Marek said that while he is neither a hunter nor a naturalist he spends a lot of time in nature photographing wildlife he decided to buy a trail camera to observe forest animals and he now has several cameras set up in different locations one of his cameras – placed in the forest near Gerviškės in the Šalčininkai district close to the border with Belarus – recorded footage of a bear Kislovskij recalled: "When I came to check the camera I was really surprised to have captured such a shot and it was a bit unsettling to realise that a bear had recently been walking around in that same area." he had never heard of any bear sightings – or even tracks – in the Šalčininkai district do not provoke it and calmly retreat to a safe place You can read this article in 3 minutesBartosz Wawryszuk Lithuania will introduce mandatory pre-registration for all trucks exiting the EU via its borders with Belarus and Russia from 1 December aimed at reducing congestion and enhancing security requires hauliers to book their crossing time through an electronic queue to prevent long delays and improve border efficiency the Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior will require all goods vehicles leaving Lithuania via the EU’s external borders to pre-register their departure in an electronic queue system (EVIS) This measure applies to the Medininkai and Šalčininkai crossings with Belarus and the Kybartai crossing with Russia The Lithuanian government passed the resolution several weeks ago aiming to regulate truck queues and maintain public order at border crossings The system allows hauliers to book a crossing time in advance which authorities recommend to avoid delays Trucks arriving without pre-registration will be assigned the next available slot but pre-booking is encouraged to improve route planning and delivery schedules head of the Border Control Points Directorate highlighted the importance of early registration for more predictable traffic management Parking areas near the border crossings provide free parking for up to one hour A new parking area for 550 vehicles is expected to open near Šalčininkai later this year Lithuanian Customs anticipates that the pre-registration system will ease the workload of customs officers Director General of the Customs Department stated that the system will enable better planning of customs operations based on traffic flow Past experience shows that truck queues can reach up to 900 vehicles especially in December and April before Christmas and Easter The authorities expect the new system to significantly reduce these wait times This policy is also part of Lithuania’s strategy to address security concerns linked to the Belarusian regime Lithuania closed four border crossings with Belarus which increased pressure on the remaining checkpoints head of the National Crisis Management Centre emphasized that pre-registration is essential for maintaining security and mitigating risks associated with concentrated truck traffic The Ministry of the Interior and various government agencies have worked closely to implement this system ensuring coordination between national and local institutions including police monitoring and improved signage have also been introduced to maintain order at border points Agnieszka Kulikowska - Wielgus Journalist Trans.info | 6.05.2025 Pölös Zsófia Journalist Trans.info | 5.05.2025 Fragrance on the Fly: Why Pocket Perfumes Are Perfect for Airplane TravelSponsored Article 6.05.2025 A weather balloon with smuggled cigarettes at a Lithuanian border crossing / vsat.lrv.lt Smugglers tried to smuggle 1,250 packs of cigarettes from the territory of Belarus to Lithuania using a weather balloon, but the balloon with the cargo landed right at the active border crossing at Šalčininkai, the Lithuanian Border Guard Service reports. The Lithuanian Border Guard suggested that the smugglers "lacked the specific knowledge to use such an unguided balloon to deliver the cargo to the planned place." In addition to a package of cigarettes (1,250 packs of NZ Gold Super Slims with Belarusian labels) two GPS devices were attached to the weather balloon They were probably were likely intended for the recipients of the goods in Lithuania to determine the exact location of the cargo Lithuanian border guards noted earlier that the tightening of border controls had led to smugglers using weather probes to smuggle cigarettes. In the first five months of this year, 19 such shipments were intercepted. By comparison, in 2023, only 3 meteoprobes were found with smuggled cigarettes launched from Belarus Become a journalist!Report topic! Support usDonate The recent migration crisis has brought new issues to Lithuanian politics the south-eastern part of Lithuania was one of the regions most affected It appears that the situation has opened up new opportunities for the ‘Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance’ to sustain and mobilise an electorate that remains highly responsive to “traditional values” Campaign poster for Valdemar Tomaševski ahead of the election to the European Parliament in 2019 Belarus’s hybrid aggression against Lithuania At the end of May Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka threatened that he would allow migrants and drugs into the EU started crossing into Lithuania looking for safe haven and a better life in the European Union Lithuania’s official statistics indicate that there are regional differences regarding these illegal migration waves 926 migrants crossed the Belarusian-Lithuanian border into the territory of the Šalčininkai district municipality 457 in Švenčionys and 219 in Vilnius districts The ethnic Polish factor and Lithuania’s politics  the party became a member of the governing coalition The 2020 elections therefore saw the group experience a significant decline in its influence at the national level as well as a reduction in its ability to shape political agenda-setting this failure threatened to cast his party into the political wilderness The