Suchergebnisse

In Lithuania like in the majority of other countries around the globe the need of investments and their improvement regarding public infrastructure and public services is growing at a fast pace. Limitations of the public sector concerning the possibilities to fund these objectives promote the search for new tools and opportunities to achieve these purposes. The co-operation of the public and private sectors is defined as any kind of agreement that involves both sectors, which allows private organizations to function within the field that previously was only governed by the public sector. In the international practice one of the co-operation types is the partnership of private and public sector (PPS) that creates opportunities to attract private funds in order to meet the needs of the public sector. Broadly this partnership can be defined as a co-operation of both public and private sectors in order to accomplish various projects involving infrastructure or public services. Thus, the co-operation between these two sectors is inevitable. As an alternative to traditional ways of supplementing public services, the partnership of public and private sector encompasses a wide spectrum of various forms and mechanisms. It could vary from agreements made by county with a private communal office in order to create a system for trash extermination to an establishment of a joint company, which would govern the building and exploitation of a new atomic power plant. These contracts are usually distinguished by establishing a clear partnership type regarding PPS terms; thus, it could be an agreement implemented on a contractual basis or an agreement based on an institutional basis. The European Commission distinguish two types of co-operation of the public and private sector: (1) institutional – when a company of mixed funds is required to be established in order to accomplish a goal; (2) contractual – when a certain goal is achieved by constructing agreements (consensuses, contracts based on a public purchases, joint practises, and other various agreements that are determined by the law). It has to be noted that certain concepts such as consensus, PPS projects, long-term lease, public purchases and others because they denote different ways of partnership of government and public sectors; in other words these concepts could be ineligible. Even though the contracts of purchases and consensuses are regulated by different laws, they in their essence involve similar legal correlations, which have similar aims of regulation. Consensus a try way agreement between the granting instruction, the provider of the service, and the customer. A public purchase is a two way agreement between a service provider and the organization that buys the service, which in consequence pays for the bought service and takes the economic risk of the purchase. The correlation of a consensus and a public purchase are different in the way and process of creating a contract. In case of a consensus provider of the service receives a right to use the service it provides as part of the payment. The concessionaire recognizes the risks of the purchase while the pay is usually arranged by the services user. Although, there is no singular definition of consensus there are certain attributes that allows to distinguish it from other partnerships or public and private sectors; these attributes involves such signs as a long time-span of arranging the contract, a clear allocation of possible liabilities to all the parties, a clear allocation of possible risk, while the majority of these risks are moved upon the private buyer, financial commitments. A major matter for the public sector regarding the co-operation of private and public sector is a selection of private party in a fair competition manner. Before making any kind of partnership contract it is essential to establish an effective and clear competition within the contestant participants within the market. This kind of competition allows the public sector to choose the most effective private partner. The competition allows the governmental institutions to select a partner in a most rational way; due to this information, it is possible to choose such a partner that would meet all the requirements and would fulfil the goal in question. In order to ensure the best selection of the partner it is important to oblige the principles of transparency and non-discrimination. It is important to act according to these principles in order to avoid violating the public and private interests, which are quintessentially different. The public sector seeks to receive the best possible service, while the private sector seeks profit. The equality of rights is important to every legal form that involves the co-operation of public and private sector. According to this principle the procedures of selection of a private party must be determined in an objective and clear way as well as they have to oblige to the rules and requirements. If certain predetermined rules do not exist the participating private parties must be selected according to objective criteria. The principal of non-discrimination defined the object of purchase; the technical specifications cannot defy the concrete process of making, the trade mark, patent, country of origin or production because these specifications might provide extra help for the participating parties or could even rule out some of the participants. The transparency principal is a principal that requires for the conditions of the contest to be clear and understandable; also, it requires that all the conditions that were set could not be changed. By obliging to the transparency principal allows to foresee the decision that should be made during the contest. It is quite natural to agree that the principal of partnership between the public and private sector is the essential part of the partnership concept because without clearly stating them it would be impossible to accomplish any kind of goal regarding such co-operation. The implementation of projects regarding co-operation between the public and private