The Millennium of Lithuania in Klaipeda

In 2009 Klaipėda and the whole country celebrates the Millennium of Lithuania. In 1009 the name of Lithuania was mentioned in historical annals for the first time. Among major international events dedicated to the Millennium jubilee was the finals of the prestigious "Tall Ships' Races Baltic 2009" in Klaipėda.

Having visited other UBC cities Gdynia, St. Petersburg, and Turku, the wonderful fleet of 99 sailing vessels arrived to the Lithuanian sea port. With 36 largest A and B Class sailing ships from 27 countries, it was the largest ever maritime event in Klaipėda. For four days on 31 July - 3 August, Klaipėda was crowded with international crews, he quays of the Cruise Terminal and the Dane river smartened up with hundreds of masts. The crews of the prestigious Races numbered to almost three thousand sailors, including not only professionals, but half of them 15-25 year olds. Many of the trainees have tasted navigation, romance and racing under sails for the first time in their lives. Six Lithuanian vessels took part at the Races this year. Totally over 100 Lithuanian youngsters sailed on board of English, Dutch, Norwegian, Russian and Lithuanian ships.

A real fiesta of the sea, youth and international friendship was arranged for the sailors, citizens and over a million city guests. Everybody were overwhelmed by a fantastic Sea Festival that could not compare to any former Sea Festival that had been traditionally organized in Klaipėda for more than seventy years. Almost a million and a half visitors admired the Tall Ships fleet at the quays and the wide cultural program of the event.

Leaders of the main organizer of the Races, Sail Training International, were generous in giving the highest standard evaluation to the event in the Lithuanian port city, calling the first-timer Klaipėda "a wonderful discovery".

For five days in July Klaipėda could have truly been called the same as Vilnius this year-the Capital of European Culture 2009: Klaipėda hosted the 46^th festival of European cultural heritage EUROPEADE. 159 groups -3800 musicians, singers and dancers from 22 countries, including the most remote regions of Spain, Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Scotland, and Greenland gathered in Klaipėda. 5 mass evening concerts in Summer Concert Hall, dozens of smaller concerts in all squares of the Old Town all day long, a European Party, night entertainments with local people, the magnificent EUROPEADE parade, colourful in dozens of national costumes, singing and dancing along the main streets of Klaipėda lasted for more than three hours - all that can only be described as the genuine fiesta for your soul. EUROPEADE widely disclosed the power of culture for human heart, sincethe Festival magically turned everybody - the guests and the audiences, into a united European family, based on true respect and admiration to each others'cultural treasury.

The Flag of the festival for EUROPEADE 2010 has been handed over to the town of Bolzano, North Italy.