Once more the Kremlin treads on the Baltics and wipes its filthy boots. Literally. How else could one describe the latest shameless attacks on Latvia? Not that they are unprecedented, of course. Such attacks have been practiced by each successive tenant of the Kremlin, from Lenin and Stalin through Khruschev, Brezhnev and Gorbachov. How sad that this long tradition is now being carried on by a so-called "democrat", Boris Yeltsin.

What's most reprehensible about the current situation is that Western nations have been looking on and keeping their silence and even -- voicing support for the Kremlin as it brutalizes Latvia. One gets the impression of an ongoing political rape, with eyewitnesses advising the victim not to cry out aloud.

It is absolutely shocking that the position of the Kremlin has been indirectly supported by France, Germany and even Sweden.

Lately, there has been much discussion in the world's news media to the effect that Latvia supposedly discriminates against the interests of its Russian residents, that the Latvian government supposedly sanctioned demonstrations to honor the Nazis who occupied Latvia in World War II, and that Latvia is ravaged by antisemitism.

These are lies! Lies actively disseminated by Western news media and uncritically accepted by Western government spokesmen.

In almost all instances, Western government spokesmen have been too lazy to take the trouble to check the facts. The truth is that all these assertions originate from the huge propaganda apparatus of the former Soviet Union, still controlled by Russia, and with little connection to facts at all.

These lies can be dismissed by inspection.

1. The first and most damaging of Russia's lies is that Latvians discriminate against Russians in the matter of citizenship. Not true!

Human rights commissions over the years have certified that Latvia's citizenship laws are entirely fair and proper. In fact, the parliament of Latvia has lately been in the process of relaxing these citizenship laws. It has been a delicate process, because the citizens of Latvia are well aware that the majority of those residents who do not speak the Latvian language were placed there under the official Soviet policy of russifying Latvia. The government of Latvia had only just arrived at a compromise between its present citizens and its potential future citizens. The government of Russia, with its brutal accusations has now completely demolished this painstakingly achieved balance.

2. The second big lie is that Latvian police are brutalizing nonviolent Russian protesters. Not true!

The instance so loudly denounced by the Russian government was not a demonstration against the state, but simply a protest by pensioners against the high cost of social services. It is a matter of record that the government of Latvia pays pensions to all retired people regardless of national origin and regardless of citizenship. In the specific instance in question, the demonstrators had not obtained prior permission to block traffic on a main traffic artery of the city, and when they refused to clear the street, the police pushed them back. In no city in the world are the police known for being especially gentle, but it is significant that after this police action, not a single demonstrator even claimed to have sought medical attention.

3. The third big lie is that Latvian government officials honor the German Nazi occupation. An absolute lie!

What happened in Riga was an occasion to honor the 60,000 Latvian servicemen who were illegally conscripted by the Germans and who died on the Eastern front during World War II. They were forcibly conscripted, and anyone who did not comply was doomed to fight for survival in the forests or to rot away in a concentration camp. In essence, the Germans used the conscripted Latvians as cannon fodder. They were victims of the war just as much as those whom the Germans exterminated in their gas chambers. Representatives of the Latvian armed forces honored their countrymen, who had gone to waste in an immoral war brought onto the world by the arch villains of the twentieth century - Hitler and Stalin. The stigma of the SS emblem was conferred on the Latvian soldiers by their German masters as a cynical ploy. According to Nazi laws at the time, non-Germans were not allowed to serve in the German army. To circumvent their own laws, the Nazis created SS units for conscripted foreigners, which is the only reason why Latvians wore the SS insignia. Immediately after the war, the occupying allies recognized the Latvian SS as a distinct and separate entity from the true criminals of the German SS divisions.