migration crisis as an opportunity to escape political oblivion In May, representatives of Lukashenka’s regime announced their intention to end cooperation with the EU regarding the prevention of illegal migration Belarusian border guards no longer prevent migrants from illegally crossing the Belarusian-Lithuanian border and entering the EU The Lithuanian government’s plan to establish centres for these migrants in the Šalčininkai and Vilnius district municipalities outraged the local They described border municipalities as hostages of the crisis and called on Lithuania’s government to take responsibility for its decisions Valdemar Tomaševski also made several public statements on the migration crisis. It is interesting to note that in none of his public statements or media appearances did he express any major criticism of the Belarusian regime or Alyaksandr Lukashenka. This trend was made more than clear in his address to anti-migrant protesters in Dieveniškės Tomaševski argued that the crisis was part of a larger anti-Christian battle He claimed that the migration flows are designed to frighten Christians and expressed his determination to resist He emphasised that Lithuania has been a Christian nation and should remain so Tomaševski also expressed similar desires in relation to Poland and Hungary and noted the strong international pressure faced by these countries’ authorities he called for solidarity among pro-Christian political groups throughout Europe Before his electorate, Tomaševski tries to model himself on Orbán. The Hungarian prime-minister believes that Europe is heading towards a risky post-Christian and post-national chapter of its history that could have unpredictable consequences Orbán has argued that “each nation has the right to reject this risk” convinced that in 2015 Hungary’s refusal to aid immigration was the only reasonable decision Tomaševski got his chance to address a migrant crisis that severely affected his traditional political base the crisis became an enormous opportunity for the EAPL–CFA Issues such as the spelling of personal names or the use of the Polish language on street signs virtually disappeared from the party’s agenda The addition of the phrase “Christian Families Alliance” to its name implied an ideological drift towards “traditional values” shaped by the spiritual ties of Christianity hard to imagine how Lithuania’s Poles and other national minorities with different views on politics and society will embrace traditional values being placed at the centre of party rhetoric In recent years the party has faced serious challenges in retaining its voters has brought new issues to Lithuania’s politics it is quite certain that the EAPL–CFA and its leader will use the migration crisis in their struggle to sustain Kiryl Kascian holds a doctoral degree in Law from the University of Bremen He is currently a board member at the International Centre for Ethnic and Linguistic Diversity Studies  Vitold Jančis holds a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Białystok He is a journalist for ru.DELFI.lt and editor-in-chief at InBaltic.lt Dear Readers - New Eastern Europe is a not-for-profit publication that has been publishing online and in print since 2011 and further the dialogue surrounding issues facing the states that were once a part of the Soviet Union or under its influence But we can only achieve this mission with the support of our donors  If you appreciate our work please consider making a donation The consequences of Russia’s invasion are visible not only in Ukraine The Kremlin has set off or exploited a series of crises that face most European countries New thinking is needed in policies towards Russia in whatever form it will take after the war Ukraine’s suffering goes well beyond the front line With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine we now see our western values under siege whether we consciously recognise it or not The invasion by Russian forces of Ukraine from the north south and east – with the initial aim to take the capital Kyiv – has changed our region The situation with Russian threats towards Ukraine once again illustrates the high level of instability in our region Only a year ago we witnessed the second Nagorno-Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan It took at least 5,000 lives and significantly shifted the geopolitics in the South Caucuses This special issue aims to honour the plight of Belarusians whose democratic choice made in August 2020 was shamelessly snubbed by Alyaksandr Lukashenka a lot of work still remains for this country And this is why Ukraine’s story is incomplete 30 years after the fall of the Soviet Union Our societies are more polarised than ever before which makes them more susceptible to disinformation The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed limitations and weaknesses in nearly all countries around the world volatility and the relationship between Russia and the West The Black Sea region is quickly becoming a geopolitical battleground which is gaining the interest of major powers regional players and smaller countries – and the stakes are only getting higher This issue is dedicated to the 10 year anniversary of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership as well as the 30 years since the 1989 revolutions in Central Europe The consequences of the emerging multipolar world This issue takes a special look at the role and responsibility of the public intellectual in Central and Eastern Europe today In the eastern parts of the European continent 1918 is remembered not only as the end of the First World War but also saw the emergence of newly-independent states and the rise of geopolitical struggles which are felt until this day that Belarus remains isolated from the West and very static in its transformation The Summer 2018 issue of New Eastern Europe tackles the complexity of para-states in the post-Soviet space At 6 October the Culture Centre of the Šalčininkai Region Municipality opens an exhibition The Dieveniškės Region The Expedition of 1951 by the Folk Art Department of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art The exhibition revisits one of the first expeditions of the LNMA to the region of Šalčininkai It tells a story of a small corner of Lithuania encircled by the Dieveniškės bend On display are artefacts and related documentary material collected by the expedition.   