This dissertation examines the wooden wayside shrines of Lithuania and the unique role they played in the religious, social and political history of Lithuania from the end of World War II to the 1990s. Two manifestations of performance are discussed: (1) the development of the wayside shrine tradition in the territory of Lithuania itself, and (2) the radicalization of the tradition among émigré artists rebuilding a sense of community in the West. With the annexation of Lithuania into the Soviet Union following World War II, the Communist government aggressively repressed but never completely eradicated the religiously-based wayside shrine tradition. Beginning in the 1970s, the Folk Art Society in Lithuania vigorously generated a renaissance in the folk heritage. Society members turned to the arts and crafts tradition and created over thirty, large-scale ensembles of woodcarvings throughout the countryside. As part of a struggle to assert Lithuanian cultural identity, the ubiquitous wayside shrines composed of roofed poles with chapels containing free-standing religious figures evolved into totemic carvings, which combine religious and secular figures fully engaged on the trunk of the totem pole. In North America, the Lithuanian diaspora recreated the shrines predominantly in miniature form, often using a greater variety of materials and tools. In this radicalized form they became the symbol of the Lithuanian community's identity in all aspects of its visual culture. The dissertation is organized into three sections: (1) an examination of the historical tradition, 1850–1940; (2) an analysis of the metamorphosis of the tradition in Lithuania, 1940–1990; (3) a comparative analysis of production in North America. Extensive fieldwork and interviews in Lithuania and North America, and research in previously unexplored archives inform the dissertation. Prior scholarship on the wayside shrine tradition has remained largely descriptive. This study seeks a broader cultural analysis, including the North American production which has not been documented until now. The contribution of this dissertation is to synthesize the significance of this art form by applying a variety of scholarly disciplines: art history, religion, anthropology, history, material culture, and immigration studies.

No / The aim of this article is to discuss radiocarbon dating offsets due to freshwater and marine reservoir effects (FRE and MRE, respectively) in the southeastern Baltic. Thirty-six C-14 dates from Lithuanian coastal and inland Subneolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze Age sites as well as two Mesolithic-Neolithic cemeteries are presented here. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates, sometimes paired or tripled, have been obtained on samples of various origin, foodcrusts, or visible charred deposits adhering to the surfaces of ceramic vessel walls were also dated and investigated for stable isotope signals. The results argue for a significant freshwater component in the food processed in ceramic vessels during the Subneolithic and Neolithic. Paired dating of ungulate and human bones at the Spiginas and Donkalnis cemeteries (6300-1900 cal BC) does not suggest an FRE, although stable isotope data on human bone collagen strongly suggest a large input of freshwater food in the diet. An FRE in the order of 320-510 yr was estimated for the Sventoji paleolagoon around 3000 cal BC. At the same time, the FRE of the Curonian Lagoon could be larger as implied by large apparent 14C ages of modern pike-perch (981 +/- 30 BP) and bream (738 +/- 30 BP) bones as well as "foodcrust" offsets (650-530 yr) at Nida (3500-2500 cal BC). An MRE of 190 +/- 43 yr was estimated for the southeastern coast of the Littorina Sea according to offsets between dates of seal bones and terrestrial samples at Nida and Sventoji. Any FRE at Lake Kretuonas remains uncertain due to the limited work to date.

Nuo pat Lietuvos nepriklausomybės atkūrimo šalyje aktyviai diskutuojama kokia turėtu būti kultūros politika. 1990 metais įvykęs Lietuvos kultūros kongresas nubrėžė aiškias gaires kaip turėtu būti organizuojama, formuojama ir įgyvendinama Lietuvos kultūros politika. Po 11 metų priimtas nutarimas „Lietuvos kultūros politikos nuostatos“ bei sukurta kultūros politikos teisinė bazė, tačiau ministerijos valdininkų abejingumas kultūros politikai visa tai verčia niekais. Šiais metais prezidentė iniciavo darbo grupę sukurti Lietuvos kultūros politikos gaires. Tai verčia iš naujo pažvelgti į kultūros politiką. Darbo objektas yra Lietuvos nacionalinės kultūros politikos įgyvendinimo problematika. Siekiant atsakyti į išsikeltus uždavinius, pirmoje (teorinėje) dalyje atskleidžiami pagrindiniai įgyvendinimo proceso aspektai, kurių pagalba išryškinami Lietuvos nacionalinės kultūros politikos įgyvendinimo aspektai. Antrojoje dalyje nagrinėja kultūros politikos problematika, kuria remiamasi nagrinėjant Lietuvos nacionalinės kultūros politikos įgyvendinimo problematiką. Trečiojoje darbo dalyje apžvelgiami pagrindiniai kultūros politikos dokumentai, bei tyrinėjimai. Ketvirtojoje darbo dalyje analizuojami pagrindiniai Lietuvos nacionalinės kultūros politikos įgyvendinimo instrumentų problematika. Nagrinėjami pagrindiniai įgyvendinimo problematikos aspektai: 1) Finansiniai bei žmoniškieji ištekliai. Finansavimas kultūros politika yra nepakankamas ir neefektyvus, o dirbantys darbuotojai neatitinka... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Since the restoration of Lithuania’s independency there have been substantial debates about the cultural policy in Lithuania. The Lithuanian Cultural Congress in 1990 set the clear guidelines for formulation, implementation and management of Lithuanain cultural policy. 11 year later a Government resolution on the provisions of Lithuanian cultural policy was adopted and the legislative foundations had been established. However, the indiference of officials and civil servants working in the cultural sphere did not allow to take the chance to build on the achievements since then. In 2010 the President of Lithuania initiated the establishment of the working group to develop guidelines for cultural policy. This action allows us to reassess the cultural policy. The aim of this thesis is to analise the challenges and problems of the implementation of Lithuanian cultural policy. Chapter 1 of the thesis focuses on the main aspects of public policy implementation. Chapter 2 analysis the challenges related to cultural policy itself and which are taken into acount when analysing implementation problems. The 3rd Chapter presents an overview of the main documents and studies carried out in this field. The 4th Chapter analyses the issues related to the cultural policy implementation instruments. The following implementation aspects are analysed: 1) financial and human resources; 2) institutional arrangements; 3) long-term and short-term goals. The findings confirm that the funding of... [to full text]

