News

On 13 January, 2023 Lithuania will mark the Freedom Defenders’ Day commemorating those who lost their lives on January 13, 1991 in Vilnius when Soviet troops attempted to seize the Vilnius TV tower and the Lithuanian Radio and Television building. The Embassy of Lithuania to Canada invites you to join various commemorative initiatives across Canada.

On Sunday, January 15 the Embassy is organizing in-person events in Ottawa:

• Tribute run „The Road of Life and Death“ – registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Start of the run is at 9 a.m. at Café Ukraine (address: 911 Carling Ave, Ottawa). Participants will cover a symbolic distance of 9 km – the exact distance from Antakalnis cemetery, where the victims of the events of January 13^th are laid to rest, to the Vilnius TV tower. Those wishing to participate in the run should complete registration by January 12^th - https://forms.gle/jusBN9P1iovpiqXD8
  Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/727892138548735/
   
• Screening of a documentary “Mariupolis 2” – from 4 p.m. at the social center Café Ukraine, curated by the Ukrainian community in Ottawa (address: 911 Carling Ave, Ottawa). Event is free of charge, but pre-registration is required. More information and registration form available here: https://bit.ly/3VITSMx
  Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1341741566651180/

On January 15 (Sunday), we invite you to join the British Columbia Explorers group on their hike to St. Mark’s Summit – the begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Black Mountain Lodge, near the Cypress Mountain Downhill Ski Area. For more information please visit the event page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1301603870638283

We invite you to mark the Freedom Defenders‘ Day by joining virtual civic campaigns in Lithuania and Canada:

• Running enthusiasts in Canada are invited to join the virtual tribute run/walk „The Road of Life and Death“ and complete the symbolic 9 km distance during January 13-15 and share the moments of your run/walk on social media. Those participating in the virtual run/walk will receive commemorative medals on a first-come first-served basis. Therefore, when completing the registration form, it is necessary to indicate the full postal address where the medal would be sent. Registration form: https://forms.gle/jusBN9P1iovpiqXD8
   
• On January 13 the annual civic campaign „Memory is Alive Because it Bears Witness“ is held, which is organized by the International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania. At 8:00 am candles of unity and remembrance are lit in the windows for ten minutes.
   
• We invite you to “grow” the “Forget-me-not Meadow” in a private or public space that is important for your community and to share the moments of the campaign on social media with hastag #IRememberWhyWeAreFree. You can download the template of the Forget-me-not flower and view examples here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lOh2VN313FQsxd3XQgH21F_vuwrwtUGa?fbclid=IwAR0eaePuh7S0O1L1r3KnEnx620elBxn3fJujrcN3baTbIsiRNxFzLu8Lp74
   
• We invite you to visit the virtual exhibition „Democracy – One Defining Moment“ prepared by the Lithuanian Museum-Archives of Canada, where the events of January 13, 1991 are presented from the perspective of the Lithuanian Canadian community and Canada: https://www.lithuanianheritage.ca/january-13/