The Romani and Paneriai

The program I chose to study at DIS is called Migration and Identity, and one of our main focuses is studying minority groups in modern European states. In Lithuania, one of those minority groups is the Roma (or Romani) People. Roma is the politically correct term used to refer to ‘gypsies’ in Europe. The word gypsy comes from the false belief that the Roma came from Egypt. The Roma people prefer the word roma to refer to themselves because it means ‘the people’ in their language (Romani), and because the word gypsy carries a lot of negative connotations. Just think of where the word ‘gyp’ (as in a cheat or a con) comes from. The Roma people originally come from Northwest India, and their language is related to those spoken in India today. Most scholars believe that the Roma began traveling around C.E. 500 and arrived in southern Europe around C.E. 1000. The Roma then spread to the rest of Europe, arrive in Lithuania sometime in the 15^th century. Their history in Lithuania is generally one of fowl treatment and discrimination. In modern Lithuania, the situation for Roma continues to be difficult. On the official state level, there is no discrimination allowed towards anyone, as a result of European Union treaties, but on the societal level, deep prejudices remain. We visited a Roma settlement on the outskirts on Vilnius to see what living conditions are like. Very few Roma are educated, and most only speak their mother tongue, and Russian (which was mandatory when Lithuania was under the Soviet Union). Therefore, it is impossible for them to get a job in modern Lithuania. They are living on a piece of land that technically doesn’t belong to them, and they have built their houses themselves on this land, which is technically illegal. They generally live in small houses built from whatever materials are available. One source on income the Roma have been forced to turn to is the drug trade. When I visited, I was horrified to find that there were needles and syringes in the streets where children were playing, and a steady flow of taxis bringing drug addicts into and out of the settlement. In the passenger seat of one of the taxis we actually saw a man who was shooting-up before he even had left the settlement.

Nevertheless, the situation isn’t entirely negative for the roma. For the last 10 years, there have been Non-Governmental Organizations as well as public institutions trying to improve the roma situation. They are attempting to educate the Roma, and to empower them to take control of their own situation. There is a community center in the settlement that provides support for the roma, as well as a pre-school that prepares Roma children to go to a Lithuanian -language primary school. From what I have learned, these programs have started to make a small difference in the lives of the Roma in Lithuania, although it is going to take many more years to fully solve all of the difficult problems facing this Lithuanian minority.

We also visited a memorial park commemorating the Paneriai massacre, which took place after Nazi Germany occupied Lithuania during the Second World War. It is the site of a mass murder of more than 70,000 Jews and other minorities by Nazi soldiers, and also by native Lithuanians who were oftentimes just as anti-Semitic as the German government was. Below are some pictures of what I saw.

The Main Monument, with text in Yiddish/Hebrew

The back of the main monument, with translations into Lithuanian, English, and Russian

A Monument to the Catholic Poles killed during the Holocaust and War

A Monument erected by the Soviets, reading "To the Victims of Fascist Terror"

Trakai

Trakai is a small Lithuanian town about 15 miles from Vilnius. It is the former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which was one of the largest countries in medieval Europe. It is the site of an old castle, as well as some interesting minority populations in Lithuania. When Grand Duke Vytautas expanded the country to the Black sea, he brought back with him warriors native to the Crimean region. These were Muslim Tartars, as well as Jewish Karaim. Both of these populations still live in Lithuania, and preserve their religions, languages, and some of their customs. We ate at an authentic Karaim restaurant, as well as saw a Karaim Museum, and Synagogue. Then we visited the castle, which is on an island in the middle of a lake. Finally, we visited an authentic Lithuanian sauna. We sat in a very hot room, which was heated by rocks and water, and then we jumped into an ice-cold lake. We were also supposed to beat each other with birch-tree branches, to exfoliate the skin. Then we sampled some traditional Lithuanian food (I skipped over the pig-ears), and made our way back to Vilnius. It was an interesting cultural experience. I like the lake more than the sauna, because it was so hot. Something well over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Here are some photos of the castle.

