History

As glaciers receded, people began to inhabit the Baltic Sea region. Representatives of the Baltic Magdalenian culture utilized broad flint arrowheads, broad and short scrapers, bone, horn and antler items (hoes, harpoons, ice-picks). 40 campsites are currently known to have existed in Lithuania.

Evidence of religious worship of the Lord of Nature. Archeological find of a two meter tall wooden idol from Sventoji with the image of the deity with a carved human face attributed to this time period. Also found, three ritual sticks with a carved head of an elkdoe.

Adam of Bremen (1050-1081), a German chronicler, gave the sea boarding the Nordic countries the name: Baltic. He reported to adopt the local term, balticus from baelt (belt) because the sea stretches across the land to the east in the manner of a belt.

By the 13th Century, various Baltic tribes ruled the Baltic Sea region: Latgalians, Samogitians, Aukštaičiai, Curonians, Prussians, Skalvians, Yotvingians, Galindians, Semigallians, and Selonians.

The history of Voruta has been lost to time. Voruta is mentioned in written sources from the time as Lithuania’s possible capital during the reign of King Mindaugas. The location of Voruta is unknown.

The Baltic tribes were forced to unite to battle the mounting attacks from Christian orders. In addition, the feudal system of land ownership was established, therefore, an organized social structure had emerged out of necessity to maintain social order.

Kernavė was Lithuania’s capital during the reign of Grand Duke Traidenis. The Teutonic Knights mounted many raids on the capital. In 1390, they succeeded in burning down the city which was never rebuilt.

Vytenis’ brother, Grand Duke Gediminas (1275-1341) established a dynasty that could be traced to many European dynasties. During his reign, he conquered territory, expanded Lithuania’s territory from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.

Trakai was the stronghold of Grand Duke Gediminas’ son, Kęstutis, after Lithuania’s capital was moved to Vilnius.

Martynas Mažvydas published The Catechism in Könisburg. 200 copies were printed, and only two are known to have survived. One is displayed at Vilnius University and the other at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun Library in Poland.

Russian Empress Catherine II felt threatened by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth’s democratic constitution in 1791 and attempt at modern reform which could lead to a resurgence in strength by the Commonwealth. Russian forces invaded in 1792. Russia and Prussia divided up the territory, seizing 60% of Polish-Lithuanian lands.  

The uprising began when young Poles refused conscription into the Tzar’s army and spread to over 200,000 Poles and Lithuanians rising up against the Russian occupation. The Tzar’s forces crushed the rebellion and publicly hung rebels and sent over 80,000 people to Siberian prison camps.

Vincas Kudirka (1858-1899), a physician and poet, was active in Lithuania’s “national awakening” movement. Kudirka edited the underground newspaper, “Varpas” (The Bell) which promoted Lithuanian consciousness and called for independence. He composed the music and lyrics of a song, which in 1918, would become Lithuania’s national anthem.

During WWI, the Klaipėda region was occupied by Germany but after their surrender, it was placed under French administration because of ongoing disputes with Poland and their claims to territory. When diplomacy failed, Lithuanians mounted a revolt and seized the territory.

The founder of the Bolshevik movement and the USSR, Vladimir Lenin dies. Lenin did not want Stalin to continue to rule the USSR and believed he should be removed from power. After his death a power struggle ensued but Stalin prevailed.

By 1972, the Catholic underground began publishing periodicals about human rights abuses in Lithuania. These periodicals were smuggled and distributed by the Catholic Church to the West, and used by émigré community activists in international political forums.

The Lithuanian Freedom League (LFL): underground anti-Soviet dissident group who published anti-Soviet newsletters. Leader Antanas Terleckis was a survivor of the Siberian gulag prison system in the 1950s. He was arrested in 1979 by Soviet authorities for his LFL activities.

Gorbachev visits Vilnius. 250,000 Lithuanians gather for peaceful pro-independence rally. He attempts to talk the Lithuanian Communist Party to return to the fold, but Brazauskas states that’s not possible. Gorbachev announces Kremlin has begun work on procedures for 15 republics to secede but Lithuanians view it as a propagandist trap.

