THE VOICE OF INTERNATIONAL LITHUANIA
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Opinions
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One of the many killed Lithuanian partisans, Juozas Luksa – "Skirmantas", "Daumantas", after his death on the 4th of September 1951.
Photo: KGB
The inconvenient truth is that you in the West preferred not to know
I learned that the hard way, from my grandparents & other family who closely worked with Skirmantas and other top Lithuanian freedom war leaders in the Seinai-Punskas (Sejny-Punsk), Poland, during their secret border crossing missions to the West (via Gdansk and Warsaw) and back to Lithuania in 1946-50. My family was put in hard-regime prisons for that, all the hard earned property confiscated, and I was born a communist slave, so to speak. While in high school I rebelled against the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, was arrested and thrown out of school, persecuted for a long time by communist secret services, and finally made my way to the West: Glory Be to God!
Yours sincerely,
Valdas Samonis,
Canada
P.S. My family was decorated with Lithuania's top freedom medals by President Adamkus. I was officially recognized by free Poland (IPN) as the freedom activist persecuted by the communist regime.
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But the spirit of Lithuania is still not free
Hi Aage,
I found your article interesting and would like to get more of them. After looking at those young faces, who lost their lives for the freedom of Lithuania, I realize that these days we have freedom, but the spirit of Lithuanian is still not free, rather haunted by the past challenging experiences. I believe that eventually we will become free and will start feeling worthy again.
Sincerely,
Aušra,
USA
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In my opinion it is a mistake to confuse resistance to occupation and the second world war
The Second World War in Europe was a war fought against fascism – in particular the German variant exemplified by Nazism – and including also Italian fascism. The Second World War in Europe ended with the surrender of Germany; a surrender to which Russia was the major contributor because Germany was largely defeated at Stalingrad and Kursk and was always in retreat afterwards.
The Resistance in Lithuania against Soviet occupation was a heroic effort by some Lithuanians to obtain freedom for their country. In my opinion it is a mistake to confuse resistance to occupation and the Second World War. After the end of the Second World War there have been many occupations of many countries by Capitalist and Communist powers and each side has tried to characterise any resistance to its forces as an act of the 'Other' side.
Resistance to Occupation has a very long and courageous history in Europe and throughout the world and no 'side' has a right to claim the heroic activities of resistance fighters/activists to support its ideology. Inevitably that requires misrepresentation of the motives and objectives of the resistance; part of the theme of the book "The Ugly American" about the then developing Vietnamese war. It is also the type of misrepresentation that leads to one 'side' claiming "We are all Georgians now".
This misrepresentation is a major cause of the inability of 'Western' countries to think in any clear way about the activities grouped under the label of 'terrorism' and it is better to avoid such ideologically driven commentary/analysis.
Kindest Regards
Robert Jennings,
Ireland-Lithuania
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The ‘war against fascism’ was a construct intended to make the Soviet Union look good
Mr. Robert Jennings's letter, in which he claims that the Second World War was a war against fascism and nothing else, obfuscates the truth rather than clarifies it.
No one declared war on fascism. If they had, Spain and Portugal would have between attacked. The United Sates and other powers declared war against the axis powers. The "war against fascism" was a construct intended to make the Soviet Union look good and to disguise its own crimes. How was the Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939 a war against fascism? What about the forced incorporation of the Baltic States into the Soviet Union well before any war with Germany? What about the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, which divided Eastern Europe between the Soviet Union and Germany? Would the Poles agree that the war was a war against fascism? Was the murder of the Polish officers at Katyn part of the war against fascism?
Neither Tony Judt nor Norman Davies, prominent historians of Europe, would agree that the conflict which only ended in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin wall was a "war against fascism."
Who benefits by such a formulation? Only the Soviets, whose crimes become excusable excesses of war. The independent Lithuanian government now considers the last anti-Soviet partisan commander, Jonas Zemaitis, to have been the Lithuanian head of state. It seems that L Beria considered him the same way because upon his capture in 1953, Zemaitis was transported to Moscow and interviewed by Beria who seemed to be seeking accommodation now that Stalin had died. However, both Zemaitis and Beria were executed that same year.
