THE VOICE OF INTERNATIONAL LITHUANIA
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Front page
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VIC Meeting Wednesday 13 March at 18:00
Is the KGB still
walking among us?
Place: Vilnius Jewish Library, Gedimino 24-9
Speaker: MP Dr. Arvydas Anušauskas
The KGB – the intelligence service of the Soviet Union – was dismantled in October 1991. Ever since, each publication of a new document – lists of reservists or KGB agents, or testimonies on the activity of Soviet agents – by the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre in Lithuania provokes a flood of reactions: the centre’s website (www.genocid.lt) very quickly freezes up under the heavy traffic of visitors…
More information HERE!
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11 MARCH 1990
THE DAY LITHUANIA WOKE UP
FROM ITS 50 YEAR NIGHTMARE
Lithuanians rejoice over their newfound independence, 11 March 1990.
Here from Pilies Street in Vilnius Old Town.
By Aage Myhre, Editor in Chief
aage.myhre@VilNews.com
11 March 1990 is one of the most important days in Lithuanian history. It was on this day 23 years ago that the Lithuanian parliament declared renewed freedom and independence for Lithuania, after the country had been occupied by the Soviet Union since World War II. 124 Parliament delegates voted for the declaration, while six were absent.
In that same session, the Parliament elected Professor Vytautas Landsbergis, the leader of the liberation movement Sajūdis, as Parliament President. He won over the Communist Party leader Algirdas Brazauskas with a 91 to 38 vote.
11 March 1990 became a milestone in Lithuania's history because the Lithuanian politicians that day clearly demonstrated the country’s willingness to again become free and independent. Although it took another 18 months before the international community approved the nation’s independence from the Soviet occupying power, it was the 11 March actions that made it clear to the world that Lithuania no longer accepted to be incorporated into a system and a Commonwealth it had been involuntarily incorporated into when the World War II drew to an end.
11 March 1990 was in many ways the day when Lithuania’s new freedom began, and we must believe that this country now will remain free and sovereign forever, based on democratic principles and values corresponding to those having been developing in Western Europe after World War II ended in 1945.
I can very well imagine that many of the 1990 politicians signed the declaration act with trembling pens. They knew what power they challenged, and were fully aware of what reprisals they and the people they represented could expect from the big bear in the east. The Soviet Union was not a superpower to tease or irritate, and they knew that they would not be treated with kid gloves if the bear decided to strike back, reacting to the severance requirement they signed that day.
But they signed. They were brave. Without their signatures on the document shown below, it is quite possible that Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia still today would be unfree republics under the 'protective' bear paws.
Lithuania’s independence declarations of 1918 and 1990 were both signed by wise and courageous political leaders who did not want to accept that their beloved homeland should remain occupied.
They deserve our respect and gratitude!
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Vilnius Mayor and
his various roles
We have in recent days had a heated discussion in our VilNews Facebook Forum on whether Vilnius Municipality and the taxpayers should pay for the startup of a new national airline of Lithuania. The debate has subsequently also discussed Mayor Zuokas’ handling of this and other issues, including his dealings with a certain taxi company here in town. Below some of the comments from our VilNews Forum on Facebook:
About the taxpayers
Kostas Cerskus I feel sorry for the tax payers!
Daiva Repeckaite I'm thinking of re-registering in Kaunas to channel my taxes away from Vilnius.
About the planned new airline – AIR LITUANICA
Eythor Edvardsson I think everyone talking here understands the need of good transportation to and from Lithuania. I also believe that airline is a part of a countries identity. People here should not compare to airBaltic who wanted to swallow the world. That is not the case here. Just basic needs as I see it. For lack of flights to and from LT, business suffers but mostly tourism. Lithuania has many great things to offer to the rest of the world, both culture wise as well as business wise.
People forget to calculate why multiple affects great communication brings back to the country as well. I have no fear that this will be going fine.
Why Zokas? This was, if I remember one of his promises before elected, to get things done that the government has been talking about for years with absolutely no success. I have more believe in this in his leadership than in governmental lead. Look forward to see this happen!