The cultural project The Šalčia Region: Past Open Onto Future  The Expedition of 1951 is the second part of the project The Šalčia Region: Past Open to Future by the LNMA and the Culture Centre of the Šalčininkai Region Municipality was held in a barn of the farmstead of Jašiūnai estate during this summer and through September It featured the art by the best-known self-taught artist of Lithuanian Minor Lida Meškaitytė and the painter from Vilnius region Ana Krepštul.  The exhibition The Dieveniškės Region The Expedition of 1951 will familiarize visitors with objects of ethnic culture from the 2nd half of the 19th c to the 1st half of the 20th century: the homesteads every day utensils in photographs and sketches also woven articles featuring patterns typical exclusively for the region of Šalčininkai.  The first expeditions to research and collect folk art closely followed the end of WWII while a thorough and consistent work commenced since 1951 The first such an expedition by the museum was organized in the environs of Puškonys and Dieveniškės now surrounded by Belarus from three sides always attracted researchers through its archaic way of life interesting dialects and specific language features.  ‘The region of Dieveniškės was selected because the retained archaic life forms the richer it is for ethnography professionals’ head of the Folk Art Department of the Centre of Record Research and Preservation of Collections of the LNMA.  The expedition was led by the then head of the Folk Art Department Akvilė Mikėnaitė (1912–2001) as a summer practice leader for students of ethnography.  ‘At the time the museum had no transportation nor a professional photographer even the forms to collect information were in shortage Few items were brought from the expedition – five small sashes adding that the participants of the expedition documented the most interesting finds.   a couple of students of architecture recorded nearly 200 buildings Local terminology for a number of objects was also recorded the expedition yielded over 250 pages of descriptive material.  Plenty of pictures were taken during this exhibition Behind a camera was Vacys Milius (1926–2005) later he became one of the leading Lithuanian ethnologists He mostly focused on architecture and the peculiarities of local way of life His camera captured also examples of woven textiles.   Exhibits interesting to both locals and visitors  specialist of ethnography of the Culture Centre of the Šalčininkai Region Municipality the exhibition The Dieveniškės Region The Expedition of 1951 will be interesting to those who do not know the Šalčininkai region as well as those who come from these places ‘In the pictures people will see the ancient houses they will be able to recognize themselves or familiar aged people’ Bernotaitė-Beliauskienė believes that most interesting among the woven pieces presented at the exhibition are the fringed kitchen towels – skariniai in Lithuanian – characteristic of southeastern Dzūkija They are made mostly from the left-over ends when a woven cloth is cut out of the weaving loom The left warp yarn at one end of such towels would be decorated by macrame – around Dieveniškės such decoration was called karūnka (a crown) Different patterns for macrame work were used patterns of three loops – hare’s footprint At home women would keep several such fringed towels They were used to wipe one’s hands and face others – to cover food: a sliced loaf of bread they wrapped their dinner into such towels they carried a piece of cheese or pastry in their best skariniai.  The exhibition as a part of the impressive folk art collection of the LNMA Presently the Lithuanian National Museum of Art keeps around 30 thousand of pieces of fine and applied folk art approximately the same number of photographs and negatives of crosses The bulk of these ancient collections are items collected during expeditions A part of these will appear at the exhibition The Dieveniškės Region The Expedition of 1951 at the Culture Centre of the Šalčininkai Region Municipality (Vilniaus 48 Šalčininkai) opens at 6 October and will run through November 30.  Exhibition organizers: The Lithuanian National Museum of Art and the Culture Centre of the Šalčininkai Region Municipality  Exhibition curators: Dalia Bernotaitė-Beliauskienė Project sponsors: Lithuanian Council for Culture and the Culture Centre of the Šalčininkai Region Municipality  A subscription to The Baltic Times is a cost-effective way of staying in touch with the latest Baltic news and views enabling you full access from anywhere with an Internet connection. Subscribe Now! 2025 © The Baltic Times /Cookies Policy Privacy Policy Lithuania closed two more checkpoints on the border with Belarus - Lavoriškės and Raigardas Lithuania says that the closure of the checkpoints is aimed at addressing national security issues pedestrian and cyclist traffic through the border crossing points in Medininkai and Šalčininkai will also be suspended and passenger boarding and disembarking at the railway border points of Kędiai and Kibartai will be prohibited which will be decided by the State Border Guard Service a decision was made to limit by 50 percent the number of permits issued to Belarusian and Lithuanian carriers engaged in regular international passenger transportation by bus According to the Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior citizens crossing road border checkpoints on the state border with Belarus were checked almost 3.9 million times Two-thirds of the checked persons were Belarusian citizens Recently, the heads of the customs