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On 6 July, the Day of the State (Coronation of King Mindaugas), Lithuanians around the world joined in singing the national anthem. Lithuanians in countries on various continents joined the campaign for its eighth year.

As every year, the national anthem was performed in interesting and unexpected places. In the Netherlands, Lithuanians sang it while touring canals of The Hague. In Los Angeles, Lithuania’s Consulate General invited Lithuanians to Santa Monica beach. In Hungary, Lithuanians sang the national anthem in one of the highest places of Budapest – Gellért Hill, while in Almaty representatives of the Lithuanian community „Aidas“ (Echo) sang the national anthem in a ski resort of Chimbulak at an altitude of 2,300 metres above sea level.

The Lithuanian community in Kyiv performed the national anthem on the city’s central square –Maidan Nezalezhnosti. After the performance, the participants discussed the event, shared their impressions and expressed gladness that the numbers of participants of this campaign were growing every year. On 6 July this year, the Lithuanian national anthem was performed also near the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Odessa.

Lithuanians living in Spain sang the national anthem at the Embassy in Madrid. After the performance they also took a quiz to test their knowledge of Lithuania. After singing the national anthem at the Embassy in Moscow, members of the Lithuanian community also did not hurry home, so they continued to sing Lithuanian songs, read poems and socialize with each other. At the Consulate General in Saint Petersburg, Lithuanians adorned themselves with own made tricolour wicker bracelets and enjoyed the food buffet at the event.

The Lithuanian Embassy in Ireland also joined in singing the national anthem. Lithuania’s Ambassador to Ireland Rasa Adomaitienė greeted the participants, stressing that on the Day of the State Lithuanians celebrated the creation of the Kingdom and were its descendants, bearing it in their hearts as a legacy, which was worth to be cherished and preserved for their children and grandchildren. The guests unanimously sang the national anthem and later enjoyed a performance by such singers as Eurika Masytė, Raimonda Masiulytė, and gifted children played various pieces of music.

In Minsk, the national anthem was performed by the staff of the Lithuanian Embassy in Belarus together with Lithuanians who work with the Delegation of the European Union in Minsk and members of the local Lithuanian community. On the Day of the State, they gathered in the Embassy’s yard, where they were greeted by the Ambassador of Lithuania to Belarus Evaldas Ignatavičius, who wished them to be united and to rally.

On the Day of the State, Lithuanians living in Georgia traditionally gathered together to sing the national anthem. Also Georgians joined in the singing. On this occasion, the celebration in Tbilisi was also attended by Professor at Vytautas Magnus University Šarūnas Liekis, who spoke about the latest developments in Lithuania, and briefly reviewed historically important dates.

A few dozen Lithuanians living in Moldova, Lithuanian experts working in the country and guests from Lithuania visiting Chisinau joined in the singing. An exhibition of drawings by Lithuanian children living in Moldova entitled “Lithuania Through the Eyes of a Child” was also opened at the Embassy in Moldova.

Some members of the Lithuanian community in the Czech Republic gathered to sing the national anthem of Lithuania together with tourists from Lithuania near the wooden sculpture of Mindaugas in the garden of the Embassy.

On 6 July, the campaign “The National Anthem Around the World” was held also in Baku, Helsinki, Yerevan, London, Strasbourg, Stavanger, Stockholm, Warsaw, Washington, D.C., and many other cities. On Sunday and Monday, the national anthem was sung also by Lithuanians in Baltimore, São Paulo and Tokyo.

Mindaugas, the first and only King of Lithuania, was crowned in 1253. On this occasion, Lithuanians around the world joined in singing the national anthem on 6 July.

Photos: Participants of the campaign in Dublin, Helsinki, Santa Monica, London, and Prague.

View more photos on MFA's Flickr account.