Foto: BB.LV / Люди
Former President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus celebrated his 100th birthday on November 3. At a ceremonial event at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Vilnius, he reflected on his century of life and urged the youth to take responsibility for the future of the country. According to the BNS agency, in his speech, Adamkus spoke about freedom, democracy, the people who influenced his fate, and the love that accompanied him for decades. > "There has been a lot. Successes and doubts, strokes of fate and beautiful victories. I did everything I could. And today I look people in the eye openly," said the former head of state. ### "Who, if not you, will build the homeland of the future?" A special place in Adamkus's speech was his address to the younger generation. The ex-president emphasized that the future of Lithuania depends on the willingness of young people to defend democratic values and participate in the life of the state. > "I especially address the youth, whom I have already asked and repeat again: who, if not you? Who, if not you, will build the homeland of the future, who, if not you, will govern it based on freedom and democracy?" he stated. According to Adamkus, it was freedom that became the main value defining his life path. ### How Two Occupations Influenced His Life Recalling his youth, Adamkus noted that the events of the mid-20th century had the greatest impact on his worldview. He experienced the period of Soviet and Nazi occupations of Lithuania, which made him acutely aware of the value of independence. > "As a young man, I understood what a value freedom is, and this became the foundation of my life. As much as I could, I tried to defend freedom — my own, that of my people, my state," said the former president. At the same time, Adamkus emphasized that the restoration and strengthening of Lithuanian statehood was the result of the efforts of many people. > "In this struggle, I would have achieved nothing without you, without the people of Lithuania," he declared. The ex-president also recalled the people who helped him remain true to his beliefs. Among them, he named Kazys Grinius, Gabrielius Žemkalnis, Vytautas Kavolis, and Stasys Lozoraitis. > "The people I have had and have the opportunity to communicate with have been and remain my strength and my support," noted Adamkus. ### "Love Conquers All": Memories of His Wife One of the most personal moments of the anniversary speech was his words about his late wife Alma Adamkienė, who passed away in 2023. Adamkus called her the greatest gift that fate and life had given him. > "I cannot fail to mention Alma — the person who was the greatest gift of God and fate to me, with whom we traveled a long path, where there was no shortage of difficulties or trials. But it is not for nothing that the ancient Romans said that love conquers all," said the ex-president. Valdas and Alma Adamkus were together for more than seven decades. ### "Thank you for allowing me to be one of you" Concluding his speech, the former head of state thanked the people of Lithuania for their joint work in creating and strengthening an independent state. > "Thank you to everyone who answers this question with their daily work. Thank you to everyone with whom we have walked and are walking the same path — the path of Lithuania. Thank you, dear and beloved residents of Lithuania, for allowing and allowing me to be one of you!" said Adamkus. ### From Emigration to the USA to the Presidential Palace Valdas Adamkus was born on November 3, 1926, in Kaunas. During World War II, he left Lithuania and went west, later settling in the United States. In the U.S., Adamkus built a professional career in environmental protection. After the restoration of Lithuania's independence, he returned to active participation in the public and political life of the country. Subsequently, Adamkus was elected president of Lithuania twice, serving from 1998 to 2003 and from 2004 to 2009. His centennial anniversary was an occasion not only to recall the path he has traveled in life but also to once again address issues of freedom, democracy, and responsibility to future generations.
