Search

In the first half of 1924, the Commissioner of the City of Vilnius, Kazimierz Wimbor, sent a secret report to the Polish government’s delegate in the city of Vilnius. The report discussed the activities of various community associations in the city, their leadership, and did not hesitate to provide political assessments of the organizations and recommendations for future activities. In terms of organizational activity, the Jews of Vilnius stood out from other communities, having established and maintained dozens of associations of various kinds. The published document is relevant and valuable for conducting research on the history of Vilnius in the 20th century. It the paper is almost unknown in Lithuanian historiography and has not been published yet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the first to publish, translate to Lithuanian, and analyse the description of border between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Confederation of Livonia dated on January 12th, 1529. This paper establishes previously unknown locations of some of the toponyms mentioned. It also investigates the circumstances of creating and archiving this document. A hypothesis is raised that the document had been drafted by Alexander (Olechno) Krivec and was later transferred to chancellor Albertas Goštautas (pol. Olbracht Gasztołd; bel. Альбрэхт Гаштольд; rus. Ольбрахт (Альберт) Гаштольд)) for storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method for automated Lithuanian hands gestures data collection and for Lithuanian hands gestures classification. The dataset of 1100 samples was collected for 10 different classes of Lithuanian hands gesture. The features of hands gestures were extracted with CNN network. The classification was made with LSTM network. The trained LSTM network classified the Lithuanian hands gestures with 85% accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyses the direct and indirect impact on Lithuanian society of the Soviet military garrisons established by the Mutual Assistance Treaty of 1939 with the USSR. It is written that the official (public) and unofficial (private) attitudes towards the presence of the Red Army bases in Lithuania were different. The deep perception of the garrisons’ potential threat to the sovereignty of the state was denied by official reports of the Lithuanian government. As a result of this and other circumstances mentioned in the article, the majority of the Lithuanian population accepted the fact of Soviet garrison deployment in Lithuania as an undesirable, but non-threatening circumstance resulting from the bilateral relations between Lithuania and the USSR. The article describes the practices of formal and informal communication and relations of the civilian population with the Soviet military garrisons, which had significant consequences for the public perception of the political processes of the summer of 1940 in Lithuania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. In 1941, Lithuanian nationalists in the USA, having withdrawn from the common political organization of Lithuanian Americans, the American Lithuanian Council (ALC), began independent political activities in the struggle for Lithuania’s independence. They established their own organizations: in 1941, the Union for the Liberation of Lithuania, to which the American Friends of Lithuania was affiliated, in 1943, the American Lithuanian Nationalist Center, and in 1944, the American Lithuanian Mission. The nationalist movement weakened in 1946–1947, and the constant desire for unity in political activities among the Lithuanian diaspora in the USA and Europe compelled the nationalists to change their positions. In 1947, negotiations began between the leaders of the Lithuanian nationalists in the USA and the ALC leadership regarding the nationalists’ return to ALC, with conditions: a) the merging of nationalist organizations and b) the cessation of separate political activities. In 1948–1949, the reorganization of nationalist organizations took place over the course of almost a year, culminating in a joint Congress held on May 21–22, 1949, when a unified nationalist organization, the American Lithuanian National Union (ALNU), was established. Key contributions were made by nationalist leaders: Antanas Olis, Pijus J. Žiūris, Juozas Bačiūnas, Kazys Karpis, Vincas Rastenis, Albinas S. Trečiokas, Juozas Ginkus, and others. Nationalist representatives joined ALC as the fourth faction alongside Catholics, socialists, and moderates. The ALNU committed to broadly strengthening Lithuanian identity in the diaspora and, within ALC, participating in activities for the liberation of Lithuania. These issues have not yet been deeply studied in the history of Lithuanian Americans, despite there being ample sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the activity of Zigmas Žemaitis, a public figure, initiator and leader of Higher Courses in Kaunas, and later professor of the University of Lithuania (since 1930 – Vytautas Magnus University) seeking to return Vilnius to Lithuania in 1920–1922. Born and residing in East Lithuania, Žemaitis was well acquainted with the mindset and problems of the Polish-speaking population of this region and he was convinced that only Lithuania could guarantee them adequate economic conditions and cultural rights. During the restoration of the state of Lithuania, Žemaitis started publishing books in the Polish language, in which he tried to influence the opinion of the Polish-speaking population of Eastern Lithuania. This activity was noticed and positively assessed by the Lithuanian government. At the end of the 1920 Žemaitis participated in the Lithuanian-Polish negotiations in Warsaw, where he actively worked behind the scenes and met with political figures from Poland and the Vilnius region. He participated in the informal negotiations of the representatives of the left factions of the Lithuanian Constituent Seimas with the Polish political groups in Vilnius in 1921. He was chairman of the East Lithuania Commission in 1921–1922. This activity has not been researched so far, therefore, the article aims to