On July 27 one of the most important events of the Sea Festival took place on the Baltic Sea - flower wreaths were lowered onto the water with attendance of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, leadership of the Ministry of National Defence, representatives of the Lithuanian Air Force and the Lithuanian Navy. Two Lithuanian Navy vessels were in the ship parade: Aukštaitis (P14) patrol ship as the flagship and Šakiai search and rescue ship.
President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda paid respects to the lost at sea, then toured the warship and discussed sailors' service conditions, spirits and readiness. This year the event for the first was attended by the Lithuanian Air Force with a helicopter which was used by rescuers to lower the wreath in to the water from.
The wreath from the Ministry of National Defence was cast by acting Vice Minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas, the ceremony was attended by Commander of the Navy Rear Admiral (lower half) Arūnas Mockus, Mayor of Klaipėda City Vytautas Grubliauskas, Defence Attaché of the United States of America and Germany, and many other guests. Other wreaths cast into the Baltic Sea were from the Lithuanian Armed Forces, Klaipėda, Telšiai, Utena, Biržai, and elsewhere.
The ceremony is an annual and one of the oldest traditions of the Sea Festival dating back to 1934 when the first sea festival were organised in Klaipėda to make them appealing to the whole range of society layers of the contemporary Lithuania. The solemn ceremony pays tribute each year to those lost at sea or those who laid their lives to proclaim the name of Lithuania, setting the foundations of a maritime sate, developing and creating the history of seafaring of our country.
Information and photos by the Lithuanian Navy
