap when the well is already empty.
Countries in Scandinavia and North-Western Europe have the background and resources to make cuts. Lithuania and other Eastern European countries are, after the long Soviet-era economic mismanagement, not in such a fortunate situation. Here most of the resources should have been spent on finding new fuel for the car and fresh spring water for the well.
Being a Norwegian, I believe Norway and the other Scandinavian countries would have been willing to stretch to great lengths to provide help and advice for the crisis-hit Lithuania and the two other Baltic States. But they had to be asked.
Our Lithuanian leaders should refrain from arrogance and avoid ignorance by seeking advice where good help and advice is to find, domestic and internationally. Can they do that, there is every reason to foresee a bright future for this nation.
The Lithuanian people deserve exactly that. They have suffered enough.
The airport comparison
Vilnius Airport’s terminal building from 1954 was built during Stalin’s last years.
It still remains the airport’s main face towards Vilnius City.
To make my above point more understandable, I will in the following compare post-war Lithuania to Vilnius Airport. Why? Well, they have more in common than you may think; metaphorically, symbolically and representatively for what has been going on here from WWII till today.
The old airport terminal was built in the years after the war, in typical Stalin style characterised by robust constructions and materials very hard to remove. The building was completed a year after his death, in 1954. After that, the airport remained more or less unchanged through the following 40 years, with Soviet Aeroflot as the sole operator until Lithuania's independence in 1990/91.
The airport was extended in the 1990s. This is the ‘monster’ that for many
years greeted (scared) airline passengers who came to visit independent Lithuania.
In the early 1990s, the airport was starving for total renewal. A public face and symbol of the now free, independent and internationally oriented Lithuania was urgently needed. The new airport should become the pride of the new democracy and an important hub for international airlines that one thought would bring hordes of visitors to the country. Not least was it estimated that the majority of the many who had emigrated to America, Australia and other countries now would move back to their homeland and contribute actively to the country’s reconstruction.
It was therefore not long before the airport management and the transport ministry chose a group of architects and other experts to travel around the world to look at leading international airports. The airport in Vilnius should be designed on a top global level. Back in Vilnius the architects drew day and night on what would become the country's new pride, and a couple of years later the 'masterpiece' was completed.
But what a tragedy. The architects and the airport authorities had in their arrogance and self-delusions of excellence thought that to visit some prominent international airports would be a good enough background for designing and building the new terminal building. They had not bothered to seek advice from international experts. The result became a new Vilnius Airport that was confusingly similar to misguided Soviet designs, and came to be viewed rather negatively as ridiculous by the international travel industry.
The 'airport monster' in Vilnius emerged not as a glorious example of a great country developing well, as it had been planned, rather as a symbol of a country where arrogance and ignorance prevented from learning important lessons from other countries.
And it's probably just here we find the most obvious similarity between the past twenty years’ development of the airport and the country's authorities; this that those at the helm have been so convinced of their own excellence that they haven’t cared to seek advice from others.
This can, of course, to a certain extent be understood, as this country through so many years was imposed to 'advices' from others that they no longer wished to accept any outside help when the new times came.
Probably that was why we in the 1990s got a parody of an airport. Perhaps this ‘blinkers mentality’ is also a contributing factor to why this country's population still suffers from the excessive and unfair tightening measures introduced by the government, rather than enjoying stimulus packages of the kind that are leading people in other countries through the crisis along a far more smooth path?
Maybe the ongoing ‘evacuation’ from this country has much of its background in such arrogant attitudes from the side of the authorities? Maybe people would like to become part of a democratic process and a national teamwork instead of being treated with arrogance and lack of interest from their own leaders?
The airport-building from the 1990s was supposed to appear as modern, as avant-garde. Those behind it were proud of their own excellence. Seen from the outside the building appeared, however, as a parody. Many of Lithuania’s leaders over the past 20 years are surely also proud of what they have achieved. But what about the people?
In 2007 a new extension stood ready. The previous ‘monsters’ were now hidden
behind modern materials and design. Lithuania’s face to the world had finally
reached a level of maturity, hiding many of the old sins. Unfortunately only artificially.
When the 2000s arrived it began to be understood by Lithuania’s leaders that membership in the EU would not only entail benefits, but that they also had to do something for their own part, and when the Schengen Agreement was under preparation it became clear that the Vilnius Airport had to be extended. This new construction was performed quickly and efficiently. There could be no doubt that both the country's architects and contractors had learned very much since the 1990s.
So, what characterises Vilnius Airport now in 2011?
