It’s hard to say now whether this month’s theme was inspired by the 90th anniversary of Kauno autobusai and Kautra being on the road, or by the anniversary of the Baltic Way that took place on August 23, 1989. Both dates are significant for everyone in Kaunas and Lithuania. The first marks the progress of a young, dynamic state and its temporary capital. The second symbolizes the liberation of our country and region from the occupation that halted this progress.
The word ‘road’ carries enough meanings to fill several magazines. That’s why our heroes this August are multifaceted, rich in experience, and open us up to new ideas. First and foremost, we are delighted to have finally spoken with Rūta Meilutytė, for whom this summer marks the culmination of her fourth Olympic cycle. “It’s been a long time since I’ve photographed a person, but I must have thought a lot about it because it turned out differently than before,” commented photographer Lukas Mykolaitis, who hasn’t been featured in our magazine for a while, as he sent over Rūta’s photoshoot, where the piping hot city is locked in a tight embrace with the lush midsummer nature.
This summer brought two interns to our editorial team. One of them is Eglė Gailušytė, a VMU student who made her debut last month and this time fully immersed herself in the entirely new worlds of rallycross and tattoos. Sounds like a lot? That’s the life of her subject, Rokas Jokubauskas. On a calmer note, Laura Brazaitytė, also a VMU student, explored the road topic through the lens of pilgrimage.
Another new voice in the magazine’s pages is Tauras Bernotas, a Kaunas native who has returned to his hometown after a period spent living in the capital. When he heard what this month’s theme would be, he smiled – he was already familiar with Julita Baravykienė, the founder of the Bundu café, from yoga classes. The stories by Tauras and Eglė are illustrated by photographer Dovydas Bučas, whom we discovered while attending events around Kaunas.
The contemporary performing arts festival ConTempo, one of the main highlights of August in Kaunas, speaks through seven voices in the magazine. Each recommendation comes from different people behind the festival. And then, several dozen more events, ranging from sutartinės and classical music to techno and stadium shows, are featured in the magazine’s calendar. So many directions! We’re curious to see where you’ll head after reading all the stories from this month’s issue.
