True Lithuania heritage search and more
True Lithuania is a website aiming to be an informative and well-illustrated English source on Lithuania created by a Lithuanian native Augustinas Žemaitis, a lawyer and avid traveler (recipient of Lithuanian tourism department prize "For persistence in travel and life"), as well as a Lithuanian heritage researcher.
Contact us at tour.baltic@gmail.com.
Services we can provide
True Lithuania provides or helps organize the following services:
*Legal services in Lithuania (the website owner is a member of the Lithuanian Bar Association).
*Archive search inside Lithuania for the birth, marriage, death and other records of your ancestors or relatives.
*Restoration of Lithuanian citizenship based on ancestry.
*Sale of images of Lithuania (all the ones available on this website may be provided in a good resolution, and our database is more extensive than that).
Free online guides we offer
*Guides to Lithuanian cities, towns, resorts, castles, religious sites, museums, valuable for tourists.
*Guides to practical life in Lithuania (transportation, shopping, restaurants, climate, dangers) valuable for both visitors and expatriates.
*The most extensive online English guides to Lithuania's ethnic and religious groups.
*The most extensive online Eglish guides on Lithuanian holidays, architecture, sports, music and famous personalities.
*A Lithuanian history guide that aims to be brief enough to be read at a single time yet complete enough to help you fully understand history and its results.
*Introductions to the Lithuanian politics, law, state symbols, language, theater, cinema, art, and literature.
Advertising in True Lithuania
True Lithuania offers wide advertising possibilities. Our visitors are mainly tourists, expatriates, researchers and people who are descended from Lithuania. Most are from English-speaking countries but a significant minority is from other European countries.
June 30th, 2013 - 15:07
Augustinas
You may be the person who can help me. My ancestors lived in Kalviai (Kowalki)(Varena) It still exists. I cannot find any pictures of this community. Might you have a reference? I know who lived in the manor house in 1909 from the church census. I was wondering the simplest way of understanding who held these blocks of land going back to the middle ages. I know that my family (Stanielun) was represented in this village in 1795.
aciu labai
Jim Staneluis
June 30th, 2013 - 16:08
James, Kalviai is a small village (population 68) so there are few pics available. However by clicking here you may see a farmstead recently sold in Kalviai, with interior and exterior images. It looks like a traditional home of the area (forested Dzūkija); many homes look like this in the region. The simplest way to search for historical information is through the state archives.
May 12th, 2020 - 04:06
Repost: Sorry May have sent as a reply to another’s post
Hello
I was wondering if you could help me find my grandfathers address?
I am trying see if maybe I can find a picture of his home or neighborhood if it still exists.
His name is Vitas Gedgaudas He was born in 1931, in Rietavas, Lithuania, his father was Mykolas and his mother was Albertina (Jankauskas) Gedgaudas. They would all have lived together (with his two other brothers)
They left Lithuania in 1949/1950
Any help /information would be great !
Thank you
Kerri
I would appreciate any help
May 12th, 2020 - 06:24
HI, this may be possible with the archive search services we offer. This is not always possible, however, as not in all cases would the exact house be recorded in the archives.
February 19th, 2021 - 16:59
Hello,
I am looking for any documents or information on the following family members:
1. Michalina Jankowski (Bieksa/Bieksza) – my Grandmother born in Gierwinie/Gerviniai, Lithuania August 03, 1908.
2. Martynas Bieksa/Bieksza- born in Veiveriai, Lithuania May 13, 1918.
3. Mortiejus Bieksa/Bieksza born in 1876 4. Laurynas Bieksa/Bieksza born between 1811-1871 5. Piotr Bieksa/Bieksza born Gierwinie/Gerviniai, Lithuania June 29, 1905.
Thank you,
Steve Clarke
February 21st, 2021 - 15:57
We will send you an offer for heritage search in the archives by e-mail
June 2nd, 2022 - 00:25
Hi there! My name is Steve Krevisky. I know that my paternal great grandmother, Rose Krevisky, came to the US from Vilna in 1892. However, I would like to know if there were any relatives still there, who might have died in the Holocaust. Thanks for your help! Regards, Steve PS. It’s possible that our last name might have been spelled differently.