A) The core element is still a building in Stalin Style. It is also this old building's façade that appears towards the side of Lithuania and it is on this side that the taxi drivers still do their best to cheat naïve foreigners and others. The Soviet legacy is still very solid and evident in this country.
B) On the side facing the runway and the international world, there was in the 1990s conducted an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to make a building that both functionally and symbolically should be a showcase of the proud new democracy. This travesty of a building, that so well symbolizes Lithuanian authorities’ thinking for the period 1990-2007, is now hidden between the Stalin-building and the new glass building that was completed in 2007. But the parody was not torn down, and you still have to run up and down the strange
stairs, in and out of corridors and funny corners, in a maze of steel, concrete and glass produced with Soviet
technology. What should have been a prominent symbol of the new democracy was instead made a monument of stupidity, greed and lack of transparency.
The airport in Vilnius will not function well if this section is not removed completely. Lithuania will not function well until the greed culture established by its leaders of the 1990s is totally removed.
C) In the 2000s, the building from the 1990s was tucked away between the Stalin building and a new extension that was much better adapted to modern requirements and design ideas. But also this new building is just to a certain degree characterised by measures necessary to make the airport functional and representative of modern times. To mix old and new can often be complicated. To hide old sins behind new façades is more artificial than a sign of real improvements.
So the parallels between Vilnius Airport and post-war Lithuania are quite obvious, aren’t they?
The essential question then, is obviously what is now needed to achieve real change? My opinion is that there as soon as possible should be built a new airport where neither Stalin nor the monsters of the 1990s are given space or influence. We need a solid world-class airport as a proud new symbol of a progressive country - with outstanding leaders and project managers in charge – leaders accepting neither arrogance nor ignorance, neither during the planning and construction phase nor during the operation period.
My comparison between the airport and the nation is still valid. Perhaps, now, the idea of openness and transparency, plus the ability and willingness to listen and learn from others, would not be too bad an advice?
Aage Myhre, Editor-in-Chief
aage.myhre@vilnews.com
Arrogance, ignorance or…?
Airport and hotel taxes almost killed
the tourism industry.
When Kubilius' government took over in late 2008 they decided to keep the country’s airport charges at a very high level, and to triple the VAT for hotel accommodation. The result was that several international airlines dropped Lithuania as a destination and the number of travellers and hotel stays fell dramatically. Tens of thousands lost their jobs, and the country lost much needed tax dollars.
2009 was the year when Lithuania celebrated its 1000-year name day. It was also the year when Vilnius was the European Capital of Culture. Despite those positive incentives, the number of visitors to Lithuania became far lower in 2009 than in 2008, primarily due to the government's decisions described above. In 2010, however, the airport fees are reduced considerably and the airlines are finally returning, one year late. But what a sad story isn’t this, for a whole industry and the country.
What austerity looks like
The New York Times writes about Lithuania from time to time. Their article from 2010 presents a good and balanced analysis of what's happening in our crisis-ridden country. It says that Kubilius' comprehensive savings measures now appear to give results as the decline in the economy has stopped, but the article also tells of a nation where the people are suffering more and more because of these measures:
These are two of the phrases from the article:
- “Faced with rising deficits that threatened to bankrupt the country, Lithuania cut public spending by 30 percent — including slashing public sector wages 20 to 30 percent and reducing pensions by as much as 11 percent. Even the Prime Minister, Andrius Kubilius, took a pay cut of 45 percent.”
- “The psychological toll has been immense. Suicides have increased in a country where the suicide rate of 35 per 100,000 is already one of the world’s highest, local experts say.”
You find the NYT article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/business/global/02austerity.html
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Arrogance, ignorance & an airport comparison
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Lithuania’s Prime Minister, Andrius Kubilius.
Arrogance and ignorance are not particularly positive characteristics of anyone, and I understand it well if some of our VilNews' readers, who see that I use these words together with a picture of our Prime Minister, predict that I will now be criticising him. So let me hurry to say that these two words are meant for all questionable behaviours seen performed by our governing forces since 1990, not solely for Mr. Kubilius.
I must admit that I over the past 20 years have seen a few Lithuanian leaders whose arrogance and belief in their own excellence in some cases have prevented progression and good development for Lithuania. Still today I miss leaders who are good at listening to their own Lithuanian people, wherever in the world they may live, and I miss leaders able to inspire and be unifying figures and good examples for the nation they are appointed to serve. Leaders able to lead, not only manage.
I have also very much been missing to see our leaders seek advice from other countries and its own diasporas; to learn from mistakes and experiences these nations went through during the years when Lithuania was still under Soviet rule. Instead, time after time, we have seen Lithuanian leaders trying to reinvent the wheel.