Eythor Edvardsson People are coming and going and flight transportation is as necessary as a bridge over a river. You know how much effort I made in this field to see exactly this happen. Who does it is not the case. Just that it is being done.
It is still in my fresh memory when Vilnius was the culture Capital of Europe 2009. What a great opportunity to show the rest of the world the richness in the country’s history and culture. Then, FLYLAL collapsed for all the wrong reasons. And thousands of people who planned to visit the city had no opportunity to do so. All the millions of litas, time and effort of people for years to prepare this cultural year went down the drain. Participation in between 20-30 travel exhibitions around the world were done for nothing. Because? No airline communications. Truly very sad. A great opportunity lost. Driving force in the preparation was the city of Vilnius with Zuokas in the lead. I believe this was hard for him and his people to see and experience. Again, I am happy for LT if this idea gets real wings
Aage Myhre I totally agree with you Eythor Edvardsson. To see a well-founded Lithuanian airline would be nothing but awesome. The question is whether Mayor Zuokas' initiative is a real thing, or if this is just hot air, or maybe something totally different is behind it all?
Sergey Kanovich Every businessman will tell you that the worst business to start is when it is created not out of market needs but out from artificially created interests - someone already mentioned "business" motive - national pride. Which is not a commodity I guess. This market is tough. And all complaining how "bad" is the transport to VNO is not really fair with this statement - you have every major European airline flying in and out. And RyanAir with Wizz Air taking the rest. It is inventing the bicycle. And a nice PR to someone who never had invested a personal penny from his own pocket to all failed projects he had ever initiated before. With what has been published so far this is born to be a failure. I feel really sorry for the taxpayers
Eythor Edvardsson We all know that Zuokas comes with ideas. Some of them materialise, some not. I do hope this one does. Whether there is something ''behind'' this, I cannot see what at this moment. If so, then that will float up one day.
William Adan Pahl A good half the major cities in the USA are in a battle against corruption. Certainly the number is higher worldwide. Las Vegas is a testament to this historically. Before I read up on it will jump on the pro side of this argument in favor of the airline.
Aage Myhre I totally agree with those of you who think that Lithuania should have its own airline, although I personally believe a professional pan-Baltic company, without interference or ownership from the three governments, would be better. Let me give you the example of Norwegian Air Shuttle, which was started by an entrepreneur and a group of investors exactly 10 years ago. Zero governmental participation! Today, this airline is about to become Scandinavia's largest, number 9 in Europe, and in stark contrast to state-owned Scandinavian Airlines having good profits year after year!
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Air_Shuttle
Mayor Zuokas is no Mother Theresa
Sergey Kanovich any "national" mega idea fix is used to drain monies out of the budget (minus 1 billion Lt). That is why I am bit surprised that the driver without a car is paid merely 30,000LT month to make himself busy with trying to prove to 0'Leary that he is completely stupid and is unaware of hidden market possibilities of LT market... The ideas have a price for which he never paid. The price of bad ideas is always higher than the price of good one
Eythor Edvardsson Who the MD is I do not know. But for the right person in this case, 8500 EUR monthly salary would not be a crime.
Sergey Kanovich, when you talk hidden market possibilities, is it something you would like to share with us?
Sergey Kanovich Not a crime??? From a municipal budget with MINUS 1 billion LT that kind of salary is paid to a general without the army? This salary is an overkill in LT by all means. It is immoral to start with. Now, imagine that Reykjavik municipality instead of bringing roads to normal, renovating schools and hospitals etc, etc. having a budget deficit of that scale goes out and tells its citizens - you know what, we will fly you. You will be proud and you will pay for your pride. The rest priorities will wait. I wonder how long Reykjavik's or any other cities mayor would last after such statement. It is a scam. By hidden market possibilities I meant that there are none, because business is driven by market needs. There is no need in this airline. It will not be able to compete. I am sorry, it sounds like a decision to build a copy of Egyptian pyramids which will steal stupid tourist from Egypt.
