CERES Country Profile - Lithuania

7/30/2019 CERES Country Profile - Lithuania

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Country in a Box:

Republic of LithuaniaLietuvos Respublika

A Teachers Guide

Compiled by the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European StudiesEdmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown Universityhttp://ceres.georgetown.edu

The Great Courtyard of Vilnius University and the Church of St. John

Drawing by Jan Kazimierz Wilczynski, circa 1850
http://mapsof.net/lithuania/static-maps/png/lithuania-flag-maphttp://mapsof.net/lithuania/static-maps/png/lithuania-flag-maphttp://www.ceres.georgetown.edu/http://mapsof.net/lithuania/static-maps/png/lithuania-flag-maphttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/GreatCourtyard.jpghttp://www.ceres.georgetown.edu/http://mapsof.net/lithuania/static-maps/png/lithuania-flag-map


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Lithuania in a Box: Table of Contents

Facts at a Glance 3-6

History of Lithuania 7-9

Timeline of Major Events in Lithuanian History 10

Lithuanias Culture 11-14

Folklore: Egle the Queen of Serpents 15

Additional Resources 17

Hill of Crosses, a site of pilgrimage near Siauliai


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Lithuania: Facts at a Glance_______Text and map taken directly from Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook: Lithuania.Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/lh.html

Country Name:Lithuania

Capital:Vilnius

Background: Lithuanian lands wereunited under Mindaugas in 1236; over thenext century, through alliances andconquest, Lithuania extended its territoryto include most of present-day Belarusand Ukraine. By the end of the 14thcentury Lithuania was the largest state inEurope. An alliance with Poland in 1386led the two countries into a union throughthe person of a common ruler. In 1569,Lithuania and Poland formally united intoa single dual state, the Polish-LithuanianCommonwealth. This entity surviveduntil 1795 when its remnants werepartitioned by surrounding countries. Lithuania regained its independence following World WarI but was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many othercountries. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare itsindependence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until September of 1991

(following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuaniasubsequently restructured its economy for integration into Western European institutions; itjoined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia

Area: Total: 65,300 sq kmCountry comparison to the world:123Land: 62,680 sq kmWater: 2,620 sq km

Area - Comparative: Slightly larger than West Virginia

Terrain: Lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil

Elevation extremes: Lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 mHighest point: Aukstojas 294 m
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html?countryName=Lithuania&countryCode=lh&regionCode=eur&rank=123#lhhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html?countryName=Lithuania&countryCode=lh&regionCode=eur&rank=123#lhhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html?countryName=Lithuania&countryCode=lh&regionCode=eur&rank=123#lh


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The Flag of Lithuania:Three equalhorizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and

red; yellow symbolizes golden fields, as well as

the sun, light, and goodness; green represents

the forests of the countryside, in addition to

nature, freedom, and hope; red stands for

courage and the blood spilled indefense of the

homeland

Natural Resources: Peat, arable land, amber

Environment - Current Issues: contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products

and chemicals at military bases

Population: 3,535,547 (July 2011 est.); Country comparison to the world:131

Urbanization: Urban population: 67% of total population (2011)

Life Expectancy at Birth: total population: 75.98 yearscountry comparison to the world: 87male: 71.2 yearsfemale: 81.02 years (2014 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Lithuanian 84.1%, Polish 6.6%, Russian 5.8%, Belarusian 1.2%, other 1.1%,

unspecified 1.2% (2011 est.)

Religions: Roman Catholic 77.2%, RussianOrthodox 4.1%, Old Believer 0.8%,

Evangelical Lutheran 0.6%, Evangelical

Reformist 0.2%, other (including Sunni

Muslim, Jewish, Greek Catholic, and Karaite)

0.8%, none 6.1%, unspecified 10.1% (2011

est.)