WW2 is remembered as a "good war", but this is a formulation that works only on the western side, where the allies came to help brave resisters such as the French underground. There were brave underground resisters in the East too, but no one ever came to help them. They fought until the dies, were captured, or gave up. Their story is just coming out now.
Antanas Sileika,
Canada
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Unfortunately you are giving some credit to the British intelligence
Thank you for the very moving story about the post WWII partisans. Unfortunately on page 6 you are giving some credit to the British intelligence, even though later on you mention Philby as having been responsible for the vicious death of thousands of the Baltic partisans. In fact the entire top levels of MI5 and MI6 since late 30's through early 70s were thoroughly penetrated by Britishers serving the soviet espionage services. Peter Wright in his book "the Spycatcher" identified Maclean, Burgess, Blake, Sinclair, Roger Hollis and numerous others who participated in setting up contacts with the partisans while assuring that the KGB was in full knowledge and control of their every movement and contact. Unfortunately, the doomed fighters sincerely believed for a long time that the British were on their side while being betrayed and delivered into the hands of the KGB.
In my view, it is also the British who have much to apologize to the thousands and thousands of victims for the vicious treachery in peace time of their MI5 and MI6 services.
Stan Backaitis
Washington, D.C. , USA
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1941 – 1953:
300 000 Lithuanians deported to Siberia
The above picture, of innocent children looking out through a cattle car window from a train that would take them to the coldest hell on Earth, has touched many…
Below some of the comments we have received to our articles describing how it was to be deported and trying to survive in the terribly tough and inhuman conditions that Siberia offered for the hundreds of thousands brought there by Josef Stalin’s merciless forces.
To read the articles, go to our SECTION 10
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Daniel Raymond Aleliunas
via LTnews.net
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Dalia Kuodyte.
"Virtually no one has been called to account for what was done. The West has chosen to forget these horrors. Nothing of these horrors is taught in their schools. There is no grand museum in Washington, D.C., dedicated to those whose lives were destroyed by the communists."
Dalia Kuodyte.
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I think no one can imagine the struggles all of the Gulag-prisoners saw in their lives
Lars Persen, Norway
This is such a strong story. I think no one can imagine the struggles all of the Gulag-prisoners saw in their lives. For Lithuanians, other nationalities, dissidents, this was the real life; to survive. Stalin's camps can only be describes as hell. But it is also the story of surviving hell, for some of them...
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JURGIS KAIRYS
One of the World's bravest aerobatic pilots
Inverted Under Bridge
As part of the Red Bull air race series, pilot Jurgis Kairys flies an aerobatic ...See More
__________________________
Boris Bakunas Many thanks to Rimgaudas Vidziunas for telling me about this incredible video of Jurgis Kairys flying inverted under the Kaunas Bridge!
Stephanie Samaitis Carnell Yep, he's amazing! I saw him perform the cobra-ribbon-cut at Gaul Airfield in Illinois.
Irene Simanavicius I was there when he flew under the bridge. thanks for posting..I forgot!
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Lithuanian Armed Forces
See video
Follow the debate at
VilNews Forum
Jon Platakis It appears that the Lithuanian fighting men have been imbued with the same valor as our knights of old.
Timotiejus Sevelis let it NEVER happen again!!! Poland in 1919-20, Bolsheviks in WW1!!! Stalin's goons in 1940 & 1944-1991. The German NAZIS!
Bartłomiej Kolubiński T. Sevelis@Surely, the historical conflict (1920+) over Vilnius between Poland and Lithuania should be broadly discussed on the good faith basis between our two nations – today’s allies and friends. Nevertheless, linking together in the same sentence: Poland with Nazis and Bolsheviks (having in mind millions of murdered victims of these two devil regimes) may potentially ruin any chance for such a mutual dialogue.
