Acta Historica Universitatis Klaipedensis

Works of art that visualise historical events are very specific. The artists who create them are constantly faced with the dilemma of how far they can move from a realistic image in the work, and how to interpret a historical event so that it will be recognisable to the viewer, but at the same time maintain the innovativeness of the form and the pulse of the times. Artists were pushed into this dilemma by the era of Modernism and its principled desire to deny the importance of the storyline and the illustrative image. They had the choice of staying within the framework of conservative realism, or finding a way out. Therefore, this article seeks to reveal the solutions discovered by Modernist artists visualising events in Lithuanian history. The wide period (the 1930s and the 1990s) chosen for the study obliges us to single out the most outstanding examples, which do not adhere to a realistic view and the illustrative presentation of the event.

In the article the paradigm of traditional public administration is analysed by trying to accomplish the critique of the model in the cultural dimension direction and by identifying the crucial elements of post-modernism which, according to the authors, had made an impact for the formation of such a model. There are also revealed the parameters of post-modernism in metanarrative theories of rationality, as the grounded technological and instrumental relation towards traditional paradigm principles by stressing the hierarchical governance, bureaucratic relations, control mechanisms, rational organisational structure and functional division with professionalism. By identifying the main traits of traditional paradigm, the aspects and tendencies of post-modernist organisations are revealed and the controversial answer to the question about the relevance of traditional public administration model is presented.

Considerable changes to the Lithuanian education system are associated with higher academic achievements, the development of students’ critical thinking and research skills, and sustainable practices of integrated teaching and learning in science and mathematics. It is also acknowledged that STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics) educational approaches address the objectives of integrated learning and teaching effectively. The same objectives are reflected in all the IB programmes. In the scientific discourse on the use of STEAM in science, there is a lack of research and examples of pedagogical practices with insights into different educational programmes and teachers’ experiences. The qualitative research (semi-structured interview) focuses on the points of view of teachers who implement the international baccalaureate primary years programme (IBPYP), and have a high level of project-based learning experience, of the possibilities of STEAM project implementation (6). The research findings reveal that teachers acknowledge the benefits of STEAM projects in terms of developing students’ research, critical thinking and independent learning skills, while implementing integrated teaching and learning strategies. The informants also recognise the importance of STEAM education in planning and organising integrated mathematics and science lessons.

The paper discusses the territorial-geopolitical aspect of the Lithuanian policy during the First World War, which is still not sufficiently studied or properly understood. It concerns the strategic line proposed by members of Lithuania’s conservative elite. The visible side of the line was a game of orientations: first pro-Russian, then pro-German. However, these orientations were based on an ethnographic principle, which created preconditions for the practical development of the Lithuanian nation. On the other hand, the ethnographic principle was related to the idea of national self-determination, raised by the democratic thought, which paved the way for Lithuanian national statehood. Therefore, the strategic line offered by some of the Lithuanian elite went beyond party ideology and became national.

The article concentrates on the role and importance of the intellectual culture of contemplative female orders in the societies of the onetime Vilnius. The article depicts the use of normative liturgical texts and the preaching creativity in the religious activity of the order. What was emphasized were the books functioning in the characterised environment as well as the individual and collective religious reading matter and the organisation and contents of the monasterial libraries.