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THE VOICE OF INTERNATIONAL LITHUANIA
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The community of Kaunas mosque provided an opportunity for anyone interested to go inside the unique Tatar mosque of Kaunas, to see a Muslim prayer, look around and enjoy food from various countries and cultures. The mosque has become an important contact point for old and new Muslim communities, the latter consisting of foreign students, workers, spouses of Lithuanians, expats and local converts. The 3000-strong Tatar community has been around for centuries and is can help their sisters and brothers in faith with accessing Lithuanian institutions, networking and, most importantly, feeling at home in this relatively homogeneous European society. Other functioning mosques are in distant small towns. Vilnius doesn′t have a mosque, and the current mayor, Remigijus Šimašius (liberal) made it clear that he will not do anything in his power to help establish one, even though, when Syrian and Iraqi refugees are resettled according to the EU scheme next year, the Muslim community in Vilnius will grow. There is not a single Shia mosque (most Shia Muslims are apparently from Azerbaijan), but Shia believers can attend Sunni services.…
By Aage Myhre
When thinking about fashion centers, one generally thinks about Milan, Paris, London or New York and not about Vilnius or Lithuania. However Vilnius is home to many innovative designers. It is also the manufacturing hub for several European brands. For many, Vilnius is attractive due to the combination of European quality and lower costs compared to many other European countries. To find out more, I had a chat with American Gene Emmer, living in Vilnius since 2008, owner of the company that makes the Kajamaz adult footed pajamas.
African living in
In an effort to build a closer relationship with the locals, Lithuania’s African community appealed recently to the Vilnius municipality,
“We are planning outreach centers where young people could play pool, socialize and do many other activities together which would not cost a lot of money. Also, we would have a place to invite students because currently we ourselves are visiting Lithuanian schools – we do not have the locations where to develop these positive
READ FULL ARTICLE IN “THE LITHUANIA TRIBUNE”
Lifestyle of an American-
Finnish-Lithuanian family
LITHUANIAN-AMERICAN ATTORNEY MARIUS JAKULIS JASON
WITH HIS WIFE LIISA LEITZINGER FROM FINLAND
By Liisa Leitzinger
Our family has lives in Finland, US and Lithuania. All these countries are different, Finland organized and safe, USA multicultural and full of opportunities and Lithuania full of charm and change. The best quality for the money in life is in Lithuania, but also in mental level, Lithuania is still the country where individuals can make a change, individual matters and has a voice. Benefits of a small country.
I came to Lithuania from Finland 20 years ago. Raising three boys, freelance work as a Vilnius city guide for Finnish tourists and keeping an eye on little guest house Mano Liza kept me busy at the beginning, later I got Bachelor’s Degree in history from Vilnius University and was a co-founder of Vilnius International School. Little shop Dancemakers for dance clothing and shoes together with my brother was another niche I found in Lithuanian market. As kids got older and businesses established, I got a bit homesick of Finland and started spending time more there studying for Master’s Degree in Helsinki University. I never get tired of comparing my efficient Scandinavian home to my often bohemian adopted country.…
More and more young
It has in recent years been focused a lot on young people who emigrate from Lithuania. But the fact is that now there are many young people who travel here to study and work. A dynamic, vibrant environment of young people from many countries is already in full swing, and increasing numbers of youngsters are finding that Lithuania again is about to become the exciting melting pot this country was for centuries.
Foreign youngsters in Vilnius now also have their own Facebook
During a trip to Lithuania a few years ago, Boris went to the North Lithuanian city of Siauliai to see his grandmother’s sister before she died. At 97 she was the oldest surviving member of his family.
By Boris Vytautas Bakunas
I want to tell you a true story. During a trip to Lithuania a few years ago, I drove to the city of Siauliai to see my grandmother’s sister before she died. At 97 she was the oldest surviving member of my family.
My reason for visiting her was not only selfish, but it was based on an illusion. By meeting her, I believed that I could reconnect in some mysterious way with my grandmother whom I had loved very much. My motive was selfish because I visited the old woman so I could feel good. I did it for me, not for her.
I didn’t really expect any reaction greater than customary courtesy and perhaps even mild interest. Was I surprised!
When I entered the small cottage where she lived with her daughter and her son-in-law, I saw a table decked with delicacies, juice, brandy, and beer. A bright red candle had been lit in my honor. The room was so small that we had to huddle closely together around the table. My great aunt and my cousin sat beside me.
PENNSYLVANIA-LITHUANIA Read below her story about Kaunas. |
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![]() Son of a Lithuanian coal miner from Pennsylvania |
By: Carol A. Luschas, Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Lithuania is a remarkable country with a fascinating history! It is located in the geographical center of Europe. One can discover buildings from the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Art Nouveau periods. There are unique museums, enchanting castles, specialty shops, quality restaurants, and affordable accommodations. The Lithuanian landscape is dotted with picturesque lakes, small rolling hills, and thick lush forests.
I decided to embark on a trip to Lithuania to visit my boyfriend, Mindaugas, and his mother, Irena. I spent the majority of my time in Kaunas, the second largest city in Lithuania…
VilNews has earlier written about the extraordinary Italian – Lithuanian relationship since 1323, mentioning that Vilnius over centuries was known as ‘The world’s most Italian city outside Italy’ and ‘Europe’s most Baroque city north of the Alps’. Today we tell a contemporary Italian-Lithuanian story, penned by Erica (30) from Bologna in northern Italy. You can also find her story in Italian, at her blog https://mybaltics.wordpress.com/
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Amazing Italian influence |
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Searching for the Holy Grail? Come to Vilnius! |
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Santa Claus and Lithuania’s Grand Duchess buried in same South-Italian basilica |
Erica’s Lithuanian story:
In 2009 I spent the spring time in Lithuania. I fell in love with this country, and here is why.
