On the Narratives of Lithuanian History

Abstract

The article discusses the situation of contemporary narratives of Lithuanian history. Two paradigms of narratives are discussed. The concept of nation determines the difference between the two of them. According to one paradigm, the nation is seen as an ethnographic-ethnopolitical community, based on which an attempt is made to connect the development of Lithuanian history from ancient times to the present. Meanwhile another narrative claims that the nation is granted political-civilizational content, in which the ethnic origin plays no significant role in the development of history. The article criticizes the “weak points” of both narratives and proposes to look for clear criteria for national identification.