• Lithuania was the first republic to declare independence from the USSR in 1990, with Iceland being the first country to recognize it.
• In 2022, Lithuania was the first EU country to become fully independent from Russian gas.
• In 2024, Lithuania, together with Baltic States, synchronized with continental European grid.
• Lithuanian is the oldest surviving Indo-European language.
• Lithuania was the largest 15th century European country.
• Basketball is the #1 sport in Lithuania – its national teams won multiple European championships, and many players were drafted into the NBA.

The first Indo-European Baltic settlers arrived in what is now Lithuania in 12,000-2,500 BC, and established their own state at some time before the 11th century – the name “Lithuania” first showed up in the annals of Quedlinburg Abbey (Germany) in 1009.

In the 13th century, all the Baltic tribes came together under the umbrella of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL), which became Europe’s largest country in the 15th century. After officially converting to Christiniaty in 1387 – the last to do so in Europe – and defeating the Teutonic Order in the Battle of Žalgiris (Grunwald) in 1410, it became a highly diverse, multi-ethnic and multi-confessional state. Thanks to this diversity, Vilnius came to be known as both the Athens and the Jerusalem of the North.

The idiosyncratic political system of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, established in 1569 and succeeding the GDL, was a precursor to the modern concepts of democracy in Europe. Its 1791 constitution was the first one in Europe (preceding the French Constitution) and the second in the world.

After the 3rd Partition of the Commonwealth in 1795, it ceased to exist, being divided among Prussia, Austria, and Russia. What is now Lithuania fell under Tsarist control. After the Russian Empire tried to ban the use of Lithuanian language in print in the 19th century, the phenomenon of book smuggling emerged. Conducted by peasants and intellectuals, it became the cornerstone of the Lithuanian national movement that paved the way to restored independence in 1918.

The interwar period was one of prosperity – further European integration, economic growth, and cultural expansion. During this time, Kaunas – the capital of that time – became widely known for its Modernist architecture, and the pilots Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas became among the first to fly over the Atlantic in 1933.

Lithuania was one of the many countries affected by the turmoil of the Second World War. In 1940, it was occupied by the Soviets, in 1941 – by Nazi Germany and then, in 1945, by the Soviets again. With a strong national spirit and desire for independence, however, Lithuanians withstood both occupations. Resistance took place at the cultural, religious, civic, and military levels, with the period of guerrilla war being among the most tragic and dramatic in the country’s history.

The Lithuanian Reform Movement (Sąjudis) was instrumental to the fall of the Soviet Union. Started in the 1980s, it united the country in a series of peaceful protests. One of the most notable ones was the Baltic Chain of 1989, which had people join hands to form a human chain stretching 650 km across Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn. In 1990, Lithuania declared independence and a year after that – in final bout to regain power – Soviet authorities sent military paratroopers to Vilnius, but peaceful resistance prevailed.

In 2004, Lithuania joined the EU and NATO, finally reuniting with its European family.

The Chronicles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (first edition 1420s) marks the beginning of national literature in Lithuania, with religious texts being the most prominent during the Middle Ages overall. The Catechism (1547) by Martynas Mažvydas is the most representative example, and the first printed Lithuanian book.

Literature increased in popularity between the 16th and 18th centuries, becoming increasingly secular over time. The outstanding achievement of this period is The Seasons by Kristijonas Donelaitis, written around 1765-1775 – the first classic Lithuanian poem dealing with the everyday trials and tribulation of peasants.

In the 20th century, Lithuanian art, especially prose and poetry, was characterised by symbolism, romanticism, existentialism, and the struggle for national independence. During WWII and the dual occupation by Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, many artists emigrated and became successful abroad.

Examples of 20th century Lithuanian art include the tragicomic concentration camp memoir Forest of the Gods (1945) by Balys Sruoga; the existentialist novel White Shroud (1958) by Antanas Škėma; the works of Jurgis Mačiūnas, co-founder of the now-global art movement Fluxus; and the films of Jonas Mekas, sometimes called “the godfather of American avant-garde cinema”, and the internationallyacclaimed film director Šarūnas Bartas.

Today, Lithuania has a vibrant cultural scene across the artistic spectrum. Lithuanian theatre directors, such as Oskaras Koršunovas and Eimuntas Nekrošius, and their theatre productions are known around the globe, and the country has 13 state theatres and countless local and private ones. There’s also 100+ museums on every possible subject, including such off-kilter projects as the Museum of Ethnocosmology.

For visual art connoisseurs, Lithuania offers a large number of galleries and contemporary art spaces like the Contemporary Art Centre and MO museum. On display are works by both foreign and local artists, from Lithuanian classics like Jacques Lipchitz and M. K. Čiurlionis to modern creators like Evaldas Jansas. Street art is also prominent in the country, as even a quick Google search will turn up countless pictures of entire walls and building façades covered in the most imaginative and colourful artworks.

Having started to use bricks for building already in the 13th century, Lithuania is littered with examples of both very old and modern architecture. From Renaissance and Baroque structures in the Vilnius Old Town to the Modernist architecture of Kaunas, and Gothic and Classicist manors, castles, and churches across the country.

Lithuania is also the host of many international film festivals: Kino Pavasaris (Cinema Spring), the Kaunas International Film Festival, and Scanorama. In recent years, the country also became a go-to filming location for Netflix and HBO series like Chernobyl and Stranger Things.