In February-April, the Children’s Literature Department “Žalioji pelėda” (Panevėžys Elena
Mezginaitė Public library) hosted the drawing competition “From A to Z: I’ll draw a
Lithuanian letter” for the students of school educational institutions of Panevėžys city,
which was dedicated to the commemoration of the 120th anniversary of the abolition of the
ban on printing. The competition aimed to encourage children to take an interest in the
historical facts of Lithuania’s past: the banning of the press, the phenomenon of book
smuggling, the suppression of the Lithuanian language and free speech, and to strengthen the
sense of nationhood by identifying with the Lithuanian nation and language, and to encourage
learning the Lithuanian alphabet.
For the competition, pupils had to submit a letter drawn in various techniques with words
from the letter and pictures. Students from ten schools participated in the competition, and
almost 150 entries were submitted. Of the 32 letters of the Lithuanian alphabet, 26
participate. The most popular letter was A (31 entries), followed by K and L (13 entries
each), and I, H, O, Š, Ū, and Z each had one entry. It is a pity that there were no Ą, C, Ę, Į, Y,
Ų.
A competent jury selected the best works: art school teacher Rima Keršienė, artist, head of
the studio “Color Terrace” Sigita Adomavičienė, primary school teacher Greta Joniškienė,
senior librarian Vaida Žalienė and library friend and visitor Jelizaveta Nakrošienė. According
to the jury, their work was difficult, because they wanted to award all the participants, but
the regulations of the competition allowed them to choose only the best 12. The Children’s
Literature Department „Žalioji pelėda“ established several nominations: The most
mysterious, the most springy, the most colorful, the most inventive, the most thoroughly
executed work. Several participants were awarded sympathy prizes.
On 24 April, on the occasion of National Library Week of Lithuania, the library hosted a
prize-giving event for the Drawing Competition. Guests, teachers, pupils, and their
parents were treated to a performance “The Cat and the Rooster”, presented by the pupils of
kindergarten and their preschool teacher Dalia Staniūnienė. Many nice words were
dedicated to all the participants of the competition, the winners were honored and the
teachers were thanked.
Text by librarian Anžela Vasiliauskienė
Photo by library
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