LT-625989 Angel sculptures of Pasvalys, Lithuania

I received this postcard showing a bridge with angel sculptures on the bank of the River Lėvuo in the town of Pasvalys, Lithuania. The angel sculptures are in front of the old St. John the Baptist churchyard gate.

Pasvalys is a city in Panevėžys County, Lithuania, located near the bank of the Svalia River.

LT-474461 Traditional costume of Lithuania

Lithuanians are strongly committed to their traditions, rituals and customs. With regards to traditional costumes, the Lithuanians these days used traditional attires only during national events or folk ceremonies.

The traditional dress of Lithuania in the past was mainly made with linen weaving and till the start of the nineteenth century, handmade costumes were very common. These days traditional handmade costumes have become rare.

The traditional dress of Lithuanian women generally consists of a woven colourful garment with geometric patterns. Other articles involved are belts, ties, scarves and other accessories. The designs are really impressive. Embroidery is also a major characteristic of the traditional Lithuanian costume and the woven garment was embellished with embroidery.

The skirts of the Lithuanian women are usually worn at ankle length and these were usually made with wool or linen. Women used to wear aprons as a compulsory part of their dresses. Women also used bodices when they participate in a wedding ceremony or during a festive occasion. These garments are usually hip length and include a peplum or large lappets and had woven designs finer than those found in the apron or skirt. These bodices were fastened in front.

Unmarried girls traditionally wear a crown-shaped open topped headdress. Another item to note in the traditional dress of Lithuania is a sash that tends to be 3 to 4 inches wide and which is worn circling the waist twice and hanging down to some extent. Source: Lonely Planet

This postcard of a Lithuanian woman in traditional dress was sent by Emilija (24 November 2015) Postcrossing.

LT-468778 St. Anne’s Church in Vilnius, Lithuania

St. Anne's Church (Šv. Onos bažnyčia) is a Roman Catholic church in Vilnius' Old Town, on the right bank of the Vilnia River. It is a prominent example of both Flamboyant Gothic and Brick Gothic styles. Aided by this prominent landmark, the entire district of the Old Town of Vilnius was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The first church at this site, constructed of wood, was built for Anna, Grand Duchess of Lithuania, the first wife of Vytautas the Great. It was destroyed by a fire in 1419. The present brick church was constructed on the initiative of the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander I Jagiellon in 1495–1500; the exterior of the church has remained almost unchanged since then. A reconstruction of the church was carried out following severe fire damage in 1582. In 1747, the church underwent a repair and in 1762, side arches of the main portal were hidden in order to strengthen the support for the facade. The most recent reconstruction was in 2009 when the roofing was replaced, the facade elements were reinforced and the long-missing side spires were rebuilt.

The main façade, designed in the Flamboyant Gothic style, is its most striking feature. Traditional Gothic elements and shapes were used in unique ways; Gothic arches are framed by rectangular elements dominating a symmetrical and proportionate façade, creating an impression of dynamism. The church has one nave and two towers. It was built using 33 different kinds of clay bricks and painted in red. The interior is decorated in the Baroque style, as is its altar. The imitative neo-Gothic bell tower, constructed in the 1870s stands nearby.

This postcard came from Inga (16 October 2015) Postcrossing.

LT-455324 The flag of Lithuania

The flag of Lithuania consists of a horizontal tricolor of yellow, green and red. It was re-adopted on March 20, 1989, almost two years before the re-establishment of Lithuania's independence and more than three years before the collapse of the Soviet Union.

It was first used in Lithuania's first period of independence (in the 20th century) from 1918 to 1940. The last alteration to the current flag occurred in 2004 when the aspect ratio changed from 1:2 to 3:5.

The yellow in the flag is meant to symbolize the sun and prosperity, the green is for countryside, liberty and hope, and the red represents the bravery and blood of those who have died for Lithuania.

This postcard came from Ingrida (18 August 2015) Postcrossing.

LT-410167 Winter in Lithuania

The climate of the Lithuania can be described as typical European continental influenced climate with warm, dry summers and fairly severe winters. January is the coldest month with daytime temperatures usually around -5°C, but in some cases winter months can be quite colder with temperatures about -20°C or lower and strong, cold northeasterly winds. Heavy snowfall or even snowstorms are also possible on some days. The weather is often breezy and humid due to the proximity of the Baltic Sea.

This lovely winter scene of trees covered with snow came from Kristina (20 January 2015) Postcrossing.

