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- Posted by - 8773(0) Comment2011-09-08+14%3A10%3A100df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D8773

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).

Read more...

- Posted by - 8762(4) Comment2011-09-08+14%3A10%3A090df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D8762

Karaims – Turkic tribe that found a new home in Lithuania

Karaim house in Trakai, 30 km from Vilnius.

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.

Description: http://daugenis.mch.mii.lt/karaimai/photo_6.GIF
Karaim Kenesa in Trakai

Description: http://daugenis.mch.mii.lt/karaimai/photo_2.GIF
The Karaims coming to Trakai
- as if 600 years ago, 1997

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.

Description: http://daugenis.mch.mii.lt/karaimai/pv4.gif
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.

Description: http://daugenis.mch.mii.lt/karaimai/pp2.gif
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.

Arrogance, ignorance & an airport comparison

- Posted by - 8726(2) Comment2011-09-06+13%3A58%3A050df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D8726

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

Category : Featured black / Lithuania today

Arrogance, ignorance & an airport comparison

- Posted by - 8733(0) Comment2011-09-06+13%3A49%3A240df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D8733

Lithuania’s Prime Minister, Andrius Kubilius.

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.

Read more...

Category : Featured black / Front page

SUMMER SUMMARY

- Posted by - 8642(0) CommentSUMMER+SUMMARY2011-09-02+13%3A35%3A420df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D8642

Smoked fish in Nida.

One warm August evening I stood looking out over the Baltic Sea. I stood at the pier in the seaside resort of Palanga from where I caught the above motif through my camera lens. I thought of Palanga’s two great sons, Count Tiškevičius and Mayor Šliupas, who also certainly often were looking out to the endless waves rolling towards the white sandy beaches of Lithuania’s fantastic sea coast. I felt pleased that the summer in Lithuania this year had been pretty good and warm; the summer climate here is in fact normally very good.

And I thought that maybe the summer of 2011 will be remembered as a turning point - that perhaps now again better times are coming for Lithuania and the Lithuanian people.

I wish you, dear readers, a warm and successful autumn!

Aage Myhre, Editor-in-chief
aage.myhre@Vilnews.com

Category : Featured black / Front page

- Posted by - 7659(0) Comment2011-09-01+08%3A09%3A060df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D7659

**Klaipėda ruled VilNews this summer**

Klaipeda city and Lithuania's coastline made the summer's top stories in VilNews. Through more than a week we put the spotlight on good and less good aspects of what is happening out there on the Baltic Sea shore. Now, in the autumn, Kaunas and Vilnius will have our attention in a similar way, and we ask you all to come up with ideas and suggestions having to do with past and present of Lithuania’s two largest cities!

We know that many of our readers were on vacation when Klaipeda was treated in our columns. A summary of the articles follows, therefore, below.

Sunday 17 July

KLAIPĖDA – the jewel in the amber crown

Click here to read the article

Friedricho Pasažas – the new wonder of Klaipėda

Click here to read the article

History of Klaipėda

The above illustration is from the web page http://www.bork-on-line.de/Memel/index.htm
This web page includes very much interesting information about Klaipeda (Memel) of those days!

Click here to read the article

Mare Suebicum

1748
"A Chart of the Baltic Sea, Gulfs of Finland and Bothnia, with the Sound, Drawn from the Best Maps & Charts by T. Jefferys, Geographer to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales"

Click here to read the article

Monday 18 July

KLAIPĖDA MAYOR:
Klaipėda aims to become an Eastern European avant-garde city

Mayor of Klaipeda, Vytautas Grubliauskas

Click here to read the article

Radisson Blu Hotel, Klaipėda:
Retreat to elegant
seacoast luxury!

General Manager Tobias Ammon is rightly proud of the breakfast buffet that Radisson Blu Hotel offers its guests.

Click here to read the article

Tuesday 19 July

Western Shipyard – from Soviet colossus to European greatness

Western Shipyard's General Director Arnoldas Šileika started to work as foreman in the yard 22 years ago, when it still was under Soviet rule. He has been head of this huge company since 2001, leading the transformation from Soviet times and thinking.

Click here to read the article

Lido Marine – a Norwegian success story in Klaipėda

Norwegian Gunnvald Laukhammer, the main person behind the success of Lido Marine, is not exactly thrilled with the way the Lithuanian authorities often are acting.

Click here to read the article

Wednesday 20 July

KLAIPĖDA FREE ECONOMIC ZONE:
A magnet for international investors

The Klaipėda Free Economic Zone (Klaipėda FEZ) was established in 1996 and opened officially in 2002. FEZ offers tax incentives to qualified investors that invest at least 1 million euros.

Click here to read the article

Next time you eat bacalao* in Spain or Italy

Reidar Inselseth is General Director
of the Espersen fish factory in the
Klaipeda Free Economic Zone,
where cod from the Baltic Sea
and Arctic Ocean is converted to delicious fish fillets for southern
European markets.

Click here to read the article

Thursday 21 July

Klaipedos Nafta has one of the most up-to-date oil terminals in Europe

Rokas Masiulis, General Manager of Klaipedos Nafta

Click here to read the article

The port of Klaipeda

The history of Klaipeda seaport started already the summer of year 1252 when the Curonian bishop and the vice-regent of Livonian Order signed the agreement about Klaipeda. This agreement was approved by the ruler of Lithuania, Mindaugas (one year before he was crowned King).

Click here to read the article

WITH BOTH OIL AND LNG IN KLAIPĖDA:
Environmental risks?

The small island Kiaules Nugara (Pig's back) in the southern part of the Klaipeda port, at the border between the port and the Curonian Lagoon is the most likely place to build Lithuania's planned LNG terminal. This means that it will regularly sail large tankers through the narrow strait between Klaipeda city and Neringa (which is now designated as one of the country's national parks). How risky can it be to get a gas terminal and such a heavy sea traffic close to the big city that Klaipeda after all is? What about the explosion and fire risk? What about emissions and other forms of pollution? Is the water, beaches and fisheries in the Curonian Lagoon at risk? May Neringa and Klaipeda city be at risk?

Click here to read the article

Friday 22 July

MEMEL CITY – A NEW 'CITY' AT KLAIPEDA'S SEA FRONT
"A completely new face of Lithuania"

Memel City will be an immensely attractive seafront development in the Klaipeda harbour, at the Dane River mouth.

Click here to read the article

4 trucks full of books every week

Four trucks full of books, on around 1.000 pallets, leave the PRINT IN printing plant every week to Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Poland and local deliveries to Lithuania.

Click here to read the article

Saturday 23 July

JAMES ANDREW CLARKE:
Irish horse farmer who succeeded in real estate and settled in Klaipėda

James A. Clarke (34) with wife Marina (27) and son Daniel (2).

Click here to read the article

KLAIPĖDA SCIENCE And TECHNOLOGY PARK:
Progressive thinking and innovative ideas!

Klaipeda Science and Technology Park Director Roma Stubrienė

Click here to read the article

Sunday 24 July

From Suriname to Klaipėda International Business Club

Clifford Lont (47), Chairman of Klaipeda International Business Club, has moved the long way from Suriname in South America to a much colder climate here at the Lithuanian coast.

Click here to read the article

Klaipėda – a pioneer municipality in combating violence against women

FAÇADE OF THE PLANNED CRISIS CENTRE FOR WOMEN IN KLAIPEDA.
Architects: NEOFORMA.

Click here to read the article

To read all articles, go to our SECTION 9 – LITHUANIA TODAY.

Category : Featured black / Front page

“You foreigners are extremely naïve”

- Posted by - 8519(0) Comment2011-08-20+12%3A17%3A200df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D8519

Plans to do business in Lithuania? It's like navigating
a boat in shallow water full of reefs.

"What you, who are born in the West, see when you come to Lithuania, are people who look like you, talk like you (those who speak Western languages) and are quite much alike you in many other aspects. But the reality is that we who have grown up in the Soviet Union or Eastern Europe have a totally different mentality than you. Even those Lithuanians who fled to the West during the war do not understand what the Soviet era has done with the mindset of us who were forced to grow up under the yoke of communism."

A Lithuanian friend told me this a few days ago. The talk began after he had expressed some surprise at how naive and gullible we from the West are when we come to Lithuania.

"You think that a word is a word, that a deal is a deal. You think that things here are going straight as in the West. You believe that what you hear is what is said, and you trust that people you meet really want and mean to do what is good, honest and correct.”

“Therefore, it doesn’t take much before you open up your cards and often reveal business secrets and other things that you should never have disclosed without first having secured your situation with contracts and local supporters, i.e. lawyers. We Lithuanians are experts in taking advantage of such situations, and we never cease to wonder how gullible people from the West often are. Even within international companies and organisations I am sometimes surprised to see how unaware western professionals are about what goes on behind their backs when they come here," said my friend.

I asked him if this mentality also means that people here do not care much about their own country, doing good for the society in addition to earning a living for themselves. "Only to a small degree," replied my friend. "It is such a difficult situation for most here that there is no additional capacity or desire to also care about the nation. Even our leading politicians do not. Most of them are much more concerned with their own interests than of the nation, and they are normally bad role models for the rest of us. So why should we do more than them?"

"I was born in this country. I fought for this country. I gave everything I
could, both while I lived here and after I was forced to flee to the United
States. I moved back here when Lithuania was again free, and have since
continued to do my best for this country, including through my years as
President. Yet I must admit that I feel like an outsider in my own country."

The sadness in the voice of former President Valdas Adamkus was
unmistakable as he stood and looked towards the Vilnius city through
the windows of his Presidential Palace.

I cannot fully agree with my friend. Yes, there are differences, but also so many similarities and common grounds to build on. But his statements made me think about a conversation I had with the former Lithuanian President, Valdas Adamkus, a few years ago. He was then well into his second and last presidential term, and we had a long and good conversation at his office in the Presidential Palace in Vilnius. When the conversation was over we went together out into the corridor outside his office, where the windows are facing the Cathedral and the central area of Vilnius.

My last question to the President, in that corridor, was about how close he felt he had come to the Lithuanian people after he returned from the United States in the early 1990s. This is what he answered:

"You know, Aage, I was born in this country. I fought for this country. I gave everything I could, both while I lived here and after I was forced to flee to the United States at the end of World War II. I moved back here when Lithuania again was free, and I have since continued to do my best for this nation, including through my years as President. Yet I must admit that I feel like an outsider in my own country."