PM Kubilius' profound measures for savings and cuts during the very serious financial crisis Lithuania still experiences, is for me an example of just that. In my opinion, the type of medicine he has been using is to compare to putting the brakes on for a car that already stands still, or closing the tap when the well is already empty.
Countries in Scandinavia and North-Western Europe have the background and resources to make cuts. Lithuania and other Eastern European countries are, after the long Soviet-era economic mismanagement, not in such a fortunate situation. Here most of the resources should have been spent on finding new fuel for the car and fresh spring water for the well.
Being a Norwegian, I believe Norway and the other Scandinavian countries would have been willing to stretch to great lengths to provide help and advice for the crisis-hit Lithuania and the two other Baltic States. But they had to be asked.
Our Lithuanian leaders should refrain from arrogance and avoid ignorance by seeking advice where good help and advice is to find, domestic and internationally. Can they do that, there is every reason to foresee a bright future for this nation.
The Lithuanian people deserve exactly that. They have suffered enough.
The airport comparison
Vilnius Airport’s terminal building from 1954 was built during Stalin’s last years.
It still remains the airport’s main face towards Vilnius City.
To make my above point more understandable, I will in the following compare post-war Lithuania to Vilnius Airport. Why? Well, they have more in common than you may think; metaphorically, symbolically and representatively for what has been going on here from WWII till today.
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The Moscow coup in 1991:
Landsbergis soon took a call from the Soviet army’s Baltic district. “We are the power now,” said the voice
The author of this article is Mr. Neil Buckley, Financial Times' Eastern Europe Editor.
Shortly after 6am on August 19 1991, Vytautas Landsbergis, Lithuania’s pro-independence leader, received a phone call. A colleague gave him news from Moscow. There had been a coup; Mikhail Gorbachev was under arrest.
Mr Landsbergis had feared something like this since Lithuania became the first Soviet state to declare independence, unrecognised by Moscow, a year earlier. He soon took a call from the Soviet army’s Baltic district. “We are the power now,” said the voice.
Yet little over 48 hours later, the coup collapsed; within months, so did the Soviet Union. Mr Landsbergis set Lithuania on the path to Nato and European Union membership. At 78, he now sits in the European parliament. His view of Lithuania’s transformation is hard-headed, however. “It could have happened even sooner,” says Mr Landsbergis, “if only Russia had succeeded in building a European democracy.”
These are the opening phrases from an article written by Neil Buckley in the Financial Times. The article is recommended by VilNews. To read the full text, go to:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/005007d6-c9b2-11e0-b88b-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1X9SJXb7z
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1991-2011
A Baltic triumph
IQ THE ECONOMIST VILNIUS
Vilnius, September 1991: two young people remove Communist symbols from a building.
Photo: AFP/Virgis Usinavicius
In August 1991, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia declared their independence from a collapsing USSR. Despite a few hiccups along the way, twenty years on they have definitively turned the page on Communism and come back to their roots in Europe.
Over the past two decades, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have turned out the big winners in a success story. Despite the realities that followed the crisis -- structural challenges such as corruption, pressures from interest groups and a lack of competitiveness at all levels -- the Baltic states have managed to catapult themselves out of the Soviet space. They are no longer the ‘post-Communist states’, but underdeveloped Western states sharing values, stereotypes, issues, standards and even eating habits that are becoming more and more like those of Westerners.
These are the opening phrases from an article written by Mindaugas Jurkynas for IQ THE ECONOMIST. The article is recommended by VilNews. To read the full text, go to:
http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/872211-baltic-triumph
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Your articles about Lithuania are wonderful!
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Sincerely yours,
Virgilijus Ziaukas
Germany
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Thank you for this copy and mostly for your gallant effort in pointing to the lack of common sense by people positioned and tasked with leadership in very important matters. After decades of Communist style living it is possible that the population has not yet regained clarity, confidence and with it the will to keep self serving arrogance out of ranks of the Nation's leaders.
Best regards,
Algirdas Vaitkus
Mission Viejo, California
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I congratulate you on your courage and clarity
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Bravo on an excellent issue. I congratulate you on your courage and clarity. Whether people agree or disagree with whatever point, I do hope many understand how much love, care and constructive friendship you are offering to your adopted country.
Nothing can be better for a new democracy than a spirit of free civic debate and encouraging more and more local people to.... stay and debate!
Cheers
Dovid Katz
North Wales
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Could not resist myself writing you and congratulating you for very good article! Enjoyed reading it!
It illustrates perfectly the Adizes management methodology (ref. www.adizes.com), which I am working with currently. It talks about necessity to develop a culture of mutual trust and respect within any organization in order to be successful (could be business organization or country). And one of the important elements creating such culture is willingness to hear and understand other people and other opinions.
