Here are some of the key events that took place in and around Lithuania in 2024 through the lens of LRT’s photojournalists – Justinas Stacevičius, Edvardas Blažys, Domantas Umbrasas, Vilmantas Raupelis, and Benas Gerdžiūnas.
Have a look at the places and faces that helped shape the year:
In early 2024, Vilnius residents were shocked by the accident in Viršuliškės. An explosion and fire in an apartment killed two people and rendered the housing block uninhabitable. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
Lithuanian farmers protested on Vilnius' Gediminas Avenue in January, flooding the capital with tractors and trucks. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
“I understand that Lithuania has changed a lot in 30 years, but it took 30 years to change. I thought I didn't have enough time to wait 30 years for change. I wanted to change as soon as I had the opportunity," said Ray Bartkus, one of the most famous Lithuanian-born artists in the world. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
Jonas Matijošaitis, 92, was just a teenager when he joined the anti-Soviet partisans after the Second World War. | B. Gerdžiūnas / LRT
On March 19, Vilnius Mažasis Theatre bid farewell to director Rimas Tuminas. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
A meeting of the Three Seas Initiative, which brings together 13 EU Member States from the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas, was held in Lithuania in April. | D. Umbrasas / LRT
On April 12, Vilnius hosted a special celebration – the humanist marriage ceremony of Vitalius and Albinas. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
On May 4, two new Lithuanian records were set on a hill in Vilnius' Gariūnai district, uniting the trail-running community. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
During the Lithuanian Armed Forces exercises in May, a curfew was introduced in the country for the first time. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
Dr Darius Radzevičius, one of the world's most renowned aesthetic surgeons, uses cosmetic surgery to improve the quality of life. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
Votes are being counted in the May presidential election. | E. Blažys / LRT
Vilnius Rytas snatched victory in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) final on May 30, winning against Kaunas Žalgiris after extra time. | E. Blažys / LRT
Celebration of the Rasa Festival in Kernavė on June 24. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
As the jubilee Song Celebration was taking place in July, life was bustling not only on stage, but also behind the scenes. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
In July 2024, the Song Festival celebrated its 100th anniversary. The jubilee celebration brought together 37,000 performers from Lithuania and around the world and attracted a record number of spectators. | D. Umbrasas / LRT
"You understand that you are a soldier of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and that you are carrying out the tasks assigned to you and the orders given to you by your commanders. On the other hand, you are also a human being. You feel both the risk and the fear," said Major Marius Andriulis, who pilots the Spartan aircraft. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
Lithuanian Pride marchers marched down Gediminas Avenue to Vingis Park on June 8. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
In July, President Gitanas Nausėda was inaugurated for a second term. | E. Blažys / LRT
After President Gitanas Nausėda was sworn in for the second time, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė returned her government's powers as part of the change-over ceremony. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
However, the tension between the president and the prime minister was also felt during this largely ceremonial process. | E. Blažys / LRT
For the first time in Lithuania, seven athletes performed parachute jumps from the Vilnius TV tower on July 26. | V. Raupelis / LRT
In late July, a storm hit Lithuania, leaving over 160,000 households and businesses without electricity. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
In August, the seminal Lithuanian singer Andrius Mamontovas held a concert in a unique place – on the Gediminas Castle hill. | D. Umbrasas / LRT
The Police Department and the Public Security Service (VST) organised a joint exercise in September. | V. Raupelis / LRT
The ashes of 23-year-old Kostiantyn Yuzviuk, a fallen Ukrainian soldier, were scattered near Vilnius. | B. Gerdžiūnas / LRT
The autumnal equinox, marking the beginning of the astronomical autumn, offered spectacular scenes. | D. Umbrasas / LRT
November 19 marked the 1,000 days of full-scale invasion. | B. Gerdžiūnas / LRT
Donbas region in Ukraine, meanwhile, has seen fighting for more than 10 years. | B. Gerdžiūnas / LRT
The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party won the Seimas elections in October. | E. Blažys / LRT
Several protests were held in November against the inclusion of the populist Nemunas Dawn party in the ruling coalition. | V. Raupelis / LRT
In late November, a cargo plane crashed while landing at the Vilnius airport. | D. Umbrasas / LRT
People in Vilnius rallied in December in support of Georgia’s protesters. | J. Stacevičius / LRT
