#Archive

The Baltic Road – LIW Magazine History Archive

By ArnasTraveler87
A massive public demonstration 15 years ago opened the doors to independence for the three Baltic states

Marcelijus Martinaitis

On 23 August 2004, the three Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, celebrated the 15th anniversary of one of the most unique events in their histories. The Baltijos Kelias (Baltic Road) helped to open the door to the restoration of their independence.

This event 15 years ago was a milestone in the struggle of the three states towards the elimination of the legal and political effects of their occupation and annexation by the Soviet Union in 1940.

Of course, people in other countries have all but forgotten the Baltic Road, even though it was widely covered by the press and television at the time. It was then that the Lithuanian word …

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Ten Ways to Tie The Knot – LIW Magazine Lifestyle and Variety

By ArnasTraveler87

Wedding rites are changing

Jolanta Paðkevièienë

These days, when peoples and their customs are all mixing, weddings that are celebrated in accordance with centuries-old traditions can probably only be found in some mountain village, or in an Eskimo community cut off from the world by ice, or seen in films about folk traditions.

Even Lithuanians, who are not enthusiastic about taking on new things, and who are proud of their customs that have lasted since pagan times, no longer have traditional weddings.

They often laugh that the only events they celebrate joyfully are weddings. Maybe that is why the occasion, which is celebrated with relatives and close friends, often adopts customs from other parts of the world.

Traditions Are Barely Alive

Over the last decade, not only premarital life but …

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Latest News Lithuania: Passports Come of Age

By ArnasTraveler87
New identity documents are devised to defy counterfeiters by Liw Magazine

Steven Paulikas

At first glance, travel documents appear to be the most benign of objects. Sporting merely a photo here and a few stamps there, a passport seems nothing more than a bland collection of official papers whose most redeeming feature is that it gets its owner from one place to another. But behind the deceptively innocuous passport cover lies an entire world of historic and modern-day struggles to make sense of the world, and the people in it. For Lithuanians, the right to hold a passport not issued by a foreign government was just an abstract dream 15 years ago. And even in its short history, the contemporary Lithuanian passport has been transformed from a proud symbol of …

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Made by Wind, Sand and Hands – LIW Magazine Investigates

By ArnasTraveler87

A natural wonder is threatened by human activity

Irena Jomantienė

Legend has it that Neringa, a giant goddess, created the Curonian Spit to shield fishermen from the Baltic Sea.
Fishing has been the main trade on the spit for centuries and also the way of life, and it now bears the name Neringa.

Although fishing is gradually giving up its position to tourism, the spit has preserved the original architectural styles of a fishing village. Perched on the edge of the lagoon are single-story wooden structures with gabled roofs of red tile or thatch. The walls are painted brown, white and blue, and decorated with ornamental weather vanes, which used to be identifying marks on fishing boats. These reflect the functional needs and the aesthetic sensibility of the Kuršiai …

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LIW Magazine News: A New Dynamism for the European Union

By ArnasTraveler87
Membership of the EU gives a boost to the economy

Raműnas Vilpiđauskas

On 1 May 2005, Lithuania, together with nine other new member states, celebrated its first year as a member of the EU. Accession had been a policy target of these states for more than a decade, providing stability and consistency to the reforms undertaken after the collapse of communism.

Hopes have been high, and the public has been among the most enthusiastic, voting overwhelmingly in the 2003 referendum to join. What does the situation look like after the first year of membership? Are the benefits being felt in the economy and in society? What are the main concerns?

Optimistic about membership

Opinion polls reveal that the Lithuanians are still quite satisfied with their country’s performance in the …

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Bonan Tagon, Amiko – LIW Magazine Culture and Society Update

By ArnasTraveler87

Esperanto opens the door

Laimius Stražnickas

Bonan tagon, amiko [Hello, friend]. Are you going on the boating trip?”

This question to young Lithuanian Esperantists is like the herald of spring.

In early May, the trip is all you hear about, along with telephone calls from Esperantists from neighboring countries to ask about the weather in Lithuania.

Everybody takes it for granted that the traditional boating trip in the Aukštaitija National Park will take place. Even the program is always the same, with boating during the day and entertainment at night.

Around a hundred Esperantists spend three days on the lakes, rivers and streams, visiting museums and other places of interest. Birthday celebrations for those born in May, and the initiation ceremony for new members, take place every year.

The tradition …

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LIW Magazine Arts: Seize the Fading Image

By ArnasTraveler87

A distinguished painter and collector returns to the land of his youth

Laima Kanopkienë

At first the eyes try to resist it. Soon, however, they follow the laws of subtle and playful “tremolo”.

Endless shimmering slowly turns into strange, decorative and repetitive combinations that invoke something close and dear to us, and which is difficult to put into words. This something may look like ingenious decoration on ancient doors, or a kind of carving on shutters, tables or chairs.

There is no distinct center. The constituent elements pulsate and spread towards the edges. It is a rhythmic, harmonious and never ending movement.

The third dimension

The canvases of the painter Kazys Varnelis shimmer, flicker and move in a wavelike motion. But this is only an illusion. In reality they hang …

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Winners Take All

By ArnasTraveler87

It”s never a prize too many

  • Giedrė PutelytėCompanies in the food products, financial, information technology and advertising sectors have won numerous prizes in international competitions, proving that Lithuanians are capable of producing quality products.Awards enhance the reputation of a company, as well as that of the country it represents. They also serve as an indicator of the development of different Lithuanian industries and their compliance with international standards.La crème de la crèmeEuromoney, Global Finance and The Banker, some of the world’s most respectable finance magazines, have repeatedly named SEB Vilniaus Bankas, the country”s largest bank, which is owned by the Swedish SEB Group, the best commercial bank in Lithuania. It has been rated by Euromoney for five years in a row as the best bank, and by Global Finance for
…
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