This will be a rare back to back posting along with the 2023 Lithuanian stamp program. I’m celebrating friends heading off on a vacation that will see them in Vilnius tomorrow and I feel obligated to write up the 7 countries they will be visiting. Will I get them posted before they arrive back? The race is on!
I’m much happier with this year’s article, in comparison to the 2021 page. 2021 turned into a bit of a boring straightforward listing, which did a disservice to both the designers and the topics. That was not my original purpose in starting this site so I remedied this with a few months exploring Lithuania’s history and culture. Which in turn created a page with fascinating tidbits & history. When I get a moment, I plan on returning to 2021 and improve the page.
One of the best parts about this little stamp project is the excitement in discovering new artists and designers. I often bounce around in excitement when I find information about an artist, and I’m sure I drive the people around me a little nuts with my endless chatter about them. I had quite a bit of success in exploring Lithuanian artists this time around, and the details below reflect this.
And finally, my apologies for the erratic sizes for the early souvenir sheets and covers. If I’m not quick in scooping images from Lietuvos paštas, I usually miss my chance at large, crisp scans. The images offered in the regular store section are tiny and disappointing. Because I dawdled so badly last year, I can only offer up a mixed selection of oversized and absurdly tiny images.
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January
Vytautas the Great (c.1350 – 1430)
Definitives
Topic: history | rulers of Lithuania
2 stamps, 1 FDC, cancel
offset
Vytautas Didysis
Vytautas Didysis – Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (vle.lt) has a solid write up on Vytautas, but if you use Google Translate, be aware it’s a bit wonky with a few words. Note: karvedžių does not mean cowgirls, despite Google’s insistence. Better translation is military leaders. If you are looking for a better translator, install Deepl’s plugin.
Artist/designer: Artūras Slapšys
Slapšys’ first stamp design was the 2009 World Regatta of Great Sailboat. Previous stamps include the 2010 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and 2011 The 775th Anniversary of the Battle of Saule. He designed 3 stamps for the 2023 program.
Release date: January 13, 2022
Centennial Events
Topics: history
4 stamps on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
offset
Each stamp represents a 100th anniversary event in Lithuania:
- Constitution of Lithuania The Constitution – Constitutional Court of The Republic of Lithuania (lrkt.lt)
- reform of the Land of Lithuania This 7 page pdf examines Recent developments in land consolidation in Lithuania untitled (fao.org)
- first basketball competitions – basketball has a long history in Lithuania, first being played in the 1920s. The first games were played by women, but the first “official game” recorded the men’s competition April 1922. The godfathers of Lithuanian basketball – FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Qualifiers – FIBA.basketball
- introduction of the official Currency of Lithuania – the litas. The litas was first used in 1922, prior to the Soviet takeover of the country. It was re-introduced with Lithuania’s independence January 2015, until the country adopted the Euro.
Designer: Roma Auškalnytė
Helsinki based artist Lithuanian Auškalnytė explores art through a multi-disciplinary approach:
Roma analyses body and it surface, how to work with and to work on it. Many works are inspired form the surrounding life: the talks, the sounds and what she observes around herself. She tends to experiment with different medias from printmaking to performance or even photography looking for the right way to express her thoughts and find a suitable language for the piece. roma auskalnyte (roma-auskalnyte.eu)
Roma’s first stamp design was the 2015 Ethnographic Regions. Further designs were release in 2017 , 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Release date: January 28, 2022
February
Vytautas Magnus University – 100 years
Topics: architecture | history
1 stamp, FDC,cancel
offset
Designer: G. Jaronytė
Release date: February 11, 2022
March
Standard of the President of Lithuania
Topics: Historic Lithuanian Flags | history
offset
Designer: Tomas Dragūnas
Release date: March 18, 2022
Leaders of Lithuanian Anti-Soviet Resistance
Topics: history
2 stamps, a souvenir sheet of 8 (4 each) was also issued, FDC, cancel
offset
Romas Kalanta (1953-1971)
May 14 is a significant day for Lithuania. On May 14, 1972, 19-year old Lithuanian student Romas Kalanta set himself on fire in Kaunas, Lithuania’s second largest city, in protest against the Soviet occupation. Kalanta poured petrol over himself from a three-liter glass jar and set himself on fire near the fountain at the Musical Theater. Nearby, he dropped his notebook, in which he wrote, “Only the political system is guilty of my death.” It inspired an anti-Soviet two-day rebellion in Kaunas, on May 18 and 19. The Kalanta legend is still alive. Kalanta became a symbol of desperate protest and he is mentioned on various occasions. The Legend of Kalanta (baltictimes.com)
“Do not blame anyone for my death. I knew I would have to do it sooner or later. I hate the socialist regime.