Daiva Repeckaite A year ago or so, Zuokas promised to pick two homeless men in a shelter and lift them out of poverty. We've never heard of the men again (oops). Otherwise he has a very clear direction - further discriminate and ghettoize the city's poor and create a glossy city for the rich. You might say it is not a crime to prioritize the rich. But public sector redistribution is not necessary for this. The rich can take care of themselves. The purpose of public sector is to have roads, schools and decent living standards available for all.
Eythor Edvardsson Well, we all know Zuokas is no Mother Teresa and never will be.
Daiva Repeckaite Public services are not a charity! It's a government's duty. In 2009, the Conservative-led municipal gov't commissioned a study to find a solution for the Roma housing problem. They considered distributing vans, which would have better sanitary conditions than currently available. After the elections, the Zuokas-led municipal gov't seems to have ditched the study, and Zuokas personally supervised demolitions of the housing that the Roma currently use, in attempts to 'clean' the land before investors are expected to flock there following IKEA's arrival. The airport, btw, is also in the same territory. Not a single public kindergarten was established to meet the ever-growing demand and manage oversubscription. The municipality's lack of interest in urban planning left real estate developers building crammed neighborhoods without schools, parks or even sidewalks (we will see the effect of this in 5-7 years). So, do your basic duties before developing 'ideas'.
Eythor Edvardsson to Daiva Repeckaite: If this ''slice'' is for me, I am not here to stand up for Zuokas in his work. That he can do himself. Again; if for me, you are twisting my words. I come from a country of a strong welfare and I know the meaning if it for a healthy society.
Urban planning and planning in general has always been a mystery to me in Vilnius. It has lead to a chaotic urban areas and I totally agree, will cause problems in future. This city is not growing in a healthy way planning wise.
AIPORT TAXIES
Ulf Hallan Let me add on another perspective. Zuokas has so far started a new taxi company in Vilnius an now wants into the airline competition. What happens to those who actually make their living from this business when they get competition from state or city money? What may we expect next? Vilnius Municipality retail chain? Beauty saloons? Vilnius City Bank?
Daiva Repeckaite Regulations for taxi drivers became much stricter simultaneously. It's true, not all taxi businesses are transparent, but individual drivers barely make a living unless they work a crazy number of hours. When Zuokas taxi was introduced, more meticulous reporting and taxation rules fell on the heads of private businesses. Zuokas may be no Mother Theresa, but he'd better not be Kim Jong-il either.
Eythor Edvardsson No one argues about priorities even though I do want to see a national airline carrier. I will admit that things I am reading here do not look nice at all. This taxi business is at top of my head now because I just arrived back to Vilnius.
I called a taxi from the plane as I was used to do. When the taxi came he drove in circles until he managed to ''steal'' an opportunity for us to jump into the taxi at a dark spot by the airport terminal. So now it is a crime not to take the taxis that are waiting outside the terminal?
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Spring in Vilnius!
It is 8th of March, the International Women’s Day and the beginning of spring in Lithuania. Still snow and ice many places, but the melting process is now obvious. Spring is here!
Photos: Aage Myhre
Two young representatives of the world’s women,
in Vokiečių g. in the heart of Vilnius Old Town.
It's starting to turn green on the slopes around Gediminas' Tower.
The danger of avalanches from the old town roofs is now over.
Here a rooftop views of St. Catherine's Church and the
Europa Tower on the other side of River Neris.
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Is Lithuania’s national bird getting lazy?
Many storks no longer
bother flying to Africa
Lithuania has the highest density of white storks in the world,
considered the country’s national bird.
Photo: T. Marčiukaitis www.lietuva.lt
A new project will try to identify why the stork has changed migratory pattern. This writes Science Daily. The investigation has been launched by the University of East Anglia. Since the mid-1980s, a steadily increasing number of storks dropped their annual migration from northern Europe to their winter quarters in Africa.
Instead, both Portugal and Spain are now the final winter destinations for many storks, which feed on large open garbage dumps instead of crossing Sahara as they previously did.
The project will follow 15 adult storks in a year using GPS transmitters. The goal is to examine why they have changed their migratory behavior. GPS transmitters will reveal where storks forage for food and what movements they make between feeding areas.
