New Rokiškis award to honour Litvak war hero

Private Bun was born in the village of Pasubatė in the Rokiškis region on May 11, 1902 and volunteered to fight in Lithuania‘s wars of independence and died at the Battle of Giedraičiai on November 21, 1920, the last day of fighting.

The goal of the award is to honour the memory of volunteer Private Ruvin Bun and other soldiers who fought and died for Lithuanian independence, to get a better understanding of the contribution of ethnic minorities in the founding of an independent Lithuanian state, and to identify, develop, and preserve the history of Lithuania’s ethnic minorities.

The award, funded by Remembering Litvaks, will be available for independent research of history and cultural heritage of Lithuania’s ethnic minorities and dissemination of that information to society to increase awareness of Lithuania’s heritage of multicultural diversity and promote ideals of tolerance.

The €500 annual award will be funded for the next five years, beginning in 2016. The competition for the award is open to organizations, communities, or individuals.

A five-member committee appointed by the museum will review the entries and select one competitor to win the Bun award. Entries may be submitted by educational and cultural institutions, public organizations that are dedicated to history and cultural heritage, and individuals.

This year’s award will be announced in September. The deadline for submitting entries is July 15, 2016. Qualifying entries must demonstrate an understanding of the subject. Entries may be submitted in paper or electronic form. Previous award-winners will not be eligible to win an award a second time.

Entries for the award can be submitted to the Rokiškis Regional Museum either by delivery to the museum address, Tyzenhauzų g. 5, Rokiškis, LT-42115, or e-mail to muziejus@rokiskyje.lt. For further information call +370 458 52261 or +370 458 52835 (Lithuanian) or contact Remembering Litvaks, Inc., at philshapiro608@gmail.com (English).