I am not good for anything. Why should I go on living? So that this regime kills me off? I’d rather do it myself…
there won’t ever be freedom here. Even the word ‘Freedom’ was banned,”
excerpts from Kalanta’s diary Remembering Romas Kalanta, the flaming herald of freedom | en.15min.lt
If you are looking to challenge yourself, this 216 page dissertation on Kalanta by Amanda Jeanne Swain, offers a great deal of insight & background into the events surrounding the Lithuanian resistance to Soviet rule and Kalanta’s suicide – A Death Transformed: The Political and Social Consequences of Romas Kalanta’s Self Immolation,
Soviet Lithuania, 1972 Swain_washington_0250E_11418.pdf.
Priests of Vilkaviškis
The Diocese of Vilkaviškis suffered greatly from the Soviet occupation and World War II, during which thirty-two churches were completely destroyed or ravaged. As the second Soviet occupation approached, about one hundred priests retreated to the West, while about seventy of those remaining were imprisoned, exiled, or assassinated. The greatest harm was inflicted by the forceful propaganda of atheism. The Soviets suppressed all religious organizations, Catholic press, religious orders and congregations, and forbade catechesis in schools and churches. Priests were forbidden to teach Catholic doctrine to children. THE DIOCESE OF VILKAVIŠKIS: PAST AND PRESENT | Vilkaviškio vyskupija (vilkaviskiovyskupija.lt)
Designer: E. Špetas
Release date: March 18, 2022
April
100th birthday of Monsignor K. Vasiliauskas
Topics: religion | history
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
offset
Vasiliauskas was one of the many victims of Soviet persecution. This article offers a pretty good look at his life and history Kazimieras Vasiliauskas – Vilnius Gate (vilnijosvartai.lt)
Designer: A. Ratkevičienė
Release date: April 8, 2022
Europe. Stories and Myths
Topics: Europa | myths
2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 2 sheets of 10
Eglė the Queen of Serpents & Fern Ring
Eglė is an incredibly sad story that has a lot of variations.
One of the postage stamps issued by the Lithuanian Post today depicts one of the most famous Lithuanian folk tales “Eglė the Queen of Serpents”. Although more than a hundred variations of this fairy tale are counted, the main line of all is the same – in the form of Eglė and Žilvinas, who appears to others as a serpent, an unhappy love story that ended with the arrival of Žilvinas with a blood foam, and the transformation of Eglė and her children – Oak, Ash, Birch and Aspen – into trees. According to folklorists, this is one of the few Lithuanian fairy tales that ends unhappily. According to the sources, “Eglė the Queen of Serpents” was first published in 1837. Since then, the fairy tale has repeatedly turned into more than one book or performance, a sculpture dedicated to this legend still stands in palanga botanical garden. The latest postage stamps include Eglė the queen of serpents and a fern ring | Lithuania Post
This site fleshes the story out more EGLĖ THE QUEEN OF SERPENTS – Lithuanian Folk Stories (wordpress.com).
… the fern ring blooms only on a magical night, once every 100 years, and it occurs only on the shortest night of the year, during the Festival of Dews. Finding a fern ring means great success – a person becomes omniscient and very happy. The latest postage stamps include Eglė the queen of serpents and a fern ring | Lithuania Post
If you’d like to explore Lithuanian folk tales, Lithuanian tales | True Lithuania is a pretty good starting point.