In a vote of 228 to 4 (19 abstaining) Lithuanian Communist Party head, Algirdas Brazauskas, is elected by the Lithuanian Supreme Soviet as Chairman, in seeming endorsement of his defiance of Moscow and Gorbachev.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Prunskiene announces steep price increases to address runaway inflation and deteriorating economy across the USSR, despite calls from Lithuanian Parliament not to do so. This is seen as a pretext to create social chaos so Moscow could usher in troops to “restore order.”

Pro-Moscow “Yedinstvo” organization and LCPSU organize protest of 5000 people at Supreme Council. Protestors violently break down the Parliament door more than 30 people make their way in. The rest of the crowd was held back with a firehose. Landsbergis asks citizens to gather and protect the building.

Gorbachev issues ultimatum threatening Lithuania to repeal independence and restore Soviet laws or else he’ll impose direct presidential rule and remove the Lithuanian government. Vilnius airport and railway closed due to a strike by Russian workers. Throughout evening 30 Soviet tanks and 1,000 paratroopers roamed throught the streets of Vilnius.

Soviet paratroopers violently seize and occupy the Press House with firearms, armored vehicles and tanks. Four citizens shot, three severely beaten. Women are among the injured. All national newspapers are printed in the Press House. This action by Moscow is the start of creating a news/media blackout.

Soviet soldiers take over the Vilnius railway junction, halting train service. USSR KGB Chief Kriuchkov dispatched 65 men of his Special Forces unit Alfa, under the command of Colonel M.V. Golovatov, to Lithuania. Planes carrying the units arrived at the Vilnius airport. The men proceeded to the military base in Vilnius.

Soviet forces attacked peaceful demonstrators at Vilnius TV Tower, killing 14 and injuring over 700. Soviet troops seize Tower and Lithuanian radio/tv center, creating media blackout. Instantaneously, the radio/tv center in Kaunas comes on the air and provides underground broadcasts as the last independent station in Lithuania.

When Soviet tanks arrived at the Lithuanian parliament building to remove the government, they were met by 30,000 protesters who linked arms and sang songs. The Soviet soldiers could not penetrate the crowd and they returned to their base.

Lithuanian TV news desk of Eglė Bučelytė, who continues to report during the attack, appears, then fades. Transmission switches to crowd in Independence Square at Parliament, saying Hail Mary in unison, then singing “Lithuania Beloved” (Lietuva Brangi), the unofficial Lithuanian national anthem. At 2:17am, the broadcast is cut.

Funeral for the victims killed at the TV Tower: Loreta  Asanavicuite (24yrs), Virginijus Druskis (22yrs), Darius Gerbutavicius (18yrs), Rolandas Jankauskas (22yrs), Rimantas Juknevicius (25yrs), Alvydas Kanapinskas (39yrs), Algimantas Petras Kavoliukas (52yrs), Vidas Maciulevicius (25yrs), Titas Masiulis (29yrs), Alvydas Matulka (31yrs), Apolinares Juozas Povilaitis (54yrs), Ignas Simulionis (18yrs), Vytautas Vaitkus (48yrs).

The ‘National Salvation Committee’ begins to broadcast from the occupied TV tower and station media buildings in Vilnius. The Lithuanian government also begins to broadcast from a makeshift studio in the parliament building, but the broadcast can only be seen in parts of Vilnius. Radio/TV Kaunas continues broadcasts.

Soviet OMON shot their way into the headquarters of the Latvian Interior Ministry, seizing the building in a gun battle that rages in central Riga, Latvian, for 90 minutes. Four people were killed and at nine wounded. Gorbachev denies responsibility.

After independent Lithuania established a democratic constitutional government and the office of a president, citizens elected former Communist reformer leader Algridas Brazauskas. He served one term.

The euro was expected to replace Lithuania’s national currency, the litas by January 1, 2007, but persistent high inflation and the economic crisis delayed the switch. On 1 January 2015 the litas was switched to the euro at the rate of 3.4528 to 1.