Linas Johansonas Bartłomiej Kolubiński: what is there to discuss regarding Poland's occupation of Vilnius?
Boris Bakunas I agree with Linas. The border question has been settled by the terms of membership in the European Union. Unless I'm mistaken, each EU member state is forbidden from challenging the existing borders.
Bartłomiej Kolubiński Just to clarify, what I have not definitely wanted to say is that there is a room for discussion regarding post 1989 borders. Writing about “discussion”, I suggested only the dialogue between historians of our two countries. Do you really feel that putting Marshal Pilsudski (Lithuanian, Polish historical icon) next to Hitler and Stalin is the right thing?
Linas Johansonas i do not believe that Pilsudski is considered a "Lithuanian icon"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3zef_Pi%C5%82sudski
Bartłomiej Kolubiński He was born in Lithuania. He is Polish icon.
Linas Johansonas My uncle was born in Prague. Doesn't make him a Czech.
Bartłomiej Kolubiński ok, please cross out the word "Lithuanian" from my post
Linas Johansonas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish%E2%80%93Lithuanian_War
Boris Bakunas @Bartlomiej. Thank you for clarifying your statement. I agree that it is extremely important for Lithuanian, Polish, and all other historians interested in Central European history to collaborate, share their expertise, and discuss historical issues in a way that seeks to contribute to greater knowledge and understanding. And that means trying to avoid as much as possible individual biases and to comprehend others' points of view.
Also, I was surprised to learn that anyone would compare Pilsudski to Hitler and Stalin. But when I thought about all the extremist and emotionally-disturbed ultra-nationalists in the world, I realized it's not surprising at all.
Both individual and national identity are matters of: a) legal definition and b) arbitrary personal definition.
For example, legally a person is Lithuanian if he or she is a citizen of Lithuania, like I am. However, a person still has the right to identify himself or herself as Lithuanian without Lithuanian citizenship. That's an accepted practice among people of many nationalities here in the United States.
Of course, that doesn't mean others are going to agree. But so what?
We can also (if we choose) create a hierarchy of national identities. For example, some people I know regard themselves as humans first, Christians second, Europeans third, and Lithuanians fourth.
I also know people with dual citizenship who maintain allegiance to two countries at the same time.
National identity can be interpreted in different ways by different people.
It's always a pleasure to be able to discuss something with a person who is tolerant, flexible, and non-dogmatic.
Best Wishes!
Timotiejus Sevelis This is what "nationalism" creates. Discord amongst people. I'm an American citizen, 3rd generation Lithuanian-American, or as I prefer, an American of Lithuanian descent. Are the "Tarars who came to the area in the 15th century who fought with the indigenious Lithuanians who fought alongside them against the teutonic knights any less "Lithuanian?"
Timotiejus Sevelis The Lipka Tatars (also known as Belarusian Tatars, Lithuanian Tatars, Polish Tatars, Lipkowie, Lipcani or Muślimi) are a group of Turkic-speaking Tatars who originally settled in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the beginning of 14th century. The first settlers tried to preserve their shamanistic religion and sought asylum amongst the non-Christian Lithuanians.[1] Towards the end of the 14th century, another wave of Tatars - this time, Muslims, were invited into the Grand Duchy by Vytautas the Great. These Tatars first settled in Lithuania proper around Vilnius, Trakai, Hrodna and Kaunas [1] and later spread to other parts of the Grand Duchy that later became part of Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. These areas comprise present-day Lithuania, Belarus and Poland. From the very beginning of their settlement in Lithuania they were known as the Lipka Tatars. While maintaining their religion, they united their fate with that of the mainly Christian Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. From the Battle of Grunwald onwards the Lipka Tatar light cavalry regiments participated in every significant military campaign of Lithuania and Poland.
