Lithuanian Independence Restoration Day Marked in Tbilisi
On 10 March 2022, the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to Georgia together with the Lithuanian community in Georgia celebrated Lithuanian Independence Restoration Day, which is marked on 11 March to commemorate an important milestone in contemporary Lithuanian history – the signing of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania in 1990, signaling the return of Lithuania to the international stage as an independent state.
Members of the Lithuanian community were invited to the Cinema Hall of the National Archives of Georgia for screening a movie Sugrįžę iš Niujorko (Back from New York), directed by Ramunė Rakauskaitė, following the journey of two Lithuanian artists from creatively repressing Soviet Union to New York, USA, where they were mentored by legendary Lithuanian-American filmmaker, Jonas Mekas, only to return 20 years later to Lithuania, which had re-established its independence.
Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Georgia, Andrius Kalindra, addressed the community with an opening speech before the screening. He congratulated 10 years of successful work to the Lithuanian Language and Culture Center at the Georgian Technical University and to the Lithuanian Community in Georgia “Labas”, thanking them for their meaningful activities in mobilizing Lithuanians in Georgia for various activities, as well as promoting Lithuanian language and culture.
Ambassador also took a moment to underline the important role played by citizens of Lithuania with Polish, Belarussian, Russian and other origins in building up the Lithuanian state, urging compatriots not to distinguish among their fellow citizens by nationality, to focus instead on the values that bring Lithuanian citizens of all origins together in support of Ukraine, which is facing Russian aggression.
Having in mind the on-going situation in the region and the world, Embassy expressed continued Lithuanian support and solidarity to the Ukrainian people by displaying the National Flag of Ukraine at the screening, while the Ukrainian flag also flies on the building of the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to Georgia, as well as the residence of the Ambassador.
