THE VOICE OF INTERNATIONAL LITHUANIA
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Archive for May, 2011
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President Dalia Grybauskaitė on state visit to Norway:
The vast opportunities for cooperation must be used
At the second day of her two-day state visit to Norway in early April this year, President Dalia Grybauskaitė was accompanied by King Harald V on a visit to the Fiskerstrand Shipyard in the city of Ålesund in Western Norway.
"This first state visit to Norway has revealed plenty of perfect but unused opportunities for cooperation with the Nordic countries, both in politics and in developing concrete business projects. Joint projects between shipbuilders of Ålesund and Klaipėda in constructing the most advanced ferryboats and between textile producers of the Sula Municipality and Panevėžys are just a few examples of successful economic cooperation. Norway's Prime Minister, other highest politicians of the country as well as businesspeople whom I met confirmed Norway's strong intentions to develop cooperation with Lithuania," President Dalia Grybauskaitė said.
Over-100-years-old Fiskerstrand Shipyard focuses on innovations, ship architecture, construction, repairs and testing. This Norwegian company has been cooperating with Klaipėda's Western Shipyard for 11 years already. The Lithuanian and Norwegian partners are currently carrying out a 90-million-euros-worth project of constructing sea-going ice-resistant ferryboats. Moreover, last year the Fiskerstrand Shipyard contracted the Western Shipyard of Klaipėda to build the world's largest gas-powered ferryboat using advanced technologies.
President Dalia Grybauskaite meeting with King Harald V and Queen Sonja of N at the Royal Palace in Oslo
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Roosevelt’s ‘Look to Norway’ speech
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King Haakon VII of Norway |
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt |
The "Look to Norway" speech by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was given during the handover ceremony of the Royal Norwegian Navy ship HNoM King Haakon VII at the Washington Navy Yard on 16 September 1942.
In the speech the President said:
"If there is anyone who still wonders why this war is being fought, let him look to Norway. If there is anyone who has any delusions that this war could have been averted, let him look to Norway; and if there is anyone who doubts the democratic will to win, again I say, let him look to Norway."
The speech served as an important source of inspiration to Norwegians fighting the German occupation of Norway and the rest of Europe as well as for the resistance fighters of other small countries during World War II.
The speech also made an impact on Norwegian-Americans and the rest of the American public's opinion on the struggle in Europe. The impression of the Norwegian's situation had been severely damaged by an article by the American reporter, Leland Stowe, who happened to be in Oslo on the day the Germans marched into the city. He witnessed shocked Norwegian civilians standing around watching the Germans march down the parade street Karl Johan’s gate. He interpreted the shock as indifference and acceptance on the part of the Norwegian population and wrote a stinging article in Time and several newspapers which severely damaged the American public's opinion of the Norwegian resistance and therefore their motivation to help Norway and Europe. The speech corrected that impression.
The speech is still referenced and quoted today.
In a speech on 13 April 1940, the President had already praised the Norwegian resistance. Roosevelt's interest in Norway was in part due to the good relations established by the Norwegian Crown Prince and his wife, Princess Martha, and the Norwegian ambassador to the U.S., Wilhelm Thorleif von Munthe af Morgenstierne.
In 2005 the ceremony, including the speech, was re-enacted to mark the centenary of diplomatic relations between Norway and the United States.
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Global financial meltdown? Not in Norway
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One European nation escaped the worldwide financial meltdown and recession more or less unaffected. That was Norway, a country which saved its money - rather than spent it - through the boom years. As a result of frugal financial management, Norwegian housing prices and consumption have been on the upswing and interest rates affordable also during the deepest global crisis the latest years. Norway’s fiscal responsibility of its income from enormous oil and gas reserves has allowed the nation to build one of the globe’s largest investment funds.
