Baltic Assembly Prizes for Literature, the Arts and Science Baltic Innovation Prize Baltic Assembly Medals 6 November 2020 Address by the President of the Baltic Assembly Aadu Must This year the Baltic Assembly, as any contribute to the targeted cooperation of other organisation, has been significantly our states and prosperity of our Baltic affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. region that will be extremely important Despite the difficulties and restrictions to in the years to come. These people meet in person, the traditions of our promote the unity and cooperation of organisation continue but in slightly the Baltic states - we greatly appreciate different format this year. their work. We award the Baltic Assembly Prizes to Unity and cooperation of the Baltic states outstanding people, who have are extremely important for us. We are demonstrated excellence in literature, thankful to all people who feel the same the arts, science and innovation. This way and act in order to bring the countries year’s winners of the Baltic Assembly closer together. The awarding of the Baltic Prizes have used their talent and Assembly Prizes and Medals in Estonia, knowledge to encourage thinking, remind Lithuania and Latvia is our way of saying about the historical milestones of that even though times are tough people are those who hold our nations together Photo by Chancellery of Parliament of Republic of Latvia. (Photographer: Ieva Ābele) the Baltic states and make our countries visible in the international arena. Awards and we are grateful for that. We are also have been won in strong competition, as very proud about their achievements. the decision was made by competent On behalf of the Baltic Assembly, international jury. My special thanks go I congratulate all who have been awarded to this year’s jury for their excellent work. the Prizes and Medals of the Baltic Assembly. We also congratulate the people for their significant contribution to strengthening the unity and cooperation of the Baltic states. Medals of the Baltic Assembly will be awarded to people who not only care Aadu Must about our Baltic nations, but also President of the Baltic Assembly Winner of the Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature The Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature stories and poetry have been translated 2020 is awarded to Birutė Jonuškaitė into English, French, Belarusian, German, from Lithuania for her novel cycle Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Georgian, “Maranta” and “Maestro”, which belong Croatian, Slovenian, Slovak, Czech and with the long, branched-out texts that Spanish. weave numerous storylines and created The first part of the dilogy “Maranta”, detailed characters, which possess constructed from real characters and the versatility and depth of the classic historical events, highlights the fates of canon, and which raise the language to three generations of women, whose the appropriate heights also for the hefty stories are told by the young artist Rasa. book of conversations “Laikas ir likimai” The second part “Maestro” is a novel (“Time and Destiny”). about the talented painter Viktor and his Birutė Jonuškaitė is a prose writer, an artistic creation peculiarities. Birutė excellent translator, essayist, publicist, Jonuškaitė cares how from a poor journalist and poet. She was born on 5 childhood it is possible to become October in 1959 in Poland but lives in a famous creator of works of art. The book Lithuania form 1985. She has written of conversations “Time and Destiny”, Photo by Linas Daukša. short stories, novels, poems, essays and however, is about the meetings with interviews. Birutė Jonuskaite’s short Lithuanian and Polish Authors. Winner of the Baltic Assembly Prize for the Arts The Baltic Assembly Prize for the Arts the Baltic states were very known for 2020 is awarded to Kristīne Briede from their documentary films. In particular Latvia and Audrius Stonys from Lithuania they were known for their special style - for meditative documentary essay poetic documentary. Its main practitioners “Bridges of Time” (2018), which was are Herz Frank, Ulvis Brauns, Ivars Selekis, co-produced by Lithuanian, Latvian and Mark Soosaar, Andres Sööt, Robertas Estonian studios and portrays the less- Sverba and others. They push remembered generation of cinema poets the boundaries of what was accepted in of the Baltic New Wave. the Soviet times. As there were obstacles Kristine Briede is a Latvian film maker of that did not allowed them to explore cultural and social issues who has received the horizon they went up to the vertical. numerous recognitions for her projects in Instead they spoke about the timeless the fields of art, cinema and society things that matter always independently integration. Audrius Stonys