services of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia agreed on unified control in the implementation of the European Union's sanctions against Russia and Belarus. Lithuania revoked the residence permit of Ilya Epifanov which is used by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko Lithuania decided to impose fines for non-compliance with international and national sanctions In addition, the Lithuanian authorities extended national sanctions against Russia and Belarus for another year. The park is set to start generating electricity in 2025 with the investment totalling EUR 38 million has said that the project in Šalčininkai will complement the 91 MW and 26 MW solar parks already developed in the districts of Klaipėda and Rokiškis where the company’s investment will stand at nearly EUR 80 million “We will neither sell nor lease these three solar parks to consumers who generate electricity This is our contribution to Lithuania’s energy independence allowing us to meet the growing green energy needs of our private consumers business customers and public charging,” the CEO is cited as saying in the company’s press release The solar parks will be connected to Litgrid’s grid The company has already reserved grid capacity for the Šalčininkai project with EUR 2.7 million in SEB Green guarantees agreed between Elektrum Lietuva and the bank in July 2023 The company currently has six solar parks with a total capacity of 29.7 MW It is also developing new solar and wind parks with a planned capacity of almost 350 MW Dec 9 (Reuters) – The number of journalists worldwide who are behind bars reached a global high in 2021 according to a new report from the nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists which says that 293 reporters were imprisoned as of Dec At least 24 journalists were killed because of their coverage and 18 others died in circumstances that make it too difficult to determine whether they were targeted because of their work the CPJ said on Thursday in its annual survey on press freedom and attacks on the media While the reasons for jailing reporters varies between countries the record number reflects political upheaval around the world and a growing intolerance of independent reporting “This is the sixth year in a row that CPJ has documented record numbers of journalists imprisoned around the world,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon in a statement “The number reflects two inextricable challenges – governments are determined to control and manage information and they are increasingly brazen in their efforts to do so.” which arrested reporters as part of a crackdown after its Feb For the first time, the CPJ’s list includes journalists incarcerated in Hong Kong – a byproduct of the 2020 national security law which makes anything Beijing regards as subversion terrorism or colluding with foreign forces punishable by up to life in prison where journalists are often targeted when their work upsets criminal gangs or corrupt officials remains the Western hemisphere’s deadliest country for reporters © 2022 St Kitts Nevis Observer / Nevis Printing Ltd Newspaper Theme by tagDiv | All rights reserved Lithuania last summer closed the first two border checkpoints – at Šumskas and Tverečius – on the border with Belarus The authorities say the closures are aimed at dealing with issues of national security as well as smuggling and violations of international sanctions Lithuania is also halting the movement of pedestrians and cyclists via the Medininkai and Šalčininkai border checkpoints and banning the pick-up and drop-off of passengers at the Kena and Kybartai railway border checkpoints except in exceptional cases to be decided by the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) “Exceptions will only be granted to persons allowed to travel for humanitarian reasons or with the mediation of other institutions such as the Foreign Ministry,” Rustamas Liubajevas Lithuanian and other EU citizens wishing to return from Russia will be able to use the Kena and Kybartai railway stations for two more weeks the passage of such individuals will no longer be executed,” he said The government has also decided to limit to 50 percent the number of permits issued to Belarusian and Lithuanian carriers operating regular international bus passenger services Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tikhanovskaya has said that the measures are building “iron curtains” warning that only the authoritarian presidents will benefit from the closure of border crossing points and the isolation of Belarusians Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the closure of two more border checkpoints with Belarus is needed to prevent the circumvention of sanctions against Minsk according to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda “The iron curtain must be established because sanctions are applied to Belarus and in order for these sanctions not to be circumvented and to reduce smuggling and they have been taken in time,” he noted Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaite said Lithuania will continue to maintain the so-called humanitarian corridor for “people fleeing the regime” and noted that two border checkpoints remain open The Lithuanian State Security Department last year warned about attempts by Belarusian intelligence to recruit people travelling across the border Lithuania strengthens border security and introduces new restrictions at checkpoints due to provocations from Belarus, according to the website of the Lithuanian government The government of the Republic of Lithuania has approved a draft decree prepared by the Ministry of the Interior that introduces new restrictions at border checkpoints The decision is due to the increased threats to national security related to illegal immigration as well as changes in the tactics of Belarusian intelligence and border services crossing the border from Belarus on motorcycles and motorized bicycles will be prohibited at the