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Wed, 15th May, 2013 - Posted by - (7) Comment
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Aage Myhre is |
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Some of architect Aage Myhre’s projects in Lithuania over the last 20 years.
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Architect
Aage Myhre, VilNews editor-in-chief,
interviewed
by Ramunas Kontrimas, news2biz
www.news2biz.com
ramunas@news2biz.com
Aage Myhre, 60, is the Norwegian architect, journalist, publisher whose community building skills have made him a small expat phenomenon in Vilnius. He is about to return to his home country after twenty two years in Vilnius, taking along his Lithuanian spouse and two daughters, but leaving his other object of admiration, Vilnius' Old Town, behind.
news2biz met Aage to ask him to reflect on his Lithuanian stay that lasted much long than he expected.
How did your Lithuanian story begin?
I used to have my architect's office in Oslo that I shared with 15 other local entrepreneurs, lawyers, politicians and the like. One day in 1990, a ponytailed young man comes in, says he's an advisor to the then president Vytautas Landsbergis of the country that we'd hardly heard about, Lithuania. He'd been told – to our surprise – that we are a group of leading lobbyists in Norway, and that Landsbergis' wants Norway to be the country of his first official visit to the West, so he needs our help in arranging – but he has no money.
Three of us in Oslo agreed to help, and with the support of Statoil, other big companies and the Oslo Municipality we managed to arrange a successful visit for Landsbergis' a couple of months later. During his visit, Landsbergis invited us to Lithuania and we went there in November 1990. Our task was to negotiate and arrange the installation of the Norwegian satellite telephone system at the Lithuanian Parliament. At the same time I was helping Statoil to get acquainted with the Lithuanian and the Baltic market.
During his first visit to Lithuania, in November 1990, Aage
took this picture at Rotušes aikštė (Town Hall Square) in Vilnius. This was probably the very last
picture ever made of the statue of Vincas Mickevičius-Kapsukas.
Next morning the statue had been knocked down by local
activists...
19 January 1991: Aage with President Vytautas Landsbergis in
the
Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas), while the Soviet troops
and tanks continued to surround the building.
During this stay I, being relatively newly divorced, met Egle, my future Lithuanian wife. That was not all – I also fell in love with Vilnius' Old Town. As an architect, I saw the beauty of the place where others saw buildings falling apart, and decided that that was my chance to help bring the best out of it.
I got into renovation projects right away, and some of the earliest Old Town building renovation projects are mine. There were no good-quality building materials at that time in Lithuania, so I had to import windows, doors, paints etc, and for a couple of years I think I was a leading importer of Norwegian products to Lithuania.
New projects followed and eventually I had too much interesting work on my hands to return home, so I started my architect's business in Vilnius with my new father-in-law.
Aage
met his coming wife Eglė already during his first visit to
Lithuania,
in 1990.
In 1992 they married in the St. Peter & Paul Cathedral in Vilnius.
Why have you decided to leave?
There are a number of reasons. I've been investing in Lithuanian real estate, with own money too. The crisis of 2008-2010 hit me really hard, while today there is so little happening in the local property development market – it's not interesting enough for me anymore.
Another reason is family. I have three grown-up children in Norway and two daughters here. I would like to unite them and have my big family around me as much as I can.
The third reason is my Lithuanian children. As children, they have dual Lithuanian and Norwegian citizenship now but Norway only allows one for adults; to qualify for that you need to have spent certain time in Norway. The social safety system in Norway is probably the best in the world, and I want my kids to enjoy it. Then there's education – Lithuanian high schools are good, but university education is generally not up to standard yet.
What is your take on modern Lithuanian architecture?
I'm a classic style architect, and few of modern buildings in Lithuania have impressed me. Local architects or property owners seem to be more interested in building monuments to themselves, to the point of looking funny.
For instance, Vilnius' biggest new commercial development around the Europa office tower and shopping centre looks so messy to me. One particular area looks like a stone desert, there's nothing there that makes you want be there. The neighbouring Konstitucijos Avenue is one big transport artery that completely blocks the Old Town on the other side of the Neris River from the new central business district. I think placing it underground and creating a green oasis wouldn't have cost much more while creating a much friendlier place.
I believe in holistic architecture – how buildings, the surrounding area and people interact with each other is as important as designing an interesting building. I like to compare modern Lithuanian architecture to a casino – you throw the dice and get an assortment of numbers-buildings, you have no control over them and therefore urban planning suffers from that. The more classic style architecture I compare to chess – every move has intelligent consequences to the game.
How has it been for you, a foreigner, to run a small business here?
It's been different from Norway, yes, and there have been many challenges. Many foreigners who come here start complaining, especially about corruption. Of course, corruption exists here but personally I have never paid a single Litas in bribes to any local politician or bureaucrat during my projects. If you behave like a normal person with a certain degree of politeness, you don’t have to go into these traps. But if you come with your nose poked in the air, you will quickly face problems.
If you have a positive attitude, Lithuania is a fantastic place to be and do business, especially now with the country's low taxes – you don't even have to do business here, only have your base and do business wherever you like.
The Vilnius International Club that you are the founder of, the VilNews English-language online magazine about Lithuania – they seem to be more about history and for older Lithuanians living abroad rather than about current affairs and for young people.
It's just like human being – they have various interests, and so we at VIC and VilNews try to offer a mix of everything – history, politics, culture, business. I admit, VIC was not as active when I was deeply involved in launching VilNews as a newsletter for VIC but now it's again a vibrant community. As the basis for VIC activity, I've been using borrowed slogans from two well-known brands, Nokia's Connecting People and Nike's Just Do It.
VIC members break down 50/50 between Lithuanians interested in foreign affairs and the local expat community. I believe VIC today is the best forum for any kind of local-foreign discussion – it’s not just a chamber of commerce, it's not only a culture institute.
And we are certainly going to have more young faces at VIC and VilNews, it just takes time for me to walk them through.
In Norway, Lithuanians last year became the second biggest immigrant community. How do you feel about it?
What I don't like about Norwegian authorities is that they are discussing only what advantages (low-cost skilled labour) or disadvantages (crime) the Lithuanian immigrants create for Norway. I never heard somebody say, 'This is so bad for Lithuania that we take their best brains'. If this issue was discussed from both sides early on, the authorities could have become more focused on it and could probably come up with some solutions.
Obviously, many Lithuanians wouldn't have left their country if it wasn't for the Andrius Kubilius' Conservative government's austerity policy that started in 2008. It was like putting brakes on in a car that was already standing still. I personally urged Kubilius to write to Scandinavian prime ministers to seek some kind of assistance. For instance, to a country like Norway to support Lithuania would have cost very little. Later I met Norway's Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg and asked if Kubilius ever asked for help and support to deal with the crisis or the energy prices pushed up by Russia. She said, no, never.
In general, I believe Lithuania and the Baltics should seek closer cooperation with Norway and Scandinavia. The EU is fine but it is such big and unwieldy machinery. Scandinavia owes you so much because it pretended not to notice that Lithuania's anti-Soviet resistance, the bloodiest post-war conflict in Europe, was taking place 60 years ago at their very doorsteps.
ANDRIUS
KUBILIUS ERNA SOLBERG
Aage
personally urged Prime Minister Kubilius to write to Scandinavian prime ministers
to seek some kind of assistance when the crisis hit in 2008. Later Aage met
Norway's Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg
and
asked if Kubilius ever asked for help and support to deal with the crisis
or
the energy prices pushed up by Russia. She said, no, never.
We have talked to
Aage
Myhre aage.myhre@vilnews.com
Tel
+370 699 33 222 (mobile)
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Wed, 15th May, 2013 - Posted by - (2) Comment
Two new
VilNews editors!
Today, we are pleased to announce that VilNews has got two new skilled Associate Editors, Dalia Cidzikaite and Daiva Repečkaitė. We can say with certainty that they are going to mean a lot for our worldwide, online e-publication and the accompanying wonderful network of global readers with Lithuania in their hearts. Please welcome them! See also our Section 2 and Section 3.
Associate Editor
DALIA CIDZIKAITE
Dalia is the former editor in chief of the Chicago-based Lithuanian newspaper Draugas. She holds a PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is the board member of the journal Lituanus, Santara-Šviesa Federation, also the member of the Lithuanian American Community, Inc. Archives Committee and Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies. Dalia is the author of a book The Other in Lithuanian Prose (Vilnius: Lietuvių literatūros ir tautosakos institutas, 2007). She was born
and grew up in Vilnius.
dalia.cidzikaite@VilNews.com
Associate Editor
DAIVA REPEČKAITĖ
Daiva is a former journalist of Atgimimas weekly, the Baltic correspondent of the Equal Times, and a freelance reporter. She has published articles in IQ magazine, news sites Delfi, lrytas.lt and Bernardinai.lt, as well as Cafe Babel, Göteborgske Spionen and Grads.co.uk. In 2008 she won the European Young Journalist Award "Enlarge your vision" in the Lithuanian language category and later was awarded a Japan Foundation grant for young researchers and journalists. In addition to Lithuanian and English, she speaks German, Russian and Hebrew, as well as some Swedish, French and Japanese.
daiva.repeckaite@VilNews.com
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Sun, 12th August, 2012 - Posted by - (2) Comment
Help us make VilNews
even more successful!
Dear VilNews Readers,
First of all, thanks to all of you for your kind words, suggestions, comments and support for VilNews. We have always felt very strongly about the wonderful potential of Lithuania in the world. It is a country of much beauty and fascinating multicultural history – a nation now represented in all corners of the world. We have been very pleased to provide a forum for a free, open and respectful dialogue about the past, present and future of Lithuania. The Staff and I have taken your advice to heart and decided to continue publishing VilNews and possibly also publishing a Lithuanian version of it. For this to occur we will need additional financial support.