The sadness in the voice of former President Valdas Adamkus was unmistakable as he stood and looked towards the Vilnius city centre through the windows of his Presidential Palace.

Aage Myhre, Editor-in-Chief
aage.myhre@VilNews.com

Category : Featured black / Lithuania today

Vagnorkės – Talonas 20 year anniversary

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Text: Vincas Karnila, Associate editor
vin.karnila@VilNews.com

OK folks, the shoes will be 120
So that will be 80 Canadian Dollars and 80 Pound Sterling

How would you like to hear that from the cashier at you local shoe store the next time you are buying a pair of shoes? Could be a little confusing could it not? Believe it or not the people of Lithuania were hearing something similar to that in stores in the early 90s during the early days of their regained independence.

An interesting question pops up once a country gains, or in the case of Lithuania regains, its independence – What do you use for money???

With Soviet Russia’s forced annexation of Lithuania into the control of the Soviet Union, the currency of the country of course was then changed to the Soviet Ruble. Then On 11 March 1990 the re-establishment of Lithuanian independence was proclaimed and after fifty years of occupation, Lithuania was once again a free and independent republic. Obviously to be once again a free nation is a good thing but there was one factor that needed to be addressed – There was no “Lithuanian” currency!

Now of course it would be rather difficult to create a currency in one day so this could turn into a big problem in a short amount of time. So what did Lithuania do 12 March 1990? They continued to use the Soviet Ruble as there day to day currency. Now in some instances, for a country that just regained their independence to continue to use the country’s currency they just proclaimed their independence from would possibly work out OK and not present too many problems. This would be the case if the regaining of independence had taken place in a rather friendly way and as a part of a mutual agreement.

This was not the case between Lithuania and Moscow. Moscow was ticked off big time about this so every day that went by that Lithuania continued to use Moscow’s Ruble for its day to day buying and selling of things put Lithuania in a position of potential extreme financial disaster.

While the Soviet Ruble continued to be used, in early August 1991, as a response to public complaints about inflation, the Lithuanian government introduced the Talonas (Talon in English). It should be noted that the word “Talonas” is in the singular and is best translated to “coupon”. In the plural form it is “Talonai”. Prime Minister Gediminas Vagnorius spearheaded this action hoping it would work as a quick repair until a formal currency could be established.

Prime Minister Gediminas Vagnorius

At first, it worked very similar to ration coupons. Every person received 20% of their salary in Talonai, up to a maximum of 200 Talonai. In order to buy goods other than food, a person must have paid the same price in rubles and in Talonai. For example, if a pair of shoes cost 50 rubles, a person must pay 50 Rubles and 50 Talonai to buy them. Sound a little confusing? It was. Please keep in mind that people’s wages were still being paid in Soviet Rubles at this time and you were still paying for things in stores with Soviet Rubles.

This system was widely criticized. First of all, in no way it addressed the reasons why there were shortages of goods in that it did nothing to increase the supply. What it also did was make it more difficult to buy many items. As an example, the purchase of expensive goods such as home appliances dropped sharply because people needed a lot of time to accumulate the necessary amount of Talonai to buy them.

Remember you were paid 20% of your salary, up to a maximum of 200 Talonai but when you bought something, 50% had to be paid in Rubles and 50% in Talonai.

This caused bottlenecks in the supply chain and further damaged already troubled production. In addition, this scheme could not prevent the hyperinflation of the Ruble because the Talonai was not an independent currency - It was a supplementary currency with a fixed exchange rate to the Ruble. The system tried to encourage Lithuanians to save 80% of their salaries. But people accumulated their Rubles and had nowhere to spend them. It led to the inflation of goods that did not require the Talonas like food or goods on the black market.

I am told that this also created a Talonas/Ruble Black Market. Let’s say that you had a stack of Rubles sitting on the table that you could not use to buy a TV or washing machine because you didn’t have enough Talonai. So what you would do is find a person that would exchange your Rubles for Talonai. Now the exchange rate was absolutely absurd but the Rubles were doing you no good what so ever and were effectively worthless for what you wanted to use them for so the exchange rate was not a point of consideration. You were very happy to dump the effectively worthless Rubles for the amount of Talonai you needed to buy your TV, washing machine or refrigerator. Apparently the Black Market agents had a way to dispose of the Rubles outside of Lithuania in exchange for things of value.

From all this you can kind of get the idea that the “First Talonas Reform” wasn’t working out as some people had hoped it would – Please notice that I’m being very kind in my choice of words. So what would you say if I told you that even though an official Lithuanian currency was now in position to be introduced that would cure all this, the decision was made instead to enact a “Second Talonas Reform”. That’s right folks it just keeps getting better.

In the summer of 1992, everybody was waiting for the Talonas to be soon replaced by a permanent currency, the Litas. Due to Russia tightening its monetary policy, Lithuania was desperately lacking cash. In fact it was getting so bad that some workers were paid in goods rather than in cash. Even though the Litas coins and banknotes were already produced and had been shipped to Lithuania from abroad, on May 1, 1992 it was decided to reintroduce the Talonas as an independent, temporary currency to circulate alongside the ruble in hopes to deal with inflation. Yes folks this was the “Second Talonas Reform” creating again a dual currency system. On October 1, 1992 the ruble was completely abandoned and replaced by the Talonas. Lithuania was the last of the Baltic states to abandon the ruble. The self-imposed deadlines to introduce the Litas were continuously postponed without clear explanations ever being provided to the people of Lithuania.

The Talonas had some interesting names attached to it, "Vagnorkės" or "Vagnoriukai" named after Prime Minister Gediminas Vagnorius or "zoo tickets" after various animals native to Lithuania featured on the notes. The Talonas did not gain much public trust or respect. The banknotes were small and printed on low quality paper. People were reluctant to use them. Nevertheless, the Talonas served its purpose since inflation at the time was greater in Russia than in Lithuania. Inflation in 1992 rose steadily due to an energy price spike after Russia increased oil and gasoline prices to world levels and demanded to be paid in hard currency.

Now some would ask why since the “First Talonas Reform” really didn’t work out as well as hoped for – Again please take note of my kind choice of words - and why since the Litas bank notes and coins of the new official currency of Lithuania were sitting in Lithuania, would the powers to be decide to enact the “Second Talonas Reform”. Actually there were some reasons. One reason was that the banknotes were of extremely poor quality and could be easily counterfeited with a color photo-copying machine. Another reason was rather serious. For Lithuania to introduce its own currency that would be recognized internationally they needed to have a reserve equal to 200 million U.S. Dollars. This reserve could be made up of precious metal such as gold and silver and/or the currency of another country. At this point in time they could only assemble a total reserve of 120 million so they need more time to work this out.

But as the expression goes – All “good” things must come to an end. There was no “Third Talonas Reform” and on 25 June 1993, the Litas was introduced as the official currency of the Republic of Lithuania. With the Litas now in place as the official currency of the Republic of Lithuania, the people could now exchange their Talonai for Litai. The exchange rate was 100 Talonai = 1 Litas.

With this exchange of Rubles to Talonai and then Talonai to Litai two interesting things came up. First, what happened to all the now worthless Talonai that were exchanged for Litai? They were gathered all up from all the corners of Lithuania and brought to the city of Grigiškės which is near Vilnius on the A1 Highway to Kaunas. There at the Grigiškės Paper Factory they were recycled into toilet paper. I will not further comment on this but I will just allow your imagination to go to work to get an idea of all the jokes that came about as a result of how the Talonas met its final demise.

The other situation that came about was from the exchange Rubles to Talonai and it was quite unfortunate for some people. About a year ago I was visiting with some people and the topic of the Talonas came up. It was really a light hearted conversation with much laughter about all the odd things that were going on at the time as a result of the Talonas. The man of the house, who is in his 70s got up from the table and then returned a few moments later with a stack of banknotes that was about 9 inches / 20 cm. tall. I must admit that my jaw dropped when I saw this stack of banknotes sitting on the table. Then he looked at me and with an anguished smile said “worthless, all worthless”. He further added that during “Soviet Times” this would have been enough to buy six cars but now he can’t buy a potato with it. The stack of banknotes was all Soviet Rubles.

This situation was not that uncommon. What happened was that even though the people were extremely happy to have their independence and freedom from Soviet Russia some of them thought that it was just too good to be true. They felt that the possibility of a tiny country like Lithuania being able to just walk away from a world super power like the Soviet Union without any repercussions was quite unlikely. They felt that once Russia took care of their matters back home they would be back in force and once again invade and occupy Lithuania. So what some did was hold on to as much Rubles they could justify thinking that when Russia returned the Lithuanian currency would then be worthless but still they would have stashed away Rubles that they could use. In the mean time, the exchange period of Ruble to Talonai expired and they were left with a stack of worthless paper.

So the next time you think about inflation, growing petrol prices, food prices going through the roof, education costs increasing and the ongoing climb in taxes just be thankful that you can pay for it all with the same currency. Not like what the people of Lithuania had to do in the early 90s and figure out based on what day of the week it was which percent of what to use to pay for this and what percent of what to use to pay for that and how much longer can I use this to pay for that until I need to exchange these to that to pay for those.

Category : Business, economy, investments / Featured black

Arvydas Sabonis to the NBA Hall of Fame

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Arvydas Sabonis with ex Portland Trailblazers team
mate Bill Walton during the induction ceremonies
Photo: Reuters.

For a country that proclaims their second Religion to be Basketball, you can imagine the excitement that is growing as EuroBasket 2011 draws near. The tournament that crowns the Basketball Champions of Europe always creates great emotion in the hearts of Lithuanians but this year there is even more fuel to add to the passionate fire because the championship tournament is being held in Lithuania.

Everyone is counting the days, hours and minutes to 31 August at 9 PM EET when Lithuania plays their first game. Everywhere you look people are wearing Lithuanian Basketball T-shirts, cars are decorated in the National colors and banners and posters are everywhere.

Now what could take place that would add even more to the basketball fever that has infected everyone?

You induct into the NBA’s Hall of Fame the greatest basketball ever to come from Lithuania. Yes folks, Friday 12 August Arvydas Sabonis was inducted into the National Basketball Association’s Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Said by most to be the greatest “big man” to ever play the game, he is also considered to be one of the greatest centers to play the game and some even say that he was the greatest center in the world.

Watch his induction speech here:

This video is from the induction show. Some great insight to Sabonis’ tremendous abilities and also some great action videos that displays Arvydas’ mindboggling skills. Fellow team mate and NBA Hall of Fame member Bill Walton refers to Arvydas Sabonis as a 7 foot 3 inch Larry Bird – This is quite a compliment.

