Monthly Archives: December 2022

The book about Lithuanians in the special camps in Kazakhstan in 1948-1955, published in 2022 by the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania, stands out from traditional history books. It provides a panoramic look at the fate of the Lithuanians who were imprisoned in the Kazakhstan camps. According to its author Algis Vyšniūnas, such a look could be taken across the entire territory of the USSR, i.e. the entire Gulag archipelago, because the overall narrative of the Freedom Struggle in Lithuanian history leaves disproportionately little room for the Lithuanians who suffered and died in the Siberian camps.

The winter edition of the Baltic Heritage Network quarterly newsletter is now available. In these pages, you will find information about our past and future events, new publications, and what is happening across the globe within the diaspora research and archive communities.

Estonian Music Week, VEMU (Estonian Museum Canada), and Eesti Elu (Estonian Life) newspaper have had growing success with their joint venture EstoCast, a biweekly podcast. If you’ve ever wanted to know the latest Estonian books, music, art, history, science, and other key news and cultural topics but in a convenient on-the-go format, EstoCast is perfect for you. EstoCast is also ideal for those simply curious about any of the above topics and searching for something fresh, exciting, inspiring, and educational to listen to. EstoCast alternates between English and Estonian every other episode so that there’s something for everyone; those wanting to learn or practice either language also have the perfect chance for that!

The release of an autobiographical book, Consider Your Ass Kissed, is the latest achievement of Lithuanian American Hollywood star Ruta Lee. In the book, she talks about her life and rich career, as well as her encounters and friendships with movie stars.

We were barely able to begin enjoying our lives and increased freedom after the regression of COVID-19 when the war in Ukraine started. Russia’s brutal aggression towards Ukraine was an attack towards us all. It touched Baltic communities both in their homelands and abroad very closely, in a very personal way. It has affected and determined our thoughts, feelings, and actions. We have searched for and found ways to contribute to Ukraine’s efforts and support them in the fight for humanity –– both on an individual and community level. The energy and economic crises affect us all in one way or another. Can I pull through and make it? Many have asked themselves. And then, activists and politicians remind us that the world needs saving from the impending climate catastrophe. “There are too many major worries at once!”, one would be inclined to protest. The weight of the world can truly bear down on you and make it seem like a burden under which strength drains, hope dwindles, and daily tasks seem mundane and pointless. But carrying on with these daily tasks helps us move forward and find an inner balance, one day at a time. And if your small tasks support values that are important to you and help those who have bigger worries than yourself, even if just a little, then you’ve already made the world better. So what to wish for the new year at this challenging time? I’ll borrow a thought from Dalai Lama: “Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.” Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Piret Noorhani

Egidijus Aleksandravičius, Spalvos ir juostos. Akademinės lietuvių skautijos istorija 1924–2024, Vilnius: Versus, 2022.

To develop the reading skills of the Lithuanian diaspora, the National Library of Lithuania, together with the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, the World Lithuanian Community, and the Lithuanian Publishers’ Association have initiated a program for the Lithuanian diaspora communities. The program aims to introduce Lithuanians living abroad to the latest Lithuanian literature and to encourage them to read it.

On December 15th, the first Arved Viirlaid Literary Award was presented during the Kreutzwald Days at the Estonian Literary Museum in Tartu. The winner is Lehte Hainsalu’s collection of poems titled “Valuvaba.”

Migracija: sampratos ir patirtys (compiled by Margarita Matulytė, edited by Margarita Dautartienė). Vilnius: Lithuanian National Museum of Art, Lithuanian Culture Research Institute, 2022