Lithuania awards state honors to US, Polish partners, cultural figures, and scientists
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda awarded nearly 50 Lithuanian and foreign citizens with state honors on Monday to mark State and National Anthem Day, recognizing their contributions to Lithuania.
The highest distinction, the Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great, was awarded to US Senator Richard Joseph Durbin for his long-standing support of Lithuania’s independence and security, as well as his strong backing of US-Lithuania cooperation in defense and security.
The Commander’s Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania was granted to Fred H. Hutchison, founder and head of the LNG Allies association, for his significant contributions to strengthening Lithuania’s energy security, economic resilience, and transatlantic relations. US Representative Addison “Joe” Graves Wilson and Ditte Maria Juul Jorgensen, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security, also received the award.
The Officer’s Cross of the Order of the Grand Duke Gediminas was awarded to biochemist Vilmantė Borutaitė. The Officer’s Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania went to Wojciech Borzuchowski, director of the Bialystok branch of the National Roads and Highways Authority, for his role in implementing the strategic Via Baltica road project, and to Vytautas Čepas for his active involvement in organizing the defense of Klaipėda in January 1991 and his contributions to the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Lithuania.
Mindaugas Rastenis was posthumously awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of the Cross of Vytis for his long-term active work in the underground and public life, defending Lithuania’s freedom, national identity, language, and cultural heritage.
Other recipients included Lithuanian sign language standardizer Mantrimas Danielius, philosopher and philologist Naglis Kardelis, ethnologist Libertas Klimka, journalists Marius Lukošiūnas, Stanislavas Widtmannas (Vitmanas), and Vidmantas Mačiulis, pianist and organist Leonidas Melnikas, linguist Danguolė Mikulėnienė, architect Rolandas Palekas, prosecutors Tomas Uldukis and Vilma Vidugirienė, footballer and coach Arminas Narbekovas, writer Gintaras Patackas, actor and director of the National Kaunas Drama Theatre Egidijus Stancikas, cardiologist Remigijus Žaliūnas, and opera singer Deividas Staponkus.
Aldas Petrauskas received the Life-Saving Cross for his bravery, resourcefulness, and determination in saving a severely injured football player from a knife attack in Alytus on March 17, despite the risk to his own life.
State Day in Lithuania commemorates the coronation of Mindaugas as King of Lithuania on July 6, 1253. It was declared a national holiday in 1990 after Lithuania restored its independence.