We cannot continue to carry the full financial cost of publishing and disseminating VilNews on our own. We feel that all of us have a vested interest in the success of VilNews. In order to continue and expand this great publication we need your help.
If you can, please make a financial contribution to VilNews. At the present time we can only accept checks or money orders made out to UAB VilNews. Please write me if you consider contributing.
If you know of any business that should or could advertise in VilNews, please contact them. We are looking for sponsors and advertisers.
Please check your e-mail contact lists and suggest www.VilNews.com to all your friends who are interested in Lithuania. You would be surprised, how many of them have not heard of us. VilNews has also two different pages on Facebook, so go in and "like" us and participate in our ongoing debates.
I am sure that all of us working together can make VilNews even more successful than it already is.
Sincerely,
Kestutis J. Eidukonis
CEO VilNews
kestutis.eidukonis@VilNews.com
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Thu, 9th August, 2012 - Posted by - (0) Comment
New CEO of VilNews
Kestutis J. Eidukonis
Dear readers,
I am today pleased to announce that Mr. Kestutis J. Eidukonis has accepted the position as CEO (Chief Executive Officer), of VilNews. As his family name suggests, Kestutis is of Lithuanian origin, though he has lived most of his life in the USA. Kestutis replaces Mr. Torben Pedersen as CEO for VilNews.
As CEO Kestutis will be responsible for the business aspects of VilNews, whereas I will continue to be responsible for all editorial aspects, as Editor-in-Chief.
Kestutis brings a wealth of experience from his life-long career(s). He can proudly look back at a brilliant career at the US Armed Forces, which brought him to work in many countries and in many roles, including being primary adviser in political and military affairs to the Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Southern Command (Latin and Central America). His successful military career can best be illustrated by the numerous decorations for outstanding performance he has received over the years.
Kestutis’ civil career is not less impressive. He has successfully managed the improvement or turn-around of over 500 small to medium size businesses ranging in annual revenue from $500,000 - $60 million. He has successfully advised several Russian and Eastern European firms endeavoring to do business with Western Countries, and he has worked extensively in Russia, the Baltics and Scandinavia. He has been teaching Entrepreneurship, Audio Video Technology, Electronic Journalism and Media communications, and lectured at AT&T's Global Business Program, East Stroudsburg University, School of the Americas, and the Air Force War College, as well as he has presented seminars on various business topics.
It’s without any doubt that Kestutis’ achievements, credentials, skills and experiences are outstanding and impressive. However, maybe most importantly, during the last couple of months, where I have learned to know Kestutis (also) as a person, I have noticed his strong feelings for Lithuania and Lithuanians, which I’m convinced has played an important role in his decision of accepting the position as CEO of VilNews.
He shares the vision of VilNews, to develop and maintain an e-publication that should be viewed as a good, strong, independent, democratic and outspoken Fourth Estate media in and for Lithuania, be critical of the negative that is still going on in this country, while increasingly trying to find positive stories and interesting angles on events and characteristics from both past and present, and to build bridges between Lithuania and its many extraordinary fine diasporas around the world.
You might claim that his decision was made by his heart rather than by his brain, however, as long as the brain is not completely disconnected, this is not a bad combination.
Let me also take the opportunity to thank Torben Pedersen for all the efforts he has put into VilNews…so far. Torben accepted the role as CEO in connection with the establishment of VilNews, as a temporary measure, however we all know that temporary arrangements, in the worst case, tend to become permanent, and in the best case, take longer than anticipated. I know that Torben is happy that Kestutis has accepted to take over as CEO, not for his own sake, but for the sake of VilNews. Torben is also a character that doesn’t care about titles or positions, however, I am convinced that Torben will work closely together with Kestutis in the future, that they will greatly supplement each other and constitute a great management team.
Please extend a hand and help Kestutis, Torben and I make VilNews a truly successful and wonderful reading experience for all lovers of Lithuania.
Aage Myhre
Editor-in-Chief
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Thu, 7th June, 2012 - Posted by - (8) Comment
Is there a future for VilNews?
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There will be no updates of VilNews e-magazine for |
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By Aage Myhre, VilNews Editor-in-Chief
aage.myhre@VilNews.com
It seems, unfortunately, that we may have to stop publishing VilNews later this summerdue to lack of economic support and advertising from Lithuanian State, businesses and organizations, this despite the tremendous success we have had when it comes to worldwide readership and general interest.
Ideas and suggestions from you, dear readers who wouldn’t like to see this happen, would be very much appreciated.
When we went online with VilNews 16 months ago, the internet experts predicted that a ‘niche product’ like ours would probably attract no more than 10-15,000 readers per year. Today this is the number of readers we have per week (!), and we have till now welcomed close to 400,000 visitors from 181 countries; a tremendous success both with regards to readership and the great response we have had from Lithuanians and others from literally every corner of the globe. As far as I know, we are now the largest online publication from and about Lithuania in the world…
I have been told that we have more readers than all Lithuanian tourist brochures and presentations altogether.
