International Night in the Baltics

On 6th November, for the eleventh time in the Baltic Defence College’s history, ‘International Night in the Baltics’ was celebrated, enabling faculty, students and guests to get together and catch up and enjoy the food and beverages from the many different nations represented at the college.

The event was once again opened by the Commandant of the Baltic Defence College, Major General Vitalijus Vaikšnoras, who, in his opening speech, stressed the importance of the international working environment as well multicultural atmosphere which he considers to be one of the college’s most valuable features. Events like ‘International Night in the Baltics’ lead to a strengthening of the team spirit among its individual members.

The celebration presented an excellent opportunity for invited guests, students and faculty members, along with their families, to get an insight of the culture, traditions and national cousins of the three ‘owner’ nations – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – as well as all the other countries represented at the college. The night was filled of delicious national food, drinks and joyful performances by Latvian folk group, Lithuanian musicians, singers and dancers from United States and Ukraine. This year sixteen national tables were prepared; countries like Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Germany, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway Poland, Serbia, Sweden, United Kingdom, Ukraine and the United States were represented.

One of the college’s traditions of conducting fund-raising for charitable purposes was also continued this year with the initiative and lead of BALTGIRLS, the college’s spouses’ organisation. During the evening, guests, students and faculty made donations to support children with visual impairment.

The event was a continuation of a similar event first organised in November 2005, at the time named the ‘Baltic Night’. In 2006 and 2007 the event was celebrated as ‘International Night’ involving the contribution of other nations represented at the college.