From 1914 through to 1919 Kazys Grinius and his family lived in Russia. In 1917 he was elected to the Russian Lithuanian Council in Voronezh. In 1919 he went to Paris, chaired the Repatriation Commission of the Lithuanian delegation; worked for the return of Lithuanians from German captivity, helping around 1,000 of compatriots.
Second president
On 18-22 September 1917, Aleksandras Stulginskis attended the Lithuanian Conference in Vilnius and was elected to the Council of Lithuania (later Council of the State). He was among the signatories of the Declaration of Independence of Lithuania on 16 February 1918, and the head of the Council of the State's Commission for the return of deportees and prisoners.
First President
Antanas Smetona was a member of the Lithuanian Democratic Party in 1902-1907; a leader of the Lithuanian Party of National Progress from 1920 to 1924, and an active participant in the activities of the Lithuanian Home Guard Union in 1924.The same year saw him among the founders of the Lithuanian Nationalist Union; soon thereafter, he became Chairman of the Union (1925-1926).
Basic facts
Vilnius, the capital of the Republic of Lithuania, with over 553
thousand inhabitants is one of the largest industrial, scientific and
cultural centres of the Baltic States. The city is situated in a
picturesque valley at the confluence of the Neris and the Vilnia
rivers. Vilnius, one of the oldest Baltic cities, has a long history
rich in events. In 1994, the Old Town of Vilnius was included into the
UNESCO World Heritage List
Geography
Lithuania is one of three countries known as the Baltic States. The other Baltic State countries are Estonia and Latvia. However the concept of Baltic States is misleading as it implies some sort of political unity between Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia which is not the case.