It is Midsummer season - Jāņi. ?☀️???
Traditionally commemorated around the Summer Solstice and St. John's, it is a time of great celebration and merrymaking. Floral embellishing, leaf and blossom crowns, feasting, dancing and singing, bonfires, bathhouses.
While nowadays it is often seen as little more than an excuse to drink beer and eat seared meats, it is nonetheless an important European festivity with ancient roots. ??

Visu gadu Jāni gaidu,
Nevarēju sagaidīt;
Nu es viņu sagaidīju
Pašā Jāņu vakarā.
D. 32351
All year for Jānis I wait,
I could not await him.
Now I have awaited him,
On the very Jānis' eve.

A recently opened "Maxima" shop in the Samogitian town of Plongė/Plungė has come to the locals with a sweet surprise - a self-service checkout that guides the customer in the Samogitian language. It is satisfying the hearts of many people who love Samogitia to see that even larger businesses care about the preservation of local identities and decide to promote this idea.

????? Suspects detained in alleged Russian sabotage efforts in Poland, Lithuania – Polish PM

Poland has arrested nine members of an alleged Russian spy ring in connection with alleged acts of sabotage in Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, the country’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said.

“We currently have nine suspects detained and indicted, who have been directly implicated in the name of Russian services in acts of sabotage,” Tusk told private broadcaster TVN24 on Monday.

According to Tusk, those detained are accused of “beatings, arson, and attempted arson” not only in Poland but also in Lithuania, Latvia, and possibly Sweden.

Among the examples of sabotage acts Tusk mentioned an attempt to set fire to a paint factory in Wroclaw, western Poland, as well as a fire in the IKEA centre in Lithuania, which broke out last week.

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HIstory

⚔️? Officers of the Lithuanian Army's 7th infantry of the Duke of Samogitia Butegeidis regiment, taking a picture in front of the Klaipėda barracks building.

Sometime during the interwar period. Date unknown.

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News

???? Lithuania could become Europe's next ammunition production hub

After the Lithuanian government signed a letter of intent with Germany's defence industry giant Rheinmetall, the plans to build a 155mm ammunitions plant are in the works. The letter is not a clear commitment however but more of a promise to discuss or plan the conditions for the investment agreement.

If the conditions are met, this could serve as good news for Lithuania as part of the deal would increase ammunitions supply to Lithuania while boosting both economy and security. The production plant would also fill Europe's ammunitions shortage problem. Both the Lithuanian government and private companies are expected to join as partners of the project and financially contribute.

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News

??? Estonia's waters to host a mine-clearing operation.

Dubbed Open Spirit 24, thirteen allied NATO warships will participate in a mine countermeasure operation. Open Spirit 24 takes place in Estonia's waters from April 15-26 and will consist of 14 ships, 11 shore-based divers, and underwater drone crews, totalling up to 700 staff from NATO allies all working together to destroy historical ordances in Estonian waters. Finland and Sweden are first to participate as part of the alliance for the first time.

The Leader of the group Commander Ott Laanemets says that Open Spirt will make maritime areas safer and would provide realistic training while building NATO's deterrence posture.

The operation is quite historical because it will be the first time NATO's countermeasures groups officially work with the Finnish Navy. Although allies have cooperated to clear ordnances in the Baltic Sea since 1995

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Event

???? France will hold a "Lithuanian Season" art event organized all over France

In Autumn, France will host a series of events in 30 french cities between September 12th and until the end of the year. Over 130 projects were selected, and the event has attracted over 500 artists, experts, and performers.

The head of the Lithuanian Culture Institute says that the events would allow the French to get to know Lithuanian arts, culture and history, and could open up the two countries to even wider opportunities.

Prior to the opening the the Embassy of Lithuania in France is organising dozens of events under the name of the Prelude to the Season and the opening weekend will be full of events in Paris. The Pompidou Centre, in collaboration with the MO Museum in Vilnius, will open an exhibition showcasing Lithuania’s art since the 1960s.

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