I have been told that we have been doing more to connect global Lithuanians than all governmental institutions together…
If VilNews was printed on paper it would become a book of 7,000 pages, thicker than the Bible, making it the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of, and source for, historical and contemporary information about the nation called Lithuania. This does, however, not impress the country’s State leaders or businesses.
When we have asked companies and the State authorities for economic support, the answer is either NO, or we get no answer at all (which is the most common ‘response’).
So far, we, the owners/shareholders, have subsidized the publishing, but I’m afraid our general meeting later this summer will be negative to do this much longer.
I think it would be sad if this enormous collection of Lithuania-related information would be lost, and I think it would be a sad day for our many readers who no longer will be getting their daily manna and access to a freestanding, democratic communication platform for good debates and the sharing of thoughts, memories and much more.
It would almost be like burning down a national library, wouldn’t it?
At the moment I am not very optimistic, but I would still be happy to hear if you, dear readers, have any ideas that could help keeping VilNews alive and online.
It is ten years since VilNews was established as a newsletter for VIC (Vilnius International Club – started 2001). Over the years, the newsletter got attention and readers from a worldwide audience far beyond the spheres of the club, and grew from having a few hundred readers to an estimated readership of more than
10,000 by the end of 2010.
Against this background, it was in September 2010 decided that VilNews should be separated from the club and established as a separate corporation and publisher, with the aim to turn the newsletter into an online e-magazine with a broad scope of issues and coverage.
VilNews e-magazine went online 15 February 2011, and has during the 16 months that have passed since then achieved a very solid, global success, now with close to 400,000 readers in no less than 181 countries!
Lithuanians around the world have united through VilNews. Thanks to you all, for the massive, wonderful feedback throughout the time we’ve spent together. I sincerely hope that this is not the end!
Kindest Regards,
Aage Myhre
Aage Myhre
VilNews Editor-in-Chief
Tel: +370 699 33 222
www.VilNews.com
aage.myhre@VilNews.com
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BELOW: A few out of many comments received regarding VilNews: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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An important, noble thing for the country Congratulations on the VilNews debut in this new, expanded format. It looks very good indeed, is highly informative, and I wish you much success with it. The sheer amount of effort and dedication that must have gone into getting this undertaking off the ground is quite awe-inspiring. You are doing an important, noble thing for the beautiful country you love. It is indeed an exceptionally interesting, genuinely fascinating country, with a turbulent past and difficult present -- a place that, despite (and in part, due to) the many still-unresolved issues of history, never is not-interesting, where "the past is not dead. It isn't even past," to quote Faulkner -- and as someone who also has been held under its thrall for many years, I share your desire to see as many people as possible the world over to discover it, come visit -- and fall in love with it, too, and keep coming back. My very best wishes to VilNews.
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We really needed something like this long ago Let me express my warmest greetings for such a wonderful job. I’m sure it will contribute a lot to creating a better image of Lithuania in the world. We really needed something like this long ago.
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Maintaining the pride of being Lithuanian We, at the National Lithuanian American Hall of Fame, are extremely appreciative of the superb job you did in prominently displaying our articles in your publication.
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Thank you for sending me VILNEWS. It is very well produced, informative and a very good read for me as I wish to stay in touch with Lithuania life and business. I receive the daily Baltic News but it is inferior to VILNEWS as it is always biased towards Latvia and has many mistakes in the English. VILNEWS is much more professional and absorbing.
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Good job with VilNews, actually a unique one globally! - Valdas Samonis PhD, CPC (USA - Canada),
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Far away from home, we need a publication different from the mainstream news portals Congratulations with VilNews! Far away from home, we need a publication different from the mainstream news portals, which are often permeated with negative attitude and serving narrow, short-term interests. Your interest to history and the international dimension of Lithuania has made your publication a very engaging reading. I trust VilNews will remain enthusiastic, honest and insightful. Please rest assured that you have a dedicated reader in Africa. - Paulius Kulikauskas, Nairobi, Kenya
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Your critical comments on, and wishes for, Lithuania in this issue are excellent I agree with every word, and can only hope that more Lithuanians would take your very informed, friendly, and insightful message to heart! I intend to translate most of your remarks, published in VilNews, into Lithuanian as part of my international press review this Wednesday. As I said before, I think your remarks are very valuable and reflect an enlightened attitude that should be broadcast as widely as possible to a Lithuanian audience. - Professor Mykolas J. Drunga, Broadcaster at Lithuanian State Radio
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Fundamental, personal values, sharp vision, continuous commitment, and hard work Some world leaders loud the phrases "yes we can" and "change you can trust (what change: good or bad?)"... However, what they fail to understand is that to achieve great results it takes fundamental, personal values, sharp vision, continuous commitment, and hard work. That is why they fail and You succeed!
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Professional looking site and highly informative publication. |
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Immense damage after 50 years of oppression: You have seen it, recognized the problem and tried to repair the damage |
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The 50 years of communist oppression has done immense damage not only to the economy, but perhaps more so to the social fabric of our country. You have seen it, recognized the problem and tried to repair the damage. People who know you and respect you are grateful for all that you have done. You are needed, because you are making a difference and have so much more to give. I hope you will not allow the less than cordial atmosphere to stop the good that you are doing. Aage, I think that the good you make in the lives of very common people is what really counts. I urge you not to be discouraged and don’t give up doing the good that you are doing. The VilNews project is excellent. Warm Regards,
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More than all government bureaucrats together |
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You have truly done more service to your adopted country than all the government insensitive bureaucrats put together. You have 150,000 admirers in 114 countries. Close to 50,000 are living in Lithuania and reading VilNews with enthusiasm. Sincerely
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Most valuable and useful to and in Lithuania today |
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You have been an unprecedented star of optimism, the window of fresh air, and the bridge that Lithuania so badly needs to understand itself, where it stands in the world and how others see it. I have admired your attitude towards Lithuania and in many conversation used you as an example of what a man, even not a native to the country, can do voluntarily to raise Lithuania's image in contrast to the army of bureaucrats and consultants who achieved nothing upon spending millions for that purpose. It is so sad that the Lithuanian government and/or the politicians have not been able to raise their heads above the mock they are in, to recognize the immense contribution to the community dialog and Lithuania's visibility in the world you generated, that literally no money can buy. You have united through VILNEWS so many people from so many countries to a common purpose to share their thoughts and feelings on one issues that are dear to their hearts. It is unprecedented and no money can ever duplicate, because you have done it from your heart and soul. You are the most valuable and useful person to and in Lithuania today, even if those in power are blind to see and deaf to hear it. Dear Aage, please grow and nurture the VILNEWS, for it is better than any world news organization could ever produce. It is a beautiful and one of the most important gifts that anyone could have given to Lithuania. And we are immensely grateful to you for that. Best regards, Stan Backaitis
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Keep the good work going. I’m impressed. |
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Thanks for the newsletter. It has renewed my interest in Lithuania at a time when I am more involved in other countries. Keep the good work going. I'm impressed. Keith
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You are doing something that Lithuanian officials ought to do
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Dear Aage Myhre, I got the address of VilNews from my American friend. Best congratulations. You are again doing something that Lithuanian officials ought to do. Sincerely, |
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Pulling extraordinary minds & brains together for the purpose of “rescuing” Lithuania
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Mon, 9th April, 2012 - Posted by - (0) Comment
As long as VilNews exists, there is hope for the future
 Dr. Irena Veisaite, Chairwoman of the VilNews Honorary Council (see SECTION 2) |
Professor Irena Veisaite, Chairwoman of our Honorary Council, has asked us to convey her heartfelt greetings to the other Council Members and to all readers of VilNews. “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 HERE. |
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Tue, 14th February, 2012 - Posted by - (0) Comment
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 ONE YEAR ONLINE! |
VilNews Honorary Council!
By: Aage Myhre, Editor-in-Chief
aage.myhre@VilNews.com
Dear VilNews readers,
We are today proud to present you to our ‘Honorary Council’ – composed of distinguished individuals, all born in Lithuania before World War II, all having extraordinary lives and careers – some in Lithuania, some in exile due to the Soviet occupation of their motherland.
The members of the Honorary Council, wish to contribute, embody, and set standards that enhance the progress and development of Lithuania as a great nation based on dignity, wisdom, tolerance, multiculturalism, and respect for each other.
Lithuania is today a free and independent nation with norms, values, and visions that are deeply rooted in our country’s long and proud history, and it is these outstanding qualities that define the country and our people as the nation called Lithuania. These are the traits that have made Lithuania a great, progressive, and prosperous force in human history.
Now our nation needs to pull together so that we can confront boldly the challenges we face and take responsibility for our own future again.
The dignitaries participation in the Honorary Council does not imply that they, either as a group or as individuals, necessarily agree with all of the opinions the publication’s editorial staff, readers, and other parties may express in articles, comments, or other published content, but they do affirm and advocate freedom of the press, speech, and other forms of legitimate expression as among the inviolable rights of a democratic Lithuania, based on the ethical standards outlined in the publication’s own “Code of Ethics” (ref VilNews Section 3).
They encourage Lithuanians and readers around the world to express their opinions and views through VilNews with the common goal of contributing to a better and more prosperous future for the worldwide Lithuanian community and the nation called “Lithuania!”
Irena Veisaite – Valdas Adamkus – Jonas Kronkaitis – Stasys Backaitis
Vytautas Slliupas – Tomas Venclova – Romas Katilius – Siminoas Alperavicius – Vytas Gruodis
TO READ MORE, GO TO OUR SECTION 2
* * *
VilNews became an online e-publication
15th of February 2011
* * *
Today: 250.000 readers in 175 countries
in absolutely all world corners!
* * *
If VilNews was printed on paper, it would become
a book of more than 6.000 pages
* * *
Coronation of King Mindaugas, Lithuania’s first and only king, 6 July 1253.
"The Coronation of King Mindaugas" is the only historical picture out of half a
thousand works that were painted by Adomas Varnas (1879-1979). Varnas was
Lithuanian, a graduate of the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts and the Geneva
High School of Painting, and lived abroad most of his life. He worked on
the painting of King Mindaugas in Chicago, USA. The size of the picture is
1,65 m x 1,3 m. It portrays the climactic scene of the King's coronation.
Varnas painted the canvas when he was over 70 years of age, in 1952.
He consulted several scientists to avoid historical mistakes.
VilNews went online 15 February 2011. Our goal was to get 100,000 visitors in one year. This target was reached already after six months, and now, after one year, we are very pleased to announce that we have reached 250,000 visitors – one quart million readers in no less than 175 countries! Around 1,000 persons are now reading VilNews every single day, a new reader every 1,5 minute in other words…
Experts told us in advance that a ‘niche product’ like this could expect a readership of 10,000 – 15,000 per year. Skeptics said that we were too optimistic. They were thoroughly wrong ...
VilNews is a unique combination of blogs, news, historical articles, etc – a news media and social media under same umbrella, including a huge information base providing background articles on history, politics, economy and much more.
As far as we know VilNews is now the world's most comprehensive online presentation of Lithuania and Lithuanian topics, be it with regard to history, politics, economy, culture, tourism and more. Had VilNews been printed on paper it would be a book of more than 6,000 pages, thicker than the Bible, Old and New Testament together.
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OPINIONS
Have your say. Send to:
editor@VilNews.com
How can we make the world aware of Lithuania, its 50 years of nonviolant resistance against the USSR?
GameChanger: A film about Lithuania's nonviolent resistance
Ruta Musonis
This is great, Aage!!
David Zincavage
My grandfather came to America in 1912 after violently resisting the Russian Occupation.
Mia Pia
My grandparents and parents lost everything, due to the violent wars and occupation by the USSR.
Ida Hardy
We need a feature film like Hunting for Red October - but with more of the details of Lithuania. Or an epic romance featuring the beautiful countryside, following ten generations and what they saw in their lifetime. But whoever writes it please let there be a happy ending?
Aage Myhre
Rima Alessandra, please let Ida Hardy have some idea about your potential 'happy ending'
Rima Alessandra Gungor,
GameChanger Director, at the remaining barricade elements that still remain outside the Parliament as visible symbols of Lithuania's nonviolent revolution in 1991.
Lithuanian Midsummer
Midsummer Day is a festival of simple people, connected with the veneration of fire. Young girls adorn their heads with flower wreaths. A tall pole with a wooden wheel soaked in tar or filled with birch bark is hoisted at the top of the highest hill in the vicinity. Men whose names are Jonas (John) set the wheels on fire and make bonfires around it. In some places a second pole is hoisted with flowers and herbs. Young people dance round the fire, sing songs about rye, play games, men try to jump over the fire. The burning wheels on the poles are rolled down the hill into a river or a lake at its foot, men jumping over it all along. On the Midsummer Day people weed the rye and burn all the weeds.
On Midsummer Day's morning witches acquire special powers, they drag towels over the dewy grass to affect cows' milk. To save their cows from the witches' magic farmers shut them in cowsheds for the Midsummer Night and stick bunches of nettle in the door to scare the witches away. On Midsummer Day cows are driven out to pasture in the early after- noon when there is no more dew on the grass. Horses, however, are left to graze in the open throughout the night, or the witches magic has no effect on them.
On Midsummer Day dew has special healing powers. Young girls wash their faces in it to make themselves beautiful, older people do the same to make themselves younger. It is good to walk barefoot in dew on Midsummer Day's morning, for it saves the skin from getting chapped.
Midsummer Day and the time immediately preceding it is believed to have special powers. Medicinal herbs collected from June 1 to the Midsummer Day can cure 12 (some say 99) diseases.
Read more…
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Ida Hardy
What are YOU doing for this year's Solstice and Super Moon?
http://vilnews.com/2011-01-su-joninem
Boris Bakunas What a wonderful post! Thank you, Ida!
Sandra Abramovich Love this and am sharing it!
Ida Hardy Thank Aage Myhre - he's the original! It is a beautiful description isn't it? Are you doing something special?
Many tend to think of Russia as a sad and grey country, often forgetting what a prominent cultural power this nation in fact is
Wyman Brent I have not visited Russia since the time I was there during the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Val Samonis I am one of those rusophiles (fluent in Russian, etc) even though I am a lifetime anti-Soviet, anti-communist persecuted by Polish and Soviet secret services and I asked & received a political asylum in North America!
