Transcript Lithuania National Day 16th of February

Lithuanian National Day
th
16 of February
Gabrielė Bubnytė, Rima Beitnarienė
Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, situated
along southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea,
Vilnius is the capital.
• The first known record of the name of
Lithuania is dated by 1009, in chronicles of
Quedlinburg as – Litua.
• During the 14th century, Lithuania was the
largest country in Europe.
• 1772 to 1795 Russian Empire annexed most
of Lithuania's territory.
• Lithuanian language considered to oldest
surviving Indo-European , some words even
resemble words in Sanskrit and Latin.
Most strongs kings of Lithuania XIIIXV:Mindaugas,
Gediminas and Vytautas.
Lithuanian soldiers volunteers in 1919.
• Act of February 16 was signed by the Council of
Lithuania, twenty representatives, chaired by Jonas
Basanavičius - patriarch of a nation reborn 19th century.
The front page of Lietuvos Aidas with the
text of the Act of Independence of Lithuania.
Act of Independence of Lithuania was signed on
February 16, 1918,
in Vilnius, Pilies street 26.
• The building has since been known as House of the
Signatories,
National Museum of Lithuania now.
20 members of the Council of Lithuania after signing the Act of
Independence of Lithuania, 16 February 1918.
Most of the signatories of the Act remained active in the cultural
and political life of independent Lithuania.
In addition, the council has received 3 most
important state‘s signs: the symbol- Vytis, a
flag and nation‘s hymn.
• National flag
•National coat of arms vytis
National anthem ”Tautiška giesmė”.
• The music and lyrics were written in 1898 by Vincas
Kudirka, when Lithuania was still a part of the Russian
Empire. The fifty-word poem was a condensation of
Kudirka's conceptions of the Lithuanian state, the
Lithuanian people, and their past.
The twenty-two years of inter-war Lithuanian
independence constitute the first golden age in
Lithuanian culture, art and science.
• In 1933, Stasys Darius and Steponas Girenas achieved
world fame by setting out on a direct flight from New
York to Kaunas. They perished in East Prussia, near the
Lithuanian border
• 10 gold medals in the International Exposition in Paris in
1937
• Lithuanian basketball Men's Team became the
European Champions in 1937 and 1939
President A. Smetona, S.
Rastikis in 1939.
• Antanas Smetona the first President of Lithuania ,one of
the most important Lithuanian political figures between
World War I and World War II.
• Stasys Raštikis was a Lithuanian military officer,
ultimately obtaining the rank of General of the Lithuanian
Army.
In 1940, Lithuania was occupied first by the Soviet
Union in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
then Nazi Germany.
As World War II neared its end in 1944 and the Nazis
retreated, the Soviet Union reoccupied Lithuania.
Lithuania becameLithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Soviet dictatorship.
– During the Soviet dictatorship (1940 to 1954), Lithuania lost
780,000 of its citizens. The Soviet government killed or deported
to Siberia a number of 120,000 to 300,000 people. 28,000 to
35,000 prisoners were killed, or died of the hardships in the
penal camps or gulags. 21,500 Lithuanians lost their lives in the
fight against Soviet oppression. Another 5,000 civilians were
executed. A great number of Lithuanians chose to go into exile.
• Romas Kalanta - May 14,
1972 Kaunas) was a
Lithuanian political victim
known for his selfimmolation for political
reasons. He is the subject
of several books.
Hippies cultural movement of youth in 1960
against the Soviet ideologization.
Protest against the Soviet occupation Columns of Gediminas or Pillars of Gediminas
-one of the earliest symbols of Lithuania and
one of its historical coats of arms.
• This form is the one usually
seen in modern times, often
drawn on walls and fences as
• protest against the Soviet
occupation of Lithuania
Baltic way-“Heartbeat to Baltic”- people
holding hands along the "Baltic Way" summer
1989.
• Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia
and Estonia reunited on the
historic Baltic Way in a twentyfour hour run, that began in
Tallinn and Vilnius and
finished on 23 August at 20:00
in Riga.
• It marked the 50th anniversary
of the Molotov– Ribbentrop
Pact between the Soviet
Union and Nazi Germany. The
pact and its secret protocols
divided Eastern Europe into
and a joint declaration renewing on March 11,
1990,
it has kept strong democratic traditions
Lithuania .
• The Lithuanian head of state is the President
• Lithuania joined the United Nations in 1991, and the
NATO in 2004. It was accepted as a member of the
European Community on May 1, 2004
• Lithuania's parliament is called the 'Seimas‘.
• V. Landsbergis, Chairman of the Supreme Council of
Lithuania, 1990- 92 , elected president .
Soviet government tried to forcibly
prevent the secession Lithuania up until
August 31, 1991.
• In 1991, January 13, Soviet tanks attacked Vilnius
television tower., plowing through crowds of unarmed
people. Fourteen Lithuanians were killed.
The Angel of Freedom in Alytus.
• 1928,sculptor A. Aleksandravicius.
• Memorial to the partisans of the Dainava district who
died for Lithuanian independence.
• Rebuilt in 1991.
Vilnius cathedral
Restoration of Independence March 11.