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Top Stories in Europe
The Day of the State - Coronation of
Lithuanian King Mindaugas day
On the 6th of July we celebrate the coronation of the first
ruler of the united Lithuania, Grand Duke Mindaugas, which
is also known as the Day of the State. On this occasion, let’s
turn back to the ever unpredictable and inconsistent whims
of history and remember the one and only king of Lithuania –
Mindaugas, an individual ruling with outstanding political
strategy, bright mind, spiritual power… Thus, here is a pinch
of Lithuanian history…
Historians guess that Lithuania as a state was already
established and united by a ruler preceding the rule of the
first king Mindaugas. However, detailed historical records
have remained only about the latter ruler. In historical
sources, he is called Mindaugas, the Wise. It isn’t difficult to
guess why Lithuanians agreed on such an honorable name
– at the beginning of the XIII century Mindaugas maneuvered
through the political waters with such dexterity as to turn the
numerous plans of the Order of the Knights of the Cross,
which was always looking for ways to possess Lithuania, to
naught. An especially important political move was
Mindaugas’s conversion to Christianity on March 1, 1251
(the date is disputed). On that day, the magistrate of the
Livonian order ceremoniously christened Mindaugas, his
wife Morta, their two sons Rukilis and Rupeikis and a vast
number of soldiers. Some historians propose that the year
of Mindaugas’s christening, 1251, is the beginning of
Christianity in Lithuania. Therefore, Mindaugas is not only
the ruler who united the land, but also the ruler who
christened the land; although school textbooks claim, that
Grand Duke Jogaila is called the baptizer of Lithuania and
the year of Lithuanian christening – 1387. After baptism,
Mindaugas built the first cathedral, the remains of which
were only a few years ago uncovered in the underground
passages of the present Vilnius Archcathedral, in Vilnius,
the capital of his State.
Lithuanian King Mindaugas day
On the 6th of July we celebrate the coronation of the first
ruler of the united Lithuania, Grand Duke Mindaugas, which
is also known as the Day of the State. On this occasion, let’s
turn back to the ever unpredictable and inconsistent whims
of history and remember the one and only king of Lithuania –
Mindaugas, an individual ruling with outstanding political
strategy, bright mind, spiritual power… Thus, here is a pinch
of Lithuanian history…
Historians guess that Lithuania as a state was already
established and united by a ruler preceding the rule of the
first king Mindaugas. However, detailed historical records
have remained only about the latter ruler. In historical
sources, he is called Mindaugas, the Wise. It isn’t difficult to
guess why Lithuanians agreed on such an honorable name
– at the beginning of the XIII century Mindaugas maneuvered
through the political waters with such dexterity as to turn the
numerous plans of the Order of the Knights of the Cross,
which was always looking for ways to possess Lithuania, to
naught. An especially important political move was
Mindaugas’s conversion to Christianity on March 1, 1251
(the date is disputed). On that day, the magistrate of the
Livonian order ceremoniously christened Mindaugas, his
wife Morta, their two sons Rukilis and Rupeikis and a vast
number of soldiers. Some historians propose that the year
of Mindaugas’s christening, 1251, is the beginning of
Christianity in Lithuania. Therefore, Mindaugas is not only
the ruler who united the land, but also the ruler who
christened the land; although school textbooks claim, that
Grand Duke Jogaila is called the baptizer of Lithuania and
the year of Lithuanian christening – 1387. After baptism,
Mindaugas built the first cathedral, the remains of which
were only a few years ago uncovered in the underground
passages of the present Vilnius Archcathedral, in Vilnius,
the capital of his State.
| Mindaugas Artist: J. Malinauskaitė |
In those times, only the pope would present the rulers, and only those he deemed were worthy of, with
the king’s wreath. Mindaugas obtained the pope’s permission to be crowned king of Lithuania and on the
6th of July in 1253 he and his wife duchess Morta had crowns placed on their heads. This was an
outstanding victory for Lithuania, because the pope established a Lithuanian diocese, which answered
directly to the Holy Throne, and the first bishop Kristijonas also obtained the permission to establish the
first institution of higher education. Thus, even in the middle ages the doors were open for Lithuania to
integrate into the European Christian culture, allowing the culture of its Baltic nation to flourish.
After winning the battle of Durbė, on July 13, 1260, against the Order of the Knights of the Cross,
Mindaugas removed them from Žemaitija [region of Lithuania] and rejected Christianity, renewing the fight
of the Grand Lithuanian Dukedom against this Order. The bright hopes and outstanding possibilities
were cut short after Mindaugas and his two sons, heirs to the throne, were assassinated in 1263, which
turned the development of the Lithuanian State in yet another direction.
Compiled from http://day.lt
http://lt.wikipedia.org
the king’s wreath. Mindaugas obtained the pope’s permission to be crowned king of Lithuania and on the
6th of July in 1253 he and his wife duchess Morta had crowns placed on their heads. This was an
outstanding victory for Lithuania, because the pope established a Lithuanian diocese, which answered
directly to the Holy Throne, and the first bishop Kristijonas also obtained the permission to establish the
first institution of higher education. Thus, even in the middle ages the doors were open for Lithuania to
integrate into the European Christian culture, allowing the culture of its Baltic nation to flourish.
After winning the battle of Durbė, on July 13, 1260, against the Order of the Knights of the Cross,
Mindaugas removed them from Žemaitija [region of Lithuania] and rejected Christianity, renewing the fight
of the Grand Lithuanian Dukedom against this Order. The bright hopes and outstanding possibilities
were cut short after Mindaugas and his two sons, heirs to the throne, were assassinated in 1263, which
turned the development of the Lithuanian State in yet another direction.
Compiled from http://day.lt
http://lt.wikipedia.org
A basketball tournament will take place August 8th -10th at Liberty High School in Hillsboro. 30 of
the top US high school players selected from the LeBron James Skills Academy will be competing
against top U19 international talent in an eight-team tournament. One of the teams is from
Lithuania. The other teams are from Canada, Puerto Rico, Senegal and Serbia. The website for
the event is www.nikeglobalchallenge.com Tickets for the event are $5 per day.
the top US high school players selected from the LeBron James Skills Academy will be competing
against top U19 international talent in an eight-team tournament. One of the teams is from
Lithuania. The other teams are from Canada, Puerto Rico, Senegal and Serbia. The website for
the event is www.nikeglobalchallenge.com Tickets for the event are $5 per day.
Lithuanian Basketball Team coming to Hillsboro in
August
August