Lithuania

Visited: August 2016

Duration of visit: 4 days

Capital city: Vilnius

Population: 2.8 million (2016)

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

• One of the largest medieval old towns in Northern Europe – a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Vilnius – with a mix of Gothic, Renaissance and Neo-Classical architectural styles.
• The passion for basketball in Kaunas; the hometown of the best Lithuanian team Zalgiris.
• Siauliai Hill of Crosses – a fascinating pilgrimage site, where generations of people have bestowed crosses, statues, rosaries and crucifixes.
• The fact that in the 15^th century Lithuania was the biggest country in Europe, approximately 14 times bigger than the actual size in the 21^st century.

Lithuania is one of those countries that doesn’t find space in international news very often if the national basketball team doesn’t win an important competition. The nation that was independent between 1918 and 1940, before being occupied by Soviet Union, then Nazi Germany, and Soviet Union again, until its collapse in 1990, has been famous for its landscape of flatlands, abundant forests, lakes and marches.

The country is known for the historic old town of the capital city Vilnius, the national basketball team and the insatiable desire for independence that was finally expressed in 1991 and crowned with an entry into the European Union in 2004. Despite its proximity and historical entanglement with the Soviet Union, nowadays Lithuania gravitates around Western Europe, reflecting this orientation with its politics, economy, values and believes.

A significant event that captured international media attention regarding Lithuania’s aspiration for independence happened in August 1989.

One of the most peaceful political demonstrations, where around 2 million Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians united to form a 675 km long human chain, called the Baltic Way, took place on 23^rd August 1989, peacefully demanding the independence of their countries from the Soviet Union as part of the Singing Revolution.

It is probably the most remarkable congregation of human beings for a common, peaceful cause. Considering the fact that there were approximately 8 million people living in those territories at the time, two million demonstrators that peacefully linked hands for 15 minutes at 19:00 local time is even more extraordinary achievement.

I visited Lithuania for the first time in 2012 on a business trip. The duration of my stay was brief, mainly to attend business meetings in Vilnius. A private security-documents printing company was well organized and operating according to international standards. I toured the company and engaged with the owner and management to explore common ground for further cooperation.

In the evening, I was invited to a local restaurant with traditional food. Colorful cold beetroot soup, dark rye bread, potato in various forms, herring fish for me; cabbage rolls and cepelinai (potato dumplings filled with meat) for my colleagues. The most popular drinks are locally brewed beers and kvass (fermented Slavic beverage from rye bread).

Lithuania was part of a trip to the Baltics (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) in 2016, when I was travelling around the region in a rented car. It was in early August when the weather was supposed to be at its best, with long, warm days. Nevertheless, it was fresh and clouds were covering the sky most of the time.

The country is very easy to travel, the roads are good, traffic is very reasonable, especially outside of big cities I encountered no difficulties in navigating; driving the car was straightforward, provided that the road signage was adequate and the navigation system functioned correctly.

Vilnius offers one of the largest medieval old towns in Northern Europe and covers an area of over 3.5 square kilometers. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is located where two main rivers converge with a mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Neo-Classical architectural styles. Well preserved orthodox churches and castles, impressive baroque buildings, presidential palace, a cathedral, the National Museum and the University Architectural Ensemble with 13 courtyards are some of the main landmarks.

Rich cultural life, parks, cafes, little bars and restaurants with outside seating on the cobbled streets, surrounded by gardens, offer moments to calm down and refresh from the summer sun or shelter from the winter cold. Pilies Street is the Old Town’s main artery and the hub of cafes and street market life.

In general, I didn’t feel particularly excited in the old town. There were two groups of foreign tourists, but otherwise predominantly young Lithuanians. People are quiet and respectful. The streets are clean, organized.

Generally speaking, I found the old town to lack a notable level of excitement. There were two groups of tourists from abroad, yet the majority were young Lithuanians. People are quiet and respectful. The streets were both clean and systematically organized. I noted several announcements for upcoming cultural events, but I didn’t have time to attend an of them.

The Republic of Užupis is probably the most bohemian place in the city, located on the other side of the river. Due to its bohemian and laissez-faire atmosphere it has been compared to Montmartre in Paris. Painters and musicians converted historically poor and dangerous area into a respected and even prestigious neighborhood, using art and creativity.

The impressive Roman Catholic Vilnius Cathedral, built in the 13^th century has a special aura – untouched by time. The beating heart of the Lithuanian nation, as St. John Paul II described it, has been through many remodulation and even closed during four decades of Soviet occupation.