4. The last but not the least of the big lies is that Latvia is ravaged by anti-Semitism. Untrue!

Latvia has never in all its history been afflicted by anti-Semitism. Nazi and Soviet occupiers have repeatedly tried to instigate anti-Semitism, but only with scant success. Now, unfortunately, we are beset again by forces that try to inflame anti-Semitism in order to destabilize the political situation. There are already shelves of books on this topic, but one might still ask -can we speak of anti-Semitism in a nation where a couple of years ago the people chose a Jew as the most popular man in the country? Personally, I am hard put to cite examples that refute anti-Semitism for the simple reason that I do not know very many Jews. And the only reason I do not know them is that in Latvia, we do not istinguish people according to ethnic origin and I simply have no way of knowing who is and who is not a Jew. It is considered bad manners to inquire about ethnic origin. In a TV interview recently, the head rabbi of Latvia was asked about grassroots anti-Semitism in Latvia. He could not remember having heard of a single specific instance in all his career. Of course this does not mean that anti-Semitism does not ever manifest itself here, but it is very rare.

It truly pains my heart that these simple truths have escaped the attention of the Western governments. It is especially sad that Germany's chancellor Helmut Kohl should be so oblivious or so cynical. He, more that anyone else should have known that Latvians in Riga never honored and never would honor the Nazi occupation. He should have known that Latvians in Riga were honoring the memory of their countrymen who were illegally driven to their deaths by Germany's Nazi government. During the time of the promulgation of these lies, the leaders of Germany and France were the guests of their friend Boris Yeltsin, and by their silence they increased his credibility and tacitly acquiesced to his cant. Of course, it is understandable that Germany and France wish to refrain from antagonizing Russia on behalf of the insignificant Baltic nations. But it amounts to the usual political cynicism which has paved the way for all the world's greatest calamities, and it stinks strongly of Munich and a certain notorious furled umbrella in hand of a man who spoke lamely of "peace in our time".

Finally, the question arises: Just why did Russia need this nasty economic and political attack? The intentions of the Kremlin are clear. Russia will do anything to prevent the integration of Latvia in the European Union and in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Russia felt the need to demonstrate the depth of Latvia's economic dependency on Russia. Russia felt the need to demonstrate its political might in the region. The rulers of Russia felt the need to scrape the mud from their boots on its traditional floormat in the region. What more effective way than to weep in public for their own countrymen undergoing "oppression" at the hands of the "fascistic" Baltic nations? They have no reason to expect anyone to argue against them. They have no reason to fear that anyone will point out the simple fact that only one tenth of these "oppressed" Russians wish to return to Russia. These people know all too well that in Russia, unlike Latvia, they would not be sure of receiving any pension payment regularly each month.

One man stands out among the Russian leaders with his vociferous call for an economic boycott of Latvia: Moscow mayor Luzhkov. His ambition is transparent - he wants to be Russia's next premier and then its next president, to be the leader of all Russians everywhere.

The West, as usual, pretends not to notice what is patently obvious, and Western leaders condescendingly advise Latvia to take care of its relations with its big neighbor.

Truly, it looks like the big one is raping the little one and the onlookers are shushing the little one - or are they waiting to take their turn?
Martins Barkovskis, Citizen of Latvia
____________

The Second part to this story takes place in Lithuania. What is happening there that the Russians don't like and may make as big a deal out of it as they are making in Latvia.

Since this came out, other explosions have rocked Latvia. Is the KGB still alive and well in this country as well as in other "former Soviet Republics"?

Dateline: Vilnius, Apr 21 (ELTA)

A Russian citizen Valery Ivanov, declaring love for Lithuania but ignoring its legislation, is likely to be exiled from the country. The exile procedure was initiated on Tuesday by Lithuanian Interior Minister Vidmantas Ziemelis who sent the respective documents to Vilnius 1st district court.

The 51-year-old Ivanov is currently jailed in Alytus colony prison. Last July, the court gave him a year's prison sentence for slandering victims of the January 13 tragedy. When presenting his book "The Lithuanian Prison in Russian Duma in May of 1996, he pictured cynically the death of Lithuania's freedom fighters. The former leader of pro-Soviet "Yedinstvo" organization said then the January 13 victims were killed not by the Soviet army. Although Ivanov called such sentence as "a political commission and violation of elementary human rights," the higher court rejected his appeal.

This was already the second sentence, given to Ivanov in Lithuania. In 1994, the Supreme Court sentenced him to 3 years, 6 months of prison for involvement in the anti-state activities of "Yedinstvo" movement. It was revealed that "Yedinstvo" made active efforts to disrupt the state and public order and constrain the sovereignty powers of Lithuania.

