History-1900+

A Pennsylvania Lithuanian Parish Celebrates 100 Years

by John Majikas Lately, there has been considerable talk and worry about the closing of the Our Lady of Vilnius (Aušros Vartų) church in Manhattan, N.Y., and other Lithuanian churches in the United States. Churches that early Lithuanian immigrants built with their sweat and hardearned money a hundred or more …

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Mission: Siberia – Unearthing a Disappearing History

By JUSTINAS RIŠKUS Throughout my trip, I saw and visited a great number of places and sights. The following article contains descriptions of experiences within the Komi Republic that stand out most in my mind for several reasons, most significant being historical importance and relevance to the expedition’s purpose. I …

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Keeping the Dream of a Free Lithuania Alive

by William T. Kvetkas, Jr. IN THE LATE 1930S AS A TOTAL WAR IN EURO- pe appeared inevitable, Lithuania took the precautionary measure of depositing more than $1 million (a huge sum in those days) in a Washington, D.C. bank to sustain a continuing Lithuanian presence in its Embassy building …

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The When, How, and Why of the Lithuanians in Scotland

BY JOHN MILLAR (JONAS STEPŠIS) MY INTEREST IN THE LITHUANIAN COMMUNITY in Scotland stems, firstly, from the fact that I am the Scots-born son of Lithuanian immigrants who settled in Scotland at the beginning of the 20th century. Secondly, from a deep, compulsive desire to find my roots. When I …

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Latvia: a Look At Our Northern Cousins

BY JAMES M. BOUBONIS Lithuanians often refer to their northern neighbors as “the nation of brothers.” But how many similarities and differences can we find between the two countries? THE CULTURE OF LATVIA BEARS A STRONG RE- semblance to that of its ethnic and linguistic sister to the south – …

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Respond With a Song

by Janina Birutė Litvinas The Lithuanian Song Festival tradition in America is almost as old as Lithuanian immigration itself. From its early beginnings in 1914, this tradition has continued almost uninterrupted to this day. MY ALMOST SACRED RELIC, A TRAVEL BOOK from my Father’s library, Lithuania, Guiding Facts for Tourists, …

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Antanas Kaztauskis, From Lithuania to the Chicago Stockyards – an Autobiography, 1904

BY ERNEST POOLE Antanas Kaztauskis, From Lithuania to the Chicago Stockyards – An Autobiography, 1904 Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the publication of Upton Sinclair’s classic novel The Jungle. The book describes the life of a Lithuanian immigrant in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood and his …

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Divine Mercy and the Vilnius Connection

BY ALGIS GINTAUTAS Today the devotion to the Divine Mercy is widespread among Catholics across the globe, thanks to a humble, frail nun who became God’s chosen messenger to spread His word through a diary she wrote and an image she instructed to be painted in Vilnius. DURING HIS LONG …

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A Lithuanian Privateer in the American Revolution

BY ALGIRDAS BUDRECKIS DURING THE AMERICAN Revolution, the Continental Congress built and commissioned a number of men-of-war. Several colonies also maintained their own fleets to engage the British warships and convoys. However, it was not the fledgling American Navy which bore the brunt of seafighting. The burden rested on the …

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Vilnius University 425 Years of Enlightened Learning

  The Vilnius University, which celebrates its 425th anniversary this year, is the oldest establishment of higher education in Lithuania. Established in 1579, for a long time it became the easternmost European university spreading the light of learning not only to ethnic Lithuania, the multinational Grand Duchy of Lithuania, but …

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