Education Expenditures:5.4% of GDP(2010) country comparison to the world: 61

Government Type: ParliamentaryDemocracy

Independence: 11 March 1990 (declared); 6Sept. 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)

Legal System: civil law system; legislative

acts can be appealed to the constitutional

court

Executive Branch: Chief of state: President Dalia Grybauskaite (since 12 July 2009); Head ofGovernment: Prime Minister Algirdas Butkeviius (since 13 December 2012)

Legislative Branch: Unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats; 71 members elected by

popular vote, 70 elected by proportional representation; members to serve four-year terms)

Judicial Branch: Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for all courts

appointed by the president
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The Grand Duchy of Lithuania had a well

developed monetary and financial system as early

as in the 15th17th centuries; Lithuanian moneywas minted in Vilnius and Kaunas. In the year

1922 the Constituent Seimas (Parliament) passed

a decision on the introduction of the national

currency, the litas. After the independence of

Lithuania was re-established, the Bank of

Lithuania was restored in 1990. First, the national

provisional currency, the talonas, appeared at the

end of 1992, and on June 25, 1993 the cherished

litas was issued again.

(From: http://www.lb.lt/lithuanian_banknotes and

http://www.lb.lt/izanga_1)

Political Parties and Leaders: Christian Party or KP [Gediminas VAGNORIUS]

Civil Democracy Party or PDP [Algimantas MATULEVICIUS]

Democratic Labor and Unity Party or DDVP [Kristina BRAZAUSKIENE]

Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles or LLRA [Valdemar TOMASEVSKI]

Emigrants Party or EP [Juozas MURAUSKAS]Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats or TS-LKD [Andrius KUBILIUS]

Labor Party or DP [Loreta GRAUZINIENE]

Liberal and Center Union or LCS [Arturas MELIANAS]

National Anthem: Name: "Tautiska giesme" (The National Song); Lyrics/music: Vincas

Kudirka; Note: adopted 1918, restored 1990; the anthem was written in 1898 while Lithuania

was a part of Russia; it was banned during the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1990.

Economy - Overview: Lithuania gained membership in the World Trade Organization and

joined the EU in May 2004. Despite Lithuania's EU accession, Lithuania's trade with its Centraland Eastern European neighbors and Russia

in particular, accounts for a growing

percentage of total trade. Privatization of the

large, state-owned utilities is nearly

complete. Foreign government and business

support have helped in the transition from

the old command economy to a market

economy. Lithuania's economy grew on

average 8% per year for the four years prior

to 2008 driven by exports and domestic

demand. However, GDP plunged nearly 15%

in 2009 - during the 2008-09 crises the three

former Soviet Baltic republics had the

world's worst economic declines. In 2009,

the government launched a high-profile

campaign, led by Prime Minister

KUBILIUS, to attract foreign investment and

to develop export markets. The current

account deficit, which had risen to roughly

15% of GDP in 2007-08, recovered to a -2%

of GDP (2013 est.) in the wake of a cutbackin imports to almost half the 2008 level.

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $67.43

billion (2013 est.), country comparison to the

world: 86


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GDP - Real Growth Rate: 3.4% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 100

GDP - Per Capita (PPP): $22,600 (2013 est.), country comparison to the world: 65

GDP - Composition by Sector: agriculture: 3.7%, industry: 28.3%, services: 68% (2013 est.)

Labor Force:1.452 million (2013 est.), country comparison to the world: 131

Agriculture - Products: Grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish

Industries: Metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television sets, refrigerators and

freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making, textiles, food

processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic components,

computers, amber jewelry.

Current Account Balance: -$567 million (2013 est.), country comparison to the world: 104

Exports - Commodities: Mineral products 22%, machinery and equipment 10%, chemicals 9%,

textiles 7%, foodstuffs 7%, plastics 7%

Exports - Partners: Russia 19.8%, Latvia 9.9%, Estonia 7.5%, Poland 7.3%, Germany 7.1%,

Belarus 5.1%, United Kingdom 4.9%, Netherlands 4.3% (2013 est.)

Imports - Partners: Russia 29.3%, Germany 10.3%, Poland 9.3%, Latvia 6.1% (2013 est.)

Debt - External: $29.55 billion (31 December 2013 est.), country comparison to the world: 73

Exchange Rates: litai (LTL) per US dollar -2.658 (2013 est.)

Military Service Age and Obligation:18 years of age for voluntary military service; service

obligation 1 year; Lithuania converted to a professional military in the fall of 2008, although the

decision continues under judicial review (2012)

Military expenditures:0.97% of GDP (2012), country comparison to the world: 104


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Dievas andPerkunas: The

highest figure in the Baltic pantheon

is Dievas. This god is of Indo-

European origin, and his name, as in

some religions of the Near East, has

been expanded to embrace all gods.

