A conversation with Tomas Venclova, Lithuanian philosopher and writer. Interviewer: Nikodem Szczyglowski

All across Eastern Europe a decline in membership in long-established religions is being counterbalanced by rising interest in various alternative forms of religion and spirituality. The case and struggles of Romuva, a neo-pagan religious movement that claims that its traditions go back to the ancient period before the Christian conversion of Lithuania, illustrate the tensions between heritage, identity and modern religious norms.

In discussions on the development of democracy in post-Soviet societies in Eastern Europe, the role of religion is not often accorded great importance by political scientists. Yet, a more sociological perspective reveals that religion often serves as a driving factor in public sentiment, policy debates and political decisions. While the constitutions of Eastern European countries generally guarantee a generic freedom of religion, the question of how this freedom plays out for particular religious groups is far more complicated.

As the threat of hybrid attacks in the Baltic Sea intensifies, NATO states are responding with Operation "Baltic Sentry".

A change of government not only brings along new faces, but also novel solutions. Last year’s presidential and parliamentary elections in Lithuania showed the people’s will to transfer responsibility for foreign policy to President Gitanas Nausėda and his people. Does this mean a shift to another position or will it ensure the continuity of the country’s current direction?

Baltic countries like Lithuania want to spend more money on defence to help counter the Russian threat, but the European Union’s strict spending laws are standing in the way.

During the opening stage of the Russian invasion, Ukraine’s army devastated Russian forces through the use of drones, ambushes, and society-wide mobilization. Lithuania is now aiming to prepare its population to do the same.

Lithuania’s song festival, Dainų šventė, celebrated its 100th anniversary in July this year. It stands as Lithuania’s paramount cultural phenomenon, involving tens of thousands of Lithuanians and several diaspora choirs from around the world. Yet despite sharing similar festivals, the presence of choirs from the other Baltic countries is a rare sight to see.

An old woman blows kisses at the procession from her flat window. She is dressed in national costume and an array of amber beads. Among the crowds lining the streets, other elderly ladies in similar dress sit on benches, too frail to march the three kilometres from Vilnius’s Cathedral Square to Vingis Park, the festival grounds, but keen to be part of the Lithuanian Song Festival parade.

Numerous foreign volunteers are now present in Ukraine, delivering aid or fighting on the frontline against Russia’s invasion. Recent reports suggest that Moscow may be deliberately targeting such groups.

A conversation with Una Bergmane, author of Politics of Uncertainty: The United States, the Baltic Question, and the Collapse of the Soviet Union. Interviewer: Maciek Makulski

MACIEJ MAKULSKI: How did you arrive at the point when you thought that there is still much to uncover when it comes to our understanding of the processes around the collapse of the Soviet Union and the regaining of independence by the Baltic states?

UNA BERGMANE: I would probably say by accident, since I wanted to write a master's thesis about French-Baltic relations in the 1920s and 30s when the Baltic states were independent before the Soviet occupation. But then I discovered that there was already a doctoral dissertation just defended in Paris on that very topic. So I started then to look at what seemed like the next logical thing – what France did when the Baltic countries wanted to become independent again at the end of the 1980s. What was interesting for me initially was the discrepancy between what I saw in the French archives.

While the results of the EU parliamentary elections in Central and Eastern Europe did not lead to political upheaval as seen in France, it is becoming clear that the far-right representation in Strasbourg will increase from this part of Europe.

General Martin Herem, commander of the Estonian Armed Forces, explains how Estonia is preparing for possible aggression from Russia and why its approach may differ from the other Baltic countries. Interviewer: Rasa Tapinienė, journalist with LRT.

Lithuania’s support for those Belarusians protesting against the Lukashenka regime has become well known in recent years. Despite this, an argument over the centuries-long interactions between the two peoples could possibly threaten this unity.