Jenifer C. Dillis "Sad & grey" are the souls of those persecuted...I've never been, but as an American Lithuanian, I appreciate the arts, traditions, and cultures that escaped the greyness and heaviness which may forever be associated with such a nation/government...
Irena Dzikija Never thought about Russia as sad or grey. Russia and Russians are colourful The Putin's regime makes it seem so. Have you ever been to St Petersburg?
Aage Myhre Yes, Irena Dzikija, I have been to St. Petersburg. Would have liked to make a separate story on the city and the Italian influenced art and architecture there and along the Baltic Sea nations throughout the centuries...
Vincas Karnila Comrade Putin has been notorious for doing a lot of things but this is the first time ever I’ve ever heard of him or his iron clad, Soviet style administration described as making Rusija “colorful”
For the sake of all the civilized world, please give us your definition of “colorful”
Vincas Karnila From Ms. Dzikija or anyone else that can somehow explain how Comrade Putin is “colorful”.
I whole heartedly agree that Rusija has some many absolutely beautiful areas and who cannot enjoy the gregarious charm of many of the Rusijos people – BUT Putin and his administration making Rusija “colorful”????????? PLEASE explain this one to me?????????
Irena Dzikija Vincai, I meant Putin's regime (do you know the definition of the word?) makes it seem sad and grey, to my mind. I do not know Russia, I have never lived there, but I know a little bit their culture, speak very good Russian. Have relatives in St Petersburg. My grandmother - a fantastic lady was Russian. RIP. Satisfied ?
Boris Bakunas Russian literature and music ranks among the world's greatest. Just think Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Dostoievski, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Chekhov, Yesenin, Ahkmatova, Blok, Nabakov, Solzhenitsyn, Josef Brodsky, etc.
And in music, Tsaichovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Stravinsky, Prokoviev, Rachmaninoff...
One must never confuse people with the government they are stuck with.
Vincas Karnila Ačiū p. Irena kad Jus paaiškinote - “colorful” is one of those English words that can mean many many different things and with the exception of one, they are all positive. I would say that if someone wanted to describe comrade Putin as “colorful” they could and this would be using the only negative meaning of the word. There are so many ways that I would use “colorful” in very positive ways to describe Rusija.
Aš laimingas, kad mes susitariame :o)
Vincas Karnila You are so right Boris – Rusija is truly rich in culture.
It was sad how so many artists were suppressed during Soviet times
Boris Bakunas @Vincas Karnila. Yes, Vincas, So many sent to the camps, shot, or forced to commit suicide!
Sometimes when I hear the word "civilization," I cringe. The 20th century has been the bloodiest in all of human history. That's civilization?
And then I think of the kind of lives lived by individual human beings who were able to rise and live like eagles. Think of Kudirka and Basanavicius. Think of our partizanai! Think of the priests and ministers who refused to renounce their beliefs under torture and ministered to their brethren in Siberia.
Such people exist in all nations. They live on in our memories like beacons leading us to a higher form of life -- beyond the daily grind for money-making or the desperate pursuit of diversion in fleeting pleasures. We can learn about them through the books they have written, or through the books written about them.
Who among us has not experienced the profound influence a book read at the right time can have on our lives?
As bad as the economic situation in Lithuania is right now, at least our people have the right to read what they choose and say what they think. We can be in control of our lives right now!
Every Lithuanian suffered. Christian, Jew, Pagan, even the Hitlerist invaders and the Soviet soldiers suffered
By Ida Hardy, Texas, USA
Dear everyone,
While historians try to piece together the stories of 'who suffered more' during the times of our parents and grandparents, and while they get entrenched in the details of soviet interrogations and torture and public atrocities and Siberian exiles and illegal imprisonment and young children working in salt mines and the humilities and deaths of so many and compare those sad sufferings to the relegation of Jewish people to ghettoes and the killing and torture and forced labor - while the historians try to keep score as if it is some sort of macabre game - while all of this gruesome comparison is going on can the rest of us acknowledge a couple of things?
First - every Lithuanian suffered. Christian, Jew, Pagan, even the Hitlerist invaders and the soviet soldiers suffered. The Polish people and the Germans and Prussians suffered. Everyone suffered in wwii. So many dead in every country.
Second - every human has a lower self and a higher self. We all have the capacity to cause suffering. There are things we must actively do as individuals and collectively to prevent ourselves from acting on those base possibilities.
Jonas Dainius Berzanskis
Revenge does not work!
Felicia Dalia Prekeris Brown
Well said!
Jon Platakis I do not believe Lithuanians play the "who suffered more" comparison game. It is unfortunate that comparatively few people in the west know and understand what happened to the Lithuanians and other eastern Europeans at the close of WWII. All that Lithuanians are attempting to accomplish is to simply tell their side of the story to the world. Let us not forget that Lithuania, except for brief periods of freedom, has been savagely occupied for approximately 200 years. There is so much to tell from the Lithuanian perspective, and let us be not shy about doing so.