clarify Žemaitis’ attitude towards Vilnius and the Vilnius region in 1918–1920, to investigate his contribution to the Lithuanian-Polish negotiations, to analyse his role in the negotiations with the Polish political groups in Vilnius, and to examine his activities in the East Lithuania Commission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of archival material, memoirs and biographical monographs of Lithuanian envoys and diplomats, the article aims to reveal how, in forming a collective diplomatic memory, the Lithuanian Diplomatic Service, which carried out its mission in the period from 1940 to 1991, sought not to harm the cause of Lithuania’s freedom and to preserve a positive image of the country it represented and its diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The researchers from Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian economics confirmed that classification of Lithuanian regions by rurality into 5 groups is a more comprehensive method to reveal economic and social differences of the regions than the method used by the government at the present by classifying regions in to the problematic and non-problematic regions (Melnikienė et al., 2011). The object of the research – municipalities of different rurality degree. The objective of this paper – to analyze population density and demographic situation from 2011 to 2018 changes in municipalities of different rurality degree in Lithuania. Our research has revealed, that on average rural municipalities cover area 10 times larger than urban municipalities and 1,2 times larger than semi-urban municipalities. Taking into account population density, natural population change, net migration, old-age dependency ratio in 2011 and 2018, it was found that 10 municipalities are improving, 19 municipalities - unchanged and 16 municipalities - worsening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article, drawing on the primary sources and scientific and popular science publications, presents and examines the life path of an extraordinary personality - Aloyzas Valušis - a scout, an officer of the army of the Republic of Lithuania, a cavalryman, a colonel of the General Staff, and a personal adjutant of the President Antanas Smetona. The aim of the study is to overview the life of Valušis, as well as the reasons and circumstances that shaped him as a high-ranking officer and Lithuania’s representative in the diplomatic service in the position of military attaché. The article discusses the family of Valušis, his youth, service in the Lithuanian army, experiences in the diplomatic service, his social activities and fate as an emigrant. The main stages of Valušis life, which formed a colourful portrait of this personality, are depicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of the political unity of the patriotic movements of Lithuanian Americans (Catholics, nationalists, leaguists, socialists) is one of the most important problems in the history of the diaspora. During World War II and the occupation of Lithuania, Lithuanian-American political activity was fractured, with the Lithuanian American Council and Lithuanian American Nationalist Organisations carrying out the same work of liberating Lithuania. Only at the end of 1947 did these competing organisations manage to come to an agreement to support the return of the Lithuanian American Nationalists to LAC as the fourth ideological movement. The reason why they agreed is the influence of VLIK and the fact that nationalists no longer impose preconditions and support the main documents of LAC operation. During the meeting, views on the number of members of each group were exchanged in the Council. The nationalists only requested to increase the number of representatives of each group to nine. The enlargement of the LAC Executive Committee and the division of members' responsibilities were also discussed. This was left to decide to a specifically appointed commission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the decision of the Bureau of the Central Committee of the LCP on 1958 June 27 the rector of Vilnius University, Juozas Bulavas, was removed from his position. He was accused of not implementing the party’s resolutions, ignoring the university’s party organization, emphasizing the national specifics of Lithuania, and promoting non-communist Lithuanian cadres. In a public meeting, at the university, during the transfer of duties to the new rector, Bulavas did not repent and did not admit his mistakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the end of the 19th century to the present day, many cultural values were created through emigration. Only a small part of the documentary heritage of the Lithuanian diaspora has been preserved and known. Part of it was inevitably destroyed by time, and the rest is scattered in various archival institutions and private archives in Lithuania, Canada, the USA, Australia, Germany, and other countries.The article aims to present the problems of the fate of the documentary heritage of the Lithuanian diaspora in more detail: to what extent Lithuania cares about the preservation and recovery of this heritage, what problems are faced by the institutions protecting and managing the collections of the diaspora, how far this heritage is known, recognized and researched. Based on the experience of the Lithuanian Diaspora Institute, which has been operating for almost 30 years at the Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, the issues of the fate of the documentary heritage of the Lithuanian diaspora relevant to both Lithuania and the diaspora are discussed; the problems of the relevance of the cultural heritage of the diaspora, the dispersion of archives, preservation, accessibility, research, and dissemination are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the development of the Pirčiupiai Memorial – the first memorial established in the Lithuanian SSR to commemorate the “victims of Hitler’s terror” – and the role of the story of the destruction of the village of Pirčiupiai in the memory cultures of the Soviet and independent Lithuania. During the Soviet era, this story