Ivanov failed to serve a full sentence term, since the migration department issued him a permanent residence permission. Such stride caused a row, since the former director of department Ceslovas Blazys voiced indignation at the Ivanov-favouring decision of ex-Interior Minister Romasis Vaitekunas, and, therefore, was forced out of director's office.

The press service of The Interior Ministry said Ziemelis, by signing a document on exile of a person to be released just in July, was making preparations for the immediate banishment of Ivanov from the country. Meanwhile, Vilnius' 1st district court is in for an unprecedented action, since no Lithuanian court has fulfilled a legal exile procedure.

The Chairman of The Court, Donatas Vancevicius, told ELTA the exile-proposing document might be considered even before the end of Ivanov's sentence term.
____________

Editor's Note: Since this came out, Russia protested to Lithuania about the "illegal banishment" of Ivanov. What is Russia up to here - same thing brewing as in Latvia?

When we read about the performance of Mutual Funds, the caveat is always "Past performance is no indication of future earnings" (or something like that). In this case, past accomplishments has everything to do with future accomplishments.

In HUGE letters, the headline reads: ON THE AIR. One would probably pass it up if it weren't for the picture of the beautiful woman under the headline. And, to those of us versed in such things, the face of a beautiful Lithuanian woman - Raimonda Mikatavage.

"Dreams in Action" is the name of the TV show that airs on Channel 3's PrestigeVision in Maryland. Already an accomplished author, Raimonda pitched the idea for her show to the station - a show about people living their dreams. She was already on TV in the station's "Profiles" and Look Who's Talking". "The vivacious Mikatavage is another natural, Matthews says. She talks to the camera as if she were talking with a friend. She's also unflappable, Matthews says.

Once, during her show, Mikatavage was holding a book written by the guest she was interviewing, and she accidentally dropped it. Rather than react and disrupt the show, she continued smoothly with the interview."

Where will she go with this? Syndication? Will we have our own nationally famous talk show host? Whatever it will be, Raimonda will pursue her dream until it is reality.

Congratulations on your already many accomplishments and may there be many more to come.

{Lithuania is not an exotic place nor are Lithuanians exotic people but there is some charm to this whole place ... (impressions after more than 50 days in Vilnius)}

Vilnius, the capital city, is very small scale and emits an almost village coziness. Actually the longer I'm here the more I feel like Lithuania is actually one big village. Let's face it, with just under 4 million inhabitants, you're not talking about a very large gene pool. I'm constantly seeing people that remind me of my relatives. This makes me feel like I'm surrounded by my family all the time.

The Land of Rutas: Suddenly my name's not unique anymore; take yesterday for example. There were 3 of us in the room and we were all named Ruta….ugh!!

Lithuania is a Banana Republic and they must be growing bananas here because:

• Firstly, there are bananas everywhere, sold at almost every little fruit and vegetable stand, perhaps even easier to get than potatoes.
  
• Everyone is eating bananas, young old, the beautiful and the ugly.
  
• Bananas are very inexpensive.
  
• And, statistically in 1996, Lithuania exported more bananas than it imported. So, the only logical deduction (besides a little under the table dealings which we know the Lithuanian people would never engage in) is they have devised a way to grow bananas in sub-arctic temperatures between the rows of cabbages and beets.

Why are bananas so popular? They were impossible to get during the Soviet period; now they have became the unofficial symbol of Lithuania's freedom.

The Beet Republic!

Lithuania is a leading world producer of beets. Now, that's something to be proud of. Now, if we could only figure out what to do with them besides making soup out of them. Any ideas would be appreciated and will be passed right on to the Ministry of Agriculture.

What Have You Consumed That's Lithuanian Lately?

Lithuania exported more than 32 tons of milk powder to the EU last year. So, maybe it was in something you ate? Another leading export is clothing. But, apparently the European companies that buy them stick their own labels on it so you'll never know its from here.

Lithuanian Cuisine

The national dish is bananas au natural (just kidding!!) Actually, it will probably not be a surprise to anyone that Lithuanians consume many, many potatoes, cabbages, beets, carrots, mushrooms, onions and garlic on the veggie side and all parts of the pig,(hooves are a delicacy) cow, and chicken.