The Lipka Tatar origins can be traced back to the descendant states of the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan - the White Horde, the Golden Horde, the Crimean Khanate and Kazan Khanate. They initially served as a noble military caste but later they became urban-dwellers known for their crafts, horses and gardening skills. Throughout centuries they resisted assimilation and kept their traditional lifestyle. While they remained very attached to their religions, over time however, they lost their original Tatar language and for the most part adopted Polish.[2] There are still small groups of Lipka Tatars living in today's Belarus, Lithuania and Poland, as well as their communities in United States.
Timotiejus Sevelis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipka_Tatars
http://www.kresy.co.uk/lith_tatars.html
Timotiejus Sevelis http://rt.com/news/lithuania-polish-minority-language/ All I say is leave people alone to live their lives in PEACE. Isn't that what freedom is all about. What do we need, more forced marchs? Get across the border where you belong! That's ludicrio...See More
Boris Bakunas @Timotiejus Sevelis. I agree with everything you have said on this post. Let me just add one point. In America, we not only live in peace with people from all over the world, but our country has thrived because of the contributions that immigrants a...See More
Bartłomiej Kolubiński
http://www.lublin.eu/Unia_Lubelska-1-672.html
Boris Bakunas @Bartlomiej Kolubinksi. I'm as sure as I can be that Linas was not making a comparison between Pilsudski and Hitler or Stalin. He was merely mentioning three occasions when Lithuania was occupied as perceived by most Lithuanians.
We have a tendency ...See More
Linas Johansonas for the record, i'm not the one that mentioned Pilsudksi in the same sentence with Hilter & Stalin on this thread.
Timotiejus Sevelis I always like to put names and faces to the people mentioned. Józef Klemens Piłsudski.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3zef_Pi%C5%82sudski
Timotiejus Sevelishttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Rossa-MATKA_I_SERCE_SYNA.jpg Grave of Piłsudski's mother in Vilnius, Lithuania. The huge black tombstone is inscribed: "Matka i serce syna"
("The mother and the heart of [her] son") and bears evocative lines from a poem by Słowacki.
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Jonas Mekas:
Greetings from the Serpentine Gallery in London
"I want to celebrate the small forms of cinema, the lyrical forms, the poem, the watercolour, etude, sketch, postcard, arabesque, bagatelle and little 8mm songs. I am standing in the middle of the information highway and laughing, because a butterfly on a little flower somewhere just fluttered its wings, and I know that the whole course of history will drastically change because of that flutter. A super-8 camera just made a little soft buzz somewhere, on New York's Lower East Side, and the world will never be the same"
- Jonas Mekas
Jonas Mekas greeting:
Read more...
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Above: ID photo of 22-year old Dalia Grybauskaitė
Has the President introduced censorship of Lithuanian press?
The programme was not shown on TV 3, but soon appeared on lrytas TV (see below). Not many days later Ruta Janutienė was fired from her television job, and many started asking if President Grybauskaite may be behind. We asked our readers, and have received many comments in our
VilNews Forumfollow the debate)
From lrytas TV:
http://tv.lrytas.lt/?id=13536769321352934173
VilNews Forum comments:
__________________________
Welcome to the new Smetona times!
Vyto Be For those that favor the 'history repeats itself' theory, I'd say we are approximately at 'Lithuania 1938' right now...
It is called 'Freedom of the Press'. Lithuania doesn't have it. But no one seems to mind. Welcome to the new Smetona times!
I agree that Janutienė can vary as a journalist. But if someone of her stature was fired like this in America, guaranteed, her show would run on a competitor's channel, and would receive 10X the attention now. Let's see if that happens in Lithuania...
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This appears to be a non-story
Rimas Pileika All the main Lithuanian media analysts came to the conclusion that TV3 banned Janutienė’s documentary due to pressure from Grybauskaitė or due to its fear of such pressure. During the rule of previous Lithuanian presidents, such censorship was unimaginable.
This appears to be a non-story. No one has proof of anything. Maybe the TV station was correct in its assessment? What does the version on the internet accuse her of?
__________________________
I don't understand why TV3 didn't air it
Linas Johansonas Rimas Pileika: the "accusations" are written about in the above posted article. Nothing significant, thus why I don't understand why TV3 didn't air it.
