Eastern and Western European histories were summarized in Vilnius The review of the 22 European Meeting of Cultural Journals as prepared by the editors of Eurozine. We believe that a view from a distance – from Vienna – will enable our readers to get a better picture of the event and its importance. The annual meetings are always friendly and stimulating but the meeting in Vilnius was exceptional from the point of view of the quality of reports, hospitality of the hosts and the atmosphere of the events, write the Eurozine editors.

Martin M. Simecka
Still not free. Why post-'89 history must go beyond self-diagnosis
The dissident generation of the 1970s and 1980s produced a body of work unprecedented in Czech history. Yet its monumentality stands in the way of an uncompromised interpretation of the communist past, argues Martin Simecka.

Virginijus Savukynas
Precedent of Gintaras Beresnevicius. The idea of a Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the context of globalization in the twenty first century
One of the most unexpected ideas – the revival of the Grand Duchy – was lately introduced by the religious scholar and mythologist Gintaras Beresnevicius. Of course, the project is utopian but many ideas are. Did anybody dream of a Lithuanian independent state at the beginning of the nineteenth century? Those who were interested in Lithuanian antiques were mocked by the educated "elite" of those days. But those people who were considered marginal were the ones who created the modern Lithuanian nation and state. Thus the idea of reviving a colourful historical region looks ever more realistic.

Jurate Markeviciene
Chronic Alexis of Lithuanian official heritage protection or "What I do not understand – does not exist"
On the ideological level, hardly anyone doubts the need of heritage protection. International conventions are signed, national laws are adopted, institutions are established. Thus goals should also exist. The question of heritage is always a question of values. But does the Lithuanian state have a clear policy and strategy for our heritage? Do all institutions work toward the same goal?

Audrius Dauksa
The price for being superficial
One of our biggest problems: it is not the new rich who aim to satisfy all they desires but that many of us want to become like them. The real problem is that claiming ignorance is not an option in our "information society". The unconscious mind manifests itself in numerous forms; in superficiality as well.

Valdas Selenis
About the "search for Lithuanians in Lithuanian history" and national policy
The search for Lithuanians is still important. It is worth remembering how this programme came into being in historical research between the two world wars. On the other hand we need a national code of identification in the times of globalization. Marius Sciavinskas raised the question in Kulturos barai whether it is only an internal renewal of Lithuanian historiography that the methodological shift is encouraging in the "search for Lithuanians in Lithuania".

Herkus Kuncius
Shadows in Versailles
The second part of the play. Continued from issue no 5.

Kristina Stanciene
Devil and angel now and in the old times
About and exhibition by the painter Augustinas Savickas.

Egle Juoceviciute
The National Gallery will not negate and hide the past
The way in which we understand our past says a lot about the present and is important for our future. The Lithuanian National Gallery, which is under construction, will become a filter of modern Lithuania. Its numerous collections, research centre and information centre with library and mediateque – all these enable the implementation of a new museum policy. This institution has the goal to form an understanding of Lithuanian modern art, because so far this does not exist at the level of museums.

Kestutis Sapoka
Wounds of Neris embankment
Three sculptures – Two-storied by Mindaugas Navakas, Half-hill by Robertas Antinis Jr., and Arch of Embankment by Vladas Urbanavicius – have created heated discussions in which the negative has dominated. Leaving pure aesthetics behind we could agree with prime minister Andrius Kubilius that these sculptures have stimulated a valuable discussion.

Daiva Sabaseviciene
Radicalism of conservatism
Review of Alexander Gribojedov's Woe from Wit, staged in the Russian Drama Theatre by Jonas Vaitkus.

Kestutis Sapoka
Migrating identities
I chose the exhibition Migrating Identities, Swiss Art Now, the opening of CAC reading room, Atelier van Lieshout and the installation by Dainius Liskevicius in Vartai Gallery not because this is "cheaper and quicker", but because they are all connected and seem like an extension of each other, writes the critic.

Vlada Kalpokaite
The maps of Chekhov's region
The French director Eric Lacascade who staged Chekhov's "Uncle Vania" in Oskaras Korsunovas theatre knows Chekhov's canon and attempts to destroy it after long studies and research into theory and practice. While working with one of the most interesting and original Lithuanian theatre companies, Lacascade suggested the circumstances that according to him liberate the origin of the actor.

Tautvydas Bajarkevicius
Comparative equilibristics and institutional criticism
Why the festival of electronic music, Jauna Musica, is not like it could be in comparison with other festivals of contemporary music in Europe.

Arvydas Valionis
A canon of Latvian literature
European states started to create national literary standards in the first decade of the twenty first century. The baton was taken over by Scandinavian countries that have an active cultural policy. Developing such standards provides our culture with the power to unite society, to increase tolerance, to maintain respect for national peculiarities and foster co-operation between cultures. The author comments on a canon of Latvian literature.

From the letters of Stasys Lozoraitis, written during the war (1942-1945)
The continued publication of letters by Stasys Lozoraitis, Sr., the head of the Lithuanian diplomacy in exile (see Kulturos barai issues 4 and 5). "I found copies of letters in Rome, archives of Lozoraitis' family that are now moved to Vilnius. Most of them were written to his colleagues, diplomats or people close to them. The head of diplomacy wrote many letters to non-Lithuanians – foreign politicians and newspaper editors. These letters were written in French, German, Italian and Polish. Because of war censorship, Lozoraitis wrote letters in German to Kazys Skirpa in Berlin.

Poetry of fights for freedom
Independence was regained not only thanks to the activities of freedom fighters (guerrilla, the resistance), but also through passive resistance of the whole nation in solidarity with the active fighters. Underground publications were an important factor as well. Some of these publications have survived, and many of them contained poems. Press researcher Albertas Ruzgas has collected a number of poems that are anonymous or signed with pseudonyms. Their anonymity should not let us forget them.

Leonas Stepanauskas
When Kalvarija was big and Starapole-Marijampole very small
The findings I tell of are old news to historians. However, there were reservations that the map – two fragments of which are provided here – could not have survived. I have in mind a rare document of cartography drafted more than two hundred years ago by the top specialists in the Prussian state military. The war map of the Prussian kingdom was considered the first professional map of Lithuanian territory.

Vita Groudyte
French in Lithuanian history (1009-2009)
Review of the book Les Francais dans l'Histoire de la Lituanie (L'Harmattan, Mare Balticum, 2009) by Gilles Duterte.

Krescencija Surkute
When "stars" start to think
Ironical essay on Lithuania's cultural and political life.

Published 2009-06-23