10th June 2022: Vytautas the Great War Museum in Kaunas, Lithuania

The Vytautas the Great War Museum was opened in 1921, but moved to its current location in the 1930s. The current building was erected in Art Deco and early functionalism style during the time of the First Lithuanian Republic, when Kaunas was the country's temporary capital, as Vilnius had been occupied by Poland in 1920. At the interwar period Kaunas became the only European city representing large scale urbanization and versatile modernism architecture. As part of Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919-1939, is the museum since 2023 on the UNESCO World Heritage List, back in 2015 it was already one of 44 objects in Kaunas to receive the European Heritage Label.

I got this postal card celebrating the museum's centenary as part of a stamp order from Lithuania.

Lithuania: Trakai Island Castle

On Saturday I got my first three cards of 2020: one from Lithuania, one from Thailand and one from the United Kingdom.

The card from Lithuania shows Trakai Island Castle. Trakai Island Castle was built by the Lithuanian Grand Dukes Kęstutis and Vytautas the Great at the end of the 14th century and at the beginning of the 15th century. It is located on an island in Lake Galvė and was one of the main centres of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Today it is one of the most important tourist attractions in Lithuania. The surroundings of the castle are called Trakai Historical National Park and seeks for the inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Famous People from Lithuania - George Maciunas (issued 04-06-2016)

Thank You very much Marcel!

Lithuania: Vilnius

On Tuesday I got my last four cards of 2019: one from Lithuania, one from France, one from Finland and one from Germany.

The card from Lithuania shows a view of Vilnius. Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania. It is one of the oldest university cities in Europa and was the European Capital of Culture in 2009. Since 1994 is the Historic Centre of Vilnius on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Famous People from Lithuania - George Maciunas (issued 04-06-2016)

Thank You very much Marcel!

Lithuania: Pilies Street in Vilnius

On Tuesday I got two postcards: one from Lithuania and one from Poland.

The card from Lithuania shows the Pilies Street in Vilnius. The Pilies Street is is one of the main streets in the Old Town of Vilnius and a popular place to buy gifts and souvenirs. As part of the Vilnius Historic Centre is the street since 1994 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
EUROPA (whole set) (issued 05-04-2019)

Thank You very much Monika!

Lithuania: Memorial of Martynas Mažvydas

On Monday I got two postcards: one from Lithuania and one from Japan.

The card from Lithuania shows the Memorial of Martynas Mažvydas in Klaipėda. Martynas Mažvydas was a Lutheran preacher and the author of the first printed book in the Lithuanian language. The memorial was unveiled in 1997.

With related stamps:
500 years Reformation (issued 07-01-2017)
Vytis (from set of six) (issued 02-01-2016)

Thank You very much Eva!

Lithuania: 1st European Games

Yesterday I got two postcards: one from Lithuania and one from New Zealand.

The card from Lithuania was issued by the National Olympic Committee of Lithuania and Lithuania Post to commemorate the 1st European Games. The 1st European Games will be held in Azerbaijan's capital Baku from 12th to 28th June 2015. Lithuania will participate with 60 athletes. Altogether more than 6000 sportsmen will come to compete in 20 sports. From then on the European Games will be held all four years. 

Stamp:
Euro Introduction (issued 02-01-2015)

Thank You very much Živilė!

Lithuania: Hill of Crosses

Today I got five postcards: one from Lithuania, two from Singapore, one from Russia and one from France.

The card from Lithuania shows the Hill of Crosses. The Hill of Crosses is a pilgrimage site near Šiauliai. Since 2008 is the Cross-crafting and its symbolism an Intangible Heritage of the UNESCO.

With a special stamp:
Christmas (from set of two) (issued 08-11-2014)
As Lithuania introduced the Euro on 1st January 2015, the stamps issued from July 2014 onwards were printed in two nominals, Litas and Euros. This is the last stamp with two nominals.

Thank You very much Birute!

Lithuania: Ninth Fort

Today I got three postcards: two from Lithuania and one from Japan.

One of the cards from Lithuania shows the Memorial to the victims of Nazism at the Ninth Fort in Kaunas. The Memorial was erected in 1984. The Ninth Fort was used by the Soviet Union as prison and way-station for prisoners being transported to labour camps before and after the World War II. During the occupation of Lithuania by Nazi Germany it was used as a place of execution for Jews. Since 1958 a museum is in the Ninth Fort.

Stamp:
EUROPA (from set of two) (issued 03-05-2014)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Agneta!

Lithuania: Gediminas

Today I got three postcards: two from Lithuania and one from Japan.

One of the cards from Lithuania shows a illustration of Lithuania's Grand Duke Gediminas. Gediminas was born circa 1275 and was of Grand Duke from 1313/16 until his death in 1341. He is considered as one of the most important people in early Lithuanian history. The illustration thematised the founding of Vilnius. According to the legend Gediminas dreamt after a hunting trip of a iron wolf standing on a hill and howling loud. After consulting with his priests he decided to build a fortification at the place of his vision. Today there is Lithuania's capital.

Stamp:
EUROPA (from set of two) (issued 03-05-2014)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Agneta!

Lithuania: Kaunas

On Wednesday I got a postcard from Lithuania.

The card shows Kaunas. Kaunas is the second largest city of Lithuania.

Stamp:
Year of the Horse (issued 01-02-2014)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Agneta!

Lithuania: Klaipėda

On Monday I got two postcards: one from Lithuania and one from China.

The card from Lithuania shows the port city Klaipėda. Klaipėda is the third largest city in Lithuania. In the last century Klaipėda was a part of the German Reich and was called Memel or Memelburg. Klaipėda is the centre of the Klaipėda Region (German: Memelland). In the Treaty of Versailles (1919) the Memelland was separated off Germany.

Stamp:
Year of the Snake (issued 09-02-2013)

Thank You very much Agneta!

Lithuania: Trakai Island Castle

On Thursday I got one postcard from Lithuania and one from Austria.

The card from Lithuania shows the Trakai Island Castle. The Gothic style castle was built by the Lithuanian Grand Dukes Kęstutis and Vytautas the Great at the end of the 14th century and at the beginning of the 15th century. The castle is located in the Lake Galvė and was one of the main centres of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The surroundings of the castle are called Trakai Historical National Park and are on the UNESCO Tentative List.

Stamp:
150 years Red Cross (issued 11-05-2013)

Thank You very much Agneta!

Lithuania: Cathedral Square in Vilnius with Postcrossing stamp

Yesterday I got many postcards and many of them were from new countries.

One card was my first card from Lithuania.

Lithuania is one of the Baltic States bordering on Latvia, Belarus, Poland and the Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia). Lithuania is a member of the UN, the EU and the NATO. 

The postcard shows the Cathedral Square in Lithuania's capital Vilnius. The Cathedral Square is the main square of the Old Town of Vilnius. The Old Town of Vilnius is since 1994 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamp:
Postcrossing (issued 05-10-2013)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Agneta!