Grybinas was appointed Chief of the Žalgiris Brigade Staff of the Tauras Military District. He was awarded the rank of Commander of the Tauras Military District in the same year. He perished on 28 September 1949 in Šunkariai forest, Šakiai County. Vytautas Gužas-Kardas (“Sword”) was Lithuanian Collector born on 2 January 1920 in Sičiūnai Village, Rokiškis County. During the years of the Nazi Coins occupation, Gužas worked as an accountant at Pienocentras, a company based in Taujėnai. From 1945, he was engaged in partisan Mikniai-Petrėčiai Memorial commemorating the activities. In 1947-1948, Gužas was Chief of the eight Lithuanian partisan district commanders. Commemoration of the 67th Anniversary of the Operative Section of the United Kęstutis District Declaration of the Council of the LLKS in Minaičiai Headquarters. In 1948, he served as Chief of Movement for the West Lithuanian Regional Headquarters. In 1949, Bartkus was appointed Secretary Gužas perished on 11 June 1949 in Smaidriai of the Presidium Council of the LLKS. He Village, Jurbarkas County. the Struggle for perished on 13 August 1949 in Užpelkiai Bronius Liesis-Naktis (“Night”) was born forest, Radviliškis County. on 16 April 1922 in Ramygala. In 1941, his Leonardas Grigonis-Užpalis was born parents and sisters were deported to Siberia. Freedom of Lithuania on 14 December 1905 in Pužonys Village, Liesis studied journalism at Vytautas Magnus Rokiškis Volost. Grigonis graduated from University. He was a member of the LLA. In pedagogy in Marijampolė and worked 1944, following an instruction from the LLA, as a teacher at Sėlynė Primary School in Liesis enrolled in the German Intelligence Rokiškis County. He was a member of the School. In 1945, he returned to Lithuania and Lithuanian Rifl emen’s Union. In 1941, he became a partisan. From 1948, Liesis acted as avoided deportation, but his mother was Chief of Staff of the Prisikėlimas (“Resurrection”) deported to Siberia. From 1945, Grigonis was Military District. In 1949, he was Chief of the a partisan in the Šiauliai District. From 1947, National Unit of the Public Section of the LLKS. he served as Chief of the Atžalynas Brigade Liesis wrote poems which were published Information at Lithuanian Collector Coins Staff of the United Kęstutis Military District. under the pseudonym Ėglis. He perished on the Bank of Lithuania: © Lietuvos bankas, 2019 Denomination: €50 On the edge of the coin: In 1948, he was appointed Commander 13 August 1949 in Užpelkiai forest, Radviliškis Minaičiai 1949 metų vasa rio 16-oji (16 02 1949) +370 5 268 0316 of the Prisikėlimas (“Resurrection”) Military County. [email protected] Coins photographed by Arūnas Baltėnas District. In 1949, Grigonis was appointed Third In 1949-1950, pursuant to the acts of the Gold Au 999 Quality: proof www.lb.lt Designed by Liudas Parulskis Deputy of the Presidium Council of the LLKS. Chairman of the Presidium Council of the LLKS Purchase at: www.coins.lb.lt Photo credits: the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights He perished on 22 July 1950 in Daugėliškiai Jonas Žemaitis-Vytautas, all the signatories (the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania), forest, Ariogala District. were awarded the Freedom Struggle Cross Diameter: 22.30 mm Weight: 7.78 g the Offi ce of the Chief Archivist of Lithuania (digital copy of the Aleksandras Grybinas-Faustas (“Faust”) and a partisan rank. In 1998-1999, they were Declaration of the Council of the LLKS of 16 February 1949), was born on 20 September 1920 in Lukšiai awarded the Order of the Cross of Vytis Andrius Ufartas (BFL) Mintage: 3,000 pcs Coin designed by Eglė Ratkutė Village, Šakiai County. In 1941, Grybinas and a military rank. In 1999, the Seimas of graduated from Marijampolė Teachers’ the Republic of Lithuania recognised the Printed by INDIGO print Seminary and later worked as a teacher. In Declaration of the LLKS as a legal act. Issued in 2019 Coins minted at www.indigoprint.lt 1945, he served in the German Army. He the Lithuanian Mint Published by the Bank of Lithuania became a partisan in the same year. In 1948, Dr. Darius Juodis www.lithuanian-mint.lt Gedimino pr. 6, LT-01103 Vilnius In 1944-1945, the partisans suff ered the District, the Presidium of the General Democratic most tremendous loss of human lives. In Resistance Movement (Lithuanian: Bendrasis 1945-1946, Soviet security structures managed Demokratinio Pasipriešinimo Sąjūdis, commonly to liquidate the underground organisations referred to by its Lithuanian acronym BDPS) was that were planning or attempting to unify established. The Presidium was supposed to the anti-Soviet resistance movements. This, serve as the central command of the resistance, however, did not put a stop to the unifi cation yet throughout the year the organisation’s most process, but merely made it more complex and active members were either killed or captured. lengthy. In 