was used to substantiate the essential ideological statement that the target of Nazi repression, terror, and mass murder was the entire “Soviet” Lithuanian society, and at the same time, an ambivalent image of Pirčiupiai as a peaceful Lithuanian peasant village, destroyed by the Nazis, and an active “partisan village” was introduced. During the revival period, the highlight of the Pirčiupiai memorial and one of the symbols of the cultural canon of the Lithuanian SSR – the sculpture of the Mother – was not removed, but the story of the destruction of Pirčiupiai itself, due to the counter-reaction to the intensive use of the history of Pirčiupiai in the Soviet era and the significant associations created during this period, other priorities of Lithuanian commemoration policy and socioeconomic circumstances became a secondary place of remembrance and, in the long run, a favorable medium for third parties to develop their own historical narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the study of co-workers’ leisure time in the Vilnius environs, covering approximately 1950 to 2017, the dual effect of holidays in bringing together and separating ethnic groups of co-workers is investigated. Semi-structured interviews and historical-comparative and interpretive methods were used. After describing the research area, highlighting the ethnic uniqueness of celebrating holidays, and discussing the assumptions of ethnic differentiation to celebrate them, holidays were identified that unite the collaborators of all ethnic groups and that highlight different attitudes and formed identities of members of ethnic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A confidential meeting of Lithuanian diplomats in the USA took place in Washington on October 25–26 1943, at the time when the foreign ministers of the allied countries – the USA, Great Britain and the USSR – were meeting at the Moscow Conference. The Lithuanian diplomats discussed the general international situation, the challenges facing Lithuania, the uncertain fate of the diplomatic institutions themselves, and preparations to help Lithuanian refugees in Europe and exiles in Siberia. Decisions were made. Traditionally, attention was also paid to cooperation with Lithuanian organizations in the United States, with which it was sought to act in harmony. The representatives of Lithuania in America undertook to cooperate and consult with Lithuanian political organizations in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of the early Central European state has been elaborated for decades in the historiographies of neighboring countries but has so far been ignored in the Lithuanian medievalist literature. The author makes an attempt to base the thesis that the concept mentioned before is an original contribution of Central European historians to the comparative historical sociology of pre-capitalist peripheral societies. Furthermore, its application to the interpretation of the socio-political and socioeconomic structure of the early medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania might offer original theoretical insights and provide an opportunity for Lithuanian medievalists to become involved in international comparative research as well as reinvigorate theoretical discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty years ago, in 1992, the Supreme Committee for the Liberation of Lithuania (VLIK) announced that it had ceased its activities. This testified that this Lithuanian organization operating in the West had achieved its main goal – Lithuania’s liberation. It formed in 1943 in the Nazi-occupied land, when the idea of restoring an independent state began to be expressed. A year later, the organization, which had grown from anti-national to anti-Soviet, resumed its activities in Western Europe, and a decade later moved across the Atlantic, and for a long time it was burdened with the liberation of the Homeland. Fulfilling its promises, VLIK initially sought to form a Lithuanian government in the diaspora, then reconciled itself to the status of a political factor and became the leader of Lithuania’s liberation in the West. At the same time, the organization laid the ideological foundations for the Lithuanian diaspora and outlined the future perspective of Lithuania. At the end of its mission, VLIK became a significant donor in establishing the Institute of International Relations in Vilnius. The publication introduces the document certifying the latter fact – the statement of VU and VLIK and the protocol of the agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the memories of prisoners of war and civilians imprisoned in Nazi Germany Stammlager (Stalag) 331 (Stalag I C (Heydekrug) and Stalag Luft VI camps, the 184 Prisoner of War (POW) Camp of the NKVD and the 2652 Special POW Hospital, the Ministry of the Interior of the Lithuanian SSR (MVD) in Corrective Labour Colony Number 3. Based on the memoirs, the aim is to analyze the narratives formed by the memory (or memoirs) groups of the Macikai camps, summarizing their content and systematizing the plots that dominate them: conditions in prisons, relations with the management of the camps, attempts to escape, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the problem of territorial administrative changes in the eastern part of Lithuania in 1939–1940. The focus of this article is on the late 1939–1940 administrative division of the Vilnius Region returned to Lithuania, the population’s attitude towards the territorial division, the efforts of the Lithuanian representatives regarding the recovery of the remaining Lithuanian areas in Belarus (Švenčionys, Dieveniškės and Marcinkonys districts), and the disclosure of the results of the negotiations. The analysis of archival documents, press and historiography allows us to state that the representatives of the Republic of Lithuania tried to resolve the issue of statehood of Lithuanian territories assigned to Soviet Belarus through diplomatic channels, taking into account the requests of “foreign” Lithuanians to connect their territories to Lithuania. However, the efforts did not yield any positive