Category : Featured black / Sport & leisure

- Posted by - 8389(2) Comment2011-08-12+10%3A15%3A230df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D8389

Lithuania, once Europe’s largest nation, has an amazing 700-year history as an international melting pot. This became especially evident after 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 in some upcoming issues 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’.

Amazing Italian influence

on Lithuania since 1323

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The Royal Palace in Vilnius is now being rebuilt, more or less as one expects it to have looked like in the 1500s during the rule of Grand Duke Sigismund the Old (1467-1548), his wife, Italian Bona Sforza (1494-1557) and their son, Grand Duke Sigismund Augustus (1520-1572).

Text: Aage Myhre
aage.myhre@VilNews.com

While working with the restoration of Vilnius Old Town in the 1990s – as an architect – I often got to hear that this and that building was originally designed by Italian architects. I tried to find out more, but the information I got was very fragmented, so in the early 2000s I started collecting the pieces myself, putting together my own historical survey of the Italian – Lithuanian relationship since 1323. I found that Vilnius by some was known as ‘The world’s most Italian city outside Italy’ and ‘Europe’s most Baroque city north of the Alps’. I also found the fascinating stories of how Vilnius was regarded one of the world’s leading Renaissance cities, competing with Milan and Florence. I even went to Italy myself to find traces, and was truly amazed, not least while learning about the princess of Milan and Bari who became Lithuania’s Grand Duchess. The exceptional relationship between Italy and Lithuania, which was especially evident for the period of 1300 – 1800, will never come back, but will always remain as a remarkable memory, and leave its unique hallmarks in and on Lithuania forever.

1300 – 1400:
Grand Duke Gediminas founds Vilnius and writes to the Pope

It is a myth that Rome and Vilnius both were founded by wolves, but...

It is a myth that Rome and Vilnius both were founded by wolves. But it is no myth that the Italians have put an

indelible mark on Lithuania. When Gediminas, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, in 1323 decided to put down roots in what is now Vilnius city, a Franciscan monastery was already in place – at the foot of Castle Hill where the Cathedral today is located. Since then, for hundreds of years, the spirit of Rome and Italy played a main role in the development of Vilnius and to a certain degree also of Lithuania.

No wonder that Vilnius sometimes is referred to as “the world’s most Italian city outside Italy”.

* Italy was involved in and with Vilnius already from its very first days as a capital city. Even the name Vilnius was used for the first time when Grand Duke Gediminas in 1323 – the same year he founded the city – wrote to Pope John XXII asking for support in Christianizing the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, by then one of Europe’s leading nations.

Grand Duke Gediminas and Pope John XXII.

* Gediminas invited merchants, craftsmen, bankers, farmers, and soldiers to come to the new capital, guaranteeing all freedom of beliefs and good working conditions. Vilnius became thereafter truly international, though not with much of German or Scandinavian influence, as one could expect, rather influenced by Rome – greatly different from the other two Baltic capitals.

* Early examples of Italian influence within architecture, with at least some fragments of heavy, massive walls and other elements, typical for the early Gothic period, still do exist in some Vilnius churches, among them the Cathedral, the Church of Assumption (Traku 9) and the Church of Resurrection (Didzioji 17).

* And, there is one church you really should visit if you would like to smell the 700 years of Italian influence on Lithuanian history. That is the St. Nicholas Church (Sv. Mikalojaus 4). This tiny little church was originally erected around 1320, and remains the oldest Gothic building in town, though with several changes over the centuries. But a true beauty!

St. Nicholas Church, Vilnius.

1400 – 1500:
Gothic Style, symbolized by the world famous St. Anne Church

* Young Prince Casimir (1458 – 1484) was supposed to be a Grand Duke, and also to ascend the throne of Hungary, but chose a spiritual life instead. He died of tuberculosis at an age of 25, and his remains (today resting in the Vilnius Cathedral) quickly won fame for miracles. Already in 1521, Casimir was elevated to sainthood, and canonized by Pope Leo X. He is considered the patron saint of Lithuania and Poland, and the cult of St. Casimir has left a deep mark in the history and art of Lithuania. And, of course, one of Casimir’s main teachers was Italian, the humanist Callimachus Buonacorsi, who described Casimir as a “holy youth”, and also wrote; “He should either never have been born or should have abided with us forever”.

* This was also the century when, according to the Polish historian Jan Dlugos, the legends about Lithuanian’s similarities with the ancient Romans arose – also stating that the name Lithuania derived from “l’Italia.”

* By the end of the 14th Century, the fusion of Italian and Northern European art had lead to the development of an International Gothic Style (the first Gothic style originated already around 1150, at the fall of the Roman Empire). Leading architects and artists travelled all over Europe, and also Lithuania got its part of this new Gothic wave by the end of the 15th Century, today first of all symbolized by the probably most famous structure in Vilnius, the Church of St. Anne (below) – a masterpiece nearly unsurpassed in the world - and the connected Church of St. Francis and St. Bernadine – built by Bernadine monks who arrived in Vilnius by the middle of the century.

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St. Anne Church, Vilnius.

1500 – 1600:
Vilnius becomes a Renaissance capital, competing with Milan and Florence

* Throughout the Renaissance, when Italy was a trading centre and a melting pot for the world’s greatest civilisations, Vilnius also became a Renaissance centre, competing with Florence and Milan. The two great nations merged when Grand Duke Sigismund the Old (1467-1548) married the Princess of the Italian cities Bari and Milan, Bona Sforza (1494-1557), and returned to reign in and from Vilnius as the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. They created an Italian community within the court and, under the influence of the Grand Duchess, Italian culture became the preoccupation of the city’s elite; macheroni, skryliai, and even the confection marcipanus became staples among the cogniscenti; and life at court became a series of cultural events, with rich noblemen competing for extravagance.

* During the rule of Sigismund the Old The Royal Palace in Vilnius was greatly expanded, to meet the new needs of the Grand Duke – a new wing was added, as well as a third floor; the gardens were also extended. The palace reconstruction plan was probably prepared by Italian architect Bartolomeo Berrecci d Pontassieve, who also designed several projects in the Kingdom of Poland.

It was in his Vilnius palace that Sigismund the Old welcomed an emissary from the Holy Roman Empire, who came to introduce Sigismund to Bona Sforza, his second wife, in 1517.

* The education of the royal couple’s son, the later Grand Duke Sigismund August (1520-1572), was the responsibility of a Sicilian, Jonas Silvijus Amatas, between 1529 and 1537. Sigismund Augustus further developed Lithuania’s first library that his mother brought from Italy, and sent scholars and traders across Europe to assemble volumes of practical and historical value. Sigismund Augustus later took an Italian lover, Diana di Kordona. Dates are not available, but it is recorded that even at the age of 40, she had maintained her beauty and charm.

* In 1532, the Vilnius Cathedral Orchestra was performing with the Grand Duchess, Bona Sforza, singing alto!

* Sigismund II Augustus was crowned Grand Duke of Lithuania in the Royal Palace. He carried on with palace development and lived there with his first wife Elisabeth of Austria, daughter of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. She was buried in Vilnius Cathedral. Sigismund Augustus’ second wife, Barbara Radvilaite, also lived in the palace. According to contemporary accounts of the Holy See emissary, the Royal Palace at that time contained more treasures than the Vatican. Sigismund Augustus also assembled one of the largest collection of books in Europe. This collection became an important part of the library that opened in Vilnius in 1570, since 1579 known as Vilnius University Library.

Raczynski

The Royal Palace, Vilnius.

* Sigismund Augustus rebuilt the Lower Castle and furnished it in a very luxurious, Renaissance style. It was in fact turned into a centre of Renaissance culture, boasting an excellent library, a theatre, a choir, a picture gallery, and a collection of tapestries. The castle, as well as other venues of the city, was open for masquerades and competitions, scholarly disputes and feasts. In Vilnius, the ruler kept horse-stables with two thousand horses and even something like a zoo – five bears, a lion and ten camels. The plan was prepared by several Italian architects, including Giovanni Cini da Siena, Bernardino de Gianotis Zanobi, and others. The palace was once visited by Ippolito Aldobrandini, who later became Pope Clement VIII.

* In 1562, Georges Blandrata, a physician from the University of Bologna, was installed as antitrinitoriu teoretiku (roughly, master of theoretical information) at the royal court in Vilnius.

* In 1562, Lithuania got an extremely important, firm transport link to Western Europe and Italy, when the post-route Vilnius-Krakow-Vienna-Venice opened.

* In 1569, the bishop established Vilnius College and School Theatre. A year later, its first performance was a comedy, “Hercule”, by Italian S. Tucci.

* Also in 1569, the first four Jesuits arrived, and in 1570 they founded the Jesuit College of Vilnius. It became Vilnius University in 1579, by decrees of Pope Gregory XIII and Grand Duke Stephen Bathory.

* In 1571, an Italian goldsmith, Petra Petina, was accepted as a designer of coins and medals by the Lithuanian Royal Mint, and his coins and medals produced during the reign of Stephen Bathory are considered the most significant of ancient Lithuanian coins.

* In 1584, Simonas Simonijus, a physician from Padua, conducted the first autopsy and two years later, in 1586, he published the first medical text in Lithuania.

* On the 29^th of October 1579, Pope Gregory XII issued a bull acknowledging the Vilnius University, which soon became the major intellectual centre of Lithuania and North-East Europe. It is regarded as one of the oldest and most respectable universities in Eastern and Central Europe, including its extensive collection of Latin literature. The University includes twelve courtyards, whereof the Great Courtyard is the most valuable in the historical and artistic respect. It reminds an Italian Renaissance square, though it combines elements of three styles – Renaissance Mannerism, Baroque and Classicism (see below picture).

Vilnius University and the Church of Sts. Johns’
(the church’s freestanding bell tower to the right)

1600 – 1700:
Vilnius silhouette turns Baroque

* During the 17^th Century, Vilnius turned more and more Baroque, in fact becoming the largest Baroque city north of the Alps, as well as the one farthest to the east.

* During this period, excellent monuments of Baroque were built, such as the Church of St. Casimir (1604-1618) – designed along the line of the famous Il Gesu Church in Rome, and St. Theresa Church (1633-50) – where the façade was designed by the Italian architect Constantino Tencalla in accordance with the models of Roman architecture. Other outstanding monuments of the Baroque period are the churches of St. Ignatius and All Saints.

The Church of St. Casimir in the centre of Vilnius.

