DRAUGAS NEWS Lithuanian World Wide News in English

Aldas Kriaučiūnas. Within five hours of arriving at Camp Dainava, in Manchester, Mich., to mark the camp’s 60th birthday bash this past Labor Day weekend, I feasted on cold beet soup, joined in singing Lithuanian freedom fighters songs, and waided through thorns and thistles to reach the natural springs feeding …

Gerda Butkuvienė. It has now been 104 years since the sinking of this legendary ocean cruise liner. The memory of the tragedy refuses to fade as a successor liner, the “Titanic II”, is being readied for launch, because difficult-to-answer questions about the disaster continue to be raised and discussed. In a …

Founded in 1886, the Lithuanian Alliance of America, (LAA) the oldest continuously operating Lithuanian organization in the world, has a new lease on life as it expands its multifaceted activities promoting Lithuanian educational and heritage programs. Organized as a fraternal insurance organization, it had over 20,000 members and 300 lodges …

By Egidijus Bacevičius. Greater Trakėnai (Hauptgestüt Trakehnen) is famous as a birthplace of riding horses. The origin of the Trakėnai breed and the attempts to preserve it are a part of equestrian history that involves Germany and Lithuania Minor, and recently, Russia as well. “Trakėnai” is an old Baltic word meaning …

Jonas Majauskas. American Lithuanian students have tremendous opportunities for self development and advancement – our heritage and culture has much to offer us. Although attending Saturday school and partaking in Lithuanian cultural events introduces us to Lithuanian culture, it is but an initial step in understanding what it means to …

by Vida Kuprys. 27 years ago, Lithuanians Latvians and Estonian joined hands in the Baltic Way. This August they joined voices. August 23rd is Black Ribbon Day. On this infamous date in 1939, Hitler’s and Stalin’s henchmen Ribbentrop and Molotov signed a non-aggression treaty that ultimately sent all of Europe …

By Charles Norvil. Please tell us something about your parents – when did they come to the States and where did they met?  My father (Stanley) arrived from Ukmergė, Lithuania in 1912 as a young man, and my mother (Emily) arrived from Panevėžys, Lithuania in 1905 as a small child …

By Judita Bačiulytė and Kazimieras Mizgiris. The history of the treasures of Juodkrantė begins in the middle of the 19th century, when a large quantity of raw amber was discovered near Juodkrantė during a project to deepen a seaway in the Curonian Lagoon, which is known as Kuršių marios in …

Dr. Audrius Plioplys. This June marks the 75th Anniversary of the beginning of Stalin’s deportations of Lithuanians to Siberia. During the night of June 14, 1941, thousands of unsuspecting Lithuanians were awakened from their sleep and arrested for deportation. Many were unable to take anything with them. Crammed into cattle …

Text and photos by JULIE SKURDENIS. THE CURONIAN SPIT (KURŠIŲ NERINGA) IS A 60 mile long narrow finger of forest and sand that separates the Curonian Lagoon (Kuršių Marios) from the Baltic Sea. The northern portion of the spit is Lithuanian. It’s called Neringa after a legendary giantess who supposedly …