"Not only every historian should know about King Mindaugas, but also every citizen of Lithuania. Of course, you should not limit yourself to just knowing the name, after all, King Mindaugas is one of the key figures in the history of our country, he is the creator of our state, and we often forget this fact", says Vytautas Magnus University (VDU) Deputy Chancellor of the Academy of Education, historian Dr. Mindaugas Nef.
July 6, the day of the coronation of Mindaugas, and the State Day are celebrated every year by Lithuanians all over the world. This holiday is inseparable from the name of King Mindaugas. According to the historian M. Nef, around 1238-1240 we can already call Lithuania a state led by Mindaugas. However, it was not yet recognized by the international community at that time. So Mindaugas decided to lead towards that.
What was the personality picture of King Mindaugas? According to historian M. Nef, no one doubts that he was a decisive ruler. "Mindaug unites a pagan society in one state, where Christianity is viewed extremely badly. Let's not forget, Lithuanian society was attacked by Christian orders, so people's attitude towards those who came led by God was negative. In addition, the old faith of Lithuanians had a great influence. Nevertheless, Mindaugas realized that decisive decisions were needed, accepted baptism, received the king's crown from the Pope and set off for Western Europe. Under the rule of Mindaugas, Lithuania becomes not only a state, but also receives the status of a kingdom, albeit for a short time," says the historian.
You need to nurture your identity from an early age
The historian is happy that the tradition of singing the National Anthem all over the world on the evening of July 6, born more than fifteen years ago, has survived. And Mr. Nef himself commemorates this important holiday with his family: "This is one of those days when I feel an even greater and more important identification with the state. We often have to host a festive event or give a speech of welcome, we do not miss the flag-raising ceremony in S. Daukantas Square with our family, and in the evening we sing the National Anthem in the circle of relatives and friends. We want our children, growing up and seeing such an example, to have the same strong connection with the state as their parents and relatives."
This time, the State Day will be crowned by the centenary of Lithuania song festivals concert. Mr. Nef himself has participated in the song festival four times. During his school years and later, he represented the Anykščiai folk dance ensemble "Gojus", during his studies - the song and dance ensemble "Šviesa". According to the historian, impressions from the Song Festival last a lifetime. "The main emotion of the Song Festival is community. This accompanies the entire celebration: starting with rehearsals, common life in the capital's school hall, and ending with the concert. I remember, during one of the Ensembles' evenings, the rain poured down like a bucket, but our joy was endless, we were bursting with joy and were not afraid of the summer storm. That time we concentrated on the performance, unity and a sense of togetherness prevailed during the concerts," recalled Dr. M. Neff.
According to the long-time history teacher, VMU Education Academy deputy chancellor dr. Mindaugas Nefos, from a young age we must nurture our identity, talk about the state, preserve customs and history. The historian is convinced that proactive and civic-minded people, gathered in communities and organizations, can make a breakthrough in society. "I am glad that while working at the university with the students of the study program "Pedagogy of Educational Subject: Pedagogy of History and Geography", I can hear about the civic initiatives they have come up with, about youth communities in the regions and the positive changes they are making. People are not indifferent to their country, can there be anything better?", asserts M. Nef.