After large deposits of gas and oil were discovered in the 1970s, Norway didn’t go on a spending spree, and channelled its revenues into a state investment fund (The Government Pension Fund). As of the valuation in June 2007, it was the largest pension fund in Europe and the fourth largest in the world. As of 31 December 2010 its total value is NOK 3,077 billion ($525 billion), holding 1 per cent of global equity markets. With 1.78 per cent of European stocks, it is said to be the largest stock owner in Europe. The government - with very few exceptions - can spend only four percent of those revenues annually.
Beyond its oil and gas revenues, strict banking regulations - tightened after a banking crisis in the early 1990s - shielded Norway from the credit crisis. Norwegian banks made loans wisely and stayed away from exotic investments and financial products over the past decade. “They (the United States) got all the bright guys to make all kinds of fantastic products. Very creative. And it turned out it was maybe not the best solution in the end,” Mr. Amund Utne, a director of Norway’s Finance Ministry, said, with typical Norwegian understatement. “I think Norwegian banks are not as creative. In this situation, it may be good to be somewhat boring.”
Norway also was immune from the housing bubble. According to Bjorn Erik Orskaug of DnB NOR, Norway’s largest bank, “Housing prices are back up. Consumption is up. Banks are lending normally to the household sector and interest rates are staying low.”
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Greetings from Venezuela!
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Dear Mr. Aage Myhre:
Kindest regards from Venezuela! First of all, let me introduce myself: my name is Vytenis Folkmanas and I’m writing you from Venezuela. As you might realize from my name, I’m son of a Lithuanian emigrant who arrived with his parents and sister to Venezuela in 1948. I’m very proud of my Lithuanian heritage and actually I’m the President of the Lithuanian Community of Venezuela, in an effort to rescue the traditions, customs, and language within our small community.
I’m also very happy to be one of the worldwide privileged receiving VILNEWS. Right now, I’ve just finished reading your wonderful article "LOOK TO NORWAY" and it makes me sadder because I compare it to what is happening here in our country Venezuela and find a similar situation. Although our country could be one of the richest countries in the world just thanks to oil income, the internal situation doesn’t reflect it AT ALL!!! I think that it couldn’t be worse!! As you mention the situation with Lithuania and how Norway has tried to help them, here is the same. Our country is seeking help and support from countries as Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, Libya, and China in economic, social, energetic, tourism and industrial topics instead of from developed countries. Just with the tourism, Venezuela could gain the same or more income than with the oil production, as we have one of the most blessed countries, geographically speaking, in the world, but our governments have always been blind to this industry (tourism)...That is just a small example. How I wish that they could see the example of Norway, Finland, and other countries, especially if they offer their cooperation. Here we say that is a “false pride" not to receive support and advice from others!
And speaking of Lithuania, is also true , specially the comment of Mr Sliupas when he wrote:
”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". That is so true. I myself wrote emails to Lithuania, to the ministries, etc offering to help them promote Lithuania as a tourist destination here in Venezuela, as here is almost as unknown country and never had no answer at all. Is very sad, and I love everything what Lithuania means.
Once again, thank you very much for sending me your VILNEWS, many regards and I remain here at your disposition!
Vytenis Folkmanas
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Listen to Scandinavian advice, not arrogantly assuming that we the Lithuanians know best
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Hello Aage
I have just read the latest edition of VilNews, thank you for another good job. I agree with your editorial comments. In particular: "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 be found, domestically and internationally. Can they do that, there is every reason to foresee a bright future for this nation."
I have two comments to make on that. First, I believe that even now it's not too late to ask the Scandinavian countries for help. But you are exactly right: the Scandinavian countries would want in return a guarantee that whatever help they give will be used wisely, listen to Scandinavian advice, not arrogantly assuming that we the Lithuanians know best. Closely linked to this is the second thing: no one wants to give help if they think it's going to be wasted corruptly. Lithuanians need to be able to give the Scandinavian aid-givers a chance to supervise what is going on, the right to inspect and audit, to make sure that the aid is being used as agreed, and not to build the villas of mafiozai and corrupt politicians and public servants on land that they have misappropriated from public forests and lakefronts.
Which brings me back to my key theme (sorry if I'm repetitious): Lithuania will not make much serious progress until bigger efforts are made to stamp out bribery and corruption.
