On November 23, Saturday, the Lithuanian Armed Forces invites residents and guests of Vilnius to enjoy a parade of our and Allied troops on the Cathedral Square and down Gediminas Avenue which will be held to mark the 106th anniversary of res-establishment of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. The occasion will be celebrated across Lithuania’s representations abroad, international headquarters and operations wherever Lithuanian military personnel are deployed.
The celebration in Vilnius will start with a Holy Mass in the St Ignatius Church of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the parade in the Cathedral Square will follow, the line-up and the audience will be congratulated by President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, acting Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas and Chief of Defence Gen Raimundas Vaikšnoras. For the second consecutive year the Lithuanian Warrior Statuette award will be presented in recognition of selfless, noble or risk-taking actions during the parade in the Cathedral Square. A minute of silence will be observed to honor the casualties and the Honor Guard Company will perform the programme. The commemoration in the Cathedral Square will peak in a fly-by of Italian fighter jets currently conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission and will continue with a parade down Gediminas Avenue to Independence Square.
Lithuanian military have already started visiting comprehensive schools on the occasion of Armed Forces Day where the institution and profession are presented to pupils and personal experiences are shared. Lithuanian troops will also pay a visit to the Žiburys School in Sejny in Poland as it is traditional.
On November 23 in 1918, 106 years ago, Prime Minister Augustinas Voldemaras signed the Order No. 1 of the Ministry of National Defence by which the Lithuanian Armed Forces was re-established just months until it already fought its first battles in defence of our independence.
Programme, November 23, Vilnius:
12.00 p.m. Commemoration on the Cathedral Square of Vilnius
12.30 p.m. Parade down Gediminas Avenue to Independence Square.
1.00 p.m. End of event