Before 1995 there were only about 1000 wintering storks in Portugal whereas in 2008 there were over 10,000 wintering storks and the number continues to grow.
It is believed that a combination of climate change and the many open dumps that exist both in Portugal and Spain are among the factors why storks have dropped the long winter trip to Africa.
25 March is Lithuanian Stork Day! See: https://vilnews.com/?p=12622
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KAZIUKO MUGĖ 2013
The wood carver
and the fish woman
Photos: Aage Myhre
I met them at Kaziuko Mugė now this Sunday morning ... The wood carver and the woman who was there to fry fish for the thousands of visitors on the last day of this year's event ... The best outdoor market in the world, and a proud Lithuanian tradition for more than 400 years!
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 By Vin Karnila |
See my slide show: KAZIUKO MUGĖ 2013 from Vilnius, Lithuania CLICK: http://youtu.be/pamXdIGDm2A |
Every year in every town throughout Lithuania, March starts off with the Kaziukas Fair, a ritual that marks the coming of spring, dedicated to St. Casimir, the patron saint of Lithuania. The festival originated in the 17th century, and by the 19th century it had developed into the fair and festival that is now known internationally.
During more ancient times many pilgrims came to Vilnius from various places for the celebration of St. Casimir's Day on the 4th of March which was the day of his passing. After services in the cathedral, the people lingered for a while. And it was this that gave rise to the Kaziukas Fair. Thousands of sellers, buyers and visitors came to these fairs which were held outdoors as they still are today.
I hope you enjoy the slide show of this year’s Kaziuko Mugė I put together for VilNews.com E-Magazine
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It’s again time for
KAZIUKO MUGĖ!
Friday 1 – Sunday 3 March
The world’s best outdoor market
– since the early 1700s!
Text and photos: Aage Myhre, Editor-in-Chief
aage.myhre@VilNews.com
It is so genuine that you can hardly believe it without seeing it with your own eyes. Lithuania's Kaziukas Fair (KAZIUKO MUGE) is like an undiscovered, undisrupted island in the huge ocean of 'plastic commercialism' that unfortunately characterizes so much of our today's fairs, markets and festivals.
Where else in the world can you find an outdoor market and festival that has been going on continuously through 300 years? What other nowadays' market is a declared plastic-free zone? Where else can you find a single market in which an entire nation's population still participates with enormous enthusiasm? In what other country can one experience what thousands of individuals from the countryside and the cities spend so much of their time through a whole year to produce of genuine artefacts - knitted, crocheted, sewed, carpentry - forged by a people who truly treasure their traditions in handicrafts and folk art?
Every single year in every town throughout Lithuania, March starts off with the Kaziukas Fair, a ritual that marks the coming of spring, dedicated to St. Casimir, the patron saint of Lithuania. The festival originated in the 17th century, and by the 19th century it had developed into the fair and festival that is now known internationally.
This year's fair takes place Friday 1nd – Sunday 3th of March and will be celebrated throughout the country, as well as in many Lithuanian strongholds around the world, for the complete weekend.
But the most genuine ones are of course to find in the very homeland, so please do not wait to check with your travel agent, maybe there still are available tickets!
Let’s meet for a mug of local beer and a fresh smoked snack from rural Lithuania!
The Kaziukas Fair is a declared plastic free zone.
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SAINT CASIMIR
1458 – 1484
The young prince, Casimir
died at the age of 25 on the 4th of March 1484.
St. Casimir, Lithuania's only Saint, is celebrated on the 4th of March (his death day). This celebration is the origin of the nation's annual Kaziukas Fair.
After his death, St. Casimir was so cherished by Lithuanians that stories of his life and miracles quickly went beyond the church walls and spread through the population and became tales and legends, hence no wonder that he has been so much remembered and celebrated, since the 17th Century primarily through the Kaziukas Fair.
St. Casimir was a true Lithuanian by birth, descending from the famous and respected Gediminaitis clan. The Lithuanian grand dukes Kestutis, Algirdas, Vytautas the Great and others belonged to this family. St. Casimir's father was Kazimieras Jogailaitis who ruled Lithuania (later along with Poland) from 1447.