Designer: G. Gruzdaitytė
Release date: April 29, 2022
May
Solidarity with Ukraine
Topics: Ukraine | War
1 stamp, sheets of 4
offset
Designer: Eglė Kirlytė
This is freelance artist Eglė Kirlytė’s first stamp.
Release date: May 6, 2023
Kaunas and Esch near Alzeto – European Capital of Culture
Luxembourg – Lithuania Kaunas 2022 Joint Issue
Topic: European culture | joint issues
2 stamps on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
offset
Luxembourg and Lithuania were picked as the European Capitals of Culture for 2022. This souvenir stamp, which also appeared on Luxembourg’s Kaunas 2022 souvenir, featured Lithuanian artist Stasys Ušinskas (1906-1974).
Artist: Stasys Ušinskas (1905–1974), Bathing
Stasys Ušinskas (1905–1974) – one of the most introspective in the twentieth century. Lithuanian artists, amazed by the breadth of talent and unusual vision of the world. The artist studied at kaunas art school, later he studied in Paris. Stasys Ušinskas shared his extraordinary talent to many areas of his work: painting, stained glass, theater, glass, leaving bright, exclusive traces in each. He is named the pioneer of modern stained glass and animation in Lithuania. Kaunas Film Office | STASYS UŠINSKAS – Kaunas Film Office
Artist: Foni Tissen (1909–1975), Nemrod
Tissen studied at the famed Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Appeared at the 1939 New York World’s Fair as part of a group of Luxembourg artists representing the country.
In September 1942, after taking part in the strike against the German occupation, he was deported together with seven other teachers to the Hinzert concentration camp where the inhuman conditions were to exert a profound influence on his work, calling for an ironic level of introspection. Foni Tissen (June 3, 1909 — February 5, 1975), painter | World Biographical Encyclopedia (prabook.com)
Designer: A. Lubė
Release date: May 13, 2022
500th Anniversary of First Book Printed in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Topic: history | books
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
offset
The first book printed in the Grand Duchy was Dr. Frantsisk Skaryna’s The Little Travel Book. Virtual exhibition “Francis Skorina’s “For the Little Travel Book” – 500″ – Wroblewski Library (mab.lt)
Little Travel Book Printed 1522
If you are interested in early printing Life | Laboratory of Francysk Skaryna Studies is a useful resource to bookmark.
Designer: J. Mikulskytė
Release date: May 20, 2022
June
World Environment Day
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
offset
World Environment Day takes place on June 5. 2023 will be the 50th year for this UN initiative.
World Environment Day | United Nations
Designer: D. Vilimavičiūtė
Release date: June 3, 2022
Crowd Funded Bayraktars Combat Drones
Topics: Ukraine
1 stamp
offset
The postage stamp issued is intended to commemorate the unity of the Lithuanian people, expressed through an extraordinary civic initiative, during which Laisvės TV, with the help of Lithuanian residents, collected EUR 3 million in just 5.5 days. the amount of euro for the unmanned aircraft destined for Ukraine. The visualization of a possible postage stamp shared on the social networks of Laisvės TV attracted the attention of Lithuanian Post and it was decided to implement the idea. The postage stamp design was developed by the team of the digital marketing agency What about. Send letters to the leaders of the countries – bayraktar postage stamp used as a symbol of unity | Lithuanian Post
A portion of the sales of this stamp went toVšĮ “Blue and Yellow” (“Blue / Yellow”), a crowd funding initiative to buy Bayraktars for Ukraine.
Lithuanians collect €5 million, crowdfunding a Bayraktar drone for Ukraine | Euronews
Designer What About Design Agency
Release date: June 9, 2023
July
Minesweeper Sūduvis
Series: Maritime history of Lithuania
Topics: history | maritime
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
offset
Designer: N. Vaišnorienė
Release date: July 22, 2022
August
Culinary Heritage – Šakotis
Topics: food
1 stamp, sheets of 10, FDC, cancel
offset
Šakotis is one of those words that doesn’t adequately translate into English. The closest translation would be “tree cake”. It is a desert that appears in many of European countries like Poland (sękacz), Hungary (kurtoskalacs), Belarus (bankucha ) and Germany (baumkuchen), to name a few. Each country has their special twist on this treat.
