Lietuva in brief - 2011-07-21

In July, Lithuanian respondents, viewed the president most favorably, a survey by the public opinion and market research center Vilmorus shows as published by Lietuvos Rytas. Among those polled, 83.3 percent said they had most confidence in President Dalia Grybauskaite. The president is followed by Seimas Speaker Irena Degutiene with support from 64.8 percent of the respondents. The Seimas speaker is also second among the politicians who are considered to be the best representatives of residents’ interests (8.2 percent). Degutiene is followed by leaders of opposition parties - Social Democrat Leader Algirdas Butkevicius, MEP Viktoras Uspaskikh, chairman of the Labor Party, and MEP Rolandas Paksas, leader of the party Order and Justice. Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius was named by 2 percent of the respondents as the best representative of public interests. The prime minister’s work was favorably viewed by 12.2 percent. The survey was carried out on July 1-10.

The site of the Aron Kodesh, or Holy Ark of The Great Synagogue of Vilnius dating back to the end of the 16th century, has recently been uncovered in the excavations of this historically significant synagogue, reports Lubavitch.com. Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius visited the site on July 15 to view the synagogue’s excavated fragments. “For us it is very important to bring back an authentic part of Lithuanian history, which included the history of the Jewish community,” the prime minister said. Partly destroyed by the Germans during WWII, and fully demolished by the Soviet authorities in 1955-1957, these findings are some of the first after efforts to unearth and restore the Synagogue began earlier this summer, under archeologist Zenonas Baubonis.