2020-03-11 Wed

Lithuania, though was an independent country since the 13th century, celebrates two independence days. One on February 16th and the other on March 11 i.e. today!

Lithuania’s first Act of Independence took place on the 16th of February 1918. The country had been annexed by the Russian empire in the late 1700s and had remained under Russian rule until the end of World War I. The Act of February 16 created what is now the Republic of Lithuania.

Lithuania remained an independent republic until the 1940s. During World War II, the country was occupied by the Soviet Union and then by Nazi Germany. As the war neared its end, the German forces retreated and the Soviet Union reoccupied the country. For almost half a century Lithuania remained part of the Soviet Union.

The country declared itself independent of the Soviet Union on 11th March 1990. The Soviet Union finally recognized Lithuania’s independence in 1991. The second Independence Day is known as the Day of Restoration of Independence of Lithuania. The celebration of these two independence days is marked with people being dressed in national colors – yellow, green, and red – or wave flags to show their pride.

Bank of Lithuania issued a set of 1 litas, 2, 5 litai, 10, 20, 50, 100 list banknotes in 1993, banknotes which were dated 1991. The banknotes on the obverse depicted portraits of Steponas Darius & Stasys Girenas – the Lithuanian-American pilots along with the denomination value. The reverse of the note depicts Lektuvas Lituanica - Pacemaker airplane flown from the United States across the Atlantic Ocean by Lithuanian pilots.

Due to poor designs, these were found to be easily copied and the second series of notes was swiftly introduced in denominations of 1 litas, 2, 5 litai, 10, 20, 50 lit?.

Image Courtesy: colnect.com