Gintautas Kaminskas
Wollongong, Australia
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Prime Minister Kubilius: “Baltic identity to integrate fully with Scandinavia over the next 20 years”
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Norwegian PM Jens Stoltenberg and PM Andrius Kubilius
Prime ministers of Lithuania and Latvia who were visiting Tallinn in connection with the Lennart Meri Conference over the weekend say that everybody agrees that in twenty years the Baltic identity will have integrated fully into the Nordic identity.
“In strategies that we are developing for the next twenty years emphasize that it is important for the Baltic states to become more harmonized and catch up with Scandinavian countries. Integration with Nordic countries is an important objective,” said Andrius Kubilius, Lithuanian prime minister.
“Such integration is beneficial for all countries involved since this a very dynamic and innovative region that follows strict budgetary principles. This is a good brand”.
All Baltic states have something that other two should learn from, said Valdis Dombrovskis, prime minister of Latvia.
Speaking of Baltic identity, Dombrovskis said that Latvians are the most sensitive to it since Estonians sometimes identity themselves as a Nordic country while Lithuanias talk about belonging to Central Europe.
According to the PM, Estonia has good budgetary discipline, Lithuanians were successful in protecting and developing their large industry while Latvians have been successful in developing Riga as a regional hub.
Source:
http://balticbusinessnews.com
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Lietuva is not in Eastern Europe!
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I have a T-shirt bought in Vilnius University with "I love Lithuania, hmmm ... but where is it?" on the front. Obviously that ignorance doesn't apply just to Brits and Americans. LIETUVA IS NOT IN EASTERN EUROPE. Countries east of Polska are in Eastern Europe. Lietuva is in Northern Europe. In fact, as you know, the French claim that the centre of Europe is in Lietuva; though I'm sure that even the French would not claim that Lietuva is in Central Europe. It's an important distinction, and I believe it is vital to the tourism success of the Baltic States, that they disassociate themselves from the notion they are in Eastern Europe. To people in the West, Eastern Europe is the Balkans, the former Yugoslavia, an area of ethnic hatred and wars, some of which NATO became involved in to stop genocide. That’s not an image Lietuva needs in order to bring in tourists to its lovely country.
Tony Olsson
North Devon, UK
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Would a ‘Genealogy Section’ in VilNews be of interest for you?
Please contact our Associate Editor, Vin Karnila, as soon as possible if you think a ‘Genealogy Section’ in VilNews would be of interest for our readers around the world.
vin.karnila@VilNews.com
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A great idea!
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I think it would be a great idea to put in a Genealogy section, with so many people trying to find their ancestors and families it would be a great addition.
Love this site! Keep it coming...
Joe Barlow
Connecticut
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I’d be happy to share
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Yes, and I’d be happy to share what I have for Imber and Ember.
Eric Ember
Washington
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Very appropriate
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I think that would be very appropriate. There is a growing interest in genealogy worldwide.
Jurate Kutkus Burns
Florida
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Yes, please!
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Yes, please! I live in America and have grandparents who used to live in Lithuania.
Paulette Rynkiewicz Wise
USA
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Genealogy fascinates me
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Regardless of the fact that I've made contact with some relatives, they have chosen not to continue corresponding. I tend to believe that the major wars and regimes in the last century have had a great effect on records. Please keep a Genealogy section in the publication. It fascinates me and I'm so happy to hear of links being made for others. The information you provided gives some starting places. Many thanks.
Anita
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YES! Very much so
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Replying to the initial/central question:
"Would a ‘Genealogy Section’ in 'VilNews' be of interest for you?"
YES !! Very-much so! Please consider to have a 'VilNews' section about genealogy ...
Such a focus-point would be helpful to:
LITHUANIANS-WHO-ARE-NOT-IN-LITHUANIA, for them to find their relatives who are IN Lithuania ...
(AND, also: in other places) ...
