Famous Lithuanian Men

Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis was a Lithuanian composer, painter, and writer. Widely regarded as a pioneer of abstract art in Europe, Čiurlionis contributed immensely to art nouveau and symbolism. Today, many of his paintings are preserved at the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum in Lithuania. Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis also had a major influence on modern Lithuanian culture.

The first president of Lithuania, Antanas Smetona was drawn into the revolutionary movements of his country soon after finishing law school. A major political figure of his country during the two World Wars, he came to power for a second time after launching a coup in 1926.

Gediminas was a Lithuanian leader who served as the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1316 until his death in 1341. Counted among the most important political figures in early Lithuanian history, Gediminas is credited with building the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius. He is also credited with founding a dynasty that eventually ruled other European countries like Hungary, Poland, and Bohemia.

Mindaugas reigned as the King of Lithuania from 1253 to 1263. His reign was marked by numerous state-building accomplishments. Although not much is documented about his life and reign, Mindaugas is generally regarded as the founder of the Lithuanian state. He is also remembered as the only crowned Lithuanian king.

Rodion Shchedrin is a Soviet and Russian pianist and composer. One of the most recognized and decorated Soviet-born pianists and composers of his generation, Rodion Shchedrin has won many prestigious awards such as the USSR State Prize, Lenin Prize, and State Prize of the Russian Federation.

Former Lithuanian president Valdas Adamkus had fought against the Soviet army during World War II. After fleeing to Germany, he studied in Munich and then migrated to the U.S., where he earned a civil engineering degree. Among his many accolades are honorary doctorates from countless foreign universities.

Vytautas Landsbergis is a Lithuanian politician and writer. He is best known for his service as the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Lithuania from 1990 to 1992. Apart from writing books on politics, Vytautas Landsbergis has also written several books on music.

Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel was a Russian military officer who served in the Imperial Russian Army. He played an important role during the Russian Civil War, serving as the commanding general of the White Army during the later stages of the war. He lost the war and left Russia, becoming one of the most important exiled White émigrés of South Russia.

Rolandas Paksas is a Lithuanian politician who served as the president of Lithuania from 2003 to 2004. Prior to this, he was the prime minister of Lithuania for two non-consecutive terms. A civil engineer by qualification, he founded a construction company, Restako, prior to joining politics. His political career has been shrouded in controversies. 

Born to an architect father in Lithuania, George Maciunas later fled with his family to avoid the Red Army, moving first to Germany and then to the U.S. He was one of the co-founders of the Fluxus movement of artists and architects and also restored many of SoHo’s dilapidated buildings.

Virgilijus Alekna is a Lithuanian retired discus thrower who won gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. A two-time world champion, Alekna also won the 2006 European Championship. Virgilijus Alekna was named Lithuanian Sportsman of the Year on four occasions. In 2017, he was honored with the prestigious European Athletics Lifetime Achievement Award.