1944-1948, three partisan regions, The unifi cation process took place simultaneously uniting nine districts, were formed, namely: the with the development of the political thought of South Lithuanian Region (including the Dainava partisanship. The 1946 declaration of the partisans Jonas Žemaitis-Vytautas Adolfas Ramanauskas- Juozas Šibaila-Merainis Petras Bartkus-Žadgaila Leonardas Grigonis- Aleksandras Grybinas- Vytautas Gužas-Kardas Bronius Liesis-Naktis (1909-1954) Vanagas (1918-1957) Užpalis (1905-1950) Faustas (1920-1949) (1920-1949) (1922-1949) and Tauras Districts), the East Lithuanian of South Lithuania proclaimed that the structure (1905-1953) (1925-1949) Region (including the Algimantas, Didžioji Kova of the future State of Lithuania was that of a free (“Great Struggle”), Vytis, and Vytautas Districts), democratic state. This idea was further enshrined in result of their proactive work, a gathering of the its participants strived to maintain contact and in 1954 and executed by shooting at Butyrka evaded deportation, but his wife and children Gathering of the Kazimieraitis Brigade, Dainava and the West Lithuanian Region (including ensuing declarations. On 28 May 1947, Declaration representatives of the partisans was convened coordinate their activities, yet harsh conditions of Prison in Moscow on 26 November of the same were deported to Siberia. He was a participant The Movement for District. District Commander Adolfas Ramanauskas- Vanagas granting an award (Ribbon of Courage) the Kęstutis, Prisikėlimas (“Resurrection”), No 2 of the BDPS was drafted. Its content was later in February 1949. Adolfas Ramanauskas- the underground, which were aggravating with each year. of the 1941 June Uprising. In 1944, Šibaila joined the Struggle for to Sofi ja Budėnaitė-Ramunė, while District Adjutant and Žemaičiai (“Samogitians”) Districts). For a conveyed in the Declaration of the LLKS. Vanagas, Commander of the Dainava passing year (continuing loss of lives of members Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas (“Hawk”) the Lithuanian Territorial Defence Force. He Lionginas Baliukevičius-Dzūkas reads out the order. April 1948 while, the attempts to set up a joint command In 1948, the task of unifying the partisan District, and Aleksandras Grybinas-Faustas, of the resistance and relentless arrests), and the was born on 6 March 1918 in New Britain, USA. was a member of the LLA. In 1944, Šibaila Freedom of Lithuania were of little avail. In 1946, the Soviet security movements was undertaken by Jonas Žemaitis- Commander of the Tauras District, together withering resistance movement made it impossible In 1921, he returned to homeland together with became a partisan. From 1946, he acted as The Movement for the Struggle for Freedom referred to by its Lithuanian acronym LLA) is structures managed to infi ltrate their agents Vytautas, Commander of the West Lithuanian with other two partisans, made it to the to implement all of their plans. In 1953, the organised his parents. In 1939, Ramanauskas graduated Chief of the Brigade B Staff of the Didžioji Kova of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Laisvės Kovos known to have been among the most sizeable into partisan groups, unleashing destructive Region. Together with his comrades, he contacted gathering by tackling the longest and riskiest partisan resistance was crushed. Only some random from Panevėžys Pedagogical Institute. In (“Great Struggle”) Military District and editor Sąjūdis, commonly referred to by its Lithuanian organisations of such kind. It was established activities that were ended only in 1947. That year, the commanders of other regions in a joint eff ort path. There is speculation concerning the place individual fi ghters were involved in partisan activities 1936-1940, he studied at the Lithuanian Military of the brigade’s publication Tėvynė Šaukia acronym LLKS) was a military-public organisation in 1941 and aimed to be the central command on the initiative of the fi ghters from the Tauras to formulate normative partisan documents. As a and exact time of the fi rst gathering of the in subsequent years. School. In 1940-1942, he worked as a primary (“Motherland Calls”). From February 1949, he that unifi ed Lithuanian partisans. The organisation of the resistance. The LLA made a strong partisan representatives, yet it is known that school teacher. He was a participant of the acted as Chief of the Public Section of the LLKS was established in February 1949, during a contribution to the developments in the they convened in the middle of February 1949 SIGNATORIES OF THE DECLARATION 1941 June Uprising. In 1942-1945, Ramanauskas and editor of the publication Prie Rymančio meeting of partisan representatives. The LLKS partisan movement in Aukštaitija and Žemaitija, in a hideout under the barn of the farmstead OF THE COUNCIL OF THE LLKS taught at Alytus Teachers’ Seminary. From 