Earlier Dievas or Deivas simply

denoted the shining dome of the sky,

cf. ancient Indian devagod anddyaztssky, Latin deusand dies,originating from the Indo-European

root deiuo-s, which means both God

and sky. Dievas, Dievs, Deivs is also

related to the Greek Zeus. If Dievas

was the highest character in the

pantheon, then Perkunas (see

picture), the god of storm and

thunder, master of the atmosphere

and all celestial matters, and

evidently Dievas son, was the mostimportant and prominent. Related to

Perkunas are such Indo-European

gods as Slavonic Perun, Parjanyawho is mentioned in the Rigveda, the

Germanic goddess Fjorgyn, the gods

Donar, Thor, etc. Perkunassfunctions coincide with thunder gods

of the Near East; with Baal, for

instance, he is related by his care of

fertility.

(http://www.crvp.org/book/Series04/I

History of Lithuania_______

Text taken directly from Library of Congress Website:http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/lttoc.html and Britannicawebsitehttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/343803/Lithuania

Lithuanians belong to the Baltic group of nations.Their ancestors moved to the Baltic region about 3000B.C. from beyond the Volga region of central Russia.In Roman times, they traded amber with Rome andaround A.D. 900-1000 split into different languagegroups, namely, Lithuanians, Prussians, Latvians,Semigallians, and others.

Lithuania emerged as a nation about 1230 under theleadership of Duke Mindaugas. He united Lithuaniantribes to defend themselves against attacks by theTeutonic Knights. In 1251 Mindaugas accepted LatinChristianity, and in 1253 he became king. But hisnobles disagreed with his policy of coexistence with

the Teutonic Knights and with his search for access toWestern Europe. Mindaugas was killed, the monarchywas discontinued, and the country reverted topaganism.

At the end of the fourteenth century, Lithuania wasextending from the Baltic Sea to the shores of theBlack Sea. Grand Duke Jogaila (r. 1377-81 and 1382-92) of the Gediminas chose to open links to WesternEurope and to defeat the Teutonic Knights. He wasoffered the crown of Poland, which he accepted in

1386. In return for the crown, Jogaila promised toChristianize Lithuania. Lithuania was the last pagancountry in Europe to become Christian. Lithuaniacontinued in a political union with Poland. In 1569Lithuania and Poland united into a single state, thePolish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, whose capital wasKrakw. During this period, Lithuania's social and


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political scene was dominated by the Polish institutions.

In 1795 an alliance between the Germanic states--Prussiaand Austria--and the Russian Empire ended Poland'sindependent existence. Lithuania became a Russian

province. The Russian Empire eliminated Polish influenceon Lithuanians and introduced Russian social and politicalinstitutions. World War I led to the collapse of the twoempires--the Russian and the German--making it possiblefor Lithuania to assert its statehood. On February 16,1918, Lithuania declared its full independence, and thecountry still celebrates that day as its Independence Day.

During 1918-20 Lithuania successfully fought a war withPoland to defend its independence. At the end of 1920,however, Poland annexed Lithuania's capital city and

province of Vilnius, which it held until World War II.From 1920 to 1940, independent Lithuania made greatstrides in nation building and development. A progressiveland reform program was introduced in 1922, acooperative movement was organized, and a strongcurrency and conservative fiscal management weremaintained. Schools and universities were established, andilliteracy was substantially reduced. Artists and writers ofthe period produced works that have become classics.

On June 15, 1940, Lithuania was overrun by the RedArmy. At first a procommunist, so-called people'sgovernment was installed, and elections to a newparliament were organized. The elections werenoncompetitive; a single approved list of candidates waspresented to the voters. The parliament met on July 21,declared Soviet rule, and "joined" the Soviet Union as theLithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic on August 6, 1940.The United States and many other countries refused torecognize the Soviet occupation.