sector is a difficult and lengthily process, which is formed not only by the configuration of partnership but by the selection of partners, negotiations regarding the requirements of the contract, risk management, project management, and the surveillance of the project management. Taking into account the difficult specifics of the co-operation between public and private sector, often there is no singular way to formulate the technical requirements of an object, which would fulfil the public subject's needs and aims, or would defy the objects legal status or its financial consent. Whatever the form of co-operation regarding the partnership of private and public sector is employed, for the successful contest, some sort of negotiations will be required. Each form of such co-operation has a different kind of way to regulate the negotiation. For instance, according to the Public procurement law the negotiations are not mandatory during the public purchase. However, in the contest regarding the grant of the consensus once of the mandatory stages is the negotiation, which's aim is to come to a compromise between the participant of the contest and the institution that grants the consensus. It needs to be noted that the negotiation cannot be used as a tool to distort the technical, financial, or commercial criteria. While appointing the contractual conditions of the consensus, the conditions of the agreement and its main requirements cannot be an object of the negotiation. However this means that the initial agreement will be changed in a slight way. If negotiation takes place it is quite natural that the primary draft of the project changes. A change is fundamental if its implementation within the agreement would quintessentially change the outcomes that the participants would provide. It such change takes place a new contest must be organized. The legal provisions concerning public purchases and consensuses foresees such changes only if the principals of equal right, non-discrimination and transparency are taken into account.

In Lithuania like in the majority of other countries around the globe the need of investments and their improvement regarding public infrastructure and public services is growing at a fast pace. Limitations of the public sector concerning the possibilities to fund these objectives promote the search for new tools and opportunities to achieve these purposes. The co-operation of the public and private sectors is defined as any kind of agreement that involves both sectors, which allows private organizations to function within the field that previously was only governed by the public sector. In the international practice one of the co-operation types is the partnership of private and public sector (PPS) that creates opportunities to attract private funds in order to meet the needs of the public sector. Broadly this partnership can be defined as a co-operation of both public and private sectors in order to accomplish various projects involving infrastructure or public services. Thus, the co-operation between these two sectors is inevitable. As an alternative to traditional ways of supplementing public services, the partnership of public and private sector encompasses a wide spectrum of various forms and mechanisms. It could vary from agreements made by county with a private communal office in order to create a system for trash extermination to an establishment of a joint company, which would govern the building and exploitation of a new atomic power plant. These contracts are usually distinguished by establishing a clear partnership type regarding PPS terms; thus, it could be an agreement implemented on a contractual basis or an agreement based on an institutional basis. The European Commission distinguish two types of co-operation of the public and private sector: (1) institutional – when a company of mixed funds is required to be established in order to accomplish a goal; (2) contractual – when a certain goal is achieved by constructing agreements (consensuses, contracts based on a public purchases, joint practises, and other various agreements that are determined by the law). It has to be noted that certain concepts such as consensus, PPS projects, long-term lease, public purchases and others because they denote different ways of partnership of government and public sectors; in other words these concepts could be ineligible. Even though the contracts of purchases and consensuses are regulated by different laws, they in their essence involve similar legal correlations, which have similar aims of regulation. Consensus a try way agreement between the granting instruction, the provider of the service, and the customer. A public purchase is a two way agreement between a service provider and the organization that buys the service, which in consequence pays for the bought service and takes the economic risk of the purchase. The correlation of a consensus and a public purchase are different in the way and process of creating a contract. In case of a consensus provider of the service receives a right to use the service it provides as part of the payment. The concessionaire recognizes the risks of the purchase while the pay is usually arranged by the services user. Although, there is no singular definition of consensus there are certain attributes that allows to distinguish it from other partnerships or public and private sectors; these attributes involves such signs as a long time-span of arranging the contract, a clear allocation of possible liabilities to all the parties, a clear allocation of possible risk, while the majority of these risks are moved upon the private buyer, financial commitments. A major matter for the public sector regarding the co-operation of private and public sector is a selection of private party in a fair competition manner. Before making any kind of partnership contract it is essential to establish an effective and clear competition within the contestant participants within the market. This kind of competition allows the public sector to choose the most effective private partner. The competition