October 29th, 2021 - 18:30
Hello,
I’m Kenny and I’m trying to find any information on my Great, Great Grand father who’s name is Andrew Varenas born on May 8,1899 in Suvalkai, Vilkaviskis Lithuania. My Great Great Grand father was married to Donna McCunnis and they had a son Stanley Varenas who was married to Susannah Haswell Day. I’ve been doing the whole 23 and me, ancestry.com websites to learn more about my dads side of our family who come from Lithuanian. Those lineage websites can go back as far as my Great Grand father Andrew Varenas, I’m trying to find out who his father and mother were.
If anyone can help me with this information or where to start I sure would appreciate it.
Thank you,
Kenny
April 20th, 2022 - 02:48
please give me a call I may be able to assist you
Phone #1-310-782 7440 Kenneth Wayne Varenas
January 8th, 2023 - 19:48
James
There were two towns named Kalviai. Which one did your ancestors come from? I visited both back in 2019. The one is still very very rural and without modern conveniences and the other is up to date with modern times. My Grandfather emigrated from Kalviai back in 1906 coming through the port in Hamburg and eventually landing in Ohio. My records on him are pretty sparse.
You should visit one day because its a beautiful place.
June 30th, 2014 - 15:10
Labas,
I am hoping you are well and staying warm.
I am hoping you could help me again with the spelling of family names. I want to have the Lithuanian Archivers do some reseach for me but uncertain of spelling. I have seen my great-grandmothers name spelled Szarniukic, Scarniukic, Scheran, Sarna, Serna, it was pronounced Sirna. I know she came from Pacmevezys in 1900.
Her mothers last name was Yrameniuke and Petracrikic.
Any help would be appreciated.
aciu
June 30th, 2014 - 16:13
Hi, thank you. Modern surnames that sound similar are Šernas and Šerna (may have been written Szerna, Szernas in Polonized orthography). “Šerniukas” is a diminutive of “Šernas” (meaning wild boar in Lithuanian); I am not sure if there is a surname “Šerniukas” but it is possible to call someone with a surname “Šernas” to be “Šerniukas” especially in early age / childhood. The city you mention is likely Panevėžys (click here for info). Yrameniuke and Petracrikic does not rings much bell to me currently, parts of the surnames sound Lithuanian (e.g. “iuke” is a female diminutive, “Petras” is a Lithuanian version of “Peter”) but other parts seem to be greatly transformed, or maybe these already were rare surnames before transformation. One possibility for “Pertacrikic” may be “Petrauskas” (male surname) and for “Yrameniuke” – “Ermanytė”, but I am not sure.
June 30th, 2014 - 15:10
Both my parents were Lithuania & I am very curious about my grand parents. I am named after my grand mother on my mother’s side, she passed away before I was born, I have no idea where she & my
grandfather came from & have no history of their background. My
Grandfather’s name was Bernakis & I have no idea what my Grandmother’s maiden name was. Where do I start to find out about these two people I wish I had the opportunity to know?
June 30th, 2014 - 16:13
Hello, State Archives may be the best place to search information, as well as many other archives, however, usually you need to know more than just name. By the way are you sure the surname was “Bernakis” rather than “Berankis”? One place to search for information when you have less may be specialized internet forums and groups, such as LithuanianGenealogy Yahoo group. However, the more information you will know initially the more likely you are to succeed (especially names, places, dates) – therefore you should seek for whatever more information you could find on your side, e.g. go through your grandparents documents and other things or talk to all people still alive that knew them (if there are any).
August 31st, 2020 - 22:20
This website on face book is very helpful
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lithuanian.genealogy?post_id=10158523406344931&comment_id=10158524773899931¬if_id=1598842430107714¬if_t=group_comment&ref=notif
October 12th, 2015 - 16:13
Hello
I have started working on my husbands family tree. His grandparents were from Lithuania. We do not have much information on his grandparents. His grandmother was born in Turiskiai, Krosna Township . We have not been able to locate this area. Although maybe the name has changed. We are also looking for the name of the Catholic church in Krosna. We believed she was baptized there. If you are able to give us some direction it would be greatly appreciated .