Let's not forget herring also plays a major role in the diet as well as tons of milk and cheese. I would say 99% of all Lithuanian cuisine is based on these main ingredients. The dish that all Lithuanians go crazy about is "cepeliniai" (literally translated as 'zeppelins') which are made from meat surrounded by grated potatoes that are boiled and then served with lots of grease and bacon bits. It hits the stomach like lead (a led zeppelin…ha, ha, ha) but Lithuanians love it!! Very economical! I had a vegetarian one a few nights back and I was not hungry until dinner the next day. In brief, Lithuanian food is hearty, farmer food.

To my delight, Lithuanians are also interested in expanding their diets. There are several new restaurants serving foods from Mexico, Italy, China, France, "and Africa". (I put Africa in quotes because there's really nothing African about the food except the name.) Though it's hard to call any of the food in these places authentic, its still a refreshing change. And, than there's always the McDonalds.

Local beer is good and cheap, Bulgarian wine is good and cheap, Lithuanian vodka is good and cheap and of course Lithuanian mead is good and cheap.

What I Like To Eat: Lithuanian Style

• Boiled quail eggs on black bread toast with tomato and coffee for breakfast.
  
• 'Salad' made of grated eggs, cheese, mayonnaise and lots of fresh garlic on black bread for lunch.
  
• And, of course, a potato product for dinner like potato pancakes.

In sum, everything is cheap. And, for the foreigner, life is ridiculously cheap. For example: A trolley bus ticket in Lithuania costs about 15 US cents. A cup of coffee in a café is 50 US cents; a full meal costs about 4 US dollars.

Imported items are more expensive but they never cost more than they would if you bought them at home and are usually cheaper.

It's a smoker's dream world here! A pack of cigarettes costs around $1 US dollar. In contrast to a few years ago, most everything in Lithuania is now available and products are imported from all over the world. Many items are from Germany! I've seen lots of veggies like tomatoes and leeks from Holland whereas lots of telephone equipment and appliances are from the States!

A decent salary here is about $250 US dollars a month. Many people live off 50 US dollars a month (still ludicrously low!!).

Many of the evils we are so used to, and don't even notice, haven't completely permeated life here yet. Mass production, mass consumption, mass consumerism, mass advertising, mass video games, etc. are only present on a very low level.

Many items are still hand made! Production is on a small scale, low pesticide usage. There are very few billboards or large advertisements but then again, the cars!

At 7:00 in the morning, I awake suddenly to the sound of a car alarm in the not-so-far distance. It is a usual sound here and its annoying. After one alarm is turned off, another goes off. More often than not, it has nothing to with theft but triggered by the wind, a bump by a car trying to park, or a little old lady trying to rush past. Sometimes the owners are quick to turn the damn things off, but not quick enough. Car theft is big here, everyone talks and worries about it. I read in the paper that 27 cars were stolen last month alone. I heard of a guy who was given use of a nice, new company car and returned the car a few weeks later because he was stressed out by all the potential thieves circling all the time, watching him park and lock up, to get a good glimpse at the security system.

Thoughts on the Trolleybus & Other Relics of the Past

No one smiles .... no one says hello. It is as if everyone heard that their dog just died.

Thoughts Riding The Trolleybus: March 27, 1998

. . . Snow Storm! Easter is only 3 days away. I board the trolleybus. It's full! I need to stand, mashed between others. I start to sweat from the warm steam forming inside from all the bodies.

We move like a snail along the snowy tracks. The trolley bus can't weave through the traffic since it needs to stay connected to the electrical cables above. I'm getting dizzy!

We seem to stand still more than we move. A ride that normally takes 15 minutes is already ˝ hour long. More people keep getting on the trolley. I'm really sweating now and want to sit down but I can't even move. I'm breathing in breathed air. Finally, I just decide to get off at the next stop and walk the rest of the way.

The Lithuanian Character

Goodness, I could write reams on this one!

On the positive side, Lithuanians are quiet, keep to themselves, are clean,neat, and orderly. They are still very linked to the earth (farming roots). On the negative side, Lithuanians can be incredibly rude (if they think you're asking a stupid question). They don't smile much, the women wear too much makeup, and the men spit all the time. It would appear Lithuanians have no sales or marketing instincts.