allows the governmental institutions to select a partner in a most rational way; due to this information, it is possible to choose such a partner that would meet all the requirements and would fulfil the goal in question. In order to ensure the best selection of the partner it is important to oblige the principles of transparency and non-discrimination. It is important to act according to these principles in order to avoid violating the public and private interests, which are quintessentially different. The public sector seeks to receive the best possible service, while the private sector seeks profit. The equality of rights is important to every legal form that involves the co-operation of public and private sector. According to this principle the procedures of selection of a private party must be determined in an objective and clear way as well as they have to oblige to the rules and requirements. If certain predetermined rules do not exist the participating private parties must be selected according to objective criteria. The principal of non-discrimination defined the object of purchase; the technical specifications cannot defy the concrete process of making, the trade mark, patent, country of origin or production because these specifications might provide extra help for the participating parties or could even rule out some of the participants. The transparency principal is a principal that requires for the conditions of the contest to be clear and understandable; also, it requires that all the conditions that were set could not be changed. By obliging to the transparency principal allows to foresee the decision that should be made during the contest. It is quite natural to agree that the principal of partnership between the public and private sector is the essential part of the partnership concept because without clearly stating them it would be impossible to accomplish any kind of goal regarding such co-operation. The implementation of projects regarding co-operation between the public and private sector is a difficult and lengthily process, which is formed not only by the configuration of partnership but by the selection of partners, negotiations regarding the requirements of the contract, risk management, project management, and the surveillance of the project management. Taking into account the difficult specifics of the co-operation between public and private sector, often there is no singular way to formulate the technical requirements of an object, which would fulfil the public subject's needs and aims, or would defy the objects legal status or its financial consent. Whatever the form of co-operation regarding the partnership of private and public sector is employed, for the successful contest, some sort of negotiations will be required. Each form of such co-operation has a different kind of way to regulate the negotiation. For instance, according to the Public procurement law the negotiations are not mandatory during the public purchase. However, in the contest regarding the grant of the consensus once of the mandatory stages is the negotiation, which's aim is to come to a compromise between the participant of the contest and the institution that grants the consensus. It needs to be noted that the negotiation cannot be used as a tool to distort the technical, financial, or commercial criteria. While appointing the contractual conditions of the consensus, the conditions of the agreement and its main requirements cannot be an object of the negotiation. However this means that the initial agreement will be changed in a slight way. If negotiation takes place it is quite natural that the primary draft of the project changes. A change is fundamental if its implementation within the agreement would quintessentially change the outcomes that the participants would provide. It such change takes place a new contest must be organized. The legal provisions concerning public purchases and consensuses foresees such changes only if the principals of equal right, non-discrimination and transparency are taken into account.

In Lithuania like in the majority of other countries around the globe the need of investments and their improvement regarding public infrastructure and public services is growing at a fast pace. Limitations of the public sector concerning the possibilities to fund these objectives promote the search for new tools and opportunities to achieve these purposes. The co-operation of the public and private sectors is defined as any kind of agreement that involves both sectors, which allows private organizations to function within the field that previously was only governed by the public sector. In the international practice one of the co-operation types is the partnership of private and public sector (PPS) that creates opportunities to attract private funds in order to meet the needs of the public sector. Broadly this partnership can be defined as a co-operation of both public and private sectors in order to accomplish various projects involving infrastructure or public services. Thus, the co-operation between these two sectors is inevitable. As an alternative to traditional ways of supplementing public services, the partnership of public and private sector encompasses a wide spectrum of various forms and mechanisms. It could vary from agreements made by county with a private communal office in order to create a system for trash extermination to an establishment of a joint company, which would govern the building and exploitation of a new atomic power plant. These contracts are usually distinguished by establishing a clear partnership type regarding PPS terms; thus, it could be an agreement implemented on a contractual basis or an agreement based on an institutional basis. The European Commission distinguish two types of co-operation of the public and private sector: (1) institutional – when a company of mixed funds is required to be established in order to accomplish a goal; (2) contractual – when a certain goal is achieved by constructing agreements (consensuses, contracts based on a public purchases, joint