Šalčininkai and Medininkai checkpoints Traffic will only be allowed via motor vehicles The government also proposes temporarily restricting border crossing at these points if instances of Belarusian officials using migrants are detected The restrictions were imposed due to attempts by Belarusian border guards to direct individuals without proper documents or who do not meet the Schengen Border Code requirements to the border with Lithuania The government warns that without new legal regulations there could be conditions for a massive flow of illegal immigration through official border checkpoints with Belarus Lithuania employs comprehensive border security measures: a physical barrier has been established on the Belarusian border and rapid responses to incidents are ensured This prevents illegal crossings of the so-called "green" border Lithuania continues its active fight against potential pro-Russian agents the country's government banned the admission of Lithuanian citizens with Russian as well as individuals without Lithuanian citizenship to the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy Lithuania is also preparing for a new wave of Russian sabotage activities. Recently, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated in an interview with RBC-Ukraine that he does not doubt that Russia is preparing for war against the Baltic States. “It probably seems wild to you that we bring flowers here,” said the woman who did not want to give her name “But this is a chance for me to feel a connection with my family who were taken to Germany to a work camp the May 9 celebration still attracted hundreds of people to the centre Šalčininkai a predominantly Russian-speaking town on Lithuania's border with Belarus The last pictures posted on the local municipality’s homepage in 2012 show a large crowd laying flowers by the soldier’s monument Lithuania has now passed further decommunisation laws to dismantle the remaining monuments arguing that Soviet memory is being used by the Kremlin as a soft power and a way to justify aggression But for another young woman bringing flowers to the monument the May 9 commemoration bears a personal connection the day had a completely different meaning – and that was understandable “We all have our traumas and this is normal,” she said But everyone is drawn to the historical representation that is closest to them so this is a personal act for me to be here so they remain alive in memory,” she said this commemoration would be associated with pain.” Russia marks May 9 as the end of the “Great Patriotic War” and victory over Nazi Germany Lithuania maintains that the war did not finish on May 9 as it resulted in a 50-year occupation by Moscow and subsequent repressions and killings the date became increasingly loaded after Russia used the false pretext of fighting fascism and protecting Russian speakers to launch its aggression against Ukraine in 2014 Vladimir Putin again referred to the so-called fight against Nazism as the justification for the full-scale war against Kyiv the May 9 commemoration thus no longer marks the past but it is used to rally support for the Kremlin's current wars; many worry they could eventually reach the Baltic states officials routinely have pointed at Šalčininkai and the surrounding region as a potential place for a Donbas-like scenario much to the disdain of the local population Lithuania’s border region with Belarus is ethnically mixed with 76 percent of people identifying themselves as Polish Many of them also consider themselves to be Russian-speaking despite their Polish roots A particular military snap-drill held in 2017 caused outrage among the locals Balaclava-wearing gunmen captured the local police station as unidentified military forces seized other parts of the area Lithuania’s interior ministry claimed that the local people welcomed the fighters which was contradicted and denied by local authorities and the people themselves Anecdotal evidence suggests bitter clashes between locals who are pro-Russian and those supporting Ukraine Many more consider themselves to be anti-war yet falling short of denouncing the Kremlin's aggression against Ukraine More still are wary of the threat of war or criticise politicians for allegedly feeding the anxiety Because I’m neither a Russian for the Russians nor Lithuanian for the Lithuanians,” said the young woman at the monument but we all hope that the war [in Ukraine] will not reach us and it will finish soon.” at least several of the interviewed people said they were now afraid to openly mark May 9 They did not name the reason for their fear mentioning instead the “current situation” One person who refused to be named said “only the Russian people” can understand the significance of the May 9 date much of the dispute comes down to the clash of different collective traumas she added – the one experienced by Russians in the Second World War and the one inflicted by the Soviets on Lithuanians The number of veterans has been decreasing as most succumb to old age One of the last remaining ones in the Šalčininkai region was among those who laid flowers at the monument in Šalčininkai which is where he met my mother who was born here They got married here and had daughters and grandchildren I’m here for the memory of my father because he shed his blood [in the war].” Moscow announced it would pay out “holiday bonuses” to 9,700 veterans still living in Russia and the Baltic states it did not clarify how many of them are in Lithuania “It would be better to build a monument to [Polish general] Józef Piłsudski who beat the Bolsheviks and practically saved Lithuania and Poland,” said Zbigniew “There are also many people here whose relatives fought against the Bolsheviks.” passenger cars heading to Belarus had to wait about 10 hours at the Medininkai checkpoint and about 2 hours at the Šalčininkai checkpoint Around 410 trucks were queuing up at the Medininkai border checkpoint on Tuesday morning Almost 155 trucks crossed into Belarus