Embassy Celebrates 25th Anniversary in Vilnius

On this date (October 2) 25 years ago, George H. Bush was the President of the United States, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch were sending out “Good Vibrations” across American airways, and Darryl N.  Johnson opened the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius.

The first U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania, Darryl N. Johnson, 1992

The United States has long enjoyed a close friendship with Lithuania, dating back to July 28, 1922, when the U.S. established diplomatic relations with Lithuania.  The opening of the Embassy in Vilnius in 1991 marks the beginning of an important chapter in that story.

Between 1922 and 1940, the U.S. Government maintained its diplomatic presence in Kaunas, Lithuania’s interwar capital.  In total, eleven U.S. consuls served at the American Legation in Kaunas until the USSR occupied and annexed Lithuania, as well as Estonia and Latvia.

America’s steadfast refusal to recognize the forced incorporation of Lithuania into the Soviet Union continued for 51 years.  During this period, the U.S. Government permitted Lithuanian representatives accredited by the last independent government to remain in the United States with diplomatic status. 

As Vice President Joe Biden told the peoples of the Baltics when he visited Riga in August 2016, “Even when your nation’s flags could not fly here in Riga, even when they could not fly in Vilnius, even they could not fly in Tallinn, they waved proudly in Washington, D.C. ” 

Vice President Joe Biden’s address
to the peoples of the Baltics in Riga, Latvia, August 2016

The U.S. Government was proud to recognize the restoration of Lithuania’s independence on September 2, 1991, in an announcement by President George H.W. Bush.

“The Baltic peoples of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and their democratically elected governments have declared their independence and are moving now to control their own national territories and their own destinies,” said President Bush at a news conference in Kennebunkport, Maine. “The United States has always supported the independence of the Baltic States and is now prepared immediately to establish diplomatic relations with their governments. The United States is also prepared to do whatever it can to assist in the completion of the current process of making Baltic independence a factual reality.”

Four days later, on September 6, the United States and Lithuania resumed normal diplomatic relations when U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Curtis Kamman and the Lithuanian First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Valdemaras Katkus, signed a memorandum of understanding concerning diplomatic relations.

One month from the date of President Bush’s announcement, on October 2, the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius opened.  The ribbon-cutting was led by Vice-President Dan Quayle and Darryl Johnson, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, who soon became the first U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania.

Vice-President Dan Quayle, Prime Minister Gediminas Vagnorius, and Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Darryl Johnson at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at U.S. Embassy Vilnius, February 1992.  Also pictured: Marilyn Quayle, Deputy Prime Minister Zigmas Vaišvila, Member of Parliament Romualdas Ozolas, and Member of Parliament Kazimieras Motieka

In the 25 years since, our shared democratic values and commitment to addressing today’s global challenges have strengthened our countries’ strategic relationship. Since 1992, the U.S. Embassy has worked diligently to deepen the connections and cultural ties between our two countries.  More than 1,000 Lithuanians have visited the United States on U.S. Government-funded exchanges and returned home to help strengthen a growing and developing Lithuania.  Many others have traveled on private exchanges, studied at U.S. universities, developed business relationships, or visited friends and family in the U.S.

Since re-establishing its independence, Lithuania has taken on increasingly prominent roles in transatlantic and global institutions to meet these challenges – roles that many would be unable to predict just 26 years ago. 

In total, six Secretaries of State have visited Lithuania and in 2002, President George W. Bush visited Vilnius.  “Anyone who would choose Lithuania as an enemy has also made an enemy of the United States of America,'' President Bush told a crowd in front of City Hall. ''In the face of aggression, the brave people of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will never stand alone again.''

The U.S. Embassy in Vilnius has vigorously supported the U.S.- Lithuania relationship for the past 25 years, under the leadership of 13 different Ambassadors, and looks forward to continuing this support for many years to come.

Vice-President Dan Quayle arrives in Vilnius, Lithuania in February 1992

Viešnagė Prienuose – A Visit to Prienai

Šiandien JAV ambasados informacinių technologijų skyriaus ir politikos/ekonomikos skyriaus darbuotojai aprašo savo kovo kelionę į Prienus. 