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Some pictures from Kaziuko Mugė 2012
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16 February 1918:
INDEPENDENCE!
The original 20 members of the Council of Lithuania
after signing the Act of February 16, 1918
RESOLUTION
The Council of Lithuania in its session of February 16, 1918 decided unanimously to address the governments of Russia, Germany, and other states with the following declaration:
The Council of Lithuania, as the sole representative of the Lithuanian nation, based on the recognized right to national self-determination, and on the Vilnius Conference's resolution of September 18–23, 1917, proclaims the restoration of the independent state of Lithuania, founded on democratic principles, with Vilnius as its capital, and declares the termination of all state ties which formerly bound this State to other nations. The Council of Lithuania also declares that the foundation of the Lithuanian State and its relations with other countries will be finally determined by the Constituent Assembly, to be convoked as soon as possible, elected democratically by all its inhabitants.
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Jonas Basanavičius
The patriarch of
Lithuania
Jonas Basanavičius (23 November 1851 – 16 February 1927) was an activist and proponent of Lithuania's National Revival and founder of the first Lithuanian language newspaper Aušra. He was a signatory of the Act of Independence of Lithuania on 16 February 1918 Basanavičius is often given the unique informal honorific title of the "Patriarch of the Nation" for his contributions and help in re-establishing the Lithuanian state.
“A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle.”
- George William Curtis
It is 16 February 2013. It is today exactly 95 years since a group of brave men wrote the Lithuanian declaration of independence after the country had been under Tsarist Russia's iron heel through more than 100 years. These men represented a generation that certainly felt an overwhelming sense of pride at the dawn of renewed independence. The Act of February 16 was signed by all 20 representatives of the Council of Lithuania, proclaiming the restoration of an independent State of Lithuania, governed by democratic principles. The meeting and signing procedures were chaired by Jonas Basanavičius, the man often given the unique informal honorific title of the "Patriarch of the Nation" for his contributions and help in re-establishing the Lithuanian state.
What these men presented from the balcony of a house in Pilies street here in Vilnius Old Town was not much more than a piece of paper. But it was a paper that symbolized a nation willing to throw off the yoke.
A nation that had won back its self respect and dignity in spite of the injustice and oppression that had been going on since the Russian occupation started in 1795.
We salute these men for their courage and foresight. We salute them because they, in faith, hope and dignity clearly showed that Lithuania wanted to live up to its proud history as a nation of greatness.
Great nations are founded on self-belief!
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‘Lincoln’s’ grandfather
was a Lithuanian Jew
Daniel Day-Lewis has received widespread critical acclaim for his
performance in the movie Lincoln.
VilNews has previously written that Hollywood largely was created by Litvaks, the Lithuanian Jews who have had so endlessly huge influence on world culture, science, business and politics.
Go to our VilNews Section 12 for case examples.
Now it turns out that the star of this year's major film, Lincoln, also has Lithuanian ancestry. And not only that; his Lithuanian grandfather, Michael Balcon, had enormous influence on the British film industry in its startup phase in the early 20th century.
His mother, Jill Balcon, was a leading English film and radio actress.
 Sir Michael Balcon (1896 – 1977) grandfather. |
 Jill Balcon (1925 – 2009) mother. |
About Sir Michael Balcon
Michael Balcon is considered one of the most important figures in British Cinema. It was his vision that brought international prestige to Gainsborough in the 20s and 30s. and he was a vigorous spokesman for the industry for most of his career.
Michael Balcon's career began in Birmingham in 1920, where, with Victor Saville he was a film distributor. Within two years they had begun producing feature films in London - Woman to Woman 1923 was the first. He formed Gainsborough Studios the following year. He visited the Ufa studios in Berlin in 1924 and began a co-production association with The Blackguard that was to last 10 years. German technical staff populated Gainsborough films through the 20s and early 30s giving them a slick, sophisticated veneer to match any film produced in Hollywood, Balcon was aiming for a product of international interest unlike many other British studios in the silent and early talkie era.
Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Balcon
About the movie “Lincoln”
Lincoln is a 2012 American historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as United States President Abraham Lincoln and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln. The film is based in part on Doris Kearns Goodwin's biography of Lincoln, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, and covers the final four months of Lincoln's life, focusing on the President's efforts in January 1865 to have the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution passed by the United States House of Representatives. Lincoln premiered on October 8, 2012, at the New York Film Festival, and has since received widespread critical acclaim, with major praise directed to Day-Lewis' performance. In December 2012, the film was nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards including Best Picture (Drama), Best Director for Spielberg and winning Best Actor (Drama) for Day-Lewis. The film has been nominated for twelve Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Spielberg and Best Actor for Day-Lewis.
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Clara Nathanson
I have a collection of works by Clara Nathanson. I was wondering if you could include them in your web site. Photographed by Brennan O'Brien.
Clara (Nathanson) Sachar was born 1/1/1887 in Lituva, Lithuania, and died 1/23/1968 in St. Louis, MO. She married Charles R. Sachar on 8/18/1914 in St. Louis ...
Patrick Weil Bertrand
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Why this perpetual
return to Lithuania?
Novelist Antanas Sileika on the Traku - Pylimo street corner
in Vilnius – with his book Underground.
Photo Aage Myhre
Standing on the corner
of Traku and Pylimo
A writer muses about the foreign sources for
his work and what it means to be a Canadian
By Antanas Sileika, novelist
For the fourth year in a row I’m standing at the crossroads of Pylimo and Traku Streets in Vilnius, Lithuania, worrying the place, trying to sift the stories that lie like dust between the cobblestones. I’m slightly sick of this baroque, labyrinthine city - the strangulated cries of the swallows at dusk make me think of the dead souls of forgotten citizens.
Nobody who lives in Vilnius now had great grandparents who lived here - most of the old inhabitants were killed during the war or shipped out after it. Vilnius is old, but the people who inhabit it are relatively new to this city.
They came here after the war, around the time I was born to immigrant parents in Toronto. Although I’ve spent my whole life in Canada, my clan, my people are new to it, and I’m not entirely comfortable in the country of my birth. I keep coming back to this melancholy city of Vilnius, mulling over the past and trying to determine the geography of my belonging.
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A poem about the
witches among us
Lent is imminent, and writer KR Slade wants to remind us of what it
represented in pagan Lithuania. In his poem "My Dream of When the
Witch is Found ..." he deals with today's witches and devils in Lithuania,
the many who are still engaging in anti-Semitism and racism.
By KR Slade
This year, Lent begins on 13 February (i.e., Ash Wednesday). Therefore, 12 February is ‘Shrove Tuesday’:which in Lithuania is called ‘Užgavėnės’ (i.e., “time before lent”) … that is an ancient pagan-festival -- “to chase away winter” -- and: celebrated by fire, and the wearing of masks -- notably representing witches and devils.
Such ancient witches/devils mask-representations, and their symbolism: are more-recently found in the first-half of the 20th century (i.e., in anti-Semitic Nazi, fascist, Soviet, et als. propaganda). Indeed, some people consider such past and current representation(s) to be anti-Semitic.
Moreover, I have found in Lithuania a degree of anti-Semitism that I did not find in the USA LT community; indeed, I find such anti-Semitism here in LT in my own family (here), and with my LT friends, colleagues and associates . . . I find the devil/witch concept still with us, in LT . . .
That is why I wrote this poem; “My dream of when the witch is found.”
Click HERE to read the poem…
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OPINIONS
Have your say. Send to:
editor@VilNews.com
Ph. D., Chicago
A wave of unity sweeps the international Lithuanian community on March 11th every year as Lithuanians celebrated the anniversary of the Lithuanian Parliament's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. However, the sense of national unity engendered by the celebration could be short-lived.
Human beings have a strong tendency to overgeneralize and succumb to stereotypical us-them distinctions that can shatter even the strongest bonds. We need only search the internet to find examples of divisive thinking at work:
- "Those who fled Lithuania during World II were cowards -- and now they come back, flaunt their wealth, and tell us 'true Lithuanians' how to live."
