Lithuanian lasers are very well-known worldwide, with an estimated 10% of world scientific lasers made in the country. This is the story of how a small country has become a powerhouse in innovative laser technology.
Lithuania is one of the few European countries where football does not reign supreme. There are many reasons for this, but the most important is that basketball here has always been closely related to its historical ups and downs.
Klaipeda is the main port of Lithuania and the second largest in the Baltic Sea by tonnage. Around 40 million tons of cargo are shipped here annually by almost 7,000 vessels that begin or continue their journey in this hub.
There is no other city in Lithuania where social, political, and cultural trends are reflected in architecture to such an extent. The history of the past few centuries becomes crystal clear in Kaunas as the city gained its modern form only recently.
Sometimes it is called the most beautiful place in Lithuania. And there are thousands of reasons why – the Curonian Spit is a 98-kilometer-long peninsula that forms a lagoon separating Lithuania from the Baltic Sea.
Anyone who grew up in the early 2000s knows "Gladiator" by Ridley Scott. Yet another Hollywood movie that came out only a year later also tapped into the sword-and-sandals success of its Golden Globe-winning predecessor - but with a Central European twist.
The biotech industry has always been one of the most promising fields in the Lithuanian economy. But the growth it has experienced in the last decade was unexpected for everyone. Since 2010 it has grown tenfold and now contributes around 2.5% to the country's GDP.
What led to the collapse of the Soviet Union? There are many possible answers – rock and jeans, the Pope, Americans, hippies, Gorbachev, and nationalism. But what first comes to the minds of those who lived through these times are two terms – perestroika and glasnost.
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was one of the largest states in 17th-century Europe. But despite being a confederation, it is most widely regarded as a primarily Polish entity. So just how important was the role of Lithuania in the union?
The fall of the Soviet Union seemed like a miracle for those that lived through the 70s and 80s. Many people could not believe what was happening until it happened – on 11 March 1990, Lithuania declared independence.
Books are probably the last things that come to mind when you hear the word “illegal.” Crazy as it sounds, this was once the reality in Lithuania. And it wasn’t just books – it was everything from newspapers to shop signs - which sparked a lucrative smuggling trade.
Lithuania has always been at the crossroads between East and West, with hardly any moment in history when the people were not fighting for their freedom. The 20th century is no exception, but exactly then, a brand-new idea of ensuring security emerged.