Washington, D. C., May 9, 1990

In the spring–summer of 1990, demonstrations supporting Lithuania’s independence were held in Los Angeles and its surroundings, with slogans such as “Red Army go Home!”, “Push Bush to recognize Lithuania!”, and “Lithuania wants Freedom”.

Lithuanian Central State Archives, archive No. 1818

Chicago, November 1–3, 1991

Meeting of the US and Lithuanian public and cultural figures. From the left: 1 – Honorary Consul General of Lithuania in Toronto, Haris Lapas; 2 – art historian Romualdas Budrys; 3 – Consul General of Lithuania in New York, Anicetas Simutis; 4 – Honorary Consul General of Lithuania in Los Angeles, Vytautas Čekanauskas.

Photo by B. Čikotas.

After the failure of the coup in Moscow on August 19, 1991, the United States and other Western countries began the process of recognizing Lithuania’s independence. On the morning of September 2, U.S. President G. Bush announced that the United States was ready to establish diplomatic relations with the governments of the Baltic States. Lithuanians in Los Angeles and across the United States welcomed Washington’s move and the initiation of Lithuania‘s recognition.

Lithuanian Central State Archives, P-44693

Chicago, November 1–3, 1991

Meeting of the U.S. and Lithuanian public and cultural figures. From the left: 3 – Nijolė Vagnorienė; 4 – Gediminas Vagnorius, Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania; 5 – Anicetas Simutis, Consul General of Lithuania in New York; 6 – Vytautas Čekanauskas, Honorary Consul General of Lithuania in Los Angeles.

Photo by B. Čikotas.

Lithuanian Central State Archives, P-47111

February 16, 1994

Lithuanian Central State Archives, archive No. 1818

Los Angeles, March 12, 2000

Lithuanian Central State Archives, archive No. 1818

From the left: 1 – Juozas Skirius; 2 – Daiva Čekanauskaitė-Navarette; 3 – Head of the Photodocuments department, Inga Vizgirdienė.

Photo by L. Dmuchovskaja.

Vilnius, June 3, 2019

Lithuanian Central State Archives, CDF-031284