- "Lithuanians who work abroad have abandoned their homeland and should be deprived of their Lithuanian citizenship."
In Lithuania Christmas Eve is a family event and the New Year's Eve a great party with friends!
Lithuanian say "Kaip sutiksi naujus metus, taip juos ir praleisi" (the way you'll meet the new year is the way you will spend it). So everyone is trying to spend New Year's Eve with friend and have as much fun as possible.
Lithuanian New Year's traditions are very similar to those in other countries, and actually were similar since many years ago. Also, the traditional Lithuanian New Years Eve party was very similar to other big celebrations throughout the year.
The New Year's Eve table is quite similar to the Christmas Eve table, but without straws under the tablecloth, and now including meat dishes. A tradition that definitely hasn't changes is that everybody is trying not to fell asleep before midnight. It was said that if you oversleep the midnight point you will be lazy all the upcoming year. People were also trying to get up early on the first day of the new year, because waking up late also meant a very lazy and unfortunate year.
During the New Year celebration people were dancing, singing, playing games and doing magic to guess the future. People didn't drink much of alcohol, especially was that the case for women.
Here are some advices from elders:
- During the New Year, be very nice and listen to relatives - what you are during New Year Eve, you will be throughout the year.
- During to the New Year Eve, try not to fall, because if this happens, next year you will be unhappy.
- If in the start of the New Year, the first news are good - then the year will be successful. If not - the year will be problematic.
* If New Year's night is cold and starry - look forward to a good summer!
* If the during New Year Eve trees are covered with frost - then it will be a good year. If it is wet weather on New Year's Eve, one can expect a year where many will die and dangerous epidemics occur.
* If the first day of the new year is snowy - the upcoming year will see many young people die. If the night is snowy - mostly old people will die.
* If the New Year time is cold - then Easter will be warm.
* If during New Year there are a lot of birds in your homestead - then all year around there will be many guests and the year will be fun.
Christmas greetings
from Vilnius
and epic battle for the
future
Philosopher, political theorist, historian of
ideas, social analyst, and political
commentator
Ukraine was and continues to be perceived by the EU political class as a sort of grey zone with its immense potential and possibilities for the future, yet deeply embedded and trapped in No Man's Land with all of its troubled past, post-Soviet traumas, ambiguities, insecurities, corruption, social divisions, and despair. Why worry for what has yet to emerge as a new actor of world history in terms of nation-building, European identity, and deeper commitments to transparency and free market economy?
Right? Wrong. No matter how troubled Ukraine's economic and political reality could be, the country has already passed the point of no return. Even if Vladimir Putin retains his leverage of power to blackmail Ukraine and the West in terms of Ukraine's zero chances to accede to NATO due to the problems of territorial integrity, occupation and annexation of Crimea, and mayhem or a frozen conflict in the Donbas region, Ukraine will never return to Russia's zone of influence. It could be deprived of the chances to join NATO or the EU in the coming years or decades, yet there are no forces on earth to make present Ukraine part of the Eurasia project fostered by Putin.
want to learn about the
new, scary propaganda
war between Russia,
The West and the
Baltic States!
believe their government
is corrupt
students say no to
bribes for doctors
During Soviet times, government was administered for the people in control, not for the local population, court decisions were decreed, they were not the administration of justice, and academia was the domain of ideologues. 25 years of freedom and openness should have put those bad experiences behind Lithuania, but that is not so.
Today, it is a matter of expectation that court pronouncements will be governed by ideological dictates. Few, if any Lithuanians expect real justice to be effected. For foreign companies, doing business in Lithuania is almost impossible in a situation where business people do not expect rule of law, so, surely Government would be a refuge of competence?
Lithuanian Government has not emerged from Soviet styles. In an attempt to devolve power, Lithuania has created a myriad of fiefdoms of power, each speaking in the name of the Government, each its own centralized power base of ideology.
Chepstow, Wales
Doesn't that sound suspiciously like Lithuania? Ah, but I didn't mention the mountains of Snowdonia, which would give the game away.