practises, and other various agreements that are determined by the law). It has to be noted that certain concepts such as consensus, PPS projects, long-term lease, public purchases and others because they denote different ways of partnership of government and public sectors; in other words these concepts could be ineligible. Even though the contracts of purchases and consensuses are regulated by different laws, they in their essence involve similar legal correlations, which have similar aims of regulation. Consensus a try way agreement between the granting instruction, the provider of the service, and the customer. A public purchase is a two way agreement between a service provider and the organization that buys the service, which in consequence pays for the bought service and takes the economic risk of the purchase. The correlation of a consensus and a public purchase are different in the way and process of creating a contract. In case of a consensus provider of the service receives a right to use the service it provides as part of the payment. The concessionaire recognizes the risks of the purchase while the pay is usually arranged by the services user. Although, there is no singular definition of consensus there are certain attributes that allows to distinguish it from other partnerships or public and private sectors; these attributes involves such signs as a long time-span of arranging the contract, a clear allocation of possible liabilities to all the parties, a clear allocation of possible risk, while the majority of these risks are moved upon the private buyer, financial commitments. A major matter for the public sector regarding the co-operation of private and public sector is a selection of private party in a fair competition manner. Before making any kind of partnership contract it is essential to establish an effective and clear competition within the contestant participants within the market. This kind of competition allows the public sector to choose the most effective private partner. The competition allows the governmental institutions to select a partner in a most rational way; due to this information, it is possible to choose such a partner that would meet all the requirements and would fulfil the goal in question. In order to ensure the best selection of the partner it is important to oblige the principles of transparency and non-discrimination. It is important to act according to these principles in order to avoid violating the public and private interests, which are quintessentially different. The public sector seeks to receive the best possible service, while the private sector seeks profit. The equality of rights is important to every legal form that involves the co-operation of public and private sector. According to this principle the procedures of selection of a private party must be determined in an objective and clear way as well as they have to oblige to the rules and requirements. If certain predetermined rules do not exist the participating private parties must be selected according to objective criteria. The principal of non-discrimination defined the object of purchase; the technical specifications cannot defy the concrete process of making, the trade mark, patent, country of origin or production because these specifications might provide extra help for the participating parties or could even rule out some of the participants. The transparency principal is a principal that requires for the conditions of the contest to be clear and understandable; also, it requires that all the conditions that were set could not be changed. By obliging to the transparency principal allows to foresee the decision that should be made during the contest. It is quite natural to agree that the principal of partnership between the public and private sector is the essential part of the partnership concept because without clearly stating them it would be impossible to accomplish any kind of goal regarding such co-operation. The implementation of projects regarding co-operation between the public and private sector is a difficult and lengthily process, which is formed not only by the configuration of partnership but by the selection of partners, negotiations regarding the requirements of the contract, risk management, project management, and the surveillance of the project management. Taking into account the difficult specifics of the co-operation between public and private sector, often there is no singular way to formulate the technical requirements of an object, which would fulfil the public subject's needs and aims, or would defy the objects legal status or its financial consent. Whatever the form of co-operation regarding the partnership of private and public sector is employed, for the successful contest, some sort of negotiations will be required. Each form of such co-operation has a different kind of way to regulate the negotiation. For instance, according to the Public procurement law the negotiations are not mandatory during the public purchase. However, in the contest regarding the grant of the consensus once of the mandatory stages is the negotiation, which's aim is to come to a compromise between the participant of the contest and the institution that grants the consensus. It needs to be noted that the negotiation cannot be used as a tool to distort the technical, financial, or commercial criteria. While appointing the contractual conditions of the consensus, the conditions of the agreement and its main requirements cannot be an object of the negotiation. However this means that the initial agreement will be changed in a slight way. If negotiation takes place it is quite natural that the primary draft of the project changes. A change is fundamental if its implementation within the agreement would quintessentially change the outcomes that the participants would provide. It such change takes place a new contest must be organized. The legal provisions concerning public purchases and consensuses foresees such changes only if the principals of equal right, non-discrimination and transparency are taken into account.