You just provided a perfect example about the lack of mutual trust and respect in Lithuanian society! Very well done!
Best regards,
Virginijus Kundrotas
Kaunas
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Congratulations on another well-written and informative issue of VilNews. The issues addressed speak for themselves
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Best regards,
Algis Ratnikas
San Francisco, USA
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OPINIONS
Have your say. Send to:
editor@VilNews.com
Ph. D., Chicago
A wave of unity sweeps the international Lithuanian community on March 11th every year as Lithuanians celebrated the anniversary of the Lithuanian Parliament's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. However, the sense of national unity engendered by the celebration could be short-lived.
Human beings have a strong tendency to overgeneralize and succumb to stereotypical us-them distinctions that can shatter even the strongest bonds. We need only search the internet to find examples of divisive thinking at work:
- "Those who fled Lithuania during World II were cowards -- and now they come back, flaunt their wealth, and tell us 'true Lithuanians' how to live."
- "Lithuanians who work abroad have abandoned their homeland and should be deprived of their Lithuanian citizenship."
In Lithuania Christmas Eve is a family event and the New Year's Eve a great party with friends!
Lithuanian say "Kaip sutiksi naujus metus, taip juos ir praleisi" (the way you'll meet the new year is the way you will spend it). So everyone is trying to spend New Year's Eve with friend and have as much fun as possible.
Lithuanian New Year's traditions are very similar to those in other countries, and actually were similar since many years ago. Also, the traditional Lithuanian New Years Eve party was very similar to other big celebrations throughout the year.
The New Year's Eve table is quite similar to the Christmas Eve table, but without straws under the tablecloth, and now including meat dishes. A tradition that definitely hasn't changes is that everybody is trying not to fell asleep before midnight. It was said that if you oversleep the midnight point you will be lazy all the upcoming year. People were also trying to get up early on the first day of the new year, because waking up late also meant a very lazy and unfortunate year.
During the New Year celebration people were dancing, singing, playing games and doing magic to guess the future. People didn't drink much of alcohol, especially was that the case for women.
Here are some advices from elders:
- During the New Year, be very nice and listen to relatives - what you are during New Year Eve, you will be throughout the year.
- During to the New Year Eve, try not to fall, because if this happens, next year you will be unhappy.
- If in the start of the New Year, the first news are good - then the year will be successful. If not - the year will be problematic.
* If New Year's night is cold and starry - look forward to a good summer!
* If the during New Year Eve trees are covered with frost - then it will be a good year. If it is wet weather on New Year's Eve, one can expect a year where many will die and dangerous epidemics occur.
* If the first day of the new year is snowy - the upcoming year will see many young people die. If the night is snowy - mostly old people will die.
* If the New Year time is cold - then Easter will be warm.
* If during New Year there are a lot of birds in your homestead - then all year around there will be many guests and the year will be fun.
Christmas greetings
from Vilnius
and epic battle for the
future
Philosopher, political theorist, historian of
ideas, social analyst, and political
commentator
Ukraine was and continues to be perceived by the EU political class as a sort of grey zone with its immense potential and possibilities for the future, yet deeply embedded and trapped in No Man's Land with all of its troubled past, post-Soviet traumas, ambiguities, insecurities, corruption, social divisions, and despair. Why worry for what has yet to emerge as a new actor of world history in terms of nation-building, European identity, and deeper commitments to transparency and free market economy?
Right? Wrong. No matter how troubled Ukraine's economic and political reality could be, the country has already passed the point of no return. Even if Vladimir Putin retains his leverage of power to blackmail Ukraine and the West in terms of Ukraine's zero chances to accede to NATO due to the problems of territorial integrity, occupation and annexation of Crimea, and mayhem or a frozen conflict in the Donbas region, Ukraine will never return to Russia's zone of influence. It could be deprived of the chances to join NATO or the EU in the coming years or decades, yet there are no forces on earth to make present Ukraine part of the Eurasia project fostered by Putin.
want to learn about the
new, scary propaganda
war between Russia,
The West and the
Baltic States!
believe their government
is corrupt
students say no to
bribes for doctors
During Soviet times, government was administered for the people in control, not for the local population, court decisions were decreed, they were not the administration of justice, and academia was the domain of ideologues. 25 years of freedom and openness should have put those bad experiences behind Lithuania, but that is not so.
Today, it is a matter of expectation that court pronouncements will be governed by ideological dictates. Few, if any Lithuanians expect real justice to be effected. For foreign companies, doing business in Lithuania is almost impossible in a situation where business people do not expect rule of law, so, surely Government would be a refuge of competence?