SW BG-088 Kernavė Mounds, Lithuania

Kernavė is a small town located in the Širvintos district municipality located in southeast Lithuania. It is on the right bank of the river Neris and is 35 kilometers (22 mi) from Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

Kernavė had existed since the age of the Lithuanian dawn.  It is believed, that inhabitants first settled in Kernavė territory in 9-8 millennium BC but it was only in the first centuries AD that they started to form bigger settlements. These settlements were protected by five fortified mounds. In the 19th century the mounds were named Pilies (castle) mound, Aukuro (altar) mound, Mindaugas mound, Lizdeika mound and Kriveikiškio mound.

 

Kernavė grew to be the medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was destroyed by the Teutonic order in the 14th century. In modern days, Kernavė is a UNESCO protected historical and archeological site. It is also a tourist attraction and for visitors, it is a superb place for hiking.  Every year, various festivals and art fairs are held in Kernavė.

This postcard came from Vaidilute (16 May 2014) Swap-bot.

SW AT-066 Vilnius, Capital of Lithuania

Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania. It is the largest city with a population of 539,939 (806,308 together with Vilnius County) as of 2014. Vilnius is located in the southeast part of Lithuania. Vilnius is known for its Old Town of beautiful architecture which is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

In modern days, Vilnius has been rapidly transformed and the town has emerged as a modern European city. Many of its older buildings have been renovated and a business and commercial area is being developed into the New City Centre, expected to become the city's main administrative and business district on the north side of the Neris river.

But it is the Old Town which is very interesting.  This postcard shows three interesting places in the bottom 3 panels.

On the left is (a) The Church of St Michael.  It was built by the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Leonas Sapiega between 1594 and 1597 for a convent of Bernardine nuns and also to serve as a family mausoleum.    The adjoining bell tower was built in the 18th century. In 2009 the Church opened as the Church Heritage Museum.

In the centre panel of the postcard is (b) The Gate of Dawn (Lithuanian: Aušros Vartai)  It is a city-gate of Vilnius and one of the most important religious, historical and cultural monuments in the city. It was built between 1503 and 1522 as a part of defensive fortifications. The Chapel in the Gate of Dawn contains an icon of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy, said to have miraculous powers.

The right panel shows (c) St. Peter and St. Paul's Church (Lithuanian: Šv. apaštalų Petro ir Povilo bažnyčia). It is a Roman Catholic church and is considered a Lithuanian Baroque masterpiece. The church is a basilica built on a traditional cross plan with a lantern dome allowing extra light into its white interior. The inscription surrounding the base of the dome is the same as that of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

The top panel shows a view of Vilnius.  This postcard came from Greta Gedutytė (6 May 2014) Swap-bot.

DS & LT-420413 The Republic of Lithuania

The Republic of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublika) is a country in Northern Europe and it is the largest of the three Baltic states. Lithuania has an estimated population of 3 million as of 2013, and its capital and largest city is Vilnius. Lithuanians are a Baltic people, and the official language, Lithuanian, is one of only two living languages (together with Latvian) in the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family.  Lithuania is a member of the European Union, the Council of Europe, a full member of the Schengen Agreement and NATO.

Lithuania declared the restoration of its independence on 11 March 1990.  Before this, it was the Lithuanian SSR, part of the Soviet Union.

This postcard was sent by Vidas (February 2014) Direct Swap Postcrossing. The main picture is that of Kernavė which was a medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and today is a tourist attraction and an archeological site (population more than 300). It is located in southeast Lithuania. The top right panel shows the Gediminas Tower  located in Vilnius.

The left upper panel shows the old early Gothic church (built between 1530 and 1578) located in Zapyškis, a small town in Kaunas County in central Lithuania on the right bank of the Neman River.  

The left bottom panel shows Vytautas' the Great Church of the Assumption of The Holy Virgin Mary (Lithuanian: Vytauto Didžiojo bažnyčia) which is a Roman Catholic church in the Old Town of Kaunas.

 

The small panel in the centre shows Trakai Island Castle.  Trakai is a historic city and lake resort. It lies only 28 kilometres (17 miles) west of Vilnius.

The bottom right panel shows buildings in Klaipėda which is the third largest city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Danė River where it flows into the Baltic Sea.

This postcard is not from Vilnius but was posted in Rokiskis, a city in northeastern Lithuania with a population of about 16,000.

This second postcard shows the administrative divisions in Lithuania and it came from Agata (11 September 2015) Postcrossing.