At 12:8 a.m. on January 20, by joining the campaign "Memory is alive because it bears witness", Vilnius municipality employees will light more than 600 candles in memory of the defenders of freedom in all the windows of the 14-story building. The action will last 13 serious minutes - for every person who died on January 27, XNUMX years ago.
On January 12 - on the eve of Freedom Defenders Day, 8 h Let's turn off the lights and light candles of unity and remembrance in all the windows for ten minutes in honor of 1991. those who died for the freedom of Lithuania.
The civic initiative "Memory is alive because it bears witness" is an action organized for the eleventh time in Lithuania, initiated by the International Commission to Assess the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania. For the first time in 2008 The campaign was organized by about 100 schools, and in 2017, more than 1700 organizations and institutions, not only in our country, but also embassies of the Republic of Lithuania abroad, joined the initiative.
According to the organizers, the celebration of Freedom Defenders Day takes on a special meaning and significance in the current geopolitical situation. Lithuania did not exist 27 years ago NATO and a member of the EU, our territory was still occupied by the occupying army, but a united and freedom-seeking nation defended the independence of Lithuania and resisted the aggressor in those days. According to the organizers of the campaign, even today, citizenship and the general determination to defend one's country is a key deterrent to potential aggressors. The upcoming celebration of Defenders of Freedom Day is a great opportunity to show not only ourselves, but also the whole world (including potential aggressors) that today we are united and ready to defend the won Freedom.
January 11, Thursday
11 h - National drawing competition. "We grew up free", the opening of the exhibition of the best works dedicated to Defenders of Freedom Day in the Press Conference Hall (Seima II Chamber). The exhibition is opened by Irena Degutienė, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania
15 h - Meeting of victims of Soviet aggression at the Vilnius TV Tower
Friday, January 12
8 h - Civil action "Memory is alive because it bears witness". Candles are lit in every window
10 h – Solemn line-up of Defenders of Freedom in the Gallery of Defenders of Freedom of Lithuania (Chamber I of the Seimas)
11:15 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. - Meeting of defenders of freedom in the Assembly Hall of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania on March 11
12:21 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. - Free blood donation campaign - in memory of the defenders of freedom at the National Martynas Mažvydas Library (in the atrium of the 3rd floor)
16.30:21.30 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. – Open door hours in the Lithuanian Freedom Defenders and Stained Glass galleries of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (Chamber I of the Seimas). Displaying exhibitions, showing video material, children's drawing workshops (theme "Free Lithuania"), writing wishes for Lithuania, artistic compositions
17.30 h – Commemorative bonfire lighting ceremony at the Vilnius TV Tower
18 h - Presentation of the virtual reality project "Freedom Code 13" at the Vilnius TV Tower
18 h – Commemorative bonfire lighting ceremony at the Lithuanian National Radio and Television
19:19.30 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. - Memorial bonfire lighting ceremony in Independence Square
19.30 h - Movement hour in Independence Square
20 h - Concert "In memoriam" St. John's Church
20.30 h – The traditional meeting of the defenders of the Parliament in the Vilnius crew officers' barracks
January 13, Saturday
9 h – Flower-laying ceremony at the Žinia monument dedicated to March 11 in Independence Square
10 h - Solemn celebration of the Defenders of Freedom Day and the awarding ceremony of the Freedom Prize in the Acts Hall of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania on March 11
12 h - National flag raising ceremony in Independence Square
12:17 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. - Free blood donation campaign - in memory of defenders of freedom in National Martynos Mažvydas
in the library (after opening the 3rd floor)
12.30:14.30 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. – Open door hours in the Seimas Defenders of Freedom and Stained Glass galleries (Seima Chamber I) Exhibits, showing video material, writing down wishes for Lithuania, artistic compositions
13.30 h – Ceremony of honoring the dead in Antakalnis cemetery. Lithuanian army the respect of the soldiers of the national defense volunteer forces to the defenders of freedom buried in the cemeteries of Alytus, Kaunas, Kėdainiai, Marijampolė, Rokiškis, and Vilnius
15 h – Meeting of the leadership of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, the Freedom Struggle Commission of the Seimas and the representatives of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania with the relatives of those killed and victims of the aggression of the Soviet Union in 1991 in the Constitution Hall of the Seimas (persons who received invitations to the 2018 Defenders of Freedom Day commemoration are participating)
17.30 h - St. Mass in Vilnius Archcathedral Basilica
January 14, Sunday
12:13.30 p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. - XXVII traditional international respect run "The road of life and death" (Antakalnis cemetery -
TV tower)