Ida Hardy Not all - but some do. All suffering should be acknowledged. And you're right - so many in the west have NO idea of what soviet occupation was like. My wish is not to stop the conversation - but to increase understanding.
The never-ending Polish – Lithuanian neighbour dispute
Aage Myhre A few years ago my wife and I fell into conversation with two Poles in Oslo. When they heard that my wife was from Lithuania, they were quick to assert that the Vilnius area is actually Polish and never should have been given to Lithuania after World War II. My wife immediately responded that the area Punsk in eastern Poland in reality is Lithuanian and should be re-incorporated into the mother-country. The dispute was in full swing.
I have subsequently many times seen texts reminiscent of history forgery when Polish and international historians describe the Polish-Lithuanian relations in the later Middle Ages. The relationship is often described as if Poland was the leading nation and Lithuania a province in the east, while the reality was as the map above shows, with Lithuania as Europe’s biggest nation for centuries.
But Lithuania is not much better in its attitudes versus Poland and the Poles.
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Comments
I have a colleague, who is from the US and is probably of Polish descent (don't know for sure), who once asked me which country I from (answer: Lithuania) and then asked which part of Lithuania: Lithuanian or Polish?
Arunas Teiserskis I have a colleague, who is from the US and is probably of Polish descent (don't know for sure), who once asked me which country I from (answer: Lithuania) and then asked which part of Lithuania: Lithuanian or Polish? I told him in response that there is no such thing and Polish or Lithuanian parts, only the small section of country, which was occupied by Pilsudsky in between WWI and WWII and that's the only time it was considered Polish. Well, he never said hello to me again, always pretend he's looking other way
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What shocked and worried me when my wife and I met the said two Poles in Oslo, was their intrusive insolence and arrogance in relation to Lithuania
Aage Myhre Arunas Teiserskis, What immediately shocked and worried me when my wife and I met the said two Poles in Oslo, was their intrusive insolence and arrogance in relation to Lithuania. My wife is not a person who gets 'impressed' by such, but I personally got a lot of food for thought. Especially knowing that it now is more than 70 years since the Polish occupation of Vilnius and South-West Lithuania came to its end...
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Poles still consider that they haven't regained their losses
Arunas Teiserskis Well, it can be explainable. Contemporary Polish national psyche was constructed on the notion, that Poland was one of the biggest victims of WWII. Well, it was actually - but the devil is in the details. Not only it was first invaded by Germany and subsequently Soviets, but it was partitioned and remained so after the war. It took almost 60 years for Poland to become fully independent, but Poles still consider that they haven't regained their losses - territorial, in this particular case. Despite the fact that some of those territories there gained by dubious means soon after the regaining of Polish independence after WWI. By trying to tell that to them, is like telling victim of the crime, that it is responsible for it, at least in some way. It will always hurt and it will be met very emotionally. The situation (on both Lithuanian and Polish sides) won't change to the better, if the self-created and self-pitying national legends will be promoted still further and further.
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Lithuanians (and Polish alike) should take note of Irish example
Arunas Teiserskis Actually I have genuine Polish colleagues as well, and we are still friends, despite having argued on another eternal question - Adam Mickewicz: was he Polish or Lithuanian? Well in that case, Ireland's example (I live in Dublin) was a good example. It actually shows, that you may be Irish by being native English speaker and local writers may be considered both Irish and English without trying to monopolise them just for one nation. I think Lithuanians (and Polish alike) should take note of Irish example in this particular case.
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The real tragedy is that Lithuanian history, for over 200 years, has been misrepresented, maligned, and hi-jacked
Jon Platakis The real tragedy is that Lithuanian history, for over 200 years, has been misrepresented, maligned, and hi-jacked by foreign occupiers and even our neighbors.
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If you want the west to know the history of Lietuva, you have to tell them in English
Ida Hardy But isn't that true of all history in every country everywhere? I mean how far should we all go back in order to determine whom should be given which land and what do we do with the people living there now?
How do we spread the truth of the history of Lietuva? Tell the correct versions to your children and remind them of what was - but here we are - so many years later. Teach everyone the songs of our people and keep the rituals and the respect for nature. That's how. Where are the bi-lingual stories and songs for children? If you want the west to know, you have to tell them in English.
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Reconnecting 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation, non-Lithuanian speaking individuals
Jon Platakis That is exactly what we, at the National Lithuanian American Hall of Fame, are attempting to do, reconnecting 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation, non-Lithuanian speaking individuals, who have a Lithuanian heritage, to their roots. We have been successful in introducing books with Lithuanian content in some public schools. We have taken the lead in debunking the notion that Lithuania was a mere grand duchy and that her rulers were mere grand dukes. It is through our people that we will grasp the opportunity to tell Lithuania's story.
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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