My name is Erica, I am 30 and I write from Italy. Three years ago I got the chance to be selected within the European program “Marco Polo” [1] for an internship as translator at Via Hansa Vilnius UAB [2], a major tour operator.
For my first real European experience I was confronted with a world which I honestly barely knew. So I left with two huge suitcases and a very superficial knowledge of Lithuanian language and culture with 15 fellows flying to Vilnius, which that year happened to be the “European Capital of Culture” [3], a lucky and appreciated coincidence.
Vilnius through an Italian camera lens
Photo: Erica from Bologna, northern Italy
Text: Aage Myhre
International Lithuania got its “flying start” already in 1323, when 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 Rome – greatly different from the other two Baltic capitals.
VilNews will this autumn and winter publish articles about impacts of foreign nations and cultures here in Lithuania. We also welcome you, dear readers, to share with us information you may have about ‘foreign footprints’ in Lithuania.
Please write us with your ideas and comments!
The illustrations below show some characteristics of the nations we will be writing about, in combination with the Lithuanian flag colours...
The articles marked blue have already been published
(click to read them)
![]() ARTICLE NO. 1 HUNGARY |
![]() ARTICLE NO. 2: ITALY |
![]() ARTICLE NO. 3: KARAIMS |
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![]() ARTICLE NO. 4: DENMARK |
![]() ARTICLE NO. 5: JAPAN |
![]() ARTICLE NO. 6: CANADA |
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![]() ARTICLE NO. 7: GERMANY |
![]() ARTICLE NO. 8: CHINA |
![]() ARTICLE NO. 9: INDIA |
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![]() ARTICLE NO. 10: SWEDEN |
![]() ARTICLE NO. 11: TATARS |
![]() ARTICLE NO. 12: USA |
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![]() ARTICLE NO. 13: RUSSIA |
![]() ARTICLE NO. 14: BELARUS |
![]() ARTICLE NO. 15: ICELAND |
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![]() ARTICLE NO. 16: TURKEY |
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![]() ARTICLE NO. 18: THE UK |
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![]() ARTICLE NO. 19: NORWAY |
![]() ARTICLE NO. 20: POLAND |
![]() ARTICLE NO. 21: FRANCE |
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ARTICLE NO. 22: THE LITVAKS (LITHUANIAN JEWS) |
My first meeting with my family in Lithuania
- we had been searching for 90 years
By KR Slade
It's Saturday, 28 May 2005, 6pm, in Lithuania. I've just returned to my room in the capital city, Vilnius, from my nine-hour day-trip to Kaunas, Lithuania's second-largest city. Kaunas had been the capital of the first Republic of Lithuania, during the inter-world-wars period, and is 90+ percent ethnic-Lithuanian -- compared to 60 percent in Vilnius. Lithuania is, now and since 1990, in its ‘third’ republic, again free, after its second -- and fake --‘Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic’, when it was occupied and annexed by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Kaunas is called ‘the heart of Lithuania’, especially by the people of Kaunas. Today is a very special day for my family in Lithuania: the fifth anniversary of the death of our family’s Cardinal Vincentas Sladkevicius.
VilNews is from time to time brining articles under the heading 'The Village Voice'. The articles are written by a retired Englishman, David Holliday, who for the past sixteen years has lived with his wife Migle in the village Lapiai 30 km from Klaipeda. We believe that you, dear reader, appreciate David's subtle tales and stories from his life out there – so far off the beaten track...
By Barbara Isherwood
I thought I would share this with you all. What an exciting country Lithuania is!!
Yesterday evening, as I looked out of my dining room window, I noticed a lot of smoke. It was very close to a new house being built by one of the Iki brothers but behind a huge lilac tree so I could not properly see what the cause was.
I watched for a while and realised that the smoke was actually moving position. I knew I would not be happy until I had found out what was going on.
How I came to Lithuania 21 years ago
Some private memories by Aage Myhre, VilNews Editor-in-Chief
aage.myhre@VilNews.com
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.
Suriname, Suriname… I search my brain frantically for ancient geography skills ... Clifford Lont sits in front of me at a café table on the left bank of River Dane in the heart of Klaipeda. He has just told me that his native country is called Suriname, located in South America. But where? I have heard the name before, but can not visualize the location on my imaginary map and see finally no other option but to ask him...
And Clifford tells willingly about the country and city he originates from. He tells me that Suriname is a small country of less than 500.000 inhabitants, located near equator in the northeast of the South American continent, bounded by Guyana on the west, French Guyane on the east and Brazil to the south. He tells that Suriname is set in a natural tropical wilderness, a splendid combination of the Caribbean and South America, with fascinating reminders of a sometimes turbulent past Influenced by numerous cultures - African, Amerindian, Asian, Jewish and Dutch. The country was earlier a Dutch colony.
He tells me that his former homeland is dominated by mighty rivers which provide essential highways into the rainforest and jungles of the interior, which remain virtually untouched by man.
Clifford was born and grew up in Suriname’s bustling capital and port city, Paramaribo, at the Suriname River estuaries.
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