Tyrimo objektas – Lietuvos draudimo rinka. Darbo tikslas – išanalizuoti ir įvertinti Lietuvos draudimo rinką ir numatyti jos plėtros perspektyvas. Uždaviniai: 1. Išanalizuoti draudimo sampratą ir nustatyti Lietuvos draudimo rinkos struktūrą; 2. Išryškinus draudimo rinkos analizės rodiklius bei kriterijus, įvertinti juos; 3. Atlikti Lietuvos 2000-2009 m. draudimo rinkos analizę; 4. Įvertinti Lietuvos gyvybės draudimo rinkos būvį ir numatyti plėtros perspektyvas. / The object of investigation is Lithuanian‘s insurance market. The aim is to analyze and evaluate the Lithuanian‘s insurance market and to provide for its expansion’s prospects. Tasks: 1 Analyze the concept of insurance and establish Lithuanian’s insurance market’s structure; 2 Emphasize the insurance’s market analysis of indicators and criterions and to evaluate them; 3 Make analysis of Lithuanian 2000-2009 Insurance market. 4 Evaluate the Lithuanian’s life insurance market existence and predict expansion development’s prospects.

Lietuva visais laikais garsėjo savo miškais. Nepražengiamos girios stebindavo į mūsų kraštą negausiai užklydusius svetimšalius. Savo prisiminimuose apie Lietuvos Didžiąją Kunigaikštystę jie sutartinai akcentuodavo stulbinamą girių didumą bei žvėrių įvairovę. Iš visų miško teikiamų dovanų žmogui galėtume išskirti medžius. Mediena buvo nepamainomas šilumos šaltinis, pagrindinė statybinė medžiaga. XVI amžiuje, Vakarų Europoje smarkiai išaugus medienos gaminių poreikiui, miškas, jo gaminiai Lietuvoje po truputį tapo viena iš pagrindinių eksporto prekių. / Lithuania has always been famous for own forests. Rarely foreigners who for some reason had a possibility to see our nature were surprised by its heavy forests. In the memories of Grand Ducky of Lithuania they were always highlighting the shocking immensity of the forests and the big variety of animals. Out of all the gifts offered by the forest we should distinguish the trees. The wood was invaluable source of heat as well as the main building material. In the sixteenth century in Western Europe the demand for wood products increased which led to increase of Lithuania‘s wood export. Wood became the main export product.

Background: There is a large worldwide market for assault rifles. Many armed forces need new weapons when their old cold war equipment starts to break down. Throughout the world today, the development of new variants of assault rifles continues and the defence industries are doing business across the globe. Customers demand low prices and high quality. Objective: To investigate assault rifles that are currently being used around the world, how they evolved and which factors are important in the development of a future assault rifle, and to compare two widely used assault rifles to explore the differences and determine which one is better. Methods: A qualitative study of literature combined with a multi-target analysis of two assault rifles from a given scenario in an urban area. Results: Small arms have been the soldier's main weaponry for hundreds of years, and will continue to be so for many years to come. Development of the future assault rifle will be based on such factors as shooting distance, size of magazine and weight. The AK5C rifle was ranked number one ahead of the G36E rifle in the comparison as it was smaller and therefore easier to use in confined spaces. Conclusion: Many current rifles are similar in performance and size. Development of the future rifle will not only depend on the rifle itself, but also on the accessories, including ammunition, and the possibilities for customization. / <p>Erasmus</p>