October 12th, 2015 - 16:30
Hello. The village is Tūriškiai (56 inhabittants), the town is Krosna (401 inhabittants). Krosna church is dedicated to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist (Lithuanian: Šv. apaštalo evangelisto Mato bažnyčia). We may provide heritage search services in archives, if needed.
November 18th, 2015 - 19:39
Thank you for informing me of the population in those area . We were able to find my husbands grandmother’s baptism record from the church . Recently we found out that she had been married before and was a widow before marrying in Canada. You stated you offer heritage searches in archives and was wondering the fee. We were wondering if she married her first husband in Lithuania at the same church. Also is there a place in Lithuania called Keloaria (spelling most likely is not correct)
Thank you
November 19th, 2015 - 20:23
We have sent you now our offer by e-mail.
There is no place “Keloaria”, but there may be places with somewhat different spelling. However, in this case it would be better if you’d provide anything you know where approximately that place would be located or about its relative size and what is the source of “Keloaria” name, what is the date of that record, etc. As there may be multiple placenames similar more or less to Keloaria so this would help to select the more probable ones.
September 20th, 2016 - 08:51
Kalvarija
May 25th, 2021 - 14:49
Hello Kim,
I have Cepla Antoni and others in my family tree!
December 8th, 2015 - 17:52
Hello,
Am interested ind researching my Grandmothers mother(Kazakevicius)
And Father (Valantanavicius) he was conscripted by Prussian army at 16 years of age then by Russian at 20 d. From Mielashkowpy, Suwalki.
December 10th, 2015 - 07:29
Hello, did you write the placename correctly? On what document does it appear this way? Maybe it appears another way in other documents?
October 4th, 2016 - 00:50
Hello,
The town name was on his American naturalization paper.
The only document I have from Lithuania is his discharge papers to the Russian military reserves. The top right corner of the page is missing, and that contains most of the vital information.
There is a book and entry number. Would Lithuanian archives have the Russian military records for 1902?
December 25th, 2015 - 08:04
Hello,
I am writing you from Lithuania. Just few day ago I found one old broken picture of the women with the words on the the side “como Lembre sempre” ?… And afterwards my mother informed that her grandfather’s brothers or sisters migrated to Argentina via First World War. Their surnames were Silanskas, Šilanskas, Silanskiene, Šilanskienė, Silanskaite, Šilanskaitė. They are born in Dzūkija region, Alytus or Varena district, near Daugai in Andriunai or Doskonys.
My grandgrandfather’s name was Andrejus (Andrius) Šilanskas.
I would be very appreciated to get any hints of my relatives.
December 30th, 2015 - 23:36
Thanks for contacting. If you want to search your relatives who may be still living in Argentina, and you know all the names, it is the best to contact Argentinian and Lithuanian-Argentinian organizations.
However, if you want to learn about the lifes of your forefathers and their relatives while they were still in Lithuania (e.g. when they married or were born, or what were the names of their children and siblings) then we may help you search the archives. The two may be combined: you should first learn the names of the people through the Lithuanian archives (we may help with that) and then, knowing the names and dates, you may contact Lithuanian Argentine institutions to find out if these people were somebody’s relatives.
October 20th, 2016 - 12:47
Sveiki Augustai,
galbut Jus galite pasakyti i kokias tiksliai organizacijas turetume kreiptis?
Buciau labai dekinga!
November 1st, 2016 - 14:00
Čia yra aprašytos lietuviškos vietos ir organizacijos Argentinoje: http://global.truelithuania.com/lt/argentina-390/
February 1st, 2021 - 02:42
Good evening, I’m looking for my great grandmothers lineage. She was born in vilnas Lithuania on 5/26/1896. Victoria Monica miszkewicz or mackevic are the spellings I’m getting. She arrived in Ellis island New York in 1913 settled in Chester pa. Could you help me with this?
February 3rd, 2021 - 01:38
We may offer you Lithuanian archive search services, depending on how much you already know. We may contact you by e-mail.
October 20th, 2016 - 12:57
Ir dar vienas klausimas – kokia pavarde galeciau ieskoti SILANSKAS pavardes po angliskos transformacijos: Shilanskas, Shilanski, Silanska?
Matau, kad turit be gal daug patirties, tad viliuosi sis klausimas jums bus labai paprastas:)