Soviet rule in Lithuania displayed well-known features ofcommunist rule. The party had a monopoly on power, andthe management of the economy was centralized. Theregime collectivized agriculture from 1947 to 1951. Secretpolice terrorized the society and attempted to transferLithuanian nationalist loyalties to the communists.Underground resistance never disappeared, although thearmed underground was destroyed. As a movement,resistance was first sparked by efforts to defend the

Jogaila orWadysawII

Jagieo: When his father died

in 1377, Jogailas title of grand

duke was disputed by hisrelatives, and only after several

years and some ruthless actions

did his rule become as secure as

his fathers had been. In 1384Polish nobles, who wanted a

strong ruler who could help them

in their attempts at recovering

territory from Hungary, offered

Jogaila marriage to the young

Polish queen,Jadwiga,to share

her throne on the condition that

he Christianize Lithuania and

unite it completely with Poland.Jogaila considered the plan

strategically advantageous. The

agreements were set forth in the

Treaty ofKrewo (1385). Elected

king of Poland on Feb. 2, 1386,

Jogaila was baptized as a Roman

Catholic, taking the name

WadysawII, on February 15,married Jadwiga on February

18, and was crowned king on

March 4 in Cracow. He began at

once to convert Lithuania to

Roman Catholicism.He

energetically Christianized those

parts of Lithuania still pagan,

but he was unable to incorporate

Lithuania into Poland as he had

promised
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Roman Catholic Church. Dissident work brought arrests and imprisonment. At the same time,the Lithuanian intelligentsia, demanded greater freedom of creative expression and protection ofthe Lithuanian language, traditions, and cultural values from Russification.The situation did not change until Mikhail S. Gorbachev came to power in 1985. Encouraged bynew winds from Moscow, Baltic dissidents began in 1987 to hold public demonstrations in Riga,

Tallinn, and Vilnius. Meeting at the Academy of Sciences on June 3, 1988, communist andnoncommunist intellectuals formed "an initiative group" to organize a movement to supportGorbachev's program ofglasnost, democratization, andperestroika. The movement supportedGorbachev's policies, but at the same time it promoted Lithuanian national issues such asrestoration of the Lithuanian language as the "official" language. In December Brazauskas, firstsecretary of the Communist Party of Lithuania forced the party to secede from the CommunistParty of the Soviet Union and to give up its monopoly on power. But even the separation of theCommunist Party of Lithuania from Moscow did not save it in the electoral contest for the

Supreme Soviet of the republic in March 1990. Inthe election, the Communist Party of Lithuaniawon only twenty-three of the 141 seats. On March

11, the newly elected parliament votedunanimously for independence. Moscow did notaccept the legality of the independence vote,however. Only after the failure of the August1991 coup in Moscow permitted Lithuania toregain self-determination and prompted theinternational community to recognize it as anindependent state.

Lithuania held its first post-Soviet elections in1992. The former Communist Party, whichrenamed itself the Lithuanian Democratic LabourParty (LDLP), won 73 of 141 seats. Despite itsvictory, the LDLP did not seek to reverse policies.Instead, the government liberalized the economy,joined theCouncil of Europe,became an associatemember of theWestern European Union,andpursued membership in theEuropean Union (EU)and theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO).

Rolandas Paksas,leader of Lithuanias populistLiberal Democratic Party, defeated Adamkus inthe 2003 presidential election. Paksas wasimpeached later that year, however, when theConstitutional Court ruled that he had violated theconstitution on at least three occasions. Thechairman of the Seimas (legislature) becameacting president, and Adamkus won a second termthrough a special presidential election held in

Born on 3 November 1926, Valdas Adamkus

was involved in the resistance movement for

Lithuania's independence during World War II.He fled to Germany with his parents in July

1944 where he studied at the Faculty of

Natural Science at Munich University. After

long but active years away from his homeland,

in 1998, Valdas Adamkus was elected President

of Lithuania. He assumed the office on

February 26, 1998. President Adamkus

promoted the idea of rapid modernization of

Lithuania. In 2002, Valdas Adamkus ran in the

presidential elections for another term,

however, he lost to Rolandas Paksas. In 2004,

following the removal of Rolandas Paksas from

the Office of the President by the Parliament,

Valdas Adamkus again ran in the presidential

elections. On June 27, 2004, he was re-elected

for another five-year term. Lithuaniasaccession to NATO and EU were made possible

largely thanks to his policies and dedication.