results in late 1939 through to the first half of 1940. After the occupation of Lithuania on June 15th, 1940, the administrative government of the Republican Party extended the campaign for the “recovery” of Lithuanian territories from Belarus. Political motives led to the fact that most Lithuanian settlements (in the vicinity of Švenčionys, Šalčininkai and Druskininkai) were annexed to the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (LSSR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first decade of the Republic of Lithuania, trade with the United States of America was not favorable. A temporary trade agreement was signed in 1925 without a consular section. This partially hampered the activities of Lithuanian consuls in the United States, as they were lacking some privileges. Consuls, especially Povilas Žadeikis, constantly raised the idea of the need for a consular agreement. The ambassador, Bronius K. Balutis, spoke about the need to have a permanent trade and consular agreement, but the government of Kaunas felt there was no rush. The idea of a consular agreement was strongly reinforced only after Žadeikis became the ambassador of Lithuania to Washington. The ambassador urged the government of the Republic of Lithuania to conclude and sign the agreement. However, it was not until 1940 that the text of the consular agreement was finally agreed upon, signed in Washington, and ratified by US Congress. Unfortunately, the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940 prevented the ratification of the consular agreement in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, and exchange of said documents became impossible. The agreement was forgotten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1923 Matas Šalčius, suffering from various problems, was treated for five months in one of the clinics in Königsberg. At that time, he wrote a diary in which, in addition to his personal experiences, he emphasised the significance of the uprising of the Klaipėda region in the interwar Lithuanian political life. Šalčius also wrote about the former political tension in Königsberg in the eyes of Lithuanians when Klaipeda was officially declared a part of Lithuania. In the diary, Šalčius provided valuable information related to events organised by the Lithuanian Consulate General in Königsberg, and the people who worked there. While his health was improving, Šalčius was interested in the current issues of Lithuanian political life at that time: the diary reviews the disagreements between the members of the parties in the First Seimas (1922–1923), emphasising the non-participation of ethnic minorities in parliamentary activities, and noting the state apparatus of the young country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses direct and indirect information about the participants of the 1219 peace treaty between the Lithuanian and the Volynian dukes. It mostly focuses on the issue of localising their domains. The hypotheses of Edvardas Gudavičius regarding the domains of the Lithuanian 13th century dukes, which were based on the placename data, are assessed critically. The localisation of the domains of the said dukes is attempted on the basis of an analysis of the 13th century sources and hints within the historical tradition of the 16th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines peculiarities of perceived social responsibility among young Lithuanian football players. There are presented components of perceived social responsibility among young Lithuanian football players and indicator of general perceived social responsibility is presented too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the correspondence between US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and the Lithuanian Consul in Chicago, Dr. Petras Povilas Daužvardis (copies of 14 letters; May 21–November 28, 1952) and the circumstances mentioned in them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines positions and actions of citizens of Lithuania in view of the Winter War, and types of their assistance provided to Finland as seen in the Lithuanian media of the period. Novelty of the article is reflected by two aspects: 1) actions of some of the citizens of Lithuania in order to help Finland in the war against the Soviet Union were inconsistent with the neutralist policy of the Lithuanian government. It demonstrates that the society lacked a unified opinion, and an actively pro-Finnish position of some of the citizens of Lithuania allows examining the Lithuanian policy concerning the conflict between the USSR and Finland at the micro level, i.e., from the individual perspective; and 2) the assistance of citizens of Lithuania to Finland in the war against the USSR is analysed and assessed as an expression of civic virtues in the country under the authoritarian regime at the time. It was necessary to take up an active civic position which clashed with the official policy of the Lithuanian government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithuania was included in the scope of international humanitarian organizations in the early post-war period. Although the mission of the American Aid Administration, the American Red Cross and Lady Murielė Paget helped to alleviate Lithuania’s difficult social situation, humanitarian aid to Lithuania was provided without much enthusiasm. This was due to funding problems and political factors, as well as competition between international humanitarian organizations, and not always peaceful relations between the Lithuanian government and humanitarian organizations. Only Lady Paget’s mission has had closer ties with local authorities and long-term results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an analysis of the issue of how Lithuanians, namely, their ethno-social elite – the nobility – became more Russian in the 14th–16th centuries. The study reveals that social, political and cultural relations at the top levels of government in the GDL and in the privileged estate did not encourage the Lithuanian nobility to “turn Russian”. The ethnocentric vision of language equality nurtured by representatives