I'm talking about Wales, that part of the UK which Lithuanians used to call "Valija", but later named "Velsas" (why?). Wales, the nation which has welcomed two Lithuanian heads of state to its shores - firstly Professor Vytautas Landsbergis, who has paid several visits and, more recently, President Dalia Grybauskaitė who attended the 2014 NATO summit which was held in Newport, South Wales.
ENGLISH VERSION OF THE
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF VYTAUTAS LANDSBERGIS.
Although Lithuanian activities have thinned over the decades as that postwar generation died out, the Lithuanian Martyrs' parish hall is crowded with many, many hundreds of visitors who come to the Lithuanian cemetery for All Souls' Day. Similarly, the Franciscan parish has standing room only for Christmas Eve mass.
Although I am firmly embedded in the literary culture of Canada, my themes are usually Lithuanian, and I'll be in Kaunas and Vilnius in mid-November 2015 to give talks about the Lithuanian translations of my novels and short stories, which I write in English.
If you have the Lithuanian language, come by to one of the talks listed in the links below. And if you don't, you can read more about my work at
www.anatanassileika.com
http://www.vdu.lt/lt/rasytojas-antanas-sileika-pristatys-savo-kuryba/ https://leu.lt/lt/lf/lf_naujienos/kvieciame-i-rasytojo-59hc.html
"My love and best wishes to all. As long as VilNews exists, there is hope for the future,"" she writes.
Irena Veisaite means very much for our publication, and we do hereby thank her for the support and wise commitment she always shows.
You can read our interview with her
Facing a new reality
Dear readers of VilNews,
For a number of years, the EU and Russia had assumed the existence of a strategic partnership, based on the convergence of values, economic integration and increasingly open markets and a modernisation agenda for society.
Our agenda was positive and ambitious. We looked at Russia as a country ready to converge with "European values", a country likely to embrace both the basic principles of democratic government and a liberal concept of the world order. It was believed this would bring our relations to a new level, covering the whole spectrum of the EU's strategic relationship with Russia.
The likelihood of Putin
invading Lithuania
.jpg "lithuania today")
Founding Director at Summer Literary Seminars
Are all Lithuanian energy
problems now resolved?
Lithuania as a country does not have significant energy resources. Energy consuming infrastructure after WWII was small and totally supported by energy imports from Russia.
First nuclear reactor begins power generation at Ignalina in 1983, the second reactor in 1987. Iganlina generates enough electricity to cover Lithuania's needs and about 50%.for export. As, prerequisite for membership in EU, Ignalina ceases all nuclear power generation in 2009
The Klaipėda Sea terminal begins Russia's oil export operations in 1959 and imports in 1994.
Mazeikiu Nafta (current ORLEAN Lietuva) begins operation of oil refinery in 1980.
Have Lithuanian ties across
the Baltic Sea become
stronger in recent years?
The two decades that have passed since regaining Lithuania's independence can be described as a "building boom". From the wreckage of a captive Soviet republic, a generation of Lithuanians have built a modern European state, and are now helping construct a Nordic-Baltic community replete with institutions intended to promote political coordination and foster a trans-Baltic regional identity. Indeed, a "Nordic-Baltic community" - I will explain later in my text the meaning of this catch-phrase.
Since the restoration of Lithuania's independence 25 years ago, we have continuously felt a strong support from Nordic countries. Nordics in particular were among the countries supporting Lithuania's and Baltic States' striving towards independence. Take example of Iceland, country which recognized Lithuania in February of 1991, well in advance of other countries. Yet another example - Swedish Ambassador was the first ambassador accredited to Lithuania in 1991. The other countries followed suit. When we restored our statehood, Nordic Countries became champions in promoting Baltic integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. To large degree thanks Nordic Countries, massive transformations occurred in Lithuania since then, Lithuania became fully-fledged member of the EU and NATO, and we joined the Eurozone on 1 January 2015.
Have you heard about the
South African "Pencil Test"?
But that is exactly what happened to me when I came back from South Africa. I will tell you how.
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