(http://www.adamkus.lt/en/family/biography.ht

ml)
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2004. That same year Lithuania gained full membership in both the EU andNATO,and itseconomic fortunes turned as European holidaymakers flocked to seaside resorts, includingPalanga and Klaipda.

Timeline of Major Events in Lithuanian History

_______Text taken directly from BBC News. Timeline: Lithuania. Available at:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/2133386.stm

1915 - Lithuania occupied by German troops during World War I.

1918 - Lithuania declares independence.

1940 - Soviet army invades. Smetona flees. Lithuania incorporated into USSR.

1941- Thousands of Lithuanians deported to Siberia. Nazis invade USSR and occupy Lithuania.

1944- Red army returns, presaging further deportations and repression of resistance.

1988- Group of writers and intellectuals sets up Lithuanian Movement for Reconstruction(Sajudis). Its leaders declare at a mass rally in the capital, Vilnius, that the USSR occupiedLithuania illegally.

1989 - Parliament approves declaration of Lithuanian sovereignty, stating that Lithuanian lawstake precedence over Soviet ones. Lithuanian Communist Party breaks away from SovietCommunist Party and declares support for independence.

1990 - Sajudis wins majority of seats in parliamentary elections. Its leader, VytautasLandsbergis, is elected chairman of parliament which declares restoration of independence.USSR imposes embargo, halting fuel supplies and causing severe economic difficulties.Lithuania agrees to suspend independence, pending talks.

1991 - Referendum sees overwhelming vote in favor of independence. Following failed coup inMoscow, USSR recognizes Lithuania's independence. Lithuania joins OSCE and UN.

2002November - Nato summit in Prague includes Lithuania on list of countries formally invitedto join the alliance.

2002 December - EU summit in Copenhagen formally invites Lithuania to join in 2004.

2003 May - Lithuanian referendum results in vote in favour of joining EU.

2004 March - Lithuania joins Nato.

2004May - Lithuania is one of 10 new states to join the EU.
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Cepelinai (zeppelins); Lithuaniannational dish served with cream

sauce and bacon bits

Lithuanian rye bread

2004November - Lithuania becomes first EU member state to ratify new EU constitution.

2008May - Parliament ratifies EU Lisbon Treaty.

LithuaniasCulture

Lithuanian CuisineText taken fromhttp://www.inppregion.lt/en/national_cuisine_visaginas

Throughout its history Lithuanians have widely usedgrain, meat and dairy products along with vegetables,fruit and honey. Lithuanians are especially fond of ryebread, often cooked with malt. And a delightful varietyof liquor made from honey is a unique national export.Lithuanians have for centuries made the best of whatnature has endowed them.

It is impossible to sum up the amazing variety ofLithuanian potato dishes: the potato sausages "vederaj"fried and served with cracklings and fried onion; thepotato pancakes "zhemaichublinai" with stewed minced meat and sour-cream; the potatopudding "plokshtainis"; the potato rissoles "zepelinai" with cracklings still called "didgkukuliaj"in some places; fried potato sticks with sour-cream sauce and "shvilpikai" as well as the friedpotato casserole with brisket and onion; Lithuanian stuffed potato roasted with mushrooms andrusks in sour-cream sauce; pork stuffed with potato, etc.

Cottage cheese is very popular in Lithuania. It could be sour, sweet, filled with caraway, hard,

soft, etc. In former times, hosts would serve cottage cheese with honey to their guests, along withsmoked ham, sausages, and omelets.

Pork is the most popular meat in Lithuania. It is fried, brined, smoked and jerked. Pork is used tocook delicious skilandis with onion, garlic and pepper. This meat can be stored for a long time.The term skilandis was mentioned in the inventory records of the Great Lithuanian Principality

in XVI-XVIII centuries.

