What tickled your fancy in 2020? We take a look back at the most read stories that we published over the past year.
15. Lithuania confirms first case of coronavirus, to deploy troops in airports
Kicking off the bottom spot is where it all began – the first coronavirus case on February 28. The northern Lithuanian town of Šiauliai and the surrounding region were declared the epicentre of the coronavirus.
14. Netflix starts filming Stranger Things in Vilnius
Just a few weeks prior, on February 14, Netflix began filming Stranger Things in Lithuania. Lukiškės prison in Vilnius became one of the stars of the show. Have a look.
13. Lithuania imposes nationwide lockdown
Several quarantines later, Lithuania announced a lockdown on December 13. We’re still in it, in case you’re wondering. As opposed to the previous localised quarantines (that were a mistake, Lithuania’s former health minister Aurelijus Veryga had admitted) and the first one in March, this one includes restrictions on movement. You can find a recap of all the rules here.
12. Lithuania opens borders to 27 countries
Back on June 1, we had a few precious moments to travel and receive guests after surviving the first wave of coronavirus. Little did we know that it was not even close to what would happen months later.
11. Coronavirus: Lithuania worst affected country in the world – NYT
On December 16, Lithuania was the worst affected country in the world, according to the seven-day coronavirus infection rate published by the New York Times. Not great, and pretty terrible for the country’s medics, as they have been forced to triage to decide who gets the precious few intensive care beds.
10. Coronavirus: Lithuania declares state emergency
Days after detecting the first coronavirus patient, Lithuania declared a state emergency on February 26. The status gave legal instruments to help prepare for the crisis, with funds and resources mobilised to acquire fast-dwindling protective measures.
9. Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk dies from Covid-19 complications in Latvia
The pandemic claimed victims front and centre, including Kim Ki-duk in Latvia. The award-winning Korean filmmaker was reportedly in the Baltic country to buy property in order to get a residency permit.
8. LRT English Newsletter: ‘Sex on the Beach’ is back
A wild card in the list. Judging from the average two seconds spent on the page, the headline about being allowed alcoholic drinks on Lithuania’s beaches may have disappointed some online users who were googling some very particular things. In any case, you can find all of our newsletters here and do subscribe here for a dose of weekly news every Friday morning.
7. Lithuanians bring Burning Man to the Baltics
With the United States shut, the burners community in Lithuania decided to bring the legendary festival to the Baltics. They announced the move in mid-June, and the festival took place in late August – albeit on a much smaller scale and not exactly in a desert either.
6. Lithuania calls nationwide quarantine: shutting non-essential shops and closing border to foreigners
Lithuania announced the first quarantine on March 14, becoming one of the first countries in Europe to do so. The measures included border closures to foreign nationals, while pretty much all businesses grinded to a halt.
5. Remains of medieval soldier found in Lithuanian lake
Another wild card that we saw trend among archeology buffs from Reddit to Twitter. Who would have guessed.
4. Naked man flashes behind notoriously anti-LGBT Lithuanian MP during online meeting
Just days after a dramatic coming out of a Hungarian MEP, something similar reverberated in Lithuania. If you’re not familiar with the homophobic history of MP Petras Gražulis, you’re in for an interesting read.
3. People in Lithuania form human chain from Vilnius to Belarusian border
On August 23, people in Lithuania formed a human chain from Vilnius to the Belarusian border to show solidarity with the anti-regime protesters in the neighbouring country. The initiative attracted tens of thousands of participants during the anniversary of the Baltic Way and resonated internationally. We provided live coverage of the day.
2. Drive-in concerts bring outdoor music back to Lithuania
Among the many quarantine innovations, this one struck the chord with our international audience the most – outdoor, drive-in concerts. Have a look at the photos.
1. Missing conscripts stay in forest thinking drill still ongoing
And this one tops the list of most-read stories in our neck of the woods. So this is how the story goes: a bunch of recon troops, including conscripts, are on survival training. Part of the drills involves fleeing captors and linking up with a ‘contact’. Something goes wrong, and they decide it’s not safe to get in touch and continue evading forces that are in pursuit. Little do they know that the forces searching for them are, in fact, for real as the troops had been reported missing. In the process, they evade their fellow servicemen and women, and at one point, a helicopter.
The story didn’t end here, however. After beginning to trend on Reddit, a ‘news’ outlet in Russia linked to the infamous troll farm picked up on the story, changed the angle from Lithuanian to NATO troops, and presented it as an example of sheer incompetence. The story was then shared across Slovak anti-NATO Facebook pages and groups. Why? Because, according to some analysts, Russia sees the country as a weak link in support for the Alliance. Strange times indeed.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