Prienai iš paukščio skrydžio

Neseniai informacinių technologijų specialistas Ken Neijstrom, Politikos ir ekonomikos skyriaus darbuotojas Sam Schmitt ir informacinių technologijų skyriaus darbuotojas Gytis Keras apsilankė Prienuose – nedideliame miestelyje, praėjusias metais išgyvenusį ypač spartų turizmo augimą. 15min.lt kovo mėnesį išspausdintame straipsnyje rašoma, kad Lietuvoje 2015 metais vietinių turistų srautai labiausiai išaugo Prienuose – palyginti su ankstesniais metais jie išaugo 108,4 proc.

Prienus į Ambasadorės lankymosi regionuose programą diplomatų delegacija nusprendė įtraukti siekiant aptarti technologijomis grindžiamą ekonomikos plėtrą. Atsižvelgiant į tai, su miesto pareigūnais buvo aptartos šios dienos aktualijos, naujos tokių technologijų kaip 3D spausdinimas panaudojimo galimybės,  mokymasis ir studijos internetu.

  

Kelionė iš Vilniaus į Prienus

Ambasados delegacijos susitikimas su savivaldybės komanda

Diplomatai susitiko su Prienų meru Alvydu Vaicekausku ir mero padėjėja Agne Dargužiene, kuri palydėjo delegaciją į sklandytuvų gamyklą „Sportinė aviacija ir Ko“, esančią netoli vietinio aerodromo ir eksportuojančią savo gaminius į JAV. Įmonės direktorius Vytautas Mačiulis paaiškino gamybos procesą ir supažindino su sklandymo entuziastų kultūra. Diplomatai džiaugėsi buvę pakviesti į gegužę vyksiantį nacionalinį  ir vasarą vyksiantį Europos sklandymo čempionatą.

Apsilankymas sklandytuvų gamykloje „Sportinė Aviacija ir Ko“ 

Meras A. Vaicekauskas diplomatams sakė norintis, kad  šiais metais turistų srautai į jo miestą išaugtų dar 100%. Jis taip pat papasakojo apie miestelio dviračių taką, vietinę krepšinio komandą ir į naują poilsio kompleksą šalia esančiame mieste dedamas viltis. Diplomatų delegacija pasiūlė dar labiau išnaudoti tokias technologijas, kaip mokymasis internetu, siekiant, kad vietos gyventojai patobulintų savo techninius įgūdžius.

  

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Today, members of the Embassy's Information Resource Management and Political/Economic Sections write about their recent visit to Prienai.  

Aerial Shot of Prienai

Information Resource Management Specialist Ken Neijstrom, Political and Economic Section Assistant Sam Schmitt and IRM representative Gytis Keras recently visited Prienai, a small rural community that saw strong growth in tourism last year. According to an article in 15min.lt in March, tourism in Prienai in 2015 was up 108.4 percent from the previous year – marking it the largest growth rate in tourism in Lithuania last year.

As part of the Ambassador’s Regional Outreach Program, the delegation chose Prienai with an eye toward technology-based economic development. Accordingly, the delegation met with city officials to discuss current events, new applications of technology like 3D printing and online education.

  

Journey from Vilnius to Prienai

Embassy Delegation Meets Municipal Team

Among the delegation’s stops was a meeting with Prienai Mayor Alvydas Vaicekauskas and his assistant Agnė Dargužienė, who accompanied the group to “Sportinė Aviacia ir Ko” a glider factory that exports to the United States, and is located near the local airfield. The company’s director Vytautas Maciulis explained the manufacturing process and described the culture of glider enthusiasts. The delegation was happy to be invited to May’s national glider championships and the European gliding championships later in the summer.

Tour of the Sportinė Aviacija ir Ko Glider Factory 

Mayor Vaicekauskas spoke about his desire to see tourism to his town increase by another 100 percent this year. He also discussed the city’s bike path, local basketball team and hopes for a new resort in a nearby town. The delegation proposed bringing more technology resources, such as online learning, to help boost residents’ technical skills. 