[a number that is certainly, by any/all accounting(s), much-more than 1 million persons]
AND,
such a focus-point would be helpful to:
LITHUANIANS-IN-LITHUANIA (!),
for them to find relatives who are NOT in Lithuania
[a number that is certainly, by any/all accountings(s), much-more than 1 million persons)
Thanx much for your article ...
much-therein can be addressed ONLY if there is a 'VilNews' section on this topic .
Such topic is an extremely-complicated subject -- requiring much dialogue / discussion / sharing-of-info ...
KR Slade
Vilnius
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Flower power!
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What most people in the West do not know, is that the Lithuanians and other peoples in Eastern Europe are living a double life
Many foreigners think that the majority of townspeople in Lithuania live in dreary grey Soviet blockhouses. They are right, but only to a certain extent. What most people in the West do not know, is that the Lithuanians and other peoples in Eastern Europe are living a double life. For while blockhouse apartments in the urban peripheries are the city dwellers habitat through the winter months, the gardens houses take over as the families’ main homes once the snow is gone. These gardens are in Lithuanian language called a ‘sodas’ and the very garden house a ‘sodo namas’.
Most garden houses are built on land plots just outside the cities. Most were built during the Soviet era, when many city dwellers were given free land by the authorities. This principle is well known in the west, as the so-called allotment gardening principle, but while it has a limited scope in the west, it is in this country and other East European countries very popular and widespread.
Allotment gardens are characterised by a concentration in one place of a few or up to several hundred land parcels that are assigned to individuals or families. In allotment gardens, the parcels are cultivated individually, contrary to other community garden types where the entire area is tended collectively by a group of people. The individual size of a parcel ranges between 500 and 1000 square meters. The individual gardeners are normally organised in an allotment association.
In the 1960s, several new suburbs started developing in Vilnius, and it is today
estimated that more than 70% of the city’s population lives in blockhouses.
Above: View from Antakalnis towards the (by then) new district Žirmūnai.
Photo: Antanas Sutkus, 1964
The 1980s saw the peak of the ‘sodas’ boom with virtually every affluent family in the country having a ‘sodas’ of their own or spending weekends and holidays at friends' ‘sodai’. Often ill-equipped and without indoor plumbing, garden houses were nevertheless the ultimate solution for many working class families to having an inexpensive summer retreat. Having a piece of land also offered an opportunity for city dwellers to indulge themselves in growing their own fruits and vegetables.
The collapse of the Soviet Union saw the return to private land ownership. Most gardens have since been privatized and Lithuania is now one of the world nations with the largest number of owners of second homes. The growth of living standards in recent years allowed many ‘sodas’ owners to spend their discretionary income on improvements. Thus, many recently built ‘sodo namia’ are fully equipped houses suitable for use as permanent residences. The market-oriented economy transformed the ‘sodas’ into an asset, which generally reflects the prosperity of its owner and can be freely traded in the real estate market.
It was in the 1960s that the allotment gardens outside the major cities of Lithuania really took off. My in-laws garden ('sodas' in Lithuanian) is a very good example. Their 'sodas' has over the past 30 years evolved into an incredibly lush, green oasis where family and friends very much enjoy the summer months.
My in-laws were among those who were allocated a land plot outside of Vilnius. Here, they have over the last 30 years developed a truly wonderful oasis of fruit trees, vegetable fields, berry bushes and a fine garden house that has gradually become more and more a house you really can live in the year around.
This is a garden where it really grows during the
summer months - in greenhouses and in the fertile soil.
It is when I come out to my in-laws garden that I really understand that Lithuanians at the bottom of their hearts are genuine farmers who know how to cultivate the rich Lithuanian soil into marvellous harvests.
It is out here I think I'm starting to understand more of the folk soul of this country.
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Saslykai - cubes of meat, marinated and prepared over a fire indoor or outdoor
– is always the most popular ‘sodas’ meal.