1945, Rūpintojėlio (“By the Pensive Christ”). In the brought together all partisan units that were while in Suvalkija and Dzūkija it had a more belonging to Stanislovas and Antanina Mikniai Jonas Žemaitis-Vytautas was born on 15 March Ramanauskas was engaged in the partisan same year, he was appointed Second Deputy active in the country at the time. The founding of a subdued impact. The documents of the LLA and based in Minaičiai Village, Radviliškis 1909 in Palanga. In 1929, Žemaitis graduated from struggle, holding a leadership position. In 1947, Chairman of the Presidium Council of the LLKS. united movement resulted from an underground provided considerable knowledge to post-war County. This was where the partisans adopted Kaunas Military School. In 1937, he was promoted Ramanauskas was elected Commander of He perished on 11 February 1953 in Dovydai organisational mission of nearly fi ve years. members of the resistance, who took it into the most fundamental decisions. The to the rank of captain. In 1944, he became the the Dainava Military District. In 1948, he was forest, Ramygala County. The armed anti-Soviet resistance in Lithuania practical action. The Kęstutis underground gatherings addressed various issues related to commander of the 310th Battalion of the Lithuanian appointed Commander of the South Lithuanian Petras Bartkus-Žadgaila was born on started in the summer of 1944 and soon spread organisation, which was established in 1943, the partisan struggle, e.g. the statute, ideology Territorial Defence Force. After the Nazis dissolved (Nemunas) Partisan Region, in 1949 – 30 May 1925 in Pakapurnis Village, Raseiniai nearly across the entire territory of Lithuania, was pursuing similar goals. The armed struggle of the organisation, and tactics. On 16 February the Battalion, he went into hiding for a period of Commander of the Defence Forces of the LLKS County. He studied at Kaunas Technical except for the Vilnija region and part of was a spontaneous response to the policies 1949, eight representatives of the partisans time. In 1945, he became a member of the LLA and First Deputy Chairman of the Presidium Vocational College. In 1943, Bartkus became the Klaipėda region. The beginning of the implemented by the Soviet authorities, such signed the Declaration of the Council of the where he assumed a leadership position. In 1947, Council of the LLKS. In 1956, Ramanauskas a member of the LLA. From 1944, he was anti-Soviet resistance was both organisational as forced mobilisation and repressions, which LLKS, which stated that the Council of the Žemaitis was elected Commander of the United was taken prisoner. He was sentenced in involved in partisan activities. From 1946, and spontaneous in nature. Underground led to signifi cant increases in the number of LLKS “shall be the supreme political body Kęstutis Military District. In 1948, he was appointed 1957 and executed by shooting in Vilnius on he served as Chief of the Organisational organisations had already been forming during partisans in Lithuania in 1944-1945. All partisan of the Nation, in charge of the political and Commander of the West Lithuanian (Sea) Partisan 29 November of the same year. Section of the United Kęstutis Military District the Nazi occupation years, making preparations organisations had a common goal of restoring an military fi ght for the liberation of the Nation.” Region. In February 1949, he was elected Chairman Juozas Šibaila-Merainis was born on Headquarters. From 1948, he, together with for the armed struggle (they were engaged in independent Republic of Lithuania with the aid The document laid down the guidelines of the Presidium Council of the LLKS and granted 18 March 1905 in Vadėnai Village, Alytus other partisans, was involved in the formation the organisation of structural units, development of the Western Allies. More insightful participants for the future of Lithuania as a democratic the rank of partisan general. In December 1951, due County. After graduating from Alytus Teachers’ of the Prisikėlimas (“Resurrection”) Military of communication systems, and accumulation of the resistance understood the signifi cance of republic and socially-oriented state. The to his failing health, he was no longer able to carry Seminary, Šibaila worked as a teacher in Alytus District and served as its commander. He wrote of weaponry). The Lithuanian Freedom Army a unifi ed fi ght and therefore aimed to centralise gathering established the supreme governing on with his duties for a certain period of time. In 1953, and Ukmergė counties. Šibaila was a member poems which were published in the partisan (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Laisvės Armija, commonly the resistance. body of the LLKS. Following the gathering, Žemaitis was taken prisoner. He was sentenced of the Lithuanian Rifl emen’s Union. In 1941, he periodicals under the pseudonym Alkupėnas.