* And do not forget to visit the Chapel of St. Casimir in the Vilnius Cathedral - one of the most artistic Baroque Mausoleums in all of Europe!

* The most exquisite Baroque monument in Vilnius, however, is the unique Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (1668-1704). Its interior décor, consisting of 2000 stucco statues, is unique in Europe. The Italian sculptors Pietro Perti, Giovanni Maria Gallia and others did the decoration works during a period of 33 years. The church was renovated in 1801-04 by Giovanni Beretti and Nicolas Piano, both from Milan.

* Around 1600, Giovanni Battista became conductor of a castle orchestra and author of many masses and motets still played.

* Along the way, scholars were going south for education, and fashions, fabrics, and music from Italy were shaping the culture of Lithuania.

* It is also really worthwhile going to Kaunas to see one of the most prominent examples of Baroque architecture in Lithuania. Go to the peninsula of the Kauno Marios Water Reservoir. The Pazaislis Church and Monastery (picture below) was started built in 1667, by Italian Camalduli monks, who were invited to Kaunas by the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Kristupas Pacas. The most striking part of the ensemble is a hexagonal dome, and two protruding towers, looking like helmets. Several generations of Lithuanian and Italian masters worked at this impressive complex until it was completed by the middle of the 18th century, but the first, and main master, was the Italian architect Lodovico Fredo.

1700 – 1800:
The Italian sculptures on the Vilnius Cathedral

* Classicism was introduced to Lithuania from Rome, where some of the most famous Lithuanian artists, architects and other performers of the fine arts were studying during this century. The famous painter Pranciskus Smuglevicius studied for example at the St. Lucas Academy for a number of years, and the architect Laurynas Gucevicius was in Rome for studies during the period of 1776-1777.

* The first appearance of Neo-Classicism came also from Rome, when the architect Carlo Spampani in 1773 came here to design the portal in the White Hall of the Vilnius University’s Observatory of Astronomy.

* In 1784, the bishop of Vilnius, I. Masalski, invited the famous Italian sculptor, Tommaso Righi, to come here for the creation of sculptures on the Vilnius Cathedral. His creations can today be seen on the western façade, in six niches where he gave life to the four evangelists, with Moses and Abraham on each of the sides.

Vilnius - Vilnius Cathedral

Vilnius Cathedral.

* The Vilnius Cathedral Treasury does also contain several objects with Italian origin, worth a separate study. The treasures were so carefully hidden behind brickwork in one of the Cathedral’s niches just before the World War II, that they were discovered again only in 1985.

* Attention should also be paid to the gorgeously carved High Altar of the St. Francis and Error! Hyperlink reference not valid., created by the Italian Master Danielo Giotto by the end of the 18th century.

* Also gardens and parks were made according to Italian style. The most famous was probably the Gostauto Garden, which today mostly is covered by the Presidency Park. The original garden was made following the example of Northern Italian parks, and was said to have been one of the most beautiful, being laid out geometrically with straight radial paths, round square and regularly shaped lawns characteristic of the baroque age.

* Try also to find time for a weekend trip to southern Latvia to visit the Rundale Palace (1735-1768) near the town Bauska, 200 km north of Vilnius, supposed to be the most beautiful Baroque palace in the Baltic States, created by the author of the St. Petersburg’s Winter Palace, the Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli.

The Rundale Palace

* In 1795, Lithuania lost its sovereignty, and became a province of the Russian Empire. With this, also the extraordinary and long-lasting contact with Italy vanished. The 500 year golden period had come to an end.

1800 – 1900:
St. Peter and St. Paul Church gets its final Italian touch

* The direct Italian influence on and in Lithuania disappeared more or less in the 19th Century. But also the Russian Empire had its influence from neo-styles inherited from Italy, and some examples of these styles can be found in Lithuania.

* One example of direct influence from Italian masters, also in this century, is the renovation works on the St. Peter and St. Paul Church during the years 1801 - 1804 (see also above description for the period 1600 - 1700).

File:Lithuania Vilnius St.Peter+St.Paul church inside 1.jpg
St. Peter and St. Paul Church interior.

* And, do by no means miss the chance to visit Traku Voké to see the magnificent Estate of Count Tiskevicius, built in 1876 - 80 by the Italian architect L. Marconi.

Traku Voke
The Traku Voké estate of Count Tiskevicius.

1900 – 2011:
Italian pizza, technology and fashion invades Lithuania

* More than 200 years have passed since the golden period of the Italian-Lithuanian relationship ended. Today, the relationship is being re-built, and Italy is once again well represented in Vilnius, with Embassy, Cultural Centre, a Chamber of Commerce and many different companies.

* And, as in the rest of the modern world, the streets of the Lithuanian cities and villages have in the latest years been “invaded” by Italian pizzerias, fashion boutiques and furniture stores.

* The latest 20 years has also brought a good number of Alfa Romeos, Fiats, Lancias, and even a few Ferraris, Maseratis and Lamborghinis to Lithuania.

* The Italian influence on the Lithuanian architecture is no longer very important. But there has been one exception from that; the new Italian embassy building in the district of Zverynas in Vilnius. The former Italian Ambassador to Lithuania, Giulio Prigioni, did a fantastic job during the years 2004 – 2006 in leading the renovation of a 100 year old Palladian villa into a modern building that today is Italy’s very representative headquarter in Lithuania. The renovation project was done by the Italian architect Nunzio Rimmaudo.

Former Italian Ambassador Giulio Prigioni did a tremendous job to remake
this 100-year old Paladian villa into what today is the representative
Italian Embassy complex in Lithuania.

* Lithuania’s Armed Forces spent in 2006 - 2008 €75 million to buy three units of the Italian transport aircraft C-27J. The selection was made within a bid for the renewal of the old fleet of Soviet-made twin-engine An-26s in service with the Lithuanian Air Force. The Italian-Lithuanian relationship is again flying high…

LEFT: The Italian transport aircraft C-27J, now used by the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
RIGHT: A Maserati Quattroporte recently spotted in Vilnius.

Category : Featured black / The world in Lithuania

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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.

Stephen Báthory, the Hungarian who

became Lithuania’s Grand Duke

Stephen Báthory and his wife Anna Jagiellon were co-rulers, as the second monarch in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual title ‘King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania’.

You may remember our story about Anna Jagiellon (Lithuanian: Ona Jogailaitė, 1523–1596) daughter of Grand Duke Sigismund the Old and Italian Bona Sforza. In 1572, when the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, at the time the largest and one of the most populous states in Europe, was vacated after her brother Sigismund Augustus died without heirs, she convinced the Polish and Lithuanian nobles to elect the French prince Henry of Valois as the new ruler. It was Jean Montluc, Bishop of Valence, who had offered the French prince to the electors of the commonwealth as the next King and Grand Duke. Montluc promised the electors that Henry would marry Anna, "to maintain the dynastic tradition". Unfortunately, for Anna, after Henry was elected as the first monarch in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, he withdrew his promise and they never wed.

In 1574 Henry left Poland to assume his new duties as King of France and by May of 1575 the Parliament of the Commonwealth had removed him as their monarch. By the autumn of 1575 a new candidate was offered to the electors, Stephen Báthory, Prince of Transylvania. Stephen had to agree to the condition that he would marry Anna, which he did.

On 15 December 1575, near Warsaw, Anna along with Stephen Báthory, her fiancé, was elected as co-rulers, as the second monarch in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual title of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. The coronation took place in Krakow 1 May 1576.

Stephen Báthory's Smocze Zęby ("Dragon's Teeth") coat-of-arms.

Stephen Báthory's position was at first extremely difficult, but some important victories in the by then ‘religious wars’ gave him a chance to devote himself to strengthening royal authority, in which he was supported by his chancellor Jan Zamoyski, who was just as skilled a politician. The two managed to win over several factions of the Lithuanian and Polish nobility, mostly by means of better taxation of crown lands and royal property leased to the nobility.

In external relations, Stephen sought peace through strong alliances. Though he remained distrustful of the Habsburgs, he entered into a defensive alliance with Maximilian's successor, Rudolf II, fostered by the papal nuncio. The difficulties with the Ottoman Empire were temporarily adjusted by a truce signed on November 5, 1577.

He ruled the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth only for slightly more than a decade but managed to leave prominent trace in the countries’ history. His rule, from 1575 to 1586, was marked by a series of important events such as the Commonwealth victory over Muscovy in the Livonian war and foundation of Vilnius University, both of which had direct repercussions for the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

With his three carefully planned military campaigns against Russia from 1579 to 1581, Stephen Báthory managed to force Muscovy to denounce its rights to the conquered Livonian territories and sign a peace treaty in 1582. He also established a cannon shop in Vilnius, perfected the artillery and war engineering techniques, reorganized the army and introduced uniforms. Meanwhile, to neutralize a military threat from the south he signed a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate.

To bulk up his presence in Livonia Stephen Báthory's in 1579 also deployed the Commonwealth Polish troops. Yet the decisive point in the campaign against Russia was the siege of Pskov that was eventually used by him as a trading chip in his negotiations with Muscovy. The Commonwealth received all Livonian territories that fell under its rule by the Vilnius treaty of 1561, except for the northern Livonian lands under Swedish control. Meanwhile, Russia regained the lands annexed by Poland-Lithuania in 1580. The negotiations were a success. Within three years Stephen Báthory managed to turn the fortunes of the war that seemed to go all wrong for Poland and Lithuania in particular. This was also only a part of the story. The war with Muscovy appears to be only a part of the master plan: Stephen Báthory sought to turn Russia into a dependency of the Commonwealth, use joint forces in a war with the Ottoman Empire and eventually free his homeland Transylvania.

Establishment of Vilnius University in 1579 is another prominent event associated with the rule of Stephen Báthory. While the Grand Duchy was ready to feature its own university already for some time, his decision to found a higher education establishment in Vilnius had clear political undertones. He sought to strengthen the rule of the monarchy in regards to the strong caste of noblemen. To do that he often reverted for help to the Catholic Church, a natural ally against protestant nobles.

The appearance of Vilnius University was in fact a well-planned step in a clever political campaign. It was essential for the Catholic Church to establish an educational establishment before the Reformats would do so. Thus already in 1569, Waleryan Protasewicz, the Bishop of Vilnius, invited Jesuit monks to the city of Vilnius and allocated funds to establish a Jesuit academy. The academy was opened in 1970 with an aim to become a university in the near future. The Jesuits appear to have grand plans for their school in Vilnius that went far and beyond the confines of the Lithuania. The university was to serve as a beacon of Catholicism not only in Grand Duchy but also in the neighbouring states and as far as China.