Bibliotekėles atidarymas Raseiniuose - Little Free Library opens in Raseiniai

Šiandien mūsų kultūros atašė Sarah Talalay rašo apie kelionę į Raseinius.

Siekdamas pasidalinti su kitais savo meile knygoms ir bendruomeniškumo jausmu, Raseinių liberalus jaunimas neseniai džiaugsmingai atidengė pirmąją miesto Bibliotekėlę arba Mažąją nemokamą biblioteką („Little Free Library“) Dominikonų gatvėje esančiame parke. Idėja „Pasiimk vieną knygą ir palik kitą“ atsirado Viskonsino valstijoje JAV 2009 m., kai Todd Bol savo kieme pastatė ant kojelės miniatiūrinį nameliuką – mokyklėlę ir užpildė jį knygomis. Taip gimė socialinė iniciatyva. 

Šiandien pasaulyje yra daugiau nei 32000 Bibliotekėlių, ir keletas jų jau veikia Lietuvoje.

Prieš atidarydami Bibliotekėlę savo mieste, Raseinių liberalaus jaunimo atstovai pakvietė JAV ambasadą sudalyvauti atidarymo šventėje. Prašymas buvo perduotas man, kultūros atašė, ir man ši idėja pasirodė įdomi. Bibliotekėlei padovanojau dvi knygas – žymaus JAV virtuvės šefo Art Smith receptų knygą ir rašytojos – iliustratorės  Mairos Kalman knygą „Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Everything" – tinkamą pasirinkimą šia proga, nes Prezidentas Jeffersonas itin mėgo knygas. Dienai baigiantis spėjau aplankyti ir anksčiau šiais metais Kaune atidarytą Bibliotekėlę, įkvėpusią Raseinių gyventojus.

Jūsų dėmesiui abiejų Bibliotekėlių nuotraukos. 


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Today, our cultural attache Sarah Talalay writes about a trip to Raseiniai.

Seeking to share a love of books and a sense of community, the Raseiniai Liberalus Jaunimas (Raseiniai Liberal Youth) recently unveiled with fanfare, the town's first "Bibliotekele" or "Little Free Library" in a park off Domininku gatve. The "take a book, leave a book" concept was launched in Wisconsin in 2009 when Todd Bol built a model of a one-room school house, filled it with books and put in on a post in his front yard. A social enterprise was born.

Now, there are more than 32,000 Little Free Libraries across the globe, including several in Lithuania.

Before opening their Bibliotekele, the Raseiniai Liberal Youth sent an email to the Embassy asking if someone would attend the opening. It seemed like a good idea for the Cultural Attache. I donated two books - a cookbook by US celebrity chef Art Smith and writer-illustrator Maira Kalman's book, "Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Everything," which seemed appropriate since President Jefferson loved books. Before the day was over, I took advantage of an opportunity to see the inspiration for Raseiniai's Bibliotekele - one that opened earlier this year in Kaunas.

Check out photos of both.

Raseiniuose - in Raseiniai

Kaune - in Kaunas

U.S. Marines visit local school in Marijampolė!

Sergeant Deondrick Fleming and Corporal Erik Haj

Recently, two marines from the +United States Marine Corps at U.S. Embassy Vilnius visited a school in Marijampolė, Lithuania, to discuss the history, development, and significance of the English language.

Corporal Erik Haj and Sergeant Deondrick Fleming arrived to an auditorium full of applauding middle school students and faculty. They began their presentation with a brief overview of the English language’s genesis story, dating back to the fifth century, and proceeded to document its progression from Old English (the language of Beowulf), to Middle English (that of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales), to Early Modern English (such as the plays of William Shakespeare), and finally to Contemporary English and its many variations. “The great thing about English is that it is always changing. There is no such thing as ‘standard English,’” Sgt. Fleming told the students. It is interesting to note here that, quite contrarily, the Lithuanian language is extremely conservative, retaining many linguistic features found only in ancient languages like Sanskrit and Ancient Greek.

