Vilnius, Lithuania, the country’s capital, was named European Christmas Capital 2025 by the Christmas Cities Network. This honor highlights the city’s holiday spirit, culture, and community engagement. To that end, Vilnius is decorated to the nines with wreaths, garland, trees, and angels adorning its historic streets. On November 29, 2024, Cathedral Square in Vilnius hosted a Christmas concert and tree lighting ceremony to kick off the festivities; the Christmas market set up around the tree includes vendors selling ornaments, Christmas socks, and mulled wine. In the nearby Town Hall Square, an international Christmas market is set up around a picturesque ice skating rink. There, vendors from around the world sell food and goods from their home countries. Interestingly, one booth is manned by the 45th Panzer Brigade of the German Army; they are the advance party of a German tank unit that is permanently based in Lithuania.
For some Americans, Lithuania is only known as a former Soviet state…and maybe as the home country of Captain Marko Ramius, played by Sean Connery in The Hunt for Red October. As a result, it may come as a surprise that Lithuania has a long history of resistance and a culture of independence that persists today. In addition to the tricolor national flag of yellow, green, and red, Lithuania also has a historical state flag that is commonly seen across the country. A red flag bearing a mounted knight with sword and shield, the Lithuanian coat of arms known as the Vytis, it harkens back to the Grand Duchy of pagan Lithuanians who resisted conversion to Christianity after the Teutonic Order and Livonian Brothers of the Sword conquered modern-day Estonia and Latvia. During WWII, the Lithuanian Activist Front managed to expel the Soviet Red Army during the June Uprising of 1941 before the Nazis occupied the country. Following the end of WWII and return of the Soviet Union, Lithuanian resistance persisted until the fall of the USSR.
Lithuania is a small country with a population of 2.88 million. As a result, the nation’s standing military consists of 23,000 personnel. In contrast, the Russian military is made up of an estimated 1.5 million active personnel as of September 2024. Lithuania’s NATO membership and the establishing of the permanent Panzer Brigade help to secure the country against Russian invasion, but Lithuanians are not content to leave their defense to others. As an example of Lithuanian independence, this a European country where most people own cars and highly value private property.
To fill the ranks of its military, Lithuania utilizes male conscription. This practice was ended in 2008, but resumed in 2015 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea. While not all Lithuanian men will inevitably serve in the military, men and women are able to and do volunteer for military service. The active force is bolstered by a reserve component of about 104,000 personnel under the Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces. In addition to these conventional government forces, the Lithuanian Rifleman’s Union stands ready to take up arms against foreign invasion. A paramilitary force supported by but not a part of the Lithuanian military, the LRU was founded in 1919 and took part in the June Uprising. While the LRU struggled to attract new members in the 2000s, the Russo-Ukrainian War has renewed interest in the union.
Organized to support the military during a time of war, LRU members receive training on first aid, combat medicine, weapons handling, riot control, and combat tactics. Lithuanians age 11-18 can join the LRU as Young Riflemen and receive classes on Lithuanian history, leadership, and military training. LRU members come from all across Lithuanian society from businessmen to housewives and swear a rifleman’s oath to the State and Constitution of Lithuania. Additionally, like the Lithuanian military, LRU members are eligible for a special firearms permit that allows the purchase and possession of restricted weapons and accessories like standard-capacity magazines, compact firearms, machine guns.
Visiting a gun store in the Old Town of Vilnius, just 10 minutes from Cathedral Square, an employee explained the mentality of the average Lithuanian gun owner. “It’s because of Russia,” the employee said frankly. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, foreign fighters stopped at the gun store to gear up before making their way to join Ukraine’s defense. “Some people even asked to rent body armor,” the employee noted. In addition to fighters en route to Ukraine, the shop is frequented by NATO soldiers stationed in Lithuania. “I was not surprised when you came in asking to speak English,” the employee told me. He highlighted Lithuania’s move away for the Russian language and focus on English, which is contrast to the other Baltic states of Estonia and Latvia. Contextually translated from Lithuanian to English, the store’s motto is, “Uninvited guests are not welcome. If you do, prepare for death.”