by Zigmas Tamakauskas. The word himnas, which is what Lithuanians call their national anthem, comes from the Greek word hymnos, a holy and solemn song used to worship the gods in ancient times. Here we will focus on Lithuania’s current anthem, while mentioning songs that at one time or another were …

By VIDA KUPRYS. Pursuant to the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939, 75 years ago, the Soviet Union unilaterally occupied and annexed the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The brutality of the occupation became manifest, when in June of 1941, thousands of Lithuanians, as well as their fellow Balts, were …

By DR. STASYS BAČKAITIS. Sometimes history can’t be put to bed even though agreements to end wars have been concluded, boundary lines drawn by victors, promises made …whether it’s intentional or not, things in time get either forgotten or swept under the rug as if they weren’t there. Such is …

by Philip Spendley. It is late August 2014 and time to make our yearly pilgrimage to Lithuania to spend some quality time with my wife’s family in Kaunas. We have made the trip every year for the past seven years, ever since my wife and I met whilst studying at …

DR. STASYS BAČKAITIS. Sometimes history can’t be put to bed even though agreements to end wars have been concluded, boundary lines drawn by victors, promises made …whether it’s intentional or not, things in time get either forgotten or swept under the rug as if they weren’t there. Such is the …

by Stanislovas Žvirgždas. Balys Buračas (1897-1972) was a photographer who created a vast archive of visual memory of Lithuanian villages and ethnic culture. He was a chronicler, saving the remnants of a life that was fast disappearing from people’s memories. Many post-war Lithuanian art photographers have long acknowledged that they grew …

By Darius Furmonavičius. On July 1, 2015, Lithuania’s former head of state Prof. Vytautas Landsbergis was invited to the United Kingdom to address the House of Commons. His address entitled “The EU – Russia relationship with special reference to the security of the Baltic States” was a presentation analyzing recent developments …

By Dr. Stasys Bačkaitis. Dr. Stasys Bačkaitis: Your excellency, on behalf of my fellow Lithuanian-Americans, I would like to express our gratitude for the outstanding representation of Lithuania’s interests over the course your term as Ambassador, especially during this time of political turmoil. Please share something about your background and why …

Combining a love of music with scientific curiosity, Dr. Indre Viskontas is a Professor of Sciences and Humanities at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she is pioneering the application of neuroscience to musical training, and an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of San Francisco where she …

By TADDES KORRIS. This is a third in a series of articles that explore the works and lives of Lithuanian artistic luminaries who are unduly neglected. Seldom mentioned outside of Lithuania, these artists and their work represent the social and artistic trends of great importance inside and outside of Lithuania. It …