The first Lithuanian State, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL), which existed from the thirteenth to the eighteenth century, was basically an emanation of the Lithuanian people, but also a multinational and multicultural state. The Lithuanians concentrated at the core were about one third of its population; the rest were …

By LEONIDAS DONSKIS. Lithuania cherishes her historical memories of once having been a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural country. It also cherishes the most generous and noble-spirited traditions of the Romantic ethos of liberal nationalism, and quite justifiably so. In the late 1980s, Lithuania’s national movement of rebirth, Sajūdis, and its “singing …

By GEDIMINAS INDREIKA. History books by American authors rarely touch upon the subject of how the Baltic States became the victims of the Soviet Union’s aggression. Lithuanians educated in the Soviet era often do not understand their nation’s past because the history they were taught was deliberately distorted, portraying Russia …

By  DR. VILIUS DUNDZILA. Lithuanian Scouting celebrated its 95th Anniversary in 2013. Lord Robert BadenPowell founded scouting to teach leadership and citizenship skills to inner city youth, by “playing games with a purpose.” His wife Lady Olave Baden-Powell mentored the world-wide Girl Guide (Girl Scout) movement. The first scout camp …

By RAMUNĖ KUBILIUS. In 1997, at the 10th World Lithuanian Symposium on Arts and Sciences in Chicago, social workers from Lithuania presented the sad and disturbing state of Lithuania’s street children. Their growing numbers, dismal living conditions and inadequate government programs dealing with the problem shocked symposium attendees. The children …

SAUERK RAUT  SOUP Raugintų  kopūstų  sriuba 1 lb. sauerkraut,  drained 1 lb. meat, pork or beef 1 onion,  quartered 1 carrot, grated 4 peppercorns 2 bay leaves Salt to taste Cut meat into medium pieces,  cover with cold water and bring to a boil, remove scum. Add sauerkraut and onion. …

On each of our trips to Vilnius, my husband Paul and I make it a point to leave Old Town, where we always base ourselves and spend most of our time, to stroll along Gediminas Prospect in New Town. It’s a one-mile walk along a route lined with cafes and …

By ILONA W. KWIECIEN. “I would like to thank The Monadnock Chorus for this beautiful concert. Thank you for honoring our country, for representing our culture. Thank You for bringing us together and exposing our wonderful Lithuanian heritage! It is a gift to us!” – extolled Dalia Shilas, one of …

By JULIJA PETKUS. This recipe is not my family’s recipe because there is no set recipe, just a general set of guidelines for how to make these wonderful little pillows. My grandma says that varš kėčiai (or selnėkai) are all about the texture. The dough cannot be grainy or dry, …

By BRIANNA MARTH. I am a senior in the College of Business at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, graduating this semester with a degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Management with a specialty in Marketing. My university is part of the MAUI-Utrecht exchange studies program. Vilnius University is also part of …