Baigiamajame magistro darbe analizuojamas projekto "Nord Stream 2" įgyvendinimas ES-Rusijos užsienio ir energetikos politikos kontekste. Tyrimo objektas - ES-Rusijos užsienio ir energetikos politikos perspektyvos. Tyrimo tikslas - išanalizuoti ES-Rusijos bendradarbiavimo energetikos srityje ir projekto "Nord Stream 2" įgyvendinimo problematiką. Tikslui pasiekti iškelti šie uždaviniai: palyginti neoklasikinio realizmo ir liberaliojo tarpvyriausybiškumo teorines kryptis, aiškinančias ES ir Rusijos užsienio ir energetikos politikos perspektyvas bei prielaidas energetinio bendradarbiavimo vystymui; įvertinti bendrosios ES energetikos politikos kontekstą: vystymosi etapus, institucijų ir valstybių narių vaidmenį; paaiškinti, kokią įtaką ES bendroji energetikos politika turi energetiniam bendradarbiavimui su Rusija ir kitomis ne ES valstybėmis; išnagrinėti projekto "Nord Stream 2" įgyvendinimą, atsižvelgiant į teisinius, politinius ir ekonominius aspektus; išanalizuoti ir palyginti ES ir trečiųjų valstybių požiūrį į NS2 įgyvendinimą, įvertinti galimas priežastis, dėl kurių susiformavo atitinkama pozicija. Tyrimo eigoje naudoti šie metodai: mokslinės literatūros analizė, atvejo studija, dokumentų analizė, antrinė statistinių duomenų analizė, lyginamoji analizė ir interviu metodas. Atlikus tyrimą prieita prie išvadų, kuriomis remiantis galima teigti, kad Rusijos atveju energetinis bendradarbiavimas yra paremtas valstybės interesu ir geopolitiniais siekiais, o ES atveju – ekonominiais tikslais. Šiame kontekste abi pusės yra linkę kliautis pragmatinėmis nuostatomis. ES pasižymi ypač didele gamtinių dujų importo iš Rusijos priklausomybe, kurią projekto NS2 įgyvendinimas tik dar labiau sustiprintų. Dėl šios priežasties projekto kritikai pabrėžia politinį ir saugumo kontekstą, taip pat, NS2 nesuderinamumą su ES teise ir strateginiais ES energetikos tikslais. Projekto šalininkai pabrėžia ekonominę naudą, kuri NS2 įgyvendinimo kontekste yra linkusi nusverti daugelį kitų argumentų. Įgyvendinant projektą išryškėja 4 pagrindiniai veikėjai ir jų grupės: NS2 iniciatorės - Vokietija ir Rusija, projektą palaikančios ES šalys, NS2 kritikuojančios ES valstybės ir JAV. Pastebėta, kad ES šalys, turinčios kitų alternatyvų rusiškoms dujoms, NS2 vertina neutraliai arba priešiškai, o Vokietijos suinteresuotumas projekto įgyvendinimu remiasi dideliu priklausomumu nuo gamtinių dujų tiekimo iš Rusijos ir svarių alternatyvų neturėjimu. ; The final Master's theses presents the analysis of implementation of the "Nord Stream 2" project in the context of EU-Russia foreign and energy policies. Object - prospects of the EU-Russia foreign and energy policy. Aim of the study is to analyze issues regarding EU-Russia energy cooperation and implementation of "Nord Stream 2" under certain circumstances. Research tasks are defined as following: to compare theories of neoclassical realism and liberal intergovernmentalism, explaining the perspectives of EU-Russia foreign and energy policy and the preconditions for energy cooperation; to assess the context of the EU's common energy policy: stages of development, role of the institutions and EU member states; to explain the impact of the EU's common energy policy on energy cooperation with Russia and other non-EU countries; to examine the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project, taking into account legal, political and economic aspects; to analyze and compare attitudes of the EU and other countries towards the implementation of the NS2, in order to assess possible reasons for the respective position. The following methods have been chosen: scientific literature analysis, case study, document analysis, secondary statistic data analysis, comparative analysis and interview method. The study came to conclusion that Russia perceives energy cooperation as based on the state interest and geopolitical goals while the EU emphasizes economic objectives. In this context, both sides tend to rely on pragmatic attitudes. The EU is particularly dependent on natural gas imports from Russia and this dependence would increase after implementation of the NS2. For this reason, critics of the project emphasize political and security issues as well as incompatibility of the NS2 with the EU law and strategic energy objectives. Proponents of the project emphasize economic benefits, which in the context of implementing NS2 usually outweigh many other arguments. The case of NS2 highlights 4 main actors and their groups: initiators of the project (Germany and Russia), EU countries supporting the project, EU countries criticizing NS2 and the USA. It has been noted that EU countries having other alternatives to Russian gas declares neutral or adverse position towards NS2, while Germany's interest in successful completion of the project is based on its high dependence on natural gas supply from Russia and lack of other significant alternatives. ; Politikos mokslų ir diplomatijos fakultetas ; Politologijos katedra

