Society

No Picture
History

The lives of fallen GDL noblemen

January 29, 2018 Lithuania Tribune 0

The noble estate enjoyed the most important position in the social hierarchy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The nobility, however, was far from homogenous. It consisted of aristocrats, (the magnates), as well as of middling and petty nobles who owned little or no land at all respectively. The importance and financial might of noble families and even particular individuals was constantly fluctuating. Many families went through a process of ascent and subsequent slide down or even oblivion. A considerable number of the noblemen were utterly poor. They sometimes could hardly afford their daily meals yet they still enjoyed all the privileges of the estate. Some of them – mostly vagabonds – would eventually cross the line and lose their symbols of the nobility. They would live on accidental income, sometimes illegal, and would very often end up in prisons or on the scaffold. Surviving interrogation documents reveal the paths that led them into the world of crime. What kind of life was it? […]

No Picture
Society

American gets prison sentence in Lithuania for rape

January 25, 2018 BNS 0

A Vilnius court on Wednesday sentenced Eric Georgoulakos, an American national, to three years and a half in prison for raping a young woman, the Prosecutor General’s Office said. […]

Biržai castle
History

Self-rule in GDL Biržai

January 23, 2018 Raimonda Ragauskiene 0

Between the beginning of the 16th century and the middle of the 17th century, there were about 800 functioning towns and cities in the GDL that had the traits of city-like settlements, however only a small number of them had rights to self-rule. During the following 400 years after the establishment of the first self-governing city, Vilnius, in 1387, up until 1795, it is estimated that there were approximately 250 self-ruling cities that had the kind of Magdeburg rights generally given in the GDL. The Magdeburg rights were the primary legal act that set a city apart from other settlements that did not have privileges issued to them. One of these cities was Biržai, which during the existence of the GDL belonged to the Radvila family, who were the dukes of Biržai and Dubingai and one of the most powerful noble families in the GDL. It was their private city. […]

Vladislavas Švedas (on the left)
Society

Defendant in Jan. 13 attempted coup declines lawyer

January 22, 2018 BNS 0

Vladislavas Švedas, one of the former Communist leaders in Lithuania and a defendant in the January 13 case of attempted coup, has told a court he was declining the lawyer he had been appointed for the case, citing indignation over the lawyer’s public statements about the 1991 events mentioned in the case. […]

Augustus II
History

The union of the Commonwealth of Two Nations and Saxony

January 19, 2018 Mindaugas Sapoka 0

Frederik August I (1670-1733), Elector of Saxony, became the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania (1697-1733) on June 27th, 1697. During the coronation, the new ruler took the name of Augustus II, but often was called the Strong due to his unusual physical strength. Saxony was one of the most economically developed states in Europe at the end of the 17th century. Entering into a personal union with Saxony, the Commonwealth had better prospects in international politics than many surrounding nations. The new leader, having his own state, could hope that he would be able to rule the boyars of the Commonwealth. […]

Yuri Borisov
Society

Russian seeks to save secret shooting range in Lithuania from demolition – daily

January 19, 2018 BNS 0

Russian businessman Yuri Borisov seeks to legitimize an illegal underground facility housing one of Lithuania’s longest and most modem shooting ranges as authorities want to demolish it, the daily Lietuvos Rytas reported on Friday. […]