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People like Janutiene shouldn't have freedom to do what they want
Ingrid Baronaite Hammoud ...it's all to do with ethics..try to remember "Pedophile scandal" she's been very supporting Venckiene and permitting herself to behave as a judge, brainwashing people on TV with the "right" facts, actually, I would like her to see in the court forthat!...She was supposed to be objective and more intelligent instead of behaving as a woman with the menopause syndrome...once upon a time I adored her courage, but now I see she needs rehabilitation.. seriously..these people like Janutiene shouldn't have freedom to do what they want, because they are crazy enough to make a mess in a big way, without realizing the consequences..and disaster they cause..
..very soon Janutiene is gonna face court case, because of her unethical behave during "Pedophile scandal", her reputation is down the drain...she lost popularity - even her participation in dancing competition didn't help to attract people's attention ..
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Janutienė may not always behave appropriately, but she is the one who dares to speak the truth, who finally started investigative journalism in Lithuania
Viktorija Ruškulienė Vyto, Lithuanian people are more than ready for democracy, it's the government and ex-communist leadership, that is not ready to give up their power.
..unethical is the entire state ruling and controlling, Janutienė may not always behave appropriately, but she is the one who dares to speak the truth, who finally started investigative journalism in Lithuania.
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The Visaginas power station must be built!
By Mindaugas Gedgaudas
Newhall, California
Read this article from the recent issue of World Nuclear News.
The campaign to thwart the construction of a nuclear power plant in Lithuania was and continues to be orchestrated by Russia; Russia is, and has been throughout history, determined to absorb the Baltic Nations, particularly Lithuania into their imperium.
Today, Lithuania is nearly 100% dependent on Russia for sources of fuels to generate electricity; if a new nuclear power station is not built in Lithuania, all electricity will soon be coming from Russian plants, and then we will not only be totally dependent on Russia's whims, but will also be paying them - as we already do - to continue lulling us to eventually accept the imposition of their imperial dominance. What wars, terrorism, subjugation, murder, brainwashing, denial of human rights failed at, the simple matter of control of electric power just may lead to success. It is not for nothing that Russia demanded to remain as occupants of the Kaliningrad region and eventually annexed it; it is not goodwill towards the Baltic States that caused them to build a large power station next door to Lithuania; that was done with the clear intent of drawing Lithuania into their hegemony and so obliterating it as a sovereign people.
Nuclear power is the only method available to Lithuania to have a non-polluting, nearly inexhaustible and cheap source of electricity without dependence on the governments of the surrounding states. The Visaginas power station must be built and interference with its progress must be countered.
Mindaugas Gedgaudas
Newhall, California
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“Vilnius catches and changes
your soul”
(Daniil Granin, Russian writer)
Go to SECTION 23
TRAVEL LITHUANIA!
__________________________
Bernard Terway
Yes it does - I loved the time I was there, albeit too short.
__________________________
Rolf Hanssen
I lost my heart in Vilnius city
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Triple Helix 3:
The Scandinavian model.
This triple helix model is an attempt to account for a new configuration of institutional forces emerging within innovation systems (a stage the Nordic countries to a quite high degree have reached), and I believe this is a good model for joint cooperation and innovation between the Nordic and the Baltic States. Read more...
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Now everybody is suspicious of everybody
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Excellent, Aage!
Unfortunately, we still have those legacies when all the lines of institutional collaboration were parallel: from LT to Moscow. Anything more complex and/or multi-directional than that was viewed with strong suspicion by the KGB and with quite a good dose of justification. During the Soviet occupation, the Sovnarkhozy attempt at such reform by LT was also suspect. As a legacy of the occupation, now everybody is suspicious of everybody as such trans-institutional cooperation is just out of the Soviet LT genes:). The Sajudis failure to conduct the Czech style lustration to weed big Bolshevik traitors out of future power in free LT just conserved those bad legacies.
Valdas Samonis
Toronto
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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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