of Lithuanian culture and writing is highlighted, which in turn established a fertile ground in which the nationalist ideas of the early modern period’s Lithuanian nation could germinate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comprehensively analyses the tendencies of waiting for war in Lithuania in 1945-1953, showing the influence of the experience of waiting for war in 1940-1944 on later time based on specific examples. The reflections of the expectation of war and the alleged promises of Lithuanian emigrants in the memories of witnesses - which did not always coincide with the realities of the past - are examined. The article focuses on the moods and actions of Lithuanian partisans directly related to these tendencies, because it was one of the most topical issues for the anti-Soviet fighters. The article examines the possible sources (press, radio, rumours) on the basis of which the war between East and West was predicted. The influence of German, US and British factors on forecasts is considered. It identifies events that may have fuelled the anticipation of military conflict and stormed people's imaginations, showing what actions the population was led to. Based on archival and published sources, the importance of the mood of waiting for war for the activities of Lithuanian partisans and the attitude of the population is determined. The frustrations of the Lithuanian population about the non-commencement of the war and the unfulfilled forecasts are also examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On March 13-14, 1941 a regular meeting of Lithuanian representatives in the United States took place at the Consulate General of Lithuania in New York. The opportunity to consult and clarify important issues came after President Antanas Smetona arrived with his family in New York on March 10. Lithuanian representatives discussed their difficult financial situation, the possibility of finding funds to help Lithuanian refugees, the complicated relations between Lithuanians in the USA and the issues of their financial resources. The representatives of Lithuania agreed that only by merging the diaspora funds could it be possible to more seriously financially support Lithuanian affairs and help Lithuanian diplomats. The purpose of the meetings was to establish a common position on current political issues and on relations with Lithuanians in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the meeting of Lithuanian diplomats in New York on August 19–20, 1945 a discussion of the international situation, the issue of Lithuania and the fate of Lithuanian refugees after the Potsdam Conference was intended. The meeting shows that Lithuanian representatives in the United States are ready to cooperate with VLIK and Lithuanian organizations in the United States, especially with BALF as a welfare organisation in the care of Lithuanian refugees. Ways are being sought to protect Lithuanian refugees from attempts by USSR officials to return them to Lithuania occupied by the Red Army. Diplomats agreed with prof. Kazys Pakštas’ idea that deportees need to be moved en masse to certain territories in order to be able to continue preserving Lithuanian culture and Lithuanianness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The publication of the scientific source includes a 1955 letter from Dr. Stasys Abramauskas to the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the LSSR, Justas Paleckis. The author of the letter raised questions about the situation of Lithuanians in the historical Vilnius region, and about cultural heritage. As one possible solution to the problems, a plan for territorial change in Lithuania and Belarus was proposed, i.e., the areas inhabited by Lithuanians could be assigned to the territory of the Lithuanian SSR. The published source has been supplemented with comments and clarifications. The published document is relevant for further research by the humanities and social sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Soviet occupation, Lithuanians living abroad represented Lithuania in the West, concentrating on the so-called Freedom Case of Lithuania. Efforts through various political diplomatic actions were made to constantly remind the world of the occupation of Lithuania and other Baltic countries and the aspirations for the independence of these nations. One of the largest political campaigns organized by young people of that time was "the march to the United Nations" which took place in New York in November 13th, 1965, gaining widespread public support and strengthening the bond and cooperation of the young generation of the three Baltic nations (Lithuanian-Latvian-Estonian). During this political campaign, the West was reminded of the issue of the Baltic nations, thus information reached not only US but also politicians from other countries and other members of the United Nations. The youth march continued in 1966, when a joint organisation of Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians "Baltic Appeal to the United Nations" (BATUN) was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the analysis of Baltic (mostly Lithuanian) labour migration into the depths of the Soviet Union during the late Soviet period. Based on the new, never published written and photographic material, the authors discuss how these Baltic labour migrants participated in the creation of infrastructure for the Western Siberian Tyumen region's northern oil-gas complex and the construction of the city of Kogalym. The construction of this oil city is analysed in the general context of urban planning and the urbanization of cities in the North. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on archival and historiographical materials, the article addresses the development of Lithuanian schools in Vilnius in the period 1920-1939; it reveals their situation in the context of education of other ethnic groups in the city and considers whether the situation of Lithuanian education was in any way exceptional; the article discloses the problems faced by Lithuanian schools in Vilnius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]