Tubas, Nigerian drama, and Lithuanian Identity: Teaching Literature as a Fulbright Scholar

Today's guest-blogger is Dr. Windy Counsell Petrie, Associate Professor and English Department Chair at Colorado Christian University, who was a Fulbright grantee to Lithuania in 2006. During her time in Lithuania, Dr. Petrie lectured at several Universities on representations of exile in nineteenth- and twentieth-century World Literature as well as the role of female and African American authors in American literary history. Here are her reflections on making the transition from an American University to a Lithuanian one.

On the first day of school at Vilnius University, where I was a visiting scholar, I walked down to campus and witnessed the opening ceremonies for the school year, which occur in the first of many lovely courtyards of the University. Students, spectators, and  tourists watched and listened as the school orchestra played the National Anthem and the University song, children danced in traditional folk costume, and the administration and faculty filed out of the main building onto a large adjoining platform. Speeches were made, the national and University flags raised, and I found it quite moving.  Although I think many Americans would find it quaint to spend the first day of school in festivities, with a band in the background, instead of getting right down to business, I think there’s a certain wisdom to this tradition. After all, any new chance to learn should be celebrated, with tubas if necessary.  

Visiting Kėdainiai: Historical Memory and Rolling Hills

On May 29th, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Kėdainiai to accompany my supervisor, PAO Jon Berger, who gave remarks at the Workshop for the Principals of the Schools with Active Tolerance Education Centers. More than 40 principals from across Lithuania, speakers, and experts from museums, universities, and members of the International Commission  attended a seminar called “Historical Memory  as the key to civil society” at the Kedainiai Multicultural center.

Jon's presentation was titled “Holocaust education programs implemented by the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania” and emphasized that the most important thing is to be able to discuss this subject openly and honestly, with everyone, at all ages.  Information on teaching tools, the most successful programs, available resources at the American Center library, and ways of future cooperation were provided for school principals. All participants were excited to hear that the U.S. Embassy will make available 1000 DVDs, one for every school in Lithuania, that contain testimonies from Holocaust survivors, translated into Lithuanian. 

The history of Lithuania is so interesting, and even though some of it is also tragic, there is so much that can be learned from this culture. It is strong, patient, and faithful. At the event, one of the people who run the Tolerance Center was kind enough to show me the small museum they have upstairs to remember those who died during the Holocaust in Kėdainiai. Pictures, clothes, books, memoirs and more revealed the sad events that took place in this city. In the top part of the museum, names of those who were lost are engraved into metal plating that goes around the entire room. This was incredibly interesting to me. In the States we have many Holocaust museums, and many people who fled Europe for saftey came to America, but I have never been to a Holocaust musuem in a location where the events actually took place, and it is a very somber and humbling experience. The Lithuanians have done a great job in commemorating those who were lost, and remembering the events in order to build, grow, and assure that it never happens again.

Homes and synagogues now lost to Kėdainiai

A video showing the tragic events that happened so long ago.

 After the event we had a little extra time to go and see the rest of Kėdainiai. The town is beautiful and is clearly influenced by many different styles of architecture. There is a river, parks, and a small square were we stopped to take photos. Everyone we met while we were there was friendly and ready to talk to us about their town. On the trip back, we drove through Babtai, which is the most beautiful natural scenery I have ever witnessed. There were wide open fields of wildflowers growing, pastures where horses were grazing, miles upon miles of beautiful rolling hills. We only saw houses every few miles, and the feeling that these lands have gone untouched since the beginning of time made me happy that the environment here is so natural. Being from the East coast of America, there is hardly any areas like that left anymore, and usually you need to go out West to see that type of nature.

Kėdainiai Square

The city was wonderful, and it was great to see more of Lithuania outside of Vilnius. I plan to visit many more cities and towns during my time here, as each one is more beautiful than the last, and they all have something different to offer. This experience was one of many, and many to come, that have made me fall in love with this country.

