Lithuania 101
What is the capital city of Lithuania?
Vilnius
On March 11, 1990, Lithuania made a historic political move. What was Lithuania the FIRST Soviet republic to declare?
Restoration of Independence from the USSR
This bold declaration set off a chain reaction that eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Lithuanians are very proud of their deep historical connection to nature. Before Christianity, what ancient religion was practiced in Lithuania—and is still officially recognized today under the name Romuva?
PAGANISM (Baltic Paganism)
Lithuania was the last country in Europe to keep its ancient pagan traditions (1387-Christianization of Lithuania)! Because of this, Lithuanians still have a huge respect for trees, nature, sun, and summer solstice rituals today.
Lithuania has the highest nesting density of this bird in Europe. It is a symbol of good luck, harmony, and fertility. What is Lithuania’s national bird?
The White Stork (Gandras)
Fun Fact: Every year on August 24th (Gandro diena), Lithuanians celebrate the storks before they begin their long migration to Africa.
What is the national dish of Lithuania, made from grated potato dough stuffed with meat or curd cheese, shaped like a 1920s airship Zeppelin?
Cepelinai!
What are the three official colors of the Lithuanian national flag?
Yellow, Green, and Red
Yellow stands for the sun and grain fields, Green for nature and forests, and Red for the blood spilled for freedom.
In the 14th–15th centuries, during the reign of Grand Duke Vytautas the Great, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was not a small Baltic state. From which to which seas did its territory stretch?
From the Baltic Sea all the way to the Black Sea!
It was the largest country in Europe at the time!
Created in a small apartment in Vilnius, which massive second-hand fashion marketplace app became Lithuania’s first tech "Unicorn" (worth over $1 billion)?
Vinted
Fun Fact: Started in 2008 simply because the co-founders girlfriend needed to clear out her closet before moving, Vinted is now used by tens of millions of people across Europe!
M.K. Čiurlionis was a legendary Lithuanian genius who had synesthesia (he could "see" music and "hear" colors). Two of his most famous musical poems are named after nature. Name one!
"Miške" (In the Forest) OR "Jūra" (The Sea)
Fun Fact: He was both a world-class painter and a classical composer who painted musical movements (like Sonatas) directly onto canvases.
What cold, neon-pink summer soup made with kefir, beets, and cucumbers is so insanely popular that Vilnius holds an annual festival dedicated to it?
Šaltibarščiai (Pink Soup)
Fun Fact: Served cold with hot boiled potatoes on the side, it's considered Lithuania's ultimate summer comfort food!
What is the currency in Lithuania?
Euro (€).
The currency of Lithuania before the euro was the Lithuanian litas (LTL)
Around 365 years ago, a Lithuanian grammarian was writing one of the first Lithuanian grammars.
He decided that the Lithuanian language needed a completely new letter.
What letter did he create?
Ė. Till this day Ė letter is used only in Lithuanian gramma.
A country normally has a flag, anthem and coat of arms. Lithuania decided that wasn't enough. In the 21st century, someone created a (....) specifically intended to represent our country. What was created?
A Lithuanian national perfume “The Scent of Lithuania.”
The project was designed to turn ideas associated with Lithuania — Baltic nature, amber, forests, etc. — into a scent.
During Midsummer (Joninės), why do people walk deep into the dark forest at midnight? What are they searching for?
They are searching for magical, mythical plant - Fern Blossom (Paparčio žiedas)
It is said that ferns never bloom, but whoever finds this magical glowing blossom at midnight gains eternal wisdom and luck.
Every September, thousands of people gather in the forests of Varėna with wicker baskets and knives to compete in Lithuania’s unofficial national autumn sport. What is it?
Mushroom Picking Championship (Grybavimo čempionatas)
Teams wear mushroom related costumes and spend hours hunting for mushrooms (if there was not enough rain that year - then they collect trash left in the forest)! Which mushrooms they have to pick is announced only briefly before start.
Marijonas Mikutavičius sang an iconic basketball hit song called "Trys Milijonai". What does the title "3 Million" refer to?
The approximate population of Lithuania.
It is played at every single sports event and is considered Lithuania's unofficial second national anthem.
In 1989, around 2 million people joined hands to form a continuous 675 km human chain across three countries to peacefully protest against Soviet occupation. What was this historic event called?
The Baltic Way (Baltijos kelias).
In Vilnius, there is an interactive landmark sculpture near the train station that streams live 24/7 video to a matching sculpture in Poland, Ireland, US, UK and Philippines. What is it called?
The PORTAL
It was built as a digital bridge to connect citizens across different countries and foster human empathy.
The Baltic Sea keeps washing this material onto Lithuanian beaches. Ancient people believed it had almost magical properties. What is sometimes called “Baltic gold”?
Amber. An ancient trading network connected the Baltic Sea region (including present-day Lithuania) with the Roman Empire (1st–2nd Century AD). Romans highly prized amber for jewelry, luxury carvings, medicine, and magical protection.
When Lithuania fought to break free from the Soviet Union, people didn't use weapons. Instead, thousands of people gathered in streets and stages to protest by doing what activity?
(Hint: It was called the "_______ Revolution")
SINGING (The Singing Revolution / Dainuojanti revoliucija)
Lithuania regained its freedom through peaceful music! Every few years, over 10,000 singers still gather in Vilnius on one giant stage for Dainų šventė (UNESCO Heritage) to celebrate this unity.
According to calculations by the French National Geographic Institute, what unique geographical title does Lithuania hold near the village of Purnuškės?
The Geographical Center of Europe
Calculated in 1989, there is a monument and a small park dedicated to marking the exact center of the continent!
Look at these words:
Dievas = Devas (God)
Vyras = Viras (Man)
Ugnis = Agni (Fire)
Sūnus = Sunus (Son)
To which ancient, sacred language is Lithuanian closely related?
Sanskrit (classical tongue of ancient India)
Some linguists, in some aspects, consider Lithuanian language to be the most conservative of the existing Indo-European languages, retaining features of the Proto-Indo-European. Because it was preserved deep in the Baltic forests with minimal foreign influence, linguists today still study modern Lithuanian to understand how ancient Proto-Indo-European (and Sanskrit) sounded thousands of years ago!
After regaining independence in 1990, the Lithuanian basketball team had no money to go to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Who sponsored Lithuanian new sports federation ?
American rock band The Grateful Death. The legendary rock band The Grateful Dead loved the story, funded their trip, and shipped custom tie-dye shirts featuring a dunking skeleton. Lithuania went on to win the Bronze medal against USSR wearing those Tshirts on the podium!
In the heart of Vilnius, artists declared a self-proclaimed independent republic with its own constitution, president, and an army of 12 people. What is this bohemian district called?
Užupis (Republic of Užupis)
Fun Fact: Their official constitution is displayed on metal plates on a street wall and includes laws like: "A dog has the right to be a dog" and "Everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation."
How do Lithuanians drive away winter?
To chase away winter before spring, Lithuanians wear wooden monster masks, eat tons of pancakes, dance, sing and burn a giant straw effigy Morė .