Famous Lithuanian Men

Jonas Mekas was a Lithuanian-American poet, artist, and filmmaker. Referred to as the godfather of American avant-garde cinema, Mekas is credited with mentoring many important American artists and filmmakers, such as Peter Bogdanovich, Ken Jacobs, and Martin Scorsese among others. Jonas Mekas' work has been displayed in museums. He is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including Lithuanian National Prize.

Stephen Báthory reigned as the King of Poland from 1 May 1576 to 12 December 1586. A member of the Báthory noble family of Hungary, Stephen ruled Transylvania during the 1570s before becoming the third elected king of Poland. Stephen Báthory is counted among the most successful kings in the history of Poland.

Vytautas, also called Vytautas the Great, was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. Vytautas consolidated the possessions of his country and aided in building a national consciousness. Revered as a national hero, Vytautas was considered a significant figure during the 19th century Lithuanian National Revival. The Vytautas Magnus University founded in 1922 during the Polish–Lithuanian War was named after him.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

George Mikell was a Lithuanian-Australian writer and actor. He is best known for playing important roles in popular films like The Guns of Navarone and The Great Escape. Over the course of his career, he also played numerous leading roles in theatre. After retiring as an actor, George Mikell wrote many short stories and two film scripts.

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.

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. 

Donatas Banionis was a Soviet and Lithuanian actor and theatre director. He is best remembered for playing Kris Kelvin in the 1972 film, Solaris. Apart from his film roles, Banionis was also known for his career as a stage actor. Vladimir Putin once said that Donatas Banionis' role in the film Dead Season inspired him to join the KGB.

Lithuanian singer-songwriter Donny Montell developed interest in music as a child. Inspired by his father, a drummer of Plackartas hard-rock group, as also by artists like Michael Jackson, Donny began performing publicly at age six. He became the Grand Prix winner of International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar, and represented Lithuania at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012 and 2016.