Normally reserved for very special occasions such as weddings, Christmas and Easter. The Lithuanian Home Cooking website described it as “unique-looking hollow cake with spikes, with flagrant flavor and the taste to die for”.
Reminiscent of a cylindrically shaped stalagmite, the branchy is hollow in the middle and usually stands one to two feet tall. Extending in all directions its many spikes (branches) range in colour from yellow to beige. To produce an average size Šakotis, one needs sixty eggs and two cups of cream, as well as sugar, flour, and butter – a kilogram of each. These ingredients are whipped into a thick batter, which is slowly dripped on a turning rotisseries that is positioned horizontally over a metal trough holding burning firewood. Ash and birch are said to be ideal for this traditional baking endeavour. p. 208 The Land of Weddings and Rain: Nation and Modernity in Post-Socialist Lithuania (University of Toronto Press) by Gediminas Lankauskas
Designer: Ugnė Žilytė
Žilytė has been described as a storyteller who arranges “her stories not only with images, but also with words” (Algė Gudaitytė, MO Museum). Žilytė wrote an intriguing short bio on her website:
Release date: August 12, 2022
Lithuanian Karaites – 625 years old
Postcard
1 postcard
The year 2022 in Lithuania is declared the year of the Karaites, as it marks the 625th anniversary of the time when the Karaites invited by Duke Vytautas settled in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The celebration of this anniversary this year makes sense not only for the Karaites, but also for the whole lithuania – the Karaites are an integral part of the culture and history of our multi-ethnic country. Lithuanian Post presents a postcard and commemorative date stamp commemorating Karaites | Lithuanian Post
Release date: August 18, 2022
September
Lithuania Flag 2022
Topics: Historic Lithuanian Flags| history
1 stamp
offset
Designer: Tomas Dragūnas
Release date: September 9, 2022
Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
Series: Red Book of Lithuania
Topics: birds | fauna
1 stamp, sheets of 10, maxi card, FDC, cancel
offset
Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops) Eurasian Hoopoe – Upupa epops – Birds of the World
Lithuanian fund for nature – (glis.lt)
Designer: Tomas Dragūnas
Dragūnas’ first stamp design was the 2011 Defenders of Freedom Day. Since 2011, he has designed over 40 stamps for Lithuania, including a number of Historical State Flags issues, including the 2022 stamps.
Release date: September 16, 2022
October
World Post Day : Lithuania In UPU Centenary
Topics UPU | Word Post Day
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
offsest
Designer: Augustina Lubė
Release date: October 7, 2022
November
Christmas and New Year
Topics: holidays
2 stamps, FDC, cancel
offset
Street Scene at Christmastime and Forest Scene
Designer: Dovydas Bakšys
Bakšys uses the name David Bou, and can be found on social media under that name. He has made a substantial reputation as a botanical artist, with an number of his flora and fauna illustrations appearing on Lithuanian stamps. It took a bit of thinking to remember why his name was familiar – he is the artist for the Woods of Canada Illustration work with the Botanical Academy in BC, Canada.
Bou has also released a number of digital artworks supporting the Ukrainian people. You can see it on his Behance page. Don’t miss his exciting Around the World pieces.
Release date: November 11, 2022
December
Jonas Mekas (1922-2019), Lithuanian-American Film Director
Series: Contemporary Lithuanian art
Topics: film | cinema
1 stamp, FDC, cancel
offset
Lithuanian-born U.S. artist, poet, film critic and filmmaker
Jonas Mekas, a filmmaker, curator, archivist, critic and all-around evangelist for independently made movies in general, and for those variously known as experimental, underground or avant-garde in particular, died on Wednesday at his home in Brooklyn. He was 96.
Jonas Mekas, ‘Godfather’ of American Avant-Garde Film, Is Dead at 96 – The New York Times (nytimes.com) (This article is paywalled.)
Designer: Eglė Kurbytė
Previous stamp B. M. Alseikaitė-Gimbutienė 100th Birth Anniversary 2021
Release date: December 16, 2022
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