at Medininkai on Tuesday morning and 156 at Salcininkai The queues were longer on the Belarusian side of the border with some 820 trucks waiting at Medininkai and 730 at Šalčininkai on Tuesday morning Only two border checkpoints remain open on Lithuania’s border with Belarus following the closure of the Lavoriškės and Raigardas crossings last Friday and the Šumskas and Tverečius crossings last summer The situation at the former Kalvarija-Budzisko checkpoint where protesting Polish farmers and officials are checking some of the transported goods with no queues and the usual traffic recorded was being transported by a citizen of the Republic of Moldova in a Mercedes Sprinter van During the routine inspection shortly after midnight customs officers discovered the bell hidden under bags in the vehicle The driver had initially declared that he was not transporting any prohibited or declarable goods The Moldovan driver was unable to provide any documents proving the bell’s origin or ownership telling officers he was unaware that such documentation was required suspecting that the bell may be a cultural heritage object or possibly looted property from Ukraine seized the item and filed an official goods detention report They also noted the possibility of international sanctions violations and initiated procedures to determine the item’s customs classification and value The bell is now under review by experts from Lithuania’s Department of Cultural Heritage who are assessing whether it qualifies as cultural heritage and was being transported at the request of Russian Orthodox Patriarchs Kirill and Nikolai He claimed the final destination was Moldova with the route passing through Belarus and Lithuania Inscriptions on the bell suggest it may have been dedicated to Saint Petro Mohyla a 17th-century Orthodox metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus' and a figure revered in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Lithuanian authorities are coordinating with cultural heritage and international law enforcement agencies to determine the bell’s provenance and legal status According to the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) the five foreigners arrived at Šalčininkai late Sunday night “Document checks revealed that the Sudanese and Kenyan citizens – two men two women and one minor – were trying to enter Lithuania but they did not have Schengen visas and did not meet the conditions for entry into the Schengen area so these persons could not be admitted,” Giedrius Mišutis the migrants were ordered to return to Belarus and did so “without any major incidents or conflicts” which provides assistance to migrants on the Lithuanian border claims that the foreigners were seeking asylum but border guards refused to accept their applications “Although the Lithuanian authorities regularly state that border guards have the competence to make sure that people are not seeking asylum we are faced with the exact opposite situation,” the NGO’s head Mantautas Šulskus told BNS the asylum seekers arrived exactly as they are told to do when they are turned back in the forest and they arrived at the border checkpoint.” Sienos Grupė has received an audio recording from the Sudanese and Kenyan nationals in which one of the women is asking for asylum in English but the man who is talking to her says he does not understand what she is saying but cannot independently confirm its authenticity Mišutis insists “there was no explicit request [for asylum]” We treat their non-entry into Lithuania as legitimate,” he said Lithuania began pushing back foreigners trying to enter the country irregularly in 2021 following an influx of migrants from Belarus Lithuanian border guards have stopped migrants more than 23,100 times Some of them have attempted to cross the border more than once The VSAT have said that people who wish to request asylum in Lithuania should do so through “legal channels” Correction: the previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the foreign nationals tried to request asylum at the Medininkai border crossing only two border checkpoints – at Medininkai and Šalčininkai – out of six will remain open on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border Two checkpoints – at Šumskas and Tverečius – were closed last summer Ministers also backed the proposal to restrict the pick-up and drop-off of passengers at the Kena railway border checkpoint to tackle the problem of passengers on transit trains to Kaliningrad disembarking in Lithuania with documents issued by any EU member state for travel within the bloc Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė said earlier that some 13,000 people board or disembark trains at Kena every year the government decided to suspend the movement of pedestrians and cyclists via the Medininkai and Šalčininkai checkpoints and to gradually reduce the number of permits issued to Belarusian and Lithuanian carriers operating regular international bus passenger services Lithuanian institutions say this is aimed at tackling problems of national security Almost 3.9 million people crossing the Lithuanian-Belarusian border via road border checkpoints underwent checks last year and Belarusian citizens accounted for 66 percent of them Lithuanian citizens crossed the border 684,000 times while the number of unique travellers crossing the border last year amounted to almost 62,000 The largest number of Lithuanian citizens crossed the border via the Šalčininkai and Lavoriškės checkpoints language is becoming a tool and not the goal,” says Pukszto an associate professor at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas initiatives to phase out Russian-language education will only expose the Baltic states to Putin’s propaganda as well as accusations of not taking minority rights seriously What do you make of the results of surveys suggesting that there’s more hostility in Lithuania not only towards Russia And if we look at trends in Western Europe we see that whenever the