A good example of this occurred while I was furniture shopping (another story in itself). The salespeople were literally running away from me. No one came up to help me, instead I had to hunt the salespeople down (some of which convincingly pleaded that it wasn't their section) and force them to take my money.

In another incident, though the salesperson didn't run away, she simply responded to all my inquiries with, "It's very good." That's a bit tedious in the end. Some stores are doing better, usually the ones that commission their salespeople but its still a rarity.

Back to character! On the extreme negative side, there are quite a few Lithuanian drunks. It is an awful site to see and even worse to have to endure at close range when crammed in a packed trolleybus!

Lithuania: Where Men are Men and Women are Women

Translated, this means: a woman is someone who wears makeup, dyes her hair, wears short skirts and teeters on small heels. A man on the other hand, does not wear makeup, dye his hair, wear heels or short skirts; a man here tries to have broad shoulders and a thick wallet.

Little old women are very visible and do lots of the dirty work. They're up at the crack of dawn cleaning the streets, they're selling fruits (mainly bananas) on the street, or they're elbowing their way through a crowd, big shopping bags or grandchild in tow looking purposeful. They are also the ones safeguarding the churches from vandalism, guarding national treasures at museums for a lousy wage, being very friendly if they like you and very intimidating if they don't. Seats on the buses are for little old ladies only!

How Do You Recognize a Little Old Lady In Lithuania?

Why she'll no doubt be wearing the little old lady uniform which is: A head scarf, a long winter coat, and big boots with the optional accessories of a big purse in one hand and a big shopping bag and grandchild in the other.

A memory from the past or: Further insight into the Lithuanian character.

Lithuanians, being the patriots that they've always been, did not take very kindly to their Russian occupation during the Soviet period. However, overt resistance was not tolerated by the occupants. So, passive hostility took other forms. In those days, if someone asked a Lithuanian for directions in Russian, the Lithuanian would comply by giving them a very detailed direction of the route to take. It didn't matter where the Russian had to go uptown or downtown, the directions where always the same and lead to the train station conveying the not-so-subtle message: if you don't speak the language than leave.

Even today when a foreigner learns a bit of Lithuanian, Lithuanians will often sarcastically comment: we've had other foreigners who lived here for 50 years and never learned the language.

They're still flexing their linguistic muscles. The initial excitement of reclaiming the language and culture hasn't worn off yet. During the Soviet period, everything had to be written in Russian! Now, everything is written in Lithuanian and often times only Lithuanian. Well, not so good for the tourist because unless they happen to know a bit of Latvian or Sanskrit, Lithuanian is incomprehensible. But apparently this doesn't stop the Japanese tourists from coming, they've even opened an embassy and a restaurant here!

My Lithuanian came back quite smoothly, the base of it anyway. That's one of the joys of the mother tongue! Since I learned it as a child, I have an almost instinctual feel for it. I don't have to think consciously, the language just comes. In the beginning, I did have to struggle to get my tongue around a few words and I still need to expand my vocabulary (when asked about my job for example I feel like Tarzan because all I can come up with is something like: Me work development).

But, with normal everyday conversation I have no problems. This has actually has caused me some grief because my accent is quite subtle and apparently not that noticeable. The reality of the matter is I still don't know a lot of the "ins" and "outs" of life here, especially administrative, bureaucratic details. When I ask basic questions people have treated me rudely, as if I were some sort of idiot. They must look at me and think: why is this woman asking me such a basic and stupid question. In one instance, I actually reverted to English to stress the fact that I was a 'foreigner' in order to get treated decently.

Freedom to Choose

An American was attending a small conference with some Russians. He had brought his Lithuanian interpreter with him but the conference was to be translated by a Russian interpreter. They waited and waited but the Russian interpreter but he did not show up. The American turned to his Lithuanian interpreter and asked, "Do you speak Russian"? She replied that she didn't speak Russian. In an effort to at least get something accomplished, the rest of the group tried to communicate without the interpreter but it was futile. Finally the Lithuanian interpreter stood up and with an air of resignation agreed to act as the Russian interpreter. The American was surprised to note that his Lithuanian interpreter seemed to translate Russian fluently. Afterwards he asked her why she hadn't agreed to use her Russian earlier. To this, she replied, "You didn't ask me if I could speak Russian and obviously I can, but I don't".

