On June 22 – July 12, 2018, a unique Lithuanian television project ‘National Expedition’ will take place in Ukraine. This project has been in existence for the fourth year and includes well-known Lithuanian historians, journalists, representatives of show business. The project is executed on request of the National Television and Radio Company of Lithuania, the captured material will be broadcasted on Lithuanian television (it is planned to create 25 television programs). The expedition team will flood the Dnieper river on the historic ship, called ‘Vytautas Didysis’ (the Vytautas the Great), thus promoting the common history of Lithuania and Ukraine, introducing viewers to Ukrainian culture, natural and historical monuments, the present, strengthening the Lithuanian-Ukrainian ties.
On June 20, 2018, a caravan of the ‘National Expedition’ already departed from Vilnius by road, stopped in Lublin (Poland) and arrived in Lviv on June 22. Then the participants of the project are going to Olesko, Pidhirtsi, Lutsk, Olyka, Ostroh, Zhytomyr.
On June 25 ‘National expedition’ in the town of Strakholisya, located almost 20 kilometers from Pripyat, is launching the ship and then is floating the Dnieper river. During the expedition there are scheduled stops and visits to Kiev, Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky, Kaniv, Cherkasy, Kremenchuk, Kamiyanske, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhya, Vesele village and Kherson. The expedition will complete its route in Odesa and Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky.
We would like to kindly invite all those who wish to take part in the ceremony of the meeting of the "National expedition" participants in Dnipro! On Wednesday, July 4, 2018, at 15.00 the Vytautas the Great moors at the "I love Dnipro" installation that is located at Festival pier in Sichaslav Embankment. Simultaneously with the Lithuanian boats, the sailer of city Mayor Boris Filatov approaches.
Alfredas Bumblauskas, Prof of history of Vilnius University, head of the Center for Academic Affairs of Mykolas Romeris University, historian Dr. Barbara Stankevič, historians Simonas Tyashkyavichyus and Luka Leskauskaitė, musicologist and presenter of television and radio programs Zita Kyelmitskaytye, naturalist and presenter of radio Selyemonas Paltanavichyus, ornithologist Ingrid Meškinytė, journalist and broadcaster Edmunadas Jakilaitis, journalist and TV presenter Edita Mildažytė, television presenter and sports commentator Robertas Pétrauskas, musician Gabrielus Lyadanskas ‘Swaras’, racing driver Benedictus Vanagas, restaurateur Arminas Darasevičius are among the participants of the expedition. The captain of the ship is Simas Knapkis. In general, the expedition team consists of 43 people.
The Vytautas the Great ship was built recreating an ancient Lithuanian ship of the 18th century, fragments of which had been found on the river Nemunas. The length of the ship is 13 m, the width is 2.7 m, its weight is 4 tons.