Legal right of a legal person to its professional reputation is enshrined in 1 paragraph of Article 1.114 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania among other non-property rights and values. It is important to note that the mentioned legal measures contained in the legal system of the Republic of Lithuania and applied by the national courts must not violate the freedom of expression, protected by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and fundamental freedoms (hereinafter – the "Convention"). The national authorities when establishing and national courts when applying the legal rules for the protection of professional reputation that interferes with the freedom of expression, must make sure that such rules and their application do fulfill three cumulative conditions, determined by the European Court of Human Rights. Such conditions are: (1) the interference must be prescribed by law, (2) the interference must be aimed at protecting one or more of the interests or values listed in 2 paragraph of Article 10 of the Convention, (3) the interference must be necessary in a democratic society. With respect to the protection of a right of a legal person to its professional reputation in the legislation of the Republic of Lithuania, one may state that the first two conditions are fulfilled, but there are some doubts regarding the third condition, especially assessing the appliance of a preventive action or obligation for the media to pay pecuniary or (and) non-pecuniary damages when the media refuses to reveal the source of the disseminated information, even if the media did not know that the disseminated information was erroneous. The protection of the right of a legal person to its reputation is enshrined in Article 2.24 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania. In order to state the violation of the right of a legal person to its professional reputation the court must establish such facts: (1) the fact that the information was disseminated, (2) the fact that the disseminated information was about a particular legal person, (3) the fact that the disseminated information damages the professional reputation of a legal entity, (4) the fact that the disseminated information is erroneous. Not always it is simple and easy to determine such facts: there are some difficulties delimitating the news from opinion and for the plaintiffs is quite a challenge to proof the damage suffered because of the particularity of damaged right or for the defendant sometimes it is almost impossible to prove that the disseminated information is true because of the inability to get and provide certain proof. There are also some issues when determing the right defendant when applying to the court and questions when deciding on whether the person to whom the information was disseminated is right regarding the possibility to defend one's damaged professional reputation. The national courts must be flexible when taking the decision and must asses all the details in the case as not to base their decision only on formal grounds. According to Article 2.24 of the Civil Code in judicial proceedings the plaintiff may demand for further separate defense remedies: (1) to refute the disseminated information, which damages its professional reputation, (2) to declare the disseminated information untrue and damaging its professional reputation, (3) to award pecuniary damages, (4) to award non-pecuniary damages. The plaintiff may also apply to the court with the preventive action demanding to prohibit the dissemination of a certain information in the future or interim legal measure. The latter if applied by the court may be subject to the assessment by the European Court of Human Rights regarding the violation of Article 10 of the Convention as such remedy might be considered not proportional to the legal aim of the right to professional reputation.