"Where have you put Lenin?" I asked a workman. "Why, do you miss him?" he answered slyly before pointing out the way to where the main statue of Lenin is being kept these days: face down on the ground enclosed by a mesh cage and surrounded by broken down Soviet trucks. His other communist colleagues lie in a similar disgraced and abandoned state.

That's the general spirit here, people are glad to have their own country back again. They're deeply rooted here. As a Lithuanian poem says:

Hope you enjoyed this little journey through my thoughts! Don't forget to write!
Ruta Aidis
Vienuolio 12-4
2001 Vilnius
Lithuania

The above may be reprinted in whole or in part if acknowledgements are given to the author.

Five years after Jonas' defection, she met some American Lithuanians who were visiting in Vilnius. She asked if by chance they were acquainted with a certain Jonas Pleskys. "Of course," one of the guests replied. "We just saw him at a Lithuanian even in southern California. He was singing Lithuanian folk songs. He has a good voice. We can't understand how such a young Lithuanian has managed such a successful career in the United States." Eugenija asked no more questions. she didn't ask them to take any message to him in California. she understood his situation. That he was still alive made that day one of the happiest days of her life.

Brother and sister would not meet for 27 years. Meanwhile, her own career in films and on the stage prospered. She and other Lithuanian artists made silent protests of their own. She is proudest of her film "Herkus Mantus", filmed by the Lithuanian Film Studios in Vilnius in 1974. This historical spectacle portrayed the Lithuanian nation fighting a Teutonic invader and occupier. By some miracle, the film passed the Soviet censors. They determined it dealt with Lithuanian history and not current politics. those who worked on the film, as well as the Lithuanian audience, knew exactly what the film was about. The film won prizes at several international film festivals. Since Soviet artists were not permitted to travel, they had no idea their film had won acclaim and prize money abroad. Moscow claimed the glory for itself. They did honor my friend "Pleskyte", as she was known professionally, with a best acting prize in Moscow. By this time she was much beloved in her own country as well as in other corners of the Soviet Union. When I asked her how she was able to do such an outstanding acting job in "Herkus Mantus", she replied, "When the film spoke of the hateful enemies, the Prusai, in my mind I substituted the word Rusai" "Ne vaidinau," she laughed. "I wasn't acting."

When Perestroika opened the doors to artistic exchange with the United States, Eugenija's repertory company successfully toured the United States in 1988. On the 34th floor of a skyscraper hotel in downtown Houston, Eugenija and Jonas were finally reunited. It was in that unlikely setting that Jonas told her the truth of his defection and explained the circumstances of his life under the protection of the CIA. In order to talk privately, he turned up the TV full blast and took her outside on the balcony. He was used to being spied upon. Even at this late date, he was taking no chances. he knew he had been condemned to death in absentia by a soviet Military Tribunal. The sentence was never revoked. Eugenija also knew that a KGB Major was traveling with her acting troup. She was never sure who else might be an informer.

She was not surprised to hear that Jonas had a series of careers, moved around a lot to elude his pursuers. Even today, his exact chronology is not clear. Much remains shrouded in mystery. What is known, is that after debriefing the storehouse of technical information at CIA headquarters, he taught for some time at the Seattle Naval War College. He studied and taught at Stanford University, worked at an important LA computer firm. The CIA finally placed him at American President Companies in Oakland, California as a systems management specialist. Before that, he spent nine years in hiding in the hills of Central and South America. He lived among the Mayas. He felt these were some of his happier years, outside modern civilization.

He was unable to lead a normal life, although he did fall in love with a beautiful woman of Spanish ancestry. With her he fathered a daughter, Jennifer. Being one of the "hunted" was a very stressful life. As a heroic Lithuanian patriot, Jonas sacrificed his personal life as a protest against the inhumane Soviet system. He longed for his homeland, but other than companionship of other Lithuanian immigrants, there was little he could expect. Even the Lithuanian Americans with whom Jonas socialized could not understand him. He rarely spoke of his past or his defection. They were often surprised and sometimes annoyed when he suddenly disappeared. He was sworn to silence. The CIA always followed the KGB. When the KGB was close on Jonas' tail, the CIA warned him or hid him. He disappeared.

