LRT English Newsletter – January 10, 2025.
On Monday, the Archdiocese of Vilnius announced that an important discovery was made in the crypts of Vilnius Cathedral. Some were quick to speculate that perhaps the long-lost tomb of Vytautas the Great, a ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuanian, had finally been found.
Later in the day, it was revealed that it was not Vytautas’ grave but three crowns and other burial insignia of the 15th-century Polish-Lithuanian rulers that were discovered. The discovery made history enthusiasts ecstatic, as they said it proved the importance of Vilnius in Poland-Lithuania whose rulers were usually buried in Kraków.
The euphoria was quickly followed by intrigue – who really found the treasure? Vilnius Archdiocese and the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania took the credit. However, an art restorer Saulius Poderis said he had known about the treasure for about ten years but did not get permission to open the hiding place.
According to the Department of Cultural Heritage, Vilnius Archdiocese refused to cooperate with Poderis due to his conviction in a black archaeology case in 2014. The department also noted that its specialists were not invited to the opening of the hiding place, which was a “mistake”.
The treasures will now be examined, restored, and presented to the public in the future.
NATO IN THE BALTIC SEA
NATO is now sending up to ten ships to protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. Lithuania says it will contribute to the mission but does not provide details as to how.
The increased NATO engagement follows several power and communications cable disruptions in the Baltic Sea in recent months. Most recently, the EstLink 2 power cable, which sends electricity between Finland and Estonia, was damaged over Christmas. Finland is investigating oil tanker Eagle S, part of Moscow’s “shadow fleet”, over the incident.
EXCESIVE RESTRICTIONS?
One of the first things that Lithuania’s new government is planning to do is soften the ban on the export of dual-use goods to third countries put in place by the previous cabinet. In December, the outgoing government banned the export by air of an extended list of goods that can be used by Russia for military purposes.
According to Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, the previous government’s decision was “stupid” and does not help enforce international sanctions. Moreover, he said he saw no evidence that Lithuanian goods were used in Russia’s military industry. Meanwhile, the economy and innovation minister said the ban particularly harms Lithuania’s high-tech sector. President Gitanas Nausėda has also stepped in, calling for an urgent review of the decision.
TRAIN TO TALLINN
People travelling from Vilnius can now reach Tallinn in 10 hours by train, as rail operators from the three Baltic countries have aligned their schedules to make it possible. The trip includes two transfers and is an extension of the Vilnius-Riga service that has been in operation for a year. Previously, a train journey from Vilnius to Tallinn took over a day due to unaligned schedules, but some say that 10 hours is still too long to make it more appealing than a car or plane ride.
EDITOR’S PICKS:
– Wounded Ukrainians get treatment and prosthetics in Lithuania.
– Lithuania’s pushbacks of Cubans into freezing forests cast long shadows over rights.
– The museum of Lithuanian poet Kristijonas Donelaitis has been silently renamed in Russia’s Kaliningrad.
– This is how science fiction emerged from the ruins of Poland-Lithuania.
– And the festive season is officially over.
Written by Ieva Žvinakytė
Edited by Justinas Šuliokas
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