Legal right of a legal person to its professional reputation is enshrined in 1 paragraph of Article 1.114 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania among other non-property rights and values. It is important to note that the mentioned legal measures contained in the legal system of the Republic of Lithuania and applied by the national courts must not violate the freedom of expression, protected by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and fundamental freedoms (hereinafter – the "Convention"). The national authorities when establishing and national courts when applying the legal rules for the protection of professional reputation that interferes with the freedom of expression, must make sure that such rules and their application do fulfill three cumulative conditions, determined by the European Court of Human Rights. Such conditions are: (1) the interference must be prescribed by law, (2) the interference must be aimed at protecting one or more of the interests or values listed in 2 paragraph of Article 10 of the Convention, (3) the interference must be necessary in a democratic society. With respect to the protection of a right of a legal person to its professional reputation in the legislation of the Republic of Lithuania, one may state that the first two conditions are fulfilled, but there are some doubts regarding the third condition, especially assessing the appliance of a preventive action or obligation for the media to pay pecuniary or (and) non-pecuniary damages when the media refuses to reveal the source of the disseminated information, even if the media did not know that the disseminated information was erroneous. The protection of the right of a legal person to its reputation is enshrined in Article 2.24 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania. In order to state the violation of the right of a legal person to its professional reputation the court must establish such facts: (1) the fact that the information was disseminated, (2) the fact that the disseminated information was about a particular legal person, (3) the fact that the disseminated information damages the professional reputation of a legal entity, (4) the fact that the disseminated information is erroneous. Not always it is simple and easy to determine such facts: there are some difficulties delimitating the news from opinion and for the plaintiffs is quite a challenge to proof the damage suffered because of the particularity of damaged right or for the defendant sometimes it is almost impossible to prove that the disseminated information is true because of the inability to get and provide certain proof. There are also some issues when determing the right defendant when applying to the court and questions when deciding on whether the person to whom the information was disseminated is right regarding the possibility to defend one's damaged professional reputation. The national courts must be flexible when taking the decision and must asses all the details in the case as not to base their decision only on formal grounds. According to Article 2.24 of the Civil Code in judicial proceedings the plaintiff may demand for further separate defense remedies: (1) to refute the disseminated information, which damages its professional reputation, (2) to declare the disseminated information untrue and damaging its professional reputation, (3) to award pecuniary damages, (4) to award non-pecuniary damages. The plaintiff may also apply to the court with the preventive action demanding to prohibit the dissemination of a certain information in the future or interim legal measure. The latter if applied by the court may be subject to the assessment by the European Court of Human Rights regarding the violation of Article 10 of the Convention as such remedy might be considered not proportional to the legal aim of the right to professional reputation.

Relevance of the theme: self-injury realization considerably aggravates the somatic, social and psychical condition of the convicted and arrested persons; health and life are devalued. Furthermore, the imprisonment system incurs considerable financial loss. Self-injury consist the largest part of the total traumatism in the imprisonment institutions (48 per cent). There is a need to explore the problems of the self-injured convicted and arrested persons at the imprisonment institutions; to find the causes of such behaviour in order to determine the prevention possibilities by the further researches of this phenomenon. According to the Law on Nursing Practice of the Republic of Lithuania [1] issued in 2001, one of the functions of nursing is to ensure the physical, mental and social care of the healthy and ill persons. Originality of the theme: until now, in the theory and practice of nursing in our country there was no sufficient attention to the mental and social care of the convicted and arrested persons who are a part of the society. There are also no subjective researches or publications on the convicted and arrested persons' self-injury motives. Goal of the thesis: to analyse the motives of self-injury of the convicted and arrested persons. Tasks of the thesis: To analyse the medical statistic data and other documents related to the self-injury in order to assess the dynamics of the phenomenon and to find the factors having the most considerable influence on self-injury of convicted and arrested persons; to research the consultations which are provided to the self-injured persons. Hypothesis: social isolation involves the most frequent motives of self-injury of convicted and arrested persons. Subject of the research: self-injured convicted and arrested persons. 210 respondents from 12 imprisonment institutions took part in the research. Research methods: Analysis of medical statistical data and other medical documents; questionnaire survey (cross-section research). 210 convicted and arrested persons were surveyed. 21 of them needed stationary treatment because of self-injury and were hospitalized at the Hospital of imprisonment institutions (LAVL); and 189 persons were from 11 national imprisonment institutions. Questionnaire survey was carried out in July – August of 2007. The program Microsoft Excel was applied for diagrams and tables' formation as well as program packet SPSS 13.0 for Windows was applied for analysis of research data. Conclusions: 1) Self-injury consist the largest part of the total traumatism in the imprisonment institutions (48 per cents); when new legislation had came into effect, the total number of self-injuries decreased, but the leaders remained the same: Lukiškės TI-K (241, 16,2 % and 185, 34,0 %), Alytus PN (162, 10,9 % and 115, 21,1 %), Pravieniškės 2 PN-AK (188, 12,6 % and 62, 11,3 %); 2) the most influential factors of self-injury of convicted and arrested persons: number of convictions (correlation analysis showed that increase of the number of convictions increases the number of self-injury by 0,822 times); education (secondary – 35,1 per cent, basic – 22,1 per cent, elementary – 19,7 per cent, higher – 0 per cent of respondents); longing for family and friends (45,2 per cent); to little appointments with family and friends (24,3 per cent); improper life conditions (42,4 per cent); odds with employees (32,9 per cent); lack of occupation (work – 31,9 per cent; study – 31,6 per cent); 3) the most frequent motives of self-injury of convicted and arrested persons are the following: attempted suicide (25,7 per cent); rejection by family (21,9 per cent); debts (20,0 per cent); 4) only 56,94 per cent of self-injured were consulted by specialist. Of them: 30,6 per cent who attempted suicide and 12,4 per cent attempted self-injure. This fact shows that the self-injury prevention basis is weak; 5) the hypothesis of the thesis was confirmed.

