On February 16, the State Flag in Šiauliai – in the Hands of Experience and Responsibility

On February 16, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., the traditional commemoration of Lithuanian State Restoration Day will take place at Resurrection Square in Šiauliai. The event will feature the theatrical musical program “The Signatories and the Foundations of Values” and the solemn raising of the Lithuanian State Flag. This year, the honorable duty of raising the flag has been entrusted to two distinguished individuals – Honorary Citizen of Šiauliai and longtime pharmacist Almyra Girdenienė, and Lieutenant Colonel Lina Jieznienė, Commander of the 6th Unit of the Resurrection District of the National Defence Volunteer Forces. Together, they symbolically unite experience and contemporary determination, quiet daily service to the city and active service to the state.
The organizer of the jubilee year is the Šiauliai City Municipality, and the event organizer is the Šiauliai Cultural Center.

The highlight of the February 16 commemoration at Resurrection Square will be the solemn flag-raising ceremony. This noble responsibility has been entrusted to two individuals whose life paths reflect duty, responsibility, and loyalty to Lithuania in different yet equally meaningful ways.

“The strength of Šiauliai has always been its people. People who work quietly, take responsibility, and serve not for recognition, but out of conviction. Therefore, the flag bearers of February 16 symbolize the city’s value foundation – honor, trust, and responsibility for Lithuania,” says Šiauliai Mayor Artūras Visockas.

Almyra Girdenienė is a longtime pharmacist and Honorary Citizen of Šiauliai, whose professional and personal journey has become an integral part of the city’s daily life. Her story reflects consistent care for the community, professional integrity, and human dignity. In Šiauliai, her name is associated with trust, compassion, and the continuity of values expressed not through loud declarations, but through personal example. Her participation in the February 16 flag-raising ceremony thus becomes a meaningful symbol – of experience, loyalty to the city, and daily service to Lithuania.

Standing beside her will be Lieutenant Colonel Lina Jieznienė, representing today’s Lithuania – courageous, responsible, and conscious. She is the first woman in Lithuania to serve as a unit commander in the National Defence Volunteer Forces, leading the 6th Unit of the Resurrection District. This achievement marks not only a personal professional milestone, but also a significant moment in the history of Lithuania’s voluntary military service, demonstrating that leadership and responsibility arise from values and competence, not from gender.

“February 16 reminds me that freedom is not something given automatically. Freedom is the opportunity to be independent, to act boldly and ambitiously, but also the obligation to do so responsibly. The flag holds a special place not only on every soldier’s uniform, but also in their heart. May the flag raised at Resurrection Square on February 16 flutter in the heart of every citizen in honor of the brothers and sisters who have defended and continue to defend the freedom of the state,” says Lt. Col. L. Jieznienė.

The ceremony at Resurrection Square will feature the Šiauliai Wind Orchestra, soloists Živilė Gedvilaitė-Sitnikienė and Gintautas Gascevičius, and actors Tomas Montvila, Aidas Matutis, Remigijus Pelenis, and Dalius Jančiauskas. Music, word, and theatre will merge into a living narrative about the origins of the Lithuanian state, historical memory, and contemporary value choices.

The full program of events is available on the Šiauliai City Municipality website (www.siauliai.lt) and the Šiauliai Cultural Center website (www.siauliukc.lt).

For more information, please contact Deimantė Bačiulė, Director of the Šiauliai Cultural Center, mobile +370 671 42 889, e-mail deimante.baciule@siauliukc.lt.

Photos by Liubov Yarmoshenko, Edita Aleksandravičienė, Gintarė Daknytė, and from the personal archive of Lina Jieznienė.