However the final steps in founding the university appeared to be far from easy. In 1577 Pope Gregory XIII issued a bull that supported the establishment of Vilnius University. Now the Bishop of Vilnius had to secure the support of the Grand Duke. Stephen Báthory granted his privilege in 1578 but that was only a part of the story. For the document to become official it had to bear the stamp of Grand Duchy of Lithuania which was in the possession of Radvila the Brown, the Chancellor of the State and a zealous protestant. The Chancellor did not grant the stamp, so the same procedure was repeated next year. This time King Stephan issued a privilege in Vilnius which was stamped by the minor state stamp of Grand Duchy of Lithuania in possession of the Vice-Chancellor. Once again, he failed to claim the support of Chancellor Radvila the Brown and had the Vice-Chancellor, also a reformist, stamp the document only after threats to take punitive measures. To make the matters complete, on 29 October 1579 the Pope issued another bull that confirmed existence of Academia et Universitas Vilnensis Societatis Iesu. Finally, Vilnius had its own university.

The rule of Stephen Báthory, however brief, undoubtedly left positive marks in the Commonwealth and Grand Duchy history. In a relatively short time he managed to solve imminent external problems of the state and strengthen its internal structures. He acknowledged Grand Duchy of Lithuania as an equal partner in the Commonwealth of two nations and heavily contributed to its further cultural development. According to contemporary panegyrics Stephen Báthory's deeds surpassed previous monarchs and can be compared only to Lithuania’s famous Grand Duke Vytautas.

His death was followed by an interregnum of one year. The Emperor's brother Archduke Maximilian, was elected King but was contested by Anna’s nephew, Swedish Sigismund III Vasa, who defeated Maximilian at the Byczyna and succeeded as ruler of the Commonwealth.

Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden (where he is known simply as Sigismund) from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599. He was the son of King John III of Sweden and his first wife, Catherine Jagiellon, sister of Anna.

Anna died during her nephew Sigismund's reign, on 9 September 1596. She was the last member of the Jagiellon Dynasty that had started with Grand Duke Gediminas 300 years earlier. With her, Lithuania’s time of glory had come to an end…

Békés Hill in Vilnius

File:Bekesh Hill.jpg
Remains of Bekes Hill at River Vilnia before it was washed away in the 1800s.

This was a hill next to the Hill of Three Crosses in Vilnius, named after Gáspár de Kornyath Bekes (1520 - 1580), a Hungarian noble who was buried on the hill which later became known as the Bekes Hill. His grave was marked by an octagonal tower, 20 meters (66 ft) high and 6 meters (20 ft) in diameter.

The river Vilnia, flowing at the foot of the hill, was eroding it until in 1838 five walls of the monument fell, and other walls went down in 1841. A small cemetery is thought to have been here in the 17-18th century, and at the beginning of the 20th century paths leading from the Botanical and Bernardine Gardens to the hill top were designed.

Bekes was treasurer for John II Sigismund Zápolya, King of Hungary (died 1571). Bekes gained considerable power and favor with the King. In his testament Zápolya, who did not have a legal heir, designated Bekes as Voivode of Transylvania. However, Hungarian nobles did not honour the will and elected Stephen Báthory as their voivode while Bekes was away on a diplomatic mission in the court of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor. Supported by Maximilian, who rivaled Báthory for the throne of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Bekes gathered his army and organized a rebellion against Báthory, but was defeated. Bekes lost all of his possessions and was forced to seek asylum with Maximilian in Vienna.

When Poland–Lithuania elected Henry of Valois as its monarch, Maximilian and Báthory ceased hostilities. Bekes unsuccessfully traveled to the Ottoman Empire seeking allies. His hopes were revived again when in 1574 Henry of Valois abdicated the Polish throne and Maximilian–Báthory rivalry resumed. Bekes, supported by Székelys, started another rebellion, but his forces were defeated in the Battle of Sinpaul in 1575. Supporters of Bekes were brutally suppressed and privileges for Székelys were suspended.

Maximilian died in 1576, and Bekes lost any hopes of reclaiming Transylvania. Instead he decided to reconcile with Báthory and became his loyal ally and close adviser despite differences in their religions. During the Danzig rebellion Bekes commanded Hungarian troops, sent to assist Báthory in establishing his control over the Commonwealth, and gained special recognition for his defense of Elbląg (Ebling). During the Livonian War against Ivan IV of Russia Bekes joined the expedition to re-conquer Polatsk (1579).

Coat of arms of Bekes

Portrait of Bekes

For his service Báthory assigned him Lanckorona (a village in Poland, near Kraków, today famous for its well preserved 19th century wooden houses) and other lands.

On his way to Hrodna, Poland in 1580, Bekes caught a cold, fell ill, and died later in Hrodna. His body was transported to Vilnius for burial, but none of the city's Christian cemeteries agreed to accept him because of his Arian faith. Therefore he was buried on a hill, which later became known as the Bekes Hill. His grave was marked by an octagonal tower, 20 meters (66 ft) in height and 6 meters (20 ft) in diameter. The hill and his grave were washed away by the Vilnia River in mid 19th century. The former hill territory is now within the Kalnai Park.

Royal stud of horses

in Birštonas

Hungarians started showing interest for the area of Birštonas already in the 16^th century, even being rendered the rights of the district for 40 years. In these times a royal stud of Hungarian horses thrived here where River Nemunas makes its amazing loop

Panemunė Castle near Jurbarkas

Over the years 1604 - 1610 the Hungarian nobleman Janusz Eperjes
built the Panemunė Castle right here at the Nemunas River,
not far away from the town Jurbarkas.

Over the years 1604 - 1610 the Hungarian nobleman Janusz Eperjes built the Panemunė Castle on a hilltop at the Nemunas River, not far away from the town Jurbarkas (above today’s highway between Kaunas and Jurbarkas). The castle was probably built in connection with the river driving and transport of timber on the Nemunas River that started flourishing by the middle of the 16^th century.

It is supposed that the name of the castle comes from the Panemunė manor, and that Petras Nonhartas, architect for the reconstruction of the Lower Vilnius Castle at that time, was the author of the castle project and the first construction supervisor. He was a friend of the Eperjes’ family.

The Panemunė castle was not built as a defense fortress; it was just a typical feudal castle with defensive equipment typical for the 17^th century. The original castle was built in Renaissance style, with some Late Gothic elements. It is today considered one of the most beautiful Renaissance Epoch buildings in Lithuania. The castle was surrounded by five ponds with four water mills and some farm buildings, remaining from the old manor. A wonderful castle park with five cascade pools and a hilly relief leaves also today’s visitors with an unforgettable impression.

By the middle of the 17^th century Janusz Eperjes son Christopher reconstructed the castle, introducing several baroque elements. . At the end of the 18^th century the castle was reconstructed in classical style, and some of the old buildings demolished.

In 1925 the Lithuanian government made the castle a national possession and in 1935 the Panemunė Castle and its surroundings were taken under responsibility of the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture. In 1961 it was included into the list of national culturally valuable monuments. In 1995 – 1997 the castle was partially reconstructed.

Nowadays Panemunė Castle has two remaining corpuses – the western wing that includes two towers – and a southern wing. Panemunė Castle belongs to the Vilnius Art Academy, responsible for restoration and maintenance, as well as fitting it to science, education and tourism purposes. During the summer season the Vilnius Art Academy arranges expositions of art here.

Visitors are also let to climb up the towers and watch the spectacular view of the Nemunas River and the landscapes around. The nearby park is a part of the whole structure of the castle. It is a perfect example of a landscaped park that strengthens the overall impression of the Panemunė Castle on its beautiful hilltop location.

Category : Featured black / The world in Lithuania

- Posted by - 8276(1) Comment2011-08-09+14%3A23%3A460df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D8276

Dénes Fejér

Ruszkik, haza!
Russians, go home!

The 1956 revolution in Hungary gave hope - but ended in disillusionment. This was what Dénes Fejér (78) told me when I met him here in the University Aula in his South-Hungarian hometown Szeged. Mr. Fejér was himself a 23-year old journalist, actively participating when the Hungarian uproar against the Soviet rulers started exactly here 55 years ago.

I asked him to confirm that the 1956 revolution in Hungary started here in the University Aula in the Szeged University,

“Yes, this is correct,” he says. “55 years ago, on the 16th of October, 1956, students from our Szeged town founded the youth organisation MEFESZ (Hungarian Student Organisation). This event could be considered as the very first step of the revolution because in Hungary, at that time, after ten years of Communist post war regime, only state founded and supported organisations could be established in a legal way.”

Text: Aage Myhre
aage.myhre@VilNews.com

“The Szeged initiative could be seen as the first crack on a dam where water is about to pour through. Of course, you don’t immediately realise when you see a small stream of water; that what follows it is going to overwhelm you. The Communist leadership did not see right away what actually was about to happen, as they did not expect such a massive force appearing in just a few days.”

Dénes Fejér, who was 23 when the revolt started, stands here in the Aula that looks more or less the same as it did in 1956, demonstrating how things started evolving exactly here that October evening 55 years ago.

Hungarians gather around the head of the toppled Stalin Monument in Budapest 1956.

I ask Dénes Fejér to explain more about the 1956 revolt that started here in Szeged:
You were yourself present in that Aula meeting, and if I understand you correctly, this meeting became a fateful event (among several other developments in those days) which led inevitably to the outbreak of the revolution. It was the first meeting after World War II where questions were not pre-arranged slogans glorifying the regime, but where - because of the insistence of the audience - everyone was allowed to speak, and raise questions. What would you say were the most significant things happened at that assembly?

For two years after the end of the war in 1945, there was a plural political system in Hungary. Different political parties existed, and in the 1945 general elections the Independent Smallholder and Civil Party received absolute majority with 54% of the votes and the Communist Party only received 17%. Stalin realised that the people of Hungary did not want to embrace its system. The 1947 elections were already fraudulent and the Communist forces won. In 1948 the Social democratic Party was forcibly incorporated into the Communist party. The general wave of terror appeared only after this time. Forced nationalisation was started with businesses, commercial institutions, industrial entities and later, even private property like houses. A terror organisation was created within the Internal Ministry, called the AVO (State Security Authority) which later became an independent entity, having its own rules and methods.