on the other of what regime is ruling or which year is in hand is a globally acclaimed Lithuanian the calendar. Thus, the Baltic poetic Photo by Linas Daukša. documentary film maker. These authors documentary cinema created an directed together the Latvian, Lithuanian independent world free from ideology, and Estonian awarded documentary film lies and propaganda. It was a declaration “Bridges of Time”. of inner freedom. In their film the authors “Bridges of Time” is a wonderful film that managed to go far beyond the limits of observes the works of the film directors of common historiographic investigation. so-called Baltic New Way which is certain The authors managed to highlight original style in documentary film making the poetic aspect of the film. The result is in 1960s of three Baltic States. In 1960s, truly cinematic poem about cinema poets. Winner of the Baltic Assembly Prize for Science The Baltic Assembly Prize for Science He has around 366 publications and is 2020 is awarded to Roberts Eglītis for still very active in his field. work cycle: “Theoretical predictions of In the beginning of 21st century, Roberts new materials for energy storage and Eglītis with his co-authors was the first harvesting”. in the world who theoretically proved Roberts Eglītis was born in Riga in 1966. possibility to reach 5-volts battery that He finished Latvian State University and means longer performance time of then spent a lot of time working in the devices which are on batteries. All excellent scientific centres all around batteries currently around the world the globe - in Europe, Asia and the US. are 4-volts batteries. The research of When he collected a lot of experience, he Roberts Eglītis is important as scientists came back to Riga and now works in all over the world are searching the way the Solid-State Physics Institute in Riga. to improve the batteries. Research of The Institute is known around the globe Roberts Eglītis is very important for for different solutions and inventions in the human kind as lives will improve Photographer: Herta Taube the field of solid matter. Roberts Eglītis when 5-volts batteries will reach Hirsch index is 33 and it is still growing. the market. Nominees for the Baltic Medal Recipients Innovation Prize 2020 Baltic Innovation Prize is being awarded for outstanding 1. Eveli Bauer for her untiring spirit of cooperation and achievement in innovation and new technologies, as well as for contribution making 3B joint procurements of medicines the strengthening of cooperation of the Baltic states in innovation a success story and technological development. 2. Ginta Gerharde-Upeniece for organizing the pan-Baltic art • KAPPAZETA OÜ (Estonia) – winner project “Wild Souls. Symbolism in the Baltic States” A science-driven radar remote sensing company and its goal 3. Gusty Graas for many years of excellent cooperation, is to make space a valuable asset for everyone. The key area support and sharing experience with the Baltic Assembly the company focuses on is agriculture. With the growing 4. Azer Karimli for promoting cooperation between the Baltic global population there is increasing pressure to produce Assembly and GUAM Parliamentary Assembly more food every year, but land suitable for agriculture is at 5. Tanel Kiik for his dedication and scientific-based approach the same time decreasing. They believe that with timely in solving acute health and social issues and managing to information extracted from satellite data, farmers can make overcome the largest healthcare crisis in recent decades better decisions, earn more profit and ultimately grow (COVID-19) in cooperation with Baltic colleagues better food. 6. Dins Merirands for his long-term proactive contribution • PERUZA SIA (Latvia) to the implementation of the project Rail Baltica and active A process engineering and equipment manufacturing cooperation with the Baltic Assembly on transport company. Their products let the clients produce more quality infrastructure related issues in the Baltic States product at less cost. The company creates and produces 7. Pyry Niemi for persistent promotion of the cooperation production equipment mainly for the food processing between the Baltic and the Nordic countries industry, especially for fish processing. 8. Virginijus Sinkevičius for supporting Baltic cooperation • LEMONA UAB (Lithuania) in an enlarged Europe A global leader in the Baltic region whose main field of 9. Saulius Skvernelis for the outstanding contribution and activity is wholesale and retail trade in various electronic sincere cooperation in implementing joint Baltic projects components, tools, materials, as well as smart home and business solutions. A successful company activity in Lithuania has created favourable conditions for its expansion abroad. Winners of the Baltic