The treetop walkway in Anykščiai
Society

Lithuanians enjoying their own country more often

It is estimated that Lithuanian domestic tourism this year has increased significantly compared to last year. Both the most popular tourist attraction points and new or refurbished leisure facilities received increased domestic attention. It is believed that tourism could become even more active within the country if certain regions had greater opportunities to compete by providing exceptional entertainment. […]

Kindergarten children
Society

Kindergarten education becomes compulsory in Lithuania

The Seimas (parliament) has adopted an amendment to the Law on Education that has made kindergarten education compulsory in Lithuania. Fifty-nine parliamentarians voted for the amendment, 9 voted against it, and 27 abstained. […]

No Picture
Society

Foreign nationals make up under 1% of Lithuania’s population

Foreign citizens accounted for 0.8% of the total population of Lithuania on January 1, 2014. Among them, one eight (0.1% of the total population) were citizens of other member states of the European Union (EU), while the remaining share (0.7%) were non-EU citizens. Most foreigners living in Lithuania were from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, and Latvia, Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU, reports. […]

Society

Over 100,000 emigrants have returned to Lithuania over the past decade

On International Migrants Day (18 December), Statistics Lithuania announced that, over the last decade, 126,000 new residents immigrated into Lithuania while 438,500 emigrated. From 2005 to 2014, the percentage of emigrants of ages 20-39 grew from 51.9 to 59.2 percent. In 2014, as many as 82 percent of working-age people had not worked for a year or longer before leaving the country. […]

No Picture
Society

Alcohol availability must be reduced in Lithuania, says Interior Minister

Interior Minister Saulius Skvernelis has met with representatives of non-governmental and other organisations to discuss ways to reduce alcohol availability in Lithuania. […]

De-industrialisation was the most painful for older workers. The employment service has directed these men to do community service at the local water supplier (photo by Dalia Mikonytė)
Society

Creativity and boredom in a Lithuanian town coping with globalisation

Having joined the eurozone this year and successfully advertised its natural and urban wonders, Lithuania has become a new darling of international travel ‘listicles’. Its brushed-up capital, ambitious start-ups and emerging foodie hotspots make many visitors wonder if this is really one of the poorest countries in the European Union. Much of the country’s hardships, however, have been cushioned by de-industrialised peripheral towns – like Alytus. Having lost most of its industries, the town is looking for new, global inspiration. […]

Jonas Valančiūnas next to the USSR's coat of arms
Society

Five Lithuanian basketballers win dubious honour of being named members of modern fantasy USSR team

A Russian sports website named sports.ru has given five Lithuanian basketball players the questionable honor of playing on that website’s modern-day USSR fantasy dream team. The article’s author recounted that four Lithuanian basketball players – Arvydas Sabonis, Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Valdemaras Chomičius and Rimas Kurtinaitis – played for the Soviet Union when its basketball team took the gold at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. […]

Jewish heritage site in Šeduva
Society

Lost Shtetl: Sergey Kanovich’s work to remember the lives and deaths of Lithuanian Jews in WW2

Poet and social activist Sergey Kanovich, who lives in Vilnius and Brussels, is currently realizing his life’s work – the “Lost Shtetl” project. The restored cemetery at Šeduva and the completely redone memorials at the mass killing sites near the town were presented to the public some time ago, an exceptionally beautiful and touching monument by Romas Kvintas was unveiled in the town’s center in October, and the cultural center of Šeduva was been restored. However, there’s still much to be done – the “Lost Shtetl” museum, which will focus on the history of Lithuanian Jewry, is also among Kanovich’s plans. […]

No Picture
Society

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