This was the background where the MEFESZ was established, as the very first independent organisation in Communist Hungary. The programme and its demands were summarised in twenty points of the there are a few that are interesting. These included the request for open and free debates, the open trial of guilty Communist functionaries, the abolishment of death penalty in political cases, democratic elections, freedom of speech, and the that the 15th of March, the Commemoration Day of the 1848 Revolution should become an official national day. As you can see, these conditions and demands are natural in a free country but were unknown and unthinkable in a dictatorship. Although not part of the twenty points, another demand was phrased by the participant of the meeting. This was later a key phrase of the revolution: Russians, go home! The most fundamental demand was for the truth, that is to say that the leaders of the country should not lie and should not make the young people and the population lie. Telling the truth in Hungary at that time meant sever prison sentences.

To my knowledge, the assembly started as a rather innocent gathering where the students simply asked: “Why are the Soviet troops still stationed in our country?”, but ended with a the clear demand: “Ruszkik, haza!” - “Russians, go home!” From such a radical manifestation of the demands, you must have known that this was about to become dangerous?

The whole meeting started as a regular Communist youth organisation meeting. The Communist youth leaders gathered before it and reviewed the demands of the MEFESZ leaders, like András Lejtényi. When they learn the radical nature of these, they became frightened and left immediately for higher authority, the Communist party representatives at the university. Then the MEFESZ leaders went to meet the gathered students, read their demands, and the MEFESZ had the day!

“There was a general feeling of freedom among the participants. Fear disappeared. Saying the truth was a standard, normal thing during the event that caused happiness and joy among the audience.”

Didn‘t you realise that, according the Soviet system of those days, your collective name was "Shut up!" Did you not know that the Aula microphones were only for the Party collaborators and that nobody else were supposed to talk?

Nobody thought of ‘Shut up!’ at that time. After the first few words, there was a general feeling of freedom among the participants. Fear disappeared. Saying the truth was a standard, normal thing during the event that caused happiness and joy among the audience. The principle of ‘Shut up!’ had accumulated an amount of pressure in everyone that just erupted then. The age of ‘sober thoughts’ ended and the demand of freedom and truth became prevalent for the university youth.

You were yourself working as a journalist those days, and on the 23rd of October the newspaper “Delmagyarorszag” published your article called “Az igazsag keresesenek utjan”. What was the essence of this article and what reactions did you get?

This article, titled the ways of finding the truth, summarised what I have just explained above. It is very typical that we were not even sure whether the article would appear at all. The official, Communist newspaper Délmagyarország reported the event but left out the most important aspect which was the break of the dam, the shedding of the Communist oppression!

The period of hope to win over the mighty Soviet Union by peaceful measures, however, did not last long, and soon fights started spreading all over Hungary and the revolution began before your eyes. How will you describe this outcome of your efforts from the Aula assembly?

The main fighting happened in Budapest. This was the obvious and visible sign of the revolution. The fighting, the combat on the streets. The AVO, the armed troops and the Soviet soldiers were all surprised that ‘here they shoot back’. It was believed that a demonstration of force with tanks on the street would frighten people and prevent the escalation of the events, thus helping the consolidation of the Communist dictatorship. It didn’t happen like that.

Probably the Hungarian national character contributed to this as well. The courage to start again, to love one’s country, the national tradition of not giving in to slavery.

The revolutionaries of Budapest used bottles filled with petrol against tanks. They had no heavy weapons or anti-tank artillery. They fixed a burning piece of rag on the bottle and tossed it to the moving vehicle. The burning liquid turned the steel monsters into burning coffins. When the Soviet soldiers were abandoning their vehicles, they became easy preys to the weapons of the fighters.

There was an interrelation between the demands of the Szeged students, the fighting in Budapest and the revolutionary state nation-wise. The mental preparation rallied the fighters. The machine guns and the words were equally weapons of the revolution. Words changed things without bloodshed. From the smallest villages in Hungary to any institution or organisation, everyone of them had revolutionary councils. They replaced the very often incompetent previous leadership whose only added value to the system was their loyalty to the oppressing regime. The highest authority in the Communist state, the Central Committee and the Political Committee was simply dismissed. Instead of them reliable and trustworthy people were elected by the population or members of institutions or organisations. With open or secrets ballots. I was elected by a secret ballot to be on the workers’ council of the press in Szeged, and on the city’s revolutionary council.

I think this was the real result of the revolution. Replacing the old, Soviet puppets, the Communist leadership, and raising new, honest people into the power. This was created by the synergy of the students’ wishes and of the fighting in Budapest.

“For those who have never lived in oppression, in fear and in deprivation, for those who, on a daily basis, enjoy freedom and the rights of liberty, they probably don’t really know what freedom means for a prisoner.”

It has been said that something nearly supernatural stirred the hearts, minds and consciousness of the Hungarian people those days. Those shared feelings with friends and strangers must have been very special?

This special, disturbing experience is not difficult to describe for those who lived through it. The beautiful memories must be recalled from the past half-century. For those who have never lived in oppression, in fear and in deprivation, for those who, on a daily basis, enjoy freedom and the rights of liberty, they probably don’t really know what freedom means for a prisoner. I believe that it was this everlasting desire for freedom that prevailed back then. It was as if we were not even walking on the face of the Earth, as if floating in air. The communication changed among people, they were smiling to each other. They were nice, understanding towards each other. We even believed that the ‘guards’, our oppressors could change because they would realise that it is, in fact, better to live like this, free. It is probably also true that the experience of freedom created delusions.

By mid November 1956, it became evident that your revolution was lost. Not only the street fights, but also the lengthy demands of the students, which were fully supported by the whole society, were not going to be met. Instead, more and more of reprisals and arrests happened and an air of bitter disillusionment began to replace the heady days of the victorious revolution. How would you describe these days?

In the first days of November, it became obvious that the revolution had failed. Not in its results, not in its memories, not in its principles but in its survival. It was not our weakness but the overwhelming Soviet military power that defeated it. The twelve days a freedom turned into a totally different direction. In a few days we suddenly had to realise that those who had pretended to be with us till the 4th of November in 1956, turned into bloodthirsty puppets of the occupying forces and lost their human faces, becoming willing executioners.

The new puppet regime with Soviet arms behind it could only gradually strengthen its own position. They were expecting results, agreements, and waiting for their supporters t show once again. This started very slowly with the dismissed Communist leaders and members appearing again and again. Once they were feeling safe, the brutal punishment started.

We were hoping that they might have learnt their lesson, that we could not be treated the same way as we had been treated for nine years before the revolution. This was not the case, they continued everything in much the same way as it had been before. Everything came back, the deportation camps, the beatings, the prisons, the torture. Hungary again became a prison and we again humiliated prisoners.

It took some time before the Soviet rulers of your country were able to close the borders completely, and Austria was very willingly letting thousands of refugees cross into their country. You decided not to leave, why was that?

It became obvious that for those who had participated in the revolution, there was no place in Hungary any more. And many of them indeed left the country. Maybe some left because of fear, some because of adventure or new possibilities. Almost 200.000 people left the country. One of my best friend left who is currently living in New York while I was kept in a Soviet military prison in Eastern Hungary. Another friend of mine, who was briefly arrested with me, was inviting me to go to France.

It had never occurred to me that I could or would leave. Never, for a moment. I knew that I had account for all my activities eventually, and I was hoping that my life would be spared. During the revolution I did not fight, did not kill anyone. In my captivity Major Zokov, the Russian officer was interrogating me about all these things. Ha was trying to convince me that we were counter-revolutionaries while I was trying to convince him that we were revolutionaries. We couldn’t convince each other of course. I do not recall any fear gripping me, when, together with seven of my colleagues, I was transported in an ambulance, escorted by two armed armoured personnel carriers. I was wearing a white shirt and, when we were disembarked at the main square of Csongrád to be taken to the nearby hills, I remember thinking that anyone could easily recognise the white on a corpse, and might be able to inform my mother about my fate. I was not executed, but taken to Debrecen to the Soviet military airfield.

After I was released from prison, I did not want to leave. I couldn’t leave my country. I would not replace Hungary for any other place. I have seen a few peaceful spots in the world where life could be different than here. Once a Hungarian poet has said that for a Hungarian patriot ‘whether your faith may be blessed or cursed, here [ie. in Hungary] you must either live or die’. This is a moral command for me.

Some of your fellow students were executed and the Soviet jails were filling up during the next few months. You were among them arrested, hence it would be interesting to hear your personal story from the time after the revolution was so brutally crushed?

In the spring of 1957 I was arrested again, this time by the Hungarian political police. But before that an interesting episode happened in my life. When I was released from the Soviet prison, in February I returned to Szeged where I was approached by the newly organising Communist party, through two veteran leaders, Vince Bite and Károly Csíszár. I used to know Uncle Vince, since when I was ten to twelve, I used to be his helper in playing bowling at the beach. They told me to become member of the MSZMP [the newly formed Communist party] because I had been selected to be chief editor of the Délmagyarország newspaper. I had three days to consider their offer. I turned it down. Have you given it enough thoughts? Uncle Vince asked me. I have, I told him. Well, I hope you won’t regret it, he answered.

In two months time, I was arrested. I was interned. The whole thing became only a little bit clearer when I was released after one year. The temporary imprisonment that required no court verdict, could be prolonged indefinitely after every six months. When I was released, I was only allowed to do manual labour, only as a non-qualified worker, despite having a university degree with a certificate that allowed me to teach. My driving license was withdrawn, my reserve officer rank of the army was taken away, I did not get a passport, and could not travel abroad. As I recall, it did not really effect me because after finishing secondary school, I went to work on the Tisza bridge and learnt the craftsmanship of carpenters. This enabled me to work with my own two hands, and solved my financial problems.

What was difficult was the social exclusion. When my friends saw me on the streets, they went to the other side. Nobody dared speaking to me, or to be seen in the company of a convicted ‘counter revolutionary’. I was living with my mother and with my elder sister because I had lost my elder brother who had died in Russian captivity in the war.

During the sixties the terror had waned a little bit. I was allowed to teach in elementary school, although only subjects that were practical based, handcrafts. On regular basis a political officer appeared to check on me, and to try to make me work with them as an agent. I refused, and eventually got fed up with it all, and I returned to the construction industry. In the end I became a foreman, then a project manager. I was applying for eight years to the Szeged university law faculty but was always turned down. In the late 80s I was invited to be as chief editor of one of the first independent publishers. This was already the end of the Kádár-regime [János Kádár was the leader of Communist Hungary after 1956, till 1989. The period between 1956 and 1989 was often referred as the Kádár-regime.]