English Song Contest in Tytuvėnai

On Friday, March 22, I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in one of the Embassy’s outreach programs, where six representatives from the US Embassy went to the annual English Song Contest in Tytuvėnai. This song contest brings together schools from across the Kelmė region under the overall theme, “Music Unites Us”. Students prepared songs to perform in English for a panel of judges, which this year included the three interns from the US Embassy, myself, Meredith, and Michael, as well as two music teachers from the region.

Students performed songs that they picked to be considered “Future Hits” – it was open to interpretation as to how they would each pick their song. Songs varied and included such hits as “We are the World” by Michael Jackson, “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC, and “Raise your Glass” by Pink. It was a diverse range of music, and that made it all the more fun and interesting to watch. The contest was divided into two age groups; grades 5-8 performed first, and those from 9-12 performed in the second half. The acts from both groups were so much more than I could have ever expected -the students were very talented singers and dancers, and the productions included choreographed dances and musical instruments and even costumes. It was obvious that they put a lot of time and effort into preparing, and it really made it feel like I was at a concert! At the end of the contest there was an awards ceremony, where the top three performances from each of the two age groups were recognized. Truly, every participant did an excellent job. We took a long time to come to a decision on who would be in the top three, as everyone really deserved to win considering their hard work and talent.

 

After the contest was over, we were fortunate enough to see a little bit of Tytuvėnai. Some of the students gave us a tour of the monastery in the city. The monastery was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It dated back to the 1630s – way before the United States even gained independence! The building had an unbelievable courtyard outside and striking artwork and architectural details inside. Not only was I impressed by the place itself, but also by the passion displayed by the students for the culture and the history of their city. There wasn’t a question we asked that they couldn't answer, or a fact that they didn’t present with genuine excitement. It was fun to learn from them about their region and the beautiful monastery that they were so proud to show off.

Overall, the trip to Tytuvėnai was a fun and informative experience. We learned about the region and the monastery through the student tour, and music truly did unite us at the English Song Contest. Everyone sang and danced and clapped along to the music, allowing us to have fun and laugh together, transcending cultural boundaries and language barriers.

Labas from Sara!

Hello! Labas! My name is Sara and I am one of the current interns at the US Embassy Vilnius. I am 21 years old and come from the warm and sunny American state of South Carolina. I am thrilled to be in Lithuania, especially with all of the snow falling right now. I study International Studies and Political Science at Elon University in North Carolina, where I concentrate on European and German Studies. I have been to Lithuania twice before for studies with one of my professors who was a Fulbright Scholar to Lithuania, and I was very eager to return when I found out I would be interning with the Department of State. I think that Lithuania has a rich culture and history and I find it very exciting and interesting.

I have been in Vilnius for almost one month now and most of this time has been spent working on my very first project – the 1 Billion Rising dance! On February 14^th, an organization called V-Day planned for a movement of 1 billion women across the globe to dance in solidarity against violence against women. At the US Embassy Vilnius, we brought together men and women alike to dance. The movement truly aligns with the American values of human rights and women’s empowerment and brings the issues to the forefront. In 203 countries around the world, people came together on February 14^th to stop violence against women and girls and to demand an end to it.

Together with another intern, Meredith, I worked on organizing a rising at our embassy. If you ask Meredith and me, we definitely will not say that we are the best dancers, but this dance is fun and upbeat and we really enjoyed learning and teaching it. During several lunches leading up to February 14^th, we had groups gather to practice before the big performance that would be filmed. Everyone worked very hard to get the dance down pact, moving and grooving in their business attire. For our final dance, different parts of the dance were done all over the city, including Cathedral Square, Town Hall Square, St Anne’s Cathedral, and the Wedding Chapel. By doing the dance around the city, we were able to show how beautiful Vilnius is and some of the sights to see in the city. We had a wide variety of people come out to dance with us, including Lithuanian staff, American staff, interns, and even the Marine Guards. The different segments were then carefully put together and made it into a cool music video. 1 Billion Rising is a very fun event to have the opportunity to work on. As a woman, I feel that this event is important in bringing awareness to the issue around the globe. Plus, as a foreigner, it was very cool to not just see some new sights in the city of Vilnius, but to actually dance beside them.

You can watch the video here!