Gediminas Tower is the remaining part of the Upper Castle on top of the Gediminas Hill, named after the founder of Vilnius – the Grand Duke Gediminas. The tower used to be a part of the defense castle which deteriorated through history, as of today offering the perfect spot to enjoy the sunset over the narrow streets of the Old Town, red roofs and church towers.

Although there was a brief period of rain during the day, the skies cleared by evening, providing me an opportunity to admire the city at sunset. With the temperature cooling down, I found shelter in a restaurant specializing in traditional cuisine. When considering both quality and quantity, the food prices in Lithuania are notably lower than those in Western Europe. Additionally, the beer costs only a portion of what would be in Germany or France.

One of the most outstanding structures is the red brick gothic St. Anne’s church, built at the beginning of the 1500s.

The legend says that Napoleon Bonaparte was impressed by the beauty of this church so much, that he wanted to take it back to Paris in the palm of his hand!

The second largest Lithuanian city, Kaunas, is known as the city of culture and basketball. The Old Town certainly has its charm with a typical list of landmarks and activities as many other East European cities: cobblestone streets, galleries, cafes and old, colorful houses, City Museum, Town Hall, the Kaunas Castle, various churches and many small galleries and design shops.

For almost two decades between the first and second world wars, Kaunas was the capital of Lithuania. Converting to a capital, it needed a lot of new infrastructure and buildings, that would be used for public and residential purposes. Trendy styles in Europe at that time reflected through Interwar architecture heavily influenced by art deco style and Bauhaus movement.

In Lithuania, basketball is regarded as the national sport, and Zalgiris Kaunas stands out as the leading team in the country.

This team has been home to numerous internationally acclaimed players as well as Lithuanian legends. Basketball is also my favorite sport and a great passion. Consequently, I focused my efforts in Kaunas on visiting the Žalgirio Arena with maximum possible seating capacity for basketball games of 15,000 fans and investigated the historical development of this sport in Lithuania.

Why basketball is so popular in Lithuania?

Lithuanian-American basketball coaches and players in the 1930s helped the national team to win the last EuroBasket tournaments prior to the World War II, in 1937 and 1939. Lithuanian players frequently formed the core of the Soviet national team during occupation, until the resurrection of the national team in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, when Lithuania won the bronze medal.

The passion for basketball is among the highest in Europe.

Lithuanian fans follow their team in international competitions through thick and thin. They are recognized by their well-coordinated and enthusiastic cheering, which is characterized by a commitment to fair play and the peaceful atmosphere.

Siauliai Hill of Crosses is a fascinating pilgrimage site in the north of Lithuania, where generations of people have bestowed crosses, statues, rosaries and crucifixes. It is estimated that over 100,000 crosses have been brought here by Christians since November Uprising of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire in 1831.

During both Russian occupations, Lithuanians were fighting for their national identity, language and religious confession against oppressive invaders. Beside bulldozing the site three separate times, Soviets used other methods to deter the public from visiting the hill, blocking the hill and guarding it to prohibit the access. But the faith of Lithuanians was stronger. In 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the Hill of Crosses, declaring it a place for hope, peace, love and sacrifice.

During my visit, the Hill of Crosses was very quiet with only a few visitors around. The gentle rays of the late afternoon sun were shinning on thousands of crosses, exhibited on both sides of a wooden footbridge. Peace, tranquility and faith in the power of popular rebellion, when people are united in its goal, reflect here in all the glory.

Lithuanians are extremely proud of being an independent country, famous for its ancient history, interesting pagan roots and Lithuanian language, the oldest surviving Indo-European language in the world.

Lithuania was heavily oppressed under Soviet regime that forced exile of thousands of families to brutal settlements in the Soviet Union. In the opposite direction, the immigration of non-Lithuanian workers was implemented, especially Russians, as a way of integrating Lithuania into the Soviet Union and pushing for industrial development. The unsuccessful integration finished in Lithuanian independence and strong determination to become part of the European Union.

As a visitor, Lithuania did not offer me personally any extravagances or special interest, with the exception of the well-preserved old town center in the capital city Vilnius and Siauliai Hill of Crosses. The rapidly developing economy and integration in the European Union will certainly bring greater development in the future, but on the other hand the Northern Italy of the Baltic will always remain exposed to Russian interference, culture or the greed of its leaders.