“It was only after many years that we learnt that the USA and the Great Britain informed the USSR that they would not oppose their intervention in Hungary.”

The governments of the free world watched your Hungarian Revolution with deep admiration even if none of them seriously considered providing military support, nor condemnation strong enough to stop the brutal actions of the Soviet Union. How do you view the behaviours of the Western countries those days?

The Western world provided enormous help to those almost 200.000 Hungarians who left the country. Those who went not as adventurers were appreciated by their new countries. Among the refugees you can find people who still come back to Hungary and who in fact, have two countries now. They have no roots, and their children have departed from Hungary for good.

The Western influence that we had in the days of the revolution was deceiving. It was only after many years that we learnt that the USA and the Great Britain informed the USSR that they would not oppose their intervention in Hungary.

Radio Free Europe was continuously encouraging the fighters to carry on because they were promised foreign help. This has led me to conclude that if it succeeds, if we had national local government in Szeged, I would suggest to change the name of Roosevelt Square in Szeged (like it was changed from Stalin Square) as I cannot support a liar, a friend of Soviets, even if he had been once the President of the USA.

Roosevelt Square in Szeged. The inscription lauds Franklin for his stand against
Fascism. Dénes Fejér, however, wants to change the name of the square.
“I cannot support a liar, a friend of the Soviets, even if he had been once
President of the USA,” he tells me.

Category : Featured black / Historical Lithuania

Thank God for Lithuania!

- Posted by - 8171(1) CommentThank+God+for+Lithuania%212011-08-05+13%3A43%3A090df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D8171

David Telky, Managing Director of Scottish-Lithuanian manufacturing company Pentland, has over 35 years in the clothing manufacturing industry. David was born in Glasgow, Scotland where he has carried on the family business of 90 years to present.

A personal thank you note to Lithuania from David Telky, Scotland

The above quote took over 30 years to occur. It covers activities in 14 countries and many years of garment production around the globe.

My background was in accountancy, but when my father, a tailor, phoned me to return to Scotland to help him start a large factory, I needed no second request.

Accountancy could not stand up to the thought of working with my father, starting a new factory and working in a manufacturing environment that had been a family trade for generations.

Two years later, after my training was over, the factory we designed was completed and my theory was to be put into practice.

To finance the project, at a very stormy time in the British economy, took every penny that we could beg and borrow but the beautiful factory was ours (and the banks) and now we had to staff and provide orders for its production.

10 eventful years later, sadly after my wonderful Father died, the factory had expanded to 450 people and was making 10,000 jackets a week, but customers were moving to overseas production, mainly from China!

This was when the stresses of running a large enterprise in Glasgow bore the health problems that many find the hardest part of business management. The long hours the mental strain of multiple problems, the financial pressures, the staff aggravations.

The answer was to do what all similar enterprises in UK were looking at and out source production, but where?

Over the next 5years,after successful forays into China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Poland ,Portugal, Belarus Egypt and a few not so successful, I found the right place, Lithuania- my search was over!

The stress of all this had seen me in hospital with health problems, that linger to this day, so the expression "thank God for Lithuania ...without it I could be dead!" evolves from the joy of working with some of the best staff I have ever employed, combined with some of the finest and most loyal factories producing excellent products with an almost old fashioned loyalty and ethic that was so prevalent in the UK of my youth.

Altogether the move to Lithuania has not only been a work influenced move but the social aspect of the community of local and expats has opened my eyes to a life of harmony and peace that I thought was lost forever and fills me each day with happiness.

So Thank God for Lithuania in it's helping me develop not only a great company Pentland , a sum of it's fine employees ,but for giving me the chance to meet so many great and wonderful people not least the Editor of this fine Journal, Aage Myhre ,who I am honoured to count as my good friend .
May I say that the journal that Aage has developed tirelessly over many years is a fine demonstration of his love of Lithuania that I am proud to share with him!

Good luck to Vilnews and to you my friend Aage Myhre!

Pentland
Pentland is a Scottish based Clothing Manufacturing company headquartered in Glasgow with its production sites in Lithuania, Belarus and Moldova. Pentland has been manufacturing tailored clothing in Glasgow since 1973 and moved its production to Eastern Europe in 1985. Pentland produces for the European market for leading fashion retailers delivering tailored outerwear for men and women, with over 40 factories in Lithuania and neighbouring countries.

David Telky, Managing Director of Pentland
has over 35 years in the Clothing Manufacturing industry. David was born in Glasgow, Scotland where he has carried on the family business of 90 years to present. David participates hands on in his manufacturing companies from sales, production to delivery – producing fashion garments for the British and other western markets.

Category : Business, economy, investments / Featured black

The Lithuanian Picnic

- Posted by - 8164(3) CommentThe+Lithuanian+Picnic2011-08-05+13%3A31%3A010df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D8164

Straight-line 12-cylinder 1938 Lincoln Saloon

By KR Slade

Sunday was, as usual, the day for Father and me to go to Lithuanian Catholic mass; and, as usual, thereafter, to return to my familiar English-speaking world. Our Sunday masses were always at our Lithuanian church -- the only one between Massachusetts and Connecticut. I never had any idea what anyone at church was saying, because I did not understand any Lithuanian. In 1958, the mass was in Latin; however, the sermon, readings, singing, and announcements were in Lithuanian. I understood some Latin, although I was only ten years old. It was the ‘everything else’ -- before, during, and after church -- that I did not understand . . .

After mass, there was our weekly tradition: a couple of ‘dogs’ at the ‘New York System’ wiener-joint, just around the corner from the church, in the old inner-city Lithuanian neighbourhood; then a drive across town to the Italian bakery for a box of pastries to take to Mother’s parents’ house for an hour or two of ‘Sunday visit’.

It was not until we were at home that Father announced the news: next Saturday was to be the first-of-the-summer-season Lithuanian picnic. Mother’s reaction was that this was going to be a lot of work for her: to prepare all of the food, for the three of us and more to share. I thought that it would be great: lot’s of other kids, to meet and play with, none of whom spoke anything but English. We all would ‘goof’ on all of the adults trying to speak Lithuanian, which the adults did not know very well, had forgotten, would be corrected, and would argue about. They would be so language pre-occupied as to leave us kids alone, for us to have our fun . . .

Next Saturday, Father’s old -- but still impressive, straight-line 12-cylinder 1938 Lincoln Saloon’s huge trunk compartment was picnic-packed. We rolled out of our driveway.

“Tom. There will be swimming, of course. Did you bring your swimming trunks?”

“Yes.”

(Mother): “Well, I hope that it’s going to be at the big lake, the water is good there. That other picnic place -- with the big pond is okay; but that other picnic place, with the little pond -- I don’t want Tom swimming there. I think that there are leeches there. So, which picnic ground is it ?”

That’s when Father stepped on the brakes, more notable an event because we were going up a hill.

“Ohh . . . ”

“Which picnic ground is it ?”

“Ohh . . . ”

“Which picnic ground is it ?”

“Well, . . . ”

“Don’t tell me that you don’t know.”

“Okay.”

“Which picnic ground is it ?”

“We’ve been there.”

“Which picnic ground is it ?”

“It’s not a problem. We will see. Everything will be okay. We will just go to the church.”

“It is eleven o’clock. The picnic is at noon. It is an hour’s drive to any of the three picnic grounds. The church is a half-hour away; the other way.”

“It’s OK; we will go to the church; and we will see.”

“What we will see is nothing; because everyone will have already left.”

“Well, we will go to the church, and we will see.”

We went to the church . . . ‘to see’ . . . and we saw nothing. Any idea of posting a notice as to where/what/when or anything about the event, was an unknown concept [both then and thereafter, and probably in the hereafter and forever]. No need to tell: ‘Everyone knows’.

We drove around the neighbourhood of the church. Father reasoned that there would be someone knowledgeable of the precise details of the event, although unable/unwilling to attend. Of course, since we were passing the New York System Wieners, we were obliged to stop for ‘a couple of dogs’, on the pretence of getting information. Mother waited in the Lincoln, with the doors locked and windows rolled-up. Somehow, she noticed the tiniest touch of mustard, and made me take-off my T-shirt.

We drove around the neighbourhood, looking for addresses. After knocking on six doors, he did find one person who knew the correct location. Now we knew which picnic ground: the one with the big lake.

From my spacious backseat of the Lincoln, a limousine-distance away from the front seat, I could see my father chain-smoking, and it seemed like smoke was coming from my Mother’s ears. However, the Lincoln leather seat soon became uncomfortably hot on my bare back, so I took to sitting on the thick-wool rugged spacious floor. Father kept a very clean car. The long drive encouraged me to change positions frequently. Positioning my feet on the back of Father’s seat was not such a good idea, because at a traffic light stop, his huge bear paw of a hand reached over and behind and caught me on my right calf, which encouraged me to find other positions. That was when I understood what was going to be the mood of this family outing.

We arrived at two o’clock: two hours late. However, there was no one there. Father praised the solitude of the lakeside forest; Mother was silent -- still-more smoke from ears, still makes no sound, but makes for a more profound stillness. We ate our picnic, in Silence.

We had too-much food. Mother was not particularly hungry. Father had a seemingly larger than his large-normal appetite. I was a tall, but skinny, kid; I never ate much; and Father kept urging me to eat more. However, after the over-eating, there was still too-much food.

A couple of other picnicking families arrived, around the lake. Father gathered up the excess food, and he and I carried it off on a give-away mission. The first family was Polish; Father spoke with them for a long time in their language; they had plenty of food and did not want any more; they gave us some great homemade pickles; Mother was not pleased that we returned with more food. The second family was Jewish, and kosher; so, it was not opportune to offer our pork-laden gifts; but Father had a long talk with them in Yiddish and Russian, and they gave us some nice sweet bread. Mother was more displeased with the more food. Father and I set-off on a walk around the lake, where we ‘lost’ our gift-food. For the resident squirrels and other creatures, it must have been a day of bonanza.

I mentioned swimming. Mother said that I could not swim alone. Father said he would swim with me. Then he remembered that he had forgotten his swimming trunks. My parents had a short discussion.

“It’s okay. I will swim in my underwear.”

“No; you will not.”

It was time to leave. We packed our residue picnic paraphernalia into the trunk of the Lincoln.

Three busses of Lithuanians arrived, from our church. Evidently, the picnic was to be at 3:30 pm.

Everyone was very cordial, but there were the inevitable questions, totally understandable, directed to my mother.

