July 6th is celebrated in Lithuania as Statehood Day, commemorating the coronation of Mindaugas as the first and only King of Lithuania in 1253. Mindaugas unified the Lithuanian state and was a skilled political strategist. He made the significant decision to adopt Christianity in 1251 in order to gain recognition from the pope and have himself crowned as King. However, Mindaugas and his sons were later killed in 1263, changing the fate of the Lithuanian state. After Soviet occupation suppressed Lithuanian history and culture, Statehood Day was reestablished after independence to honor Mindaugas and Lithuania's long tradition of sovereignty. The day is now celebrated with events across Lithuania remembering this pivotal early figure

1. July 6th - Statehood Day
(the day of the coronation of
Mindaugas as the first and
only King of Lithuania)
By Dominykas Rudelis 5 e
Gvidas Jonavičius 8b

2. July 6, we celebrate the
Statehood Day, the crowning
celebration first ruler of the
united state of Lithuania Duke
Mindaugas. On this occasion,
we would like to look back into
the controversial turns of
history to remember the first
and only king of Lithuania
Mindaugas - the personality
who surpassed his epoch in
political strategy, mentality and
spiritual power ... So there is a
few controversial fragments of
Lithuania’s history.

3. Historians suppose that the
Lithuanian state has been
created and united by one
ruler before the first king of
Lithuania Mindaugas.
Unfortunately, only about
Mindaugas is historical data
available. In the historical
sources, he is called
Mindaugas the Wisest.

4. It is not difficult to
guess why the
Lithuanians gave him
such an honorable
name. In that time
(XIII c.) he was able to
pursue such a flexible
policy which stultified
the dozens of Teutonic
Knights’ plans. It was
very significant step of
Mindaugas policy to
take Christianity in
March 1st, 1251 (date
is disputed).

5. Then the Master of the Livonian Order
solemnly baptized Mindaugas with his wife
Morta and their two sons Ruklis and
Rupeikis and a number of soldiers.
Mindaugas' baptism in 1251, according to
some historians is the beginning of
Christianity in Lithuania.

6. So Mindaugas is not only the unifier of the
state, but also the Baptist. School textbooks
claim that the Lithuanian Baptist is the
Grand Duke Jogaila and the date of baptism
is 1387. After baptizing Mindaugas built the
first Cathedral in the capital Vilnius, which
remains were found in the basement of the
present Vilnius Cathedral a few years ago.

7. In those days only the pope could give the
king's crown to the Heads of a State.
Mindaugas received pope’s permission to be
crowned as King of Lithuania, July
6, 1253, he and the duchess Morta were
crowned.

8. It was a huge victory for Lithuania, because
the pope established the Lithuanian
diocese, which was directly subordinated to
the Holy See. The first Bishop of Lithuania
Kristijonas also obtained the right to
establish a high school. Thus, even in the
Middle Ages Lithuania has the opportunity
to integrate into the European Christian
culture, along with the development of its
Baltic nation's culture.

9. These bright hopes and great opportunities
were cut off by killing the King Mindaugas
and his sons in 1263. It has changed the
further fate of the Lithuanian state.

10. Celebrations echoes now

11. The day of Mindaugas coronation as European
recognition of the State of Lithuania, has
already been mentioned in the independent
Lithuania before Soviet occupation. For fifty
years of Soviet occupation there were
victimized and suppressed everything what was
national, what evoke patriotic feelings, its
historical memory. It has blurred memory of
the coronation of Mindaugas.
After the restoration of independence, we are
trying to find out about the ancient history of
our nation. In 1990, the Parliament of the
Republic of Lithuania July 6th, Mindaugas
Coronation Day, declared a national holiday.

12. Festivities

13. State holiday, resembling a majestic past of
Lithuania, its long-lived tradition of
statehood, is being celebrated both in the
capital and in other cities of Lithuania.
Every year a solemn event in honor of
Mindaugas is happening on Medininkai
Juozapinė Hill. It held Mindaugas Silver Ring
archery tournaments and military oaths.
Vilnius festivities also take place on
Gediminas pr., Old Town courtyards,
squares and concert halls.

14. http://day.lt/straipsniai/valstybes_diena
http://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindaugas