Midsummer Night Festival

“A plait of traditions by Vydūnas”

Beautiful Pagėgiai region. It is crossed by rivers, creeks, lakes and mounds. A rich and courageous tribe of Scalovians used to live here and worship its gods on the high Rambynas hill. Formed by the last ice age, covered with forests, having endured the crumbling twice, surrounded by legends, Rambynas hill remained a centre of attraction until now. There was a holy fire stoked, pagan rites performed in ancient times and later on various festival celebrated here.

St. John’s Eve festival revived by Martynas Jankus is still celebrated on Rambynas hill.

The old Rambynas has seen many famous people. If it could talk, it would tell about the rise of St. John’s Eve’s festival on Rambynas hill during the period of regained Independence of Lithuania, when about 10 thousand people used to gather here. It would also tell about St. John’s Eve in 1929, when Elzė Jankutė placed under oath Sigimur, a Japanese Vice-president of the League of Nations at that period, to the ancient Lithuanian god Perkūnas, asking him to support the affairs of Lithuania, at the altar of Rambynas hill. The hill would also tell about St. John’s Eve celebrated differently during the Soviet period.

The staff of Pagėgiai Municipal Cultural Centre invites you to celebrate the shortest summer night on 23 June and to meet the sun on Rambynas hill. Choirs and folk ensembles from all around Lithuania come to the festival to revive the deep traditions of St. John’s Eve.

For more info, contact:
Pagėgiai Municipal Cultural Centre
Tel. +370 (441) 57-240
pagegiukultura@gmail.com