The Republic of Užupis

The city of Vilnius is located at the confluence of two rivers; the Neris River, and the Vilnia River (from which the city gets its name). On the eastern bank of the river Vilnia sits a neighborhood called Užupis, which essentially translates as ‘on the other side of the river.’ In 1997, a group of young artists and intellectuals decided that they would declare their neighborhood to be an independent nation, much like Christiania in Copenhagen. Like Christiania they print their own currency, have their own flag, and have a constitution. However, it is not taken nearly as seriously as in Christiania. It is really more of a running joke that the neighborhood has. They celebrate their independence on the 1^st of April, April Fools Day. Their constitution too is somewhat comical, establishing rules such as “People have the right to live by the River Vilnelė, while the River Vilnelė has the right to flow past people" and "A dog has the right to be a dog" Even the government official we talked to called it a big joke. It has nothing on Christiania, though it is a pretty cool idea. Nevertheless, it is an interesting neighborhood to walk through, and has some good art and souvenirs. I would recommend a visit to anyone visiting Vilnius, and if you have a chance to come on Independence Day, I am told that they will stamp your passport when you enter the republic. Here are some photos so you can see what it is like.

The Main Entrance

The River Vilnia

The Angel of Užupis

The Insignia of Užupis

One of the more colorful building along the river

First Blog from Lithuania

I am now sitting at Vilnius Airport in Lithuania, about to fly back to Copenhagen, and this is the first time I have had Internet access all week. I wrote several blog posts while I was in Lithuania this past week. Here is the blog I wrote on my second night in Vilnius.

After spending about a day and a half in Vilnius, the Capital city of Lithuania, I would have to say that my overall impressions of the city are very positive. It has such and interesting history and character, which I very much enjoy having the opportunity to experience. But to be honest, one of the best things about this city is that it is so much cheaper than Copenhagen. This may sound strange, but it almost feels like going home – not having to spend and arm and a leg for food. Just a comparison; a cup of hot chocolate might cost 35 kroner in Denmark, about $7. In Sweden it might cost about 35 Swedish kronor, which is more like $5. Here in Lithuania we found a great restaurant that serves “kakava” for only 6 litas, or about $2.50, which is an amazing deal. Last night, my friends and I ate at a restaurant that cost $15 for the four of us, including bottle waters! It is such a relief to not feel so guilty about spending all of our money on food and drinks.

Anyway, yesterday we went on a walking tour of the city. Vilnius is often called the city of churches, and for good reason. We saw some many amazing churches. This country is made up predominantly of Roman Catholics, who of course love gregarious baroque houses of prayer. However, there are also a large number of Russian Orthodox churches, some Lutheran and other Protestant churches, as well as one synagogue. After walking to city and grabbing a quick – and cheap – dinner, we got dressed-up and went to the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra, which performed a work by the national composer, which was sung in Lithuanian, Polish, Latin, and Yiddish. The piece was definitely not what we were expecting, and was a little strange. Nevertheless it was a good cultural experience.

On the morning of our second day we went to a meeting at the Lithuanian Presidential Palace. We met with Virginija Budiene, a cultural chief advisor to newly elected president Dalia Grybauskaitė, the first female president of Lithuania. We discussed with here a number of different topics, including migration in Lithuania, as well as the different cultural minorities. Overall, it was an interesting and informative meeting. I must admit though, that the words “nuclear power plant” sound so much more sinister when pronounced in a Lithuanian (read: uncannily Russian) accent. I couldn’t help but think of old movies about Soviet Russia during the cold war. Nevertheless, Ms. Budiene was a wonderful host who got us thinking about what Lithuania is all about.

That afternoon, we were on our own to wonder the city. We did some souvenir shopping, at wonderful Lithuanian prices, and then visited Užupis. I am going to save a discussion of Užupis for my next blog, and will end with some photos I have taken of ‘The City of Churches.’

'The Gates of Dawn' - also the Church of Our Mother of Mercy

A Russian Orthodox Church

A view of the northern part of the city

A chapel inside the Church of St. Francis

A courtyard at the Presidential Palace

Street Art