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / Lithuania's security rests at present on several pillars, including membership in NATO and the European Union and its relations with Russia. Without doubt Lithuania's membership in NATO and the European Union is the most promising way to preserve its independence and to promote its security. At the same time, however, Lithuania wishes to maintain constructive relations with Russia and to address Moscow's legitimate political, military, and economic concerns. In view of the importance of domestic political factors, this thesis examines the hypothesis that Lithuania should base its security on a mix of deterrence strategies and reassurance policies pursued in cooperation with fellow members of NATO and the European Union. The thesis therefore analyzes post-Cold War trends in Lithuanian-Russian relations in light of theories of deterrence and reassurance. Three cases-NATO enlargement from 1997 to 2004, the Russian military troop withdrawal from Lithuania in 1991-1993, and Lithuanian-Russian relations concerning Kaliningrad-are discussed to assess the effects of reassurance and cooperative policies and to infer possible implications for the future. / Major, Lithuanian Army

Bis heute ist noch kein Druckwerk der litauischen religiösen rituellen Volksgesänge mit Noten eingeteilt nach ethnographischen Gebieten der Republik erschienen; es gibt auf diesem Gebiet noch keine eigenen Traditionen. Einen ersten Versuch machte der Autor mit seinem Buch \"Der Kreuzweg von Zemaiciq Kalvarija. Leichenschmausgesänge\" (mit Noten). Die hier zusammengefaßte Studie ist eine Fortsetzung seines früher erschienenen Werkes. Sie betrifft schon nicht mehr Zemaitija, sondern Kleinlitauen mit seiner reichen Geschichte, ethnokulturellen Vergangenheit, zahlreichen Liedern und besonders eigenartigen religiösen Ritusgesängen, die in der evangelisch-lutherischen Gemeinde noch lebendig sind.

Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit der Untersuchung von Wanderungsüberlegungen der Einwohner der Stadt Visaginas vor dem Hintergrund steigender ökonomischer Unsicherheit, bedingt durch die bevorstehende Schließung des Atomkraftwerkes &#39;Ignalina&#39;.<br><br> Visaginas befindet sich im Nordosten Litauens, in einer der strukturschwächsten Regionen des Landes. Von Mitte der 70er bis Ende der 80er Jahre entstand die Stadt als Wohnstätte für die Arbeiter des sich zu dieser Zeit ebenfalls im Bau befindlichen Atomkraftwerkes &#39;Ignalina&#39; sowie für deren Angehörige. Noch heute ist die Stadt wirtschaftlich vom Kraftwerk abhängig: Nicht nur ist das staatliche Unternehmen der größte Arbeitgeber für die ca. 30.000 Einwohner, sondern darüber hinaus stellt auch die Mehrzahl der unabhängigen Firmen ihre Leistungen und Produktion in dessen Dienst. <br>Auf Druck der Europäischen Union, welche bereits Ende der 90er Jahre aus sicherheitstechnischen Gründen die Schließung des Atomkraftwerkes forderte, beschloss die Regierung Litauens, das Atomkraftwerk stillzulegen. Am 1. Januar 2005 wird der Betrieb des ersten Reaktors eingestellt. Die endgültige Abschaltung ist bis zum Januar 2009 vorgesehen. Auf diese Weise wird der Stadt Visaginas, und damit verbunden vielen ihrer Einwohner, die wirtschaftliche Existenzgrundlage entzogen. Bedingt durch den Wegfall ihres Arbeitsplatzes wird ein Großteil der Einwohner gezwungen sein, sich nach Beschäftigungsalternativen umzuschauen. Da jedoch auch im Umland der Stadt keine ausreichenden Möglichkeiten bestehen, die freigesetzten Arbeitskräfte aufzufangen, wird für viele Betroffene die einzige Alternative darin liegen, Visaginas auf der Suche nach einem neuen Arbeitsplatz zu verlassen. Die Tatsache, dass der Großteil der heutigen Einwohner aus anderen Unionsrepubliken der damaligen Sowjetunion nach Visaginas kam und nur selten über gute Kenntnisse in der Landessprache Litauisch verfügt, stellt dabei ein besonderes Problem dar.<br> Der Arbeit lag folgende zentrale Fragestellung zugrunde: Warum wandern unter gleichen strukturellen (vor allem ökonomischen) Rahmenbedingungen Menschen aus Visaginas ab, während andere dies nicht tun bzw. eine Abwanderung gar nicht in Erwägung ziehen?<br><br> Betreuer/Gutachter: Prof. Wilfried Heller; Prof. Sebastian Lentz

Today’s globalized economy puts considerable pressure on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as they are forced to compete in a world where business is often conducted over nations’ borders. This globalization has also led to the creation of free trade areas such as the European Union, where most traditional barriers to trade have been removed. Despite this there still seems to be several, more invisible, barriers that hampers business between member states. We therefore intend to examine how companies in two member states – Lithuania and Sweden – have been affected by such invisible barriers and how they are trying to cope with them. This research has been conducted using following theoretical foundation; Invisible barriers, knowledge, the Uppsala model, psychic distance and networks. Our empirical data have been gathered by holding semi structured interviews with 7 SMEs, this data have then been analyzed with the help of our theoretical foundation. We have found substantial evidence pointing towards the importance of psychic distance and lack of knowledge when explaining the barriers still in existence. Furthermore we have also discovered the duality of knowledge and networks which can be both barriers in themselves as well as ways for companies to work their way around previously mentioned barriers.