Lithuanians have long since enjoyed cabbage,beetroot, carrots, and beans as part of their dailymeals. When souring cabbage they usually put a

couple of slices of rye bread on the bottom of abarrel. One example of creative use of localvegetation is "shaltibarshjai" - cold borsch withbeetroot, boiled egg, cucumber and herbs andserved with boiled potato. Shchi, borsch and othersoups are also very important in Lithuaniancuisine. Mushroom soup with "ears" is filled withears made of dried boiled mushrooms together


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Kankls, in the style of the

Lithuanian Birbyne, a traditional wind

instrument

with chopped and slightly fried onion; a sweet Lithuanian soup is made with French plums; theirtomato soup with rice is very simple but very tasty when cooked with stewed tomatoes and meat

broth.

Lithuanian MusicText taken from

http://thelithuanians.com/bookthelithuanians/node26.htmlKankles (zither)is a very old Lithuanian musicalinstrument, related to the Latvian kokle the Estoniankannel, the Finnish kantele and the Russian gussli. Thefirst reference to this Lithuanian instrument can befound in the translation of the Bible by Jonas Bretkunas(1579-90). The cutting of the tree to make kankles wastimed with somebody's death, or with a mourning orfuneral. The kankles made of such wood cut at such a

time were expected to have a plaintive tone. The resonator (the lower part) of the ancient kankles

was hallowed from a block of wood, and the sound board was fixed on its top. The kankles had5-7 strings. The strings were made of finer copper, iron or guts. The kankles in the north-easternethnic region of Lithuania (Aukstaitija) had the shape of a boat with one end oblique and slightlywider and 5-7 strings. The kankles from the western part of the region, also from westernLithuania (Zemaitija) were flat, with one end very oblique and 7-9 strings. The kankles made inthe ethnic region of Suvalkija had a rounded narrow end and 9-12 strings. The player wouldpluck the strings either with his fingers or with a plectrum.

The Skuduciai (panpipes)is a set of 5-6 pipes, 8-20 cm long, 1-3 cm in diameter, they are madeof wood (ash, alder, buckthorn, osier), of willow or linden bark, or of the hollow stems ofumbelliferous plants. The upper end of the pipe has two sickle-shaped cuts in the rim; the lower

end is plugged with a fixed or sliding stopper. Each pipe produces one stable note. Bothinstrumental and vocal sutartines (ancient polyphonic songs) and accompaniment to dances wereplayed on them. In the 1920s this instrument was modified - a sliding stopper was used as itsbottom, and several pipes could be played together.

The Hornsare made of goat horn, there are daudytes, tubas, and trumpets, all made of splitwood. The horns are 8-10 cm in diameter, 5-110 cm long, slightly bent in most cases, withoutany side holes. A piece of wood, its bark removed, issplit lengthwise into two (the wider end is whole),hollowed and then fixed together: glued with resin, andbirch bark is tightly wrapped round the two parts. A setis made of 4-5 horns. Such horns are straight, each a fewcentimeters longer than the next one, with holes ofdifferent size. The longer the horn is the lower its tone.The horns can produce 1-2 strident notes.

Daudyteis 1.4-2.3 meters long, straight, fashioned inthe same way as the horns. 4-5 notes can be produced onit. Its sound is very strident. In ancient times, a


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Vincas Krv (Mickeviius)was a

creator of universal daring and various

genres, he combined realistic details

with romantic inspiration, merged

wisdom of his own nation and the

Orient, created historical works,interpreted the Bible, started the

literary folklorism, was a writer of a

wide amplitude.

In 1904 V.Krv had entered KievUniversity and studiedphilology. In1905 the he moved to Lvov University in

Galicia. In 1909 hegraduated with adoctor of philology degree. In 1913 he

was awarded a Master'sdegree incomparative linguistics at Kiev

University. In 1919 V.Krv was anambassador of Lithuania in Azerbaijan.

In 1925-1937 V.Krv was a Dean of theFaculty of Humanities in Lithuanian

University, edited scholarly publications

of the Faculty and literary journals. In

1940after the Bolsheviks had occupiedLithuania, V.Krv was a Minister inthe government, but had quitted that

post quickly. Having retired from

politics he workedat Vilnius Universityand was appointed thePresident of theAcademy of Science.

In 1944V.Krv had departed to theWest. For some time he lived in Austria.