Jonas' American friends were also unaware that he had spent two years in association with Tom Clancy, before he wrote his bestseller "The Hunt for Red October." No doubt the CIA permitted this association, since Clancy's book would portray our own Navy and CIA hero in favorable light. Jonas was able to give Clancy an enormous amount of technical information on the Soviet subs, the details of his "escape", as well as provide him with a prototype for his hero, Captain Marko Ramius. Obviously, Clancy's book was fictionalized and had the usual disclaimers. He was not able to include Jonas in any of the credits without endangering him.

The book was published in 1984, and several years later was made into an exciting and popular film starring Sean Connery as Marko Ramius. When Jonas' sister Eugenija saw the film, she was astounded at his portrayal. Although it is unlikely that Sean Connery had any association with Jonas, he was able to capture not only his physical characteristics, but also his determined and taciturn manner. There was a calm and faultless logic about this man, which neither our CIA nor the Soviets were able to decipher.

Dateline: Vilnius, Apr 29 (ELTA)

Shooting of the American TV serial "New Adventures of Robin Hood" is continuing in the Lithuanian film studio. The first twenty-six parts of the serial, shot during two previous summers, will be supplemented by thirteen more.

The most surprising news this year was changing of the leading man. Actor John Bradley will play the role of Robin Hood, while his partner, Barbara Griffin, will further act as his beloved Marion.

The continuation of "New Adventures of Robin Hood" is shot in the fields and pavilions of film studio, as well as Nemencine forest, which stands for Sherwood, located near Vilnius.

Under supervision of Warner Bros" Company, the serial shooting is carried out by a 43-person team -- actors, film directors, cameramen, producers, assistants, and stunt men. Making of each part is expected to require 10 to 15 more people from Britain.

The filmmakers have invited Lithuanian specialists, among them painter Galius Klicius and costume designer Daiva Petrulyte. Although the film shooting was going rather smoothly, the director of Lithuanian film studio Robertas Urbonas joked, "So far, we have faced the only one problem. Americans cannot resist the beauty of Lithuanian girls!"

Dateline: Vilnius, Apr 28 (ELTA)

The popular women's magazine "Cosmopolitan" will come out in Lithuania, with the first issue to appear on Wednesday. A license for publication of the Lithuanian "Cosmo" came from international Hearst corporation and has been purchased by the owners of local Ieva Magazine, Ieva and Viktoras Tombakai. Lithuania is to become the 36th country publishing Cosmo."

Speaking about a possible competition in the local market, Ieva Tombakiene said the new magazine might face challenges only in the advertising field.

"Our women are so curious. They read all women's magazines, therefore, Cosmo will undoubtedly appeal to them," she said. The Lithuanian version of Cosmo containing 150 pages initially, will come out every two months, while next year will witness monthly publishing of the magazine.

Dateline: Vilnius, Apr 27 (ELTA)

British Airways, one of the biggest worldairlines, launched flights to Lithuania as country number 100 on its world-wide network.

The first of a planned four flights a week touched down on Sunday evening, while on Monday morning 92 passengers became the first to leave Lithuania on a scheduled BA flight.

"Lithuania is an exciting new destination for British Airways and we believe that it will be one of our most successful new routes," BA manager for the Baltic states Harvey Lines said.

"Initial bookings are extremely encouraging," he added. Fares started from $469 for a return flight but BA said it was keen to introduce lower fares later, which would be a subject to government approval. Vilnius is one of four planned new British Airways destinations this year. BA will employ six people and Boeing 737-400 with 147 seats to service the route.

Lines said BA's sales force would be promoting Lithuania all over the world and Vilnius would become a new destination in the BA Holidays City Break brochure.

British Airways flight to Lithuania came after successful launch of service to Riga last year. The airlines extended its flights to Riga from four to five a week. BA hopes that both Riga and Vilnius flights will eventually become seven-day a week services.