“Why did you not wait to eat with us ?”

“Why did you not bring food to share with others ?”

“You did not cook ?”

In very-good Lithuanian, Mother responded to the Lithuanian-language questions, saying, “I do not speak Lithuanian-language”.

Unfortunately, the bus ride had been long, and this early-summer day was very hot. The Lithuanian taste for milk-products was not suitable to this especially hot summer day. Personally, I do not like beets, especially in soup, more-especially with cream. Mother continued her day’s fasting; I did not want to eat more; even Father had over-eaten.

And it came to pass, that the three busloads of Lithuanians became ill; violently ill -- with some sort of great stomach distress. Father drove to find a telephone to call a hospital. Three ambulances arrived. The one doctor examined people.

One of the ambulance drivers was German, and was somewhat naturally attracted to the ‘borscht’ soup -- with the cream, on the sunny picnic-buffet. His workday ended, and his ambulance was soon to become abandoned. It was strange to see the doctor driving one of the three buses -- all to the hospital.

We drove home in the Lincoln. Mother said nothing. Actually, she said nothing for about a week, which was the same amount of time that Father slept in the guest room. Maybe it would not have been so bad if on our way home Father had not said, “As I told you, everything will be okay; we will see.”

I had a great time at the picnic; well, at least before everyone else ate, and before I experienced ‘sympathetic vomiting’. There were lots of other kids to play with; and there was good swimming. I met a cute Lithuanian girl, although she was two years older. I told all of the kids the story of how we came to our Lithuanian picnic; they all laughed. She told me, “You tell good stories.” I became more interested in going to Sunday mass. Five years later, she was my date at my Freshman Prom.

“Everything will be okay; we will see.”

Note: A version of the foregoing story was published in the October--November 2006 issue of the Canadian subscriber's journal, 'Dialogue' magazine (www.dialogue.ca)

Category : Featured black / Lithuania in the world

- Posted by - 8067(5) Comment2011-08-03+13%3A58%3A370df53x21http%3A%2F%2Fvilnews.com%2F%3Fp%3D8067

Lithuanian footprints
in the world sands

I think many will be astonished learning about the huge variety of distinctive Lithuanian footprints existing in the soils of almost every corner of our world.

Some of the footprints are centuries old and sometimes hard to spot after having been exposed to wind, weather and sometimes conscious or unconscious oblivion. Others are clear, visible and significant also today.

Common to all the prints is that they help to tell the story of a fascinating nation and a people that during the past millennium has been through so unbelievably much. Though the Lithuanian people are really not just one people but a facetted range of peoples from many very different nations and cultures.

Lithuania is a nation where only about 50% of the population lives in the very country, while the other half is scattered throughout all corners of the earth. But those who live outside the country are of course as much Lithuanians as the present residents, and it is perhaps time to combine the international and local Lithuania into a unique, powerful unification? Maybe is it now the right moment to start significant bridge-building, reconciliation and renewed cooperation?

We hope VilNews can be of some help in identifying and describing some of the nation's worldwide footprints, and also in bridging some of the gaps between the motherland and its diasporas..

Below a few examples of significant Lithuanian footprints in different parts of the world. Please write us and share your story with our readers!

BARI, SOUTHERN ITALY

File:Bari basilica BonaSforza tomb.jpg

Bona Sforza (1494-1557), Grand Duchess of Lithuania, Queen of Poland, Duchess of Bari and Princess of Rossano, left the Royal Palace in Vilnius after her husband Grand Duke Sigismund the Old died in 1548. She stayed eight years in Poland and then went to Bari in Southern Italy to claim a sizeable dept from King Philip II of Spain. But instead she was poisoned by her trusted officer, Gian Lorenzo Pappacoda, acting on behalf of King Philip. She was buried in St. Nicholas' Basilica in Bari, where her daughter Anna had a beautiful tomb made in the current Renaissance style for her remains (above, left).

Chronicle of Lithuania
in a global perspective

Lithuania is a country that cannot be understood if you don’t know at least
something about its exceptional past and its extraordinary global ties – with
Italy, India, South Africa, Israel, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Crimea/Turkey,
Sweden, Germany, Russia, Australia and America

LITHUANIA - IN A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

A Chronicle of historic and contemporary Lithuania and her relations to the world

OPINIONS

Have your say. Send to:
editor@VilNews.com

By Dr. Boris Vytautas Bakunas,
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:

- "50 years of Soviet rule has ruined an entire generation of Lithuanian.

- "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."

Could such stereotypical, emotionally-charged accusations be one of the main reasons why relations between Lithuania's diaspora groups and their countrymen back home have become strained?

* * *

Text: Saulene Valskyte

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.

New year predictions

* If during New Year eve it's snowing - then it will be bad weather all year round. If the day is fine - one can expect good harvest.
* 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.

* * *

VilNews
Christmas greetings
from Vilnius

* * *

Ukraine won the historic
and epic battle for the
future

By Leonidas Donskis

Kaunas
Philosopher, political theorist, historian of
ideas, social analyst, and political
commentator

Immediately after Russia stepped in Syria, we understood that it is time to sum up the convoluted and long story about Ukraine and the EU - a story of pride and prejudice which has a chance to become a story of a new vision regained after self-inflicted blindness.

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.

* * *

Watch this video if you
want to learn about the
new, scary propaganda
war between Russia,
The West and the
Baltic States!

* * *

90% of all Lithuanians
believe their government
is corrupt

Lithuania is perceived to be the country with the most widespread government corruption, according to an international survey involving almost 40 countries.

* * *

Lithuanian medical
students say no to
bribes for doctors

On International Anticorruption Day, the Special Investigation Service shifted their attention to medical institutions, where citizens encounter bribery most often. Doctors blame citizens for giving bribes while patients complain that, without bribes, they won't receive proper medical attention. Campaigners against corruption say that bribery would disappear if medical institutions themselves were to take resolute actions against corruption and made an effort to take care of their patients.

* * *

Doing business in Lithuania

By Grant Arthur Gochin

California - USA

Lithuania emerged from the yoke of the Soviet Union a mere 25 years ago. Since then, Lithuania has attempted to model upon other European nations, joining NATO, Schengen, and the EU. But, has the Soviet Union left Lithuania?

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.

* * *

Greetings from Wales!

By Anita Šovaitė-Woronycz
Chepstow, Wales

Think of a nation in northern Europe whose population is around the 3 million mark a land of song, of rivers, lakes, forests, rolling green hills, beautiful coastline a land where mushrooms grow ready for the picking, a land with a passion for preserving its ancient language and culture.

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.

MADE IN WALES -
ENGLISH VERSION OF THE
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
VYTAUTAS LANDSBERGIS.

* * *

IS IT POSSIBLE TO
COMMENT ON OUR
ARTICLES? :-)

Read Cassandra's article HERE

Read Rugile's article HERE

Did you know there is a comment field right after every article we publish? If you read the two above posts, you will see that they both have received many comments. Also YOU are welcome with your comments. To all our articles!

* * *

Greetings from Toronto

By Antanas Sileika,
Toronto, Canada

Toronto was a major postwar settlement centre for Lithuanian Displaced Persons, and to this day there are two Catholic parishes and one Lutheran one, as well as a Lithuanian House, retirement home, and nursing home. A new wave of immigrants has showed interest in sports.

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

* * *

As long as VilNews exists,
there is hope for the future

Professor Irena Veisaite, Chairwoman of our Honorary Council, 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.

* * *

EU-Russia:
Facing a new reality

By Vygaudas Ušackas

EU Ambassador to the Russian Federation

Dear readers of VilNews,

It's great to see this online resource for people interested in Baltic affairs. I congratulate the editors. From my position as EU Ambassador to Russia, allow me to share some observations.

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

By Mikhail Iossel

Professor of English at Concordia University, Canada
Founding Director at Summer Literary Seminars

The likelihood of Putin's invading Lithuania or fomenting a Donbass-style counterfeit pro-Russian uprising there, at this point, in my strong opinion, is no higher than that of his attacking Portugal, say, or Ecuador. Regardless of whether he might or might not, in principle, be interested in the insane idea of expanding Russia's geographic boundaries to those of the former USSR (and I for one do not believe that has ever been his goal), he knows this would be entirely unfeasible, both in near- and long-term historical perspective, for a variety of reasons. It is not going to happen. There will be no restoration of the Soviet Union as a geopolitical entity.

* * *

Are all Lithuanian energy
problems now resolved?

By Dr. Stasys Backaitis,

P.E., CSMP, SAE Fellow Member of Central and Eastern European Coalition, Washington, D.C., USA

Lithuania's Energy Timeline - from total dependence to independence

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?

By Eitvydas Bajarunas

Ambassador to Sweden

My answer to affirmative "yes". Yes, Lithuanian ties across the Baltic Sea become as never before solid in recent years. For me the biggest achievement of Lithuania in the Baltic Sea region during recent years is boosting Baltic and Nordic ties. And not because of mere accident - Nordic direction was Lithuania's strategic choice.

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.

* * *

It's the economy, stupid *

By Valdas (Val) Samonis,

PhD, CPC

n his article, Val Samonis takes a comparative policy look at the Lithuanian economy during the period 2000-2015. He argues that the LT policy response (a radical and classical austerity) was wrong and unenlightened because it coincided with strong and continuing deflationary forces in the EU and the global economy which forces were predictable, given the right policy guidance. Also, he makes a point that LT austerity, and the resulting sharp drop in GDP and employment in LT, stimulated emigration of young people (and the related worsening of other demographics) which processes took huge dimensions thereby undercutting even the future enlightened efforts to get out of the middle-income growth trap by LT. Consequently, the country is now on the trajectory (development path) similar to that of a dog that chases its own tail. A strong effort by new generation of policymakers is badly needed to jolt the country out of that wrong trajectory and to offer the chance of escaping the middle-income growth trap via innovations.

* * *

Have you heard about the
South African "Pencil Test"?

By Karina Simonson

If you are not South African, then, probably, you haven't. It is a test performed in South Africa during the apartheid regime and was used, together with the other ways, to determine racial identity, distinguishing whites from coloureds and blacks. That repressive test was very close to Nazi implemented ways to separate Jews from Aryans. Could you now imagine a Lithuanian mother, performing it on her own child?

But that is exactly what happened to me when I came back from South Africa. I will tell you how.

* * * Click HERE to read previous opinion letters >


Typical Karaim house in Trakai, 30 km from Vilnius city.	A senior Tatar Muslim cleric (akhund)