In 1947 he moved to Americaandsettled down in Philadelphia. At

University of Pennsylvania he taught

Russian and Polish languages and

literature. He died on July 7, 1954.

herdsman used the daudyte as a signal instrument whentaking the herd to the pasture or back home. Sutartineswere also played on this instrument. At present it is usedin folk instrument groups.

Literature:Text taken fromhttp://www.omnitel.net/ramunas/Lietuva/lt_culture_literature.shtml

In contrast to other European languages, Lithuanian waslate in coming into literary usage, not until early in the16th century. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Lithuanianliterature was mostly religious. The 18th centurywitnessed a modest increase in secular publications,including dictionaries. The first notable name in

Lithuanian literature is that of Christian Donalitius, a poetwhose masterful work Metai (The Seasons, printed in1818) depicts in lyrical hexameter the passage of a yearin a Lithuanian village. In 1863, the Russian Czarproclaimed a 40-year ban on the printing of theLithuanian language.During the ban, the Lithuanianpeople's desire for independence became a theme in muchof the literature. When the ban against printing theLithuanian language was lifted in 1904, various Europeanliterary movements such as symbolism, impressionism,and expressionism each in turn influenced the work ofLithuanian writers.

An outstanding figure of the early 20th century wasVincas Kreve Mickevicius, a novelist and dramatist. Hismany works include Old Folks Tales of Dainava, 1912and the historical dramas Sarunas (1911), Skirgaila(1925), and The Death of Mindaugo, 1935. PetrasVaiciunas was another popular playwright, producing oneplay each year during the 1920s and '30s. During theSoviet period (1940-91), literature written in theLithuanian language fell into two distinct categories.Those authors who remained in Lithuania tended to writein the vein of Soviet socialist realism. Expatriatedauthors, writing for a small but devoted audience in suchcountries as the United States, Australia, and Canada,were concerned with maintaining Lithuanian culture andtraditions.Since 1991, when Lithuania once more gainedits independence, a large number of publications inLithuanian have appeared, including newspapers, magazines and scientific and technical works.
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Folklore: Egle the Queen of Serpents_______From: http://www.omnitel.net/sakmes/framese.html

Once in Lithuania lived a family that had three daughters and nine brothers. The youngest of the

sisters, Egle, was also the most beautiful. One day Egle and her sisters went to the lake to swim.Having swum and bathed the maidens left the water and started to dress. Egle discovered aserpent in her clothes. The serpent asked Egle to marry him - then he would give her clothesback. Egle just wanted the snake to leave and promised to become his wife.

Seven days went by, and Egle forgot about her strange promise. One morning she saw a carriagepulled by grass-snakes. Frightened, Egle told her parents all that had happened that night at thelake. Egle's parents dressed a white goose as the bride, adorned her with white flowers and liftedher into the carriage. The grass-snakes departed swiftly to the nearby forest. There they heard acuckoo saying that this was not the bride they should have had, only a white goose. Furious, thesnakes returned thundering to Egle's house. They returned to claim the real bride. Her parents

who still did not want to lose their daughter gave them a sheep dressed all in white. The cuckoowarned the snakes once more. Again they returned rumbling even more loudly. They startedthreatening to burn the house down if they were deceived once more. This time Egle had to keepher promise. Parents wept and bid farewell to their beloved daughter. The grass-snakes broughtEgle to the sea shore where she found a handsome young man waiting for her. He revealed thathe was that same serpent she had seen at the lake shore and promised to marry. He was also theking of the snakes - his name was Zhilvinas. Zhilvinas escorted Egle to his underwater castle.There she found everything her heart desired, and Egle spent her days happily with her lovinghusband. They had four children - Azhuolas (Oak), Berzhas (Birch), Uosis (Ash) and a littledaughter Drebule (Aspen).