There are those who say that Lithuanians are cold and unapproachable people. But those who say that have never been on a visit to a 'sodas'. For here is rife not only for flowers, but also people. When you come out here you will experience unique friendliness, neighbourliness, and much good humour. You will smell the food cooking in the fireplace fires or out on the many ‘saslykai’ barbecues. You will hear laughter, and in the evening you will see family after family unite around the dinner tables to enjoy the food that was just prepared on the flames, along with newly picked, fresh vegetables, berries and fruits.
What could be better than enjoying a tasty garden meal with good friends?
My children love their grandparents' garden. Here they can run happily barefoot in God's free nature. Here they can play with their many good friends from last summer. Seen through children's eyes who cannot wait to have the season’s first dive into the river, the Neris River not far away, offers a quiet pool which is very well suited to swimming when the ice has gone and the temperature outside has become blazingly high.
It is not always easy to explain why Lithuania is such an incredibly special place on this Earth. But words are not really necessary if you first get out to a 'sodas' area outside one of the nation's cities. Do not miss the opportunity. Summer is here. Right now…
Aage Myhre
Editor-in-Chief
My kids simply love playing in their grandparents’ garden oasis.
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The Lithuanian partisan war 1944 – 1953:
A mistake to confuse resistance to occupation and WWII
The Second World War in Europe was a war fought against fascism – in particular the German variant exemplified by Nazism – and including also Italian fascism. The Second World War in Europe ended with the surrender of Germany; a surrender to which Russia was the major contributor because Germany was largely defeated at Stalingrad and Kursk and was always in retreat afterwards.
The Resistance in Lithuania against Soviet occupation was a heroic effort by some Lithuanians to obtain freedom for their country. In my opinion it is a mistake to confuse resistance to occupation and the Second World War. After the end of the Second World War there have been many occupations of many countries by Capitalist and Communist powers and each side has tried to characterise any resistance to its forces as an act of the 'Other' side.
Resistance to Occupation has a very long and courageous history in Europe and throughout the world and no 'side' has a right to claim the heroic activities of resistance fighters/activists to support its ideology. Inevitably that requires misrepresentation of the motives and objectives of the resistance; part of the theme of the book "The Ugly American" about the then developing Vietnamese war. It is also the type of misrepresentation that leads to one 'side' claiming "We are all Georgians now".
This misrepresentation is a major cause of the inability of 'Western' countries to think in any clear way about the activities grouped under the label of 'terrorism' and it is better to avoid such ideologically driven commentary/analysis.
Robert Jennings,
Ireland-Lithuania
The ‘war against fascism’ was a construct intended to make the Soviet Union look good
Antantas Sileika
Dear Editor,
Mr. Robert Jennings's letter, in which he claims that the Second World War was a war against fascism and nothing else, obfuscates the truth rather than clarifies it.
No one declared war on fascism. If they had, Spain and Portugal would have between attacked. The United Sates and other powers declared war against the axis powers. The "war against fascism" was a construct intended to make the Soviet Union look good and to disguise its own crimes. How was the Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939 a war against fascism? What about the forced incorporation of the Baltic States into the Soviet Union well before any war with Germany? What about the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, which divided Eastern Europe between the Soviet Union and Germany? Would the Poles agree that the war was a war against fascism? Was the murder of the Polish officers at Katyn part of the war against fascism?
Neither Tony Judt nor Norman Davies, prominent historians of Europe, would agree that the conflict which only ended in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin wall was a "war against fascism."
Who benefits by such a formulation? Only the Soviets, whose crimes become excusable excesses of war. The independent Lithuanian government now considers the last anti-Soviet partisan commander, Jonas Zemaitis, to have been the Lithuanian head of state. It seems that L Beria considered him the same way because upon his capture in 1953, Zemaitis was transported to Moscow and interviewed by Beria who seemed to be seeking accommodation now that Stalin had died. However, both Zemaitis and Beria were executed that same year.
WW2 is remembered as a "good war", but this is a formulation that works only on the western side, where the allies came to help brave resisters such as the French underground. There were brave underground resisters in the East too, but no one ever came to help them. They fought until the dies, were captured, or gave up. Their story is just coming out now.
Antanas Sileika,
Canada
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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.
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