situation heats up tolerance for other nations is put to great test the change in sentiment towards the Russian-speaking population of Lithuania was quite quick and and we are looking for enemies in our own back yard Even if there are pro-Putin statements [in Lithuania’s Russian speaking communities] speaking about some sort of collective responsibility is unacceptable let alone about collective global responsibility A wave of ethnic strife – no matter what direction it takes – is always a very dangerous thing education and science play a big role here How widespread and loud these pro-Putin opinions are Should we be worried about the situation in Russian-dominated towns I would like to unlink this issue from ethnicity Pro-Putin sentiments are quite horizontal and affect specific ethnic communities only slightly So framing the problem in national terms is a very dangerous road to take But if we are talking about pro-Putin views there are enough of them among ethnic Lithuanians themselves […] I think we shouldn’t focus – as the media and politicians often do – on Visaginas or Šalčininkai symbolic fights – renaming the Russian Drama Theatre in Vilnius or the Alexander Pushkin School in Kaunas There are calls to rename the Russian Street in Vilnius Some of them are targeting symbols that Lithuania’s Russian-speaking community is identifying with Doesn’t that make the Russian community voiceless unable to respond to what’s going on without the risk of being called traitorous When it comes to renaming [streets and institutions] I do not think that it will bring any dividends in the field of building civil society to make our it stronger and more democratic And if we want to strengthen our civil society –we certainly do – then we have to take up some far-reaching projects and reforms language is becoming a tool and not the goal nationalism are things of the 20th century while the 21st century is one of multinational cultural societies and we want to make it the goal –it seems to me that we are a little bit out of step with the times It is a little different in Western Europe there are some old wounds that are opening So we have problems with tolerance in all areas of public life once said that multiculturalism in her country failed Multiculturalism and tolerance are the basis of a functioning society over there the mayor of Riga recently said that attempts to integrate Russian-speakers in Latvia failed was held up as a better example in this respect though One fundamental thing is granting citizenship in the 1990s to all who wished to become citizens of Lithuania And the second thing is preserving schools that teach in ethnic minority languages Russian-language schools were and are preparing loyal citizens of the Republic of Lithuania We should ask ourselves what is more important: to have a young person who speaks perfect Lithuanian one can praise Putin and aggression in Lithuanian or a person with a civil position who supports democracy there are calls to phase out Russian from Lithuania’s school There are inclinations in this direction and they are quite strong But my personal opinion is that it will not lead anywhere is already on its way to closing Russian schools the Council of Europe and EU institutions will consider it discrimination since all Baltic states have signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities Protecting ethnic minorities is also part of the general system of human rights The Lithuanian authorities do not seem to be concerned about it at all the Law on National Minorities has been lying on the shelf for 10 years only opinions differ on what tools to choose When it comes to the Russian-speaking environment I see some positivity in that Vilnius is becoming a centre of anti-Putin opposition This also shows to the society that there is a Putin world but there is also a non-Putin Russian world Both [Mikhail] Khodorkovsky and [Gary] Kasparov come to Vilnius we agree that we have a goal to overcome Putin’s aggression but it’s all about which tools to use for that I think that Lithuania needs to preserve the system of Russian-speaking schools And here Lithuania can present itself as a country with wonderful traditions with an excellent system of education for ethnic minorities We have to preserve both Russian-language and Polish-language schools strengthen the teaching of the state language and civic society basics The second important thing is to support media in minority languages and promote tolerance through media channels Add to that what I mentioned in the beginning: the responsible attitude of political leaders and intellectuals is very important Lithuania’s Department of National Minorities has published a set of 32 historical postcards and a video talking about the contribution of national minorities to the restoration of Lithuania’s independence “Peaceful coexistence and respect for people of various nationalities and religions is a unique Lithuanian asset,” Vida Montvydaitė The video talks about Lithuania’s national minorities taking part in the Baltic Way on August 23 when two million people joined hands in a human chain that connected Lithuania as well as members of the Dačija Lithuanian Community of Moldovans-Romanians the Interethnic Coordinating Association “sought to demonstrate that Lithuanians and national minorities share a common goal of restoring an independent democratic state” and to deny lies about ethnic discrimination in Lithuania the national minorities have taken an active part in various events sometimes even more active than the so-called majority,” Šarūnas Liekis The video also draws attention to an important meeting in a majority Polish town Šalčininkai in 1989 An idea of Šalčininkai and Vilnius territorial autonomy was floated by the Soviet leadership in 1988 it did not receive wide support aming Lithuania’s Polish community Šalčininkai residents met with the people’s deputies of the Soviet Union signatures were collected to protest against the proposed autonomy of Šalčininkai The resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the LSSR officially rejected the idea of Šalčininkai and Vilnius districts’ territorial autonomy on September 21 Russian-speaking citizens of Lithuania also sent a letter to the Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev stating that the restoration of Lithuania’s statehood is taking place without violence and discrimination Lithuania’s Russian speakers wrote that they did not need the Soviet military to protect their rights The best support would be the unconditional recognition of the sovereignty of the Republic of Lithuania “The Soviet Union put great effort into dividing society in Lithuania They especially played with the emotions of Russian speakers and other minorities saying that they were losing their motherland Soviet Union,” said Montvydaitė head of the national minorities' department the fact that the national communities addressed the Soviet leaders […] and the fact that they did it voluntarily is very important even today,” she added The Russian Cultural Centre was the first Russian public organisation in independent Lithuania which supported the statehood of the country in every possible way the proclamation of the Russian Cultural Center to the people of Lithuania was prepared It spoke about the tragic events near the TV tower in Vilnius The centre also urged Lithuanian Russians to take part in the procession in memory of the dead on January 16 members of other national communities also expressed their support for Lithuanian independence and stood guard outside Lithuania’s parliament and TV Tower with their national flags Lithuanian customs officers on Tuesday stopped two Tesla Cybertruck electric vehicles from being exported to Belarus The cars made in 2023 were allegedly being transported to Belarus through the Šalčininkai border checkpoint customs officers suspected that they would have been moved to and registered in Russia instead the officers did not allow to carry out export procedures of vehicles valued over EUR 200,000 A pre-trial investigation was opened into circumvention of international sanctions and smuggling Sanctions for the export of cars from the EU to Russia were imposed in 2014 Both vehicles were impounded and are parked in customs’ facilities Their drivers were released after questioning Lithuanian customs is cooperating with US authorities overseeing international sanctions Lithuania has tightened the control of exports of luxury cars to third countries. Customs officers determined that in 2023 nearly every second luxury car (valued over EUR 50,000) exported from the EU to a third country (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan etc.) would eventually enter the Russian market. According to the Ministry of National Defence, soldiers arriving from Germany in Lithuania will be accommodated in Vilnius They will be responsible for planning the transfer of the German brigade to Lithuania and for coordinating the requirements set for military infrastructure The German command element that will grow in numbers by the end of the year and will also become responsible for assistance in transferring German soldiers to serve in Lithuania Germany committed to deploy a brigade-sized unit in Lithuania in the summer of 2022 The commitment was made in a communique signed between German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda The defence ministers signed a roadmap for the deployment of the brigade in December 2023 Germany will send the 122nd Armoured Infantry Battalion from Bavaria and the 203rd Tank Battalion from North Rhine-Westphalia A total of 5,000 German troops and civilians are planned to be deployed in Lithuania The majority of the brigade should be moved by 2026 German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius had said that the brigade would reach full operational capacity in 2027 The Polish Home Army was Poland's largest underground organization fighting the Nazis The remains of another fighter were also found last year as part of the search launched in 2017 by Poland's Institute of National Remembrance for resistance fighters and the exhumation of their remains The reburial ceremony was attended by local politicians and members of the Lithuanian Seimas told BNS that the participation of Lithuanian lawmakers was meant to show the importance of Lithuanian-Polish unity but we cannot allow ourselves these things it's pure self-destruction for us and for the Poles and that's all,” said the politician who represents the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union The reburied Polish resistance fighters were found in several villages of Šalčininkai District Specialists have identified one of them as Wojciech Stypula who was shot dead by the Soviets on July 22 The remains of the Polish Home Army's lieutenant will be move to Poland and buried by his next of kin Specialists could not identify the other soldiers The remains of another Polish resistance fighter were found earlier this year in Vilnius District; they would be reburied later this year Read more: Lithuanian and Polish MPs to tackle thorny issues of interwar history Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė came to Šalčininkai a town where Polish-speakers make up nearly three quarters of the population to take part in a harvest festival held on Sunday Claiming she did not want to start any political discussions on ethnic minority issues the president said that she equally loved all people of Lithuania Grybauskaitė also sent a clear message to the residents of this area that they were respected and considered equal part of Lithuania "I equally love all people of Lithuania as they all are citizens of Lithuania I speak languages of all major ethnic minorities; I can speak Polish I speak those languages to pay my regard to all people in Lithuania as Lithuania is one it is the homeland of these people too," the president said in Polish and Lithuanian drawing loud applause from the participants of the festival.