Days went by, and Egle longed for her home and the sunny beach. She longed for her sisters andher parents more and more. Zhilvinas promised her a trip home if she would wear out the ironshoes he had gave for her. Egle walked on the rocks and pebbles, but the shoes did not have evena tiniest scratch on them. In despair, Egle turned to an old sea witch for advice. The witch toldEgle to have a smith put these shoes in his forge - the shoes would wear out soon after that. Thenext day, Egle returned the worn shoes to her husband. She then received another challengefrom him. She had to spin a tuff of silk. It seemed to be an endless job, for it did not shrink nomatter how much she spun. Egle turned to the sea witch once more for help. She told Egle tothrow the silk into the fireplace. The silk blazed up for a moment and the fire went out because ithad a magic spell cast upon it. Afterwards she could quickly finish the spinning. Zhilvinas hadthen a third request for Egle. He asked Egle to bake some bread to bring home to her family. If

she completed this task, then she would be free to go. He then hid every dish in the kitchenexcept an old sieve. Tears ran down Egle's bright face, for she did not know how to make breadwithout any pans. The old witch helped Egle once more. Egle was told to go to the spring offresh water, find some soft clay and stuff the holes of the sieve with it - then she could bringhome some water and make a dough for the bread. After she completed this chore, there wasnothing else to keep Egle from going home. In parting, Zhilvinas told Egle and the children notto stay longer than 9 days and upon returning to the seashore to call him by name and say: if youare alive, come as milk foam, if you are dead, come as blood foam.


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Egle left with her sons and thedaughter. Her kinfolk hadnever expected to see theirdearest daughter alive again

and had a great feast tocelebrate her visit. Egle'sbrothers had no desire to loseEgle again and plotted to killher beloved husband. At nightthey took the oldest sonAzhuolas with them to pasturethe horses and started askinghim how they were to calltheir father when they wantedto return home. But Azhuolas

was a stout boy and did notbetray his father. Neither didBerzhas and Uosis when theywere asked by Egle's brothers on the next two days. On the fourth day, the brothers took littleDrebule to the pasture. The little one was afraid of her angry uncles and their whippingswitches. Afraid they would hurt her, she cried as she told them all about the song. The brothersat once set forth to the sea and called Zhilvinas. They saw that the waves had milk foam and thatZilvinas was coming. They attacked Zhilvinas with their scythes. After nine days Egle set out tojourney back home. On the seashore she sang the song she was told to sing by her husband. Shethen looked for the milk foam on the sea. But instead, what she saw was bright crimson bloodfoam. Deep pain shook Egle's heart - she cast a spell on her children and they all turned intogreat Lithuanian trees. The sons became trees that are valued even today for their great strength.The little daughter turned to a frail aspen tree that shakes in the mildest wind. Egle herself turnedto a fir tree and stayed close to the sea shore to mourn for her husband forever.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Palanga_-_Egle_the_Queen_of_Serpents.jpg


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Select Bibliography of Sources on Lithuania

Balkelis, Tomas. The Making of Modern Lithuania. London; New York, NY: Routledge, 2009

Grazulis, Marius K.. Lithuanians in Michigan. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press,c2009.

Hundert, Gershon David. Jews in PolandLithuania in the Eighteenth Century: A Genealogy ofModernity. Berkeley: University of California Press, c2004.

Katz, Davis. Lithuanian Jewish Culture. Vilnius, Lithuania: Baltos Lankos; Budaoest; NewYork: Distributed by Central European University Press, c2010.

Klingermann, HansDieter, Dieter Fuchs and Jan Zielonka (eds.). Democracy and PoliticalCulture in Eastern Europe. London; New York: Routledge, 2006.

OConnor, Kevin. Culture and Customs of the Baltic States. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press,2006.

Paulauskiene, Ausra. Lost and Found: The Discovery of Lithuania in American Fiction.Amsterdam; New York, NY: Rodopi, 2007.

Reklaitis, George. Cold War Lithuania: National Armed Resistance and SovietCounterinsurgency. Pittsburg, PA.: Center for Russian & East European Studies, UniversityCenter for International Studies, University of Pittsburgh, c2007.

Remeikis, Thomas (ed.). Lithuania under German Occupation, 1941-1945: Despatches from USLegation in Stockholm. Vilnius: Vilnius University Press, 2005

Senn, Alfred Erich. Lithuania 1940: Revolution from Above. Amsterdam; New York, NY:Rodopi, 2007

Sruoginis, Laima. The Earth Remains: An Anthology of Contemporary Lithuanian Prose.Boulder, Colo.: East European Monographs; New York: Distributed by Columbia UniversityPress, 2003.

Suiedlis, Saulius. Historical Dictionary of Lithuania. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2011

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