Lithuanian Government has not emerged from Soviet styles. In an attempt to devolve power, Lithuania has created a myriad of fiefdoms of power, each speaking in the name of the Government, each its own centralized power base of ideology.
Chepstow, Wales
Doesn't that sound suspiciously like Lithuania? Ah, but I didn't mention the mountains of Snowdonia, which would give the game away.
I'm talking about Wales, that part of the UK which Lithuanians used to call "Valija", but later named "Velsas" (why?). Wales, the nation which has welcomed two Lithuanian heads of state to its shores - firstly Professor Vytautas Landsbergis, who has paid several visits and, more recently, President Dalia Grybauskaitė who attended the 2014 NATO summit which was held in Newport, South Wales.
ENGLISH VERSION OF THE
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF VYTAUTAS LANDSBERGIS.
Although Lithuanian activities have thinned over the decades as that postwar generation died out, the Lithuanian Martyrs' parish hall is crowded with many, many hundreds of visitors who come to the Lithuanian cemetery for All Souls' Day. Similarly, the Franciscan parish has standing room only for Christmas Eve mass.
Although I am firmly embedded in the literary culture of Canada, my themes are usually Lithuanian, and I'll be in Kaunas and Vilnius in mid-November 2015 to give talks about the Lithuanian translations of my novels and short stories, which I write in English.
If you have the Lithuanian language, come by to one of the talks listed in the links below. And if you don't, you can read more about my work at
www.anatanassileika.com
http://www.vdu.lt/lt/rasytojas-antanas-sileika-pristatys-savo-kuryba/ https://leu.lt/lt/lf/lf_naujienos/kvieciame-i-rasytojo-59hc.html
"My love and best wishes to all. As long as VilNews exists, there is hope for the future,"" she writes.
Irena Veisaite means very much for our publication, and we do hereby thank her for the support and wise commitment she always shows.
You can read our interview with her
Facing a new reality
Dear readers of VilNews,
For a number of years, the EU and Russia had assumed the existence of a strategic partnership, based on the convergence of values, economic integration and increasingly open markets and a modernisation agenda for society.
Our agenda was positive and ambitious. We looked at Russia as a country ready to converge with "European values", a country likely to embrace both the basic principles of democratic government and a liberal concept of the world order. It was believed this would bring our relations to a new level, covering the whole spectrum of the EU's strategic relationship with Russia.
The likelihood of Putin
invading Lithuania
.jpg "lithuania today")
Founding Director at Summer Literary Seminars
Are all Lithuanian energy
problems now resolved?
Lithuania as a country does not have significant energy resources. Energy consuming infrastructure after WWII was small and totally supported by energy imports from Russia.
First nuclear reactor begins power generation at Ignalina in 1983, the second reactor in 1987. Iganlina generates enough electricity to cover Lithuania's needs and about 50%.for export. As, prerequisite for membership in EU, Ignalina ceases all nuclear power generation in 2009
The Klaipėda Sea terminal begins Russia's oil export operations in 1959 and imports in 1994.
Mazeikiu Nafta (current ORLEAN Lietuva) begins operation of oil refinery in 1980.
Have Lithuanian ties across
the Baltic Sea become
stronger in recent years?
The two decades that have passed since regaining Lithuania's independence can be described as a "building boom". From the wreckage of a captive Soviet republic, a generation of Lithuanians have built a modern European state, and are now helping construct a Nordic-Baltic community replete with institutions intended to promote political coordination and foster a trans-Baltic regional identity. Indeed, a "Nordic-Baltic community" - I will explain later in my text the meaning of this catch-phrase.
Since the restoration of Lithuania's independence 25 years ago, we have continuously felt a strong support from Nordic countries. Nordics in particular were among the countries supporting Lithuania's and Baltic States' striving towards independence. Take example of Iceland, country which recognized Lithuania in February of 1991, well in advance of other countries. Yet another example - Swedish Ambassador was the first ambassador accredited to Lithuania in 1991. The other countries followed suit. When we restored our statehood, Nordic Countries became champions in promoting Baltic integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. To large degree thanks Nordic Countries, massive transformations occurred in Lithuania since then, Lithuania became fully-fledged member of the EU and NATO, and we joined the Eurozone on 1 January 2015.
Have you heard about the
South African "Pencil Test"?
But that is exactly what happened to me when I came back from South Africa. I will tell you how.
VilNews e-magazine is published in Vilnius, Lithuania. Editor-in-Chief: Mr. Aage Myhre. Inquires to the editors: editor@VilNews.com.
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