Relevance of the theme: self-injury realization considerably aggravates the somatic, social and psychical condition of the convicted and arrested persons; health and life are devalued. Furthermore, the imprisonment system incurs considerable financial loss. Self-injury consist the largest part of the total traumatism in the imprisonment institutions (48 per cent). There is a need to explore the problems of the self-injured convicted and arrested persons at the imprisonment institutions; to find the causes of such behaviour in order to determine the prevention possibilities by the further researches of this phenomenon. According to the Law on Nursing Practice of the Republic of Lithuania [1] issued in 2001, one of the functions of nursing is to ensure the physical, mental and social care of the healthy and ill persons. Originality of the theme: until now, in the theory and practice of nursing in our country there was no sufficient attention to the mental and social care of the convicted and arrested persons who are a part of the society. There are also no subjective researches or publications on the convicted and arrested persons' self-injury motives. Goal of the thesis: to analyse the motives of self-injury of the convicted and arrested persons. Tasks of the thesis: To analyse the medical statistic data and other documents related to the self-injury in order to assess the dynamics of the phenomenon and to find the factors having the most considerable influence on self-injury of convicted and arrested persons; to research the consultations which are provided to the self-injured persons. Hypothesis: social isolation involves the most frequent motives of self-injury of convicted and arrested persons. Subject of the research: self-injured convicted and arrested persons. 210 respondents from 12 imprisonment institutions took part in the research. Research methods: Analysis of medical statistical data and other medical documents; questionnaire survey (cross-section research). 210 convicted and arrested persons were surveyed. 21 of them needed stationary treatment because of self-injury and were hospitalized at the Hospital of imprisonment institutions (LAVL); and 189 persons were from 11 national imprisonment institutions. Questionnaire survey was carried out in July – August of 2007. The program Microsoft Excel was applied for diagrams and tables' formation as well as program packet SPSS 13.0 for Windows was applied for analysis of research data. Conclusions: 1) Self-injury consist the largest part of the total traumatism in the imprisonment institutions (48 per cents); when new legislation had came into effect, the total number of self-injuries decreased, but the leaders remained the same: Lukiškės TI-K (241, 16,2 % and 185, 34,0 %), Alytus PN (162, 10,9 % and 115, 21,1 %), Pravieniškės 2 PN-AK (188, 12,6 % and 62, 11,3 %); 2) the most influential factors of self-injury of convicted and arrested persons: number of convictions (correlation analysis showed that increase of the number of convictions increases the number of self-injury by 0,822 times); education (secondary – 35,1 per cent, basic – 22,1 per cent, elementary – 19,7 per cent, higher – 0 per cent of respondents); longing for family and friends (45,2 per cent); to little appointments with family and friends (24,3 per cent); improper life conditions (42,4 per cent); odds with employees (32,9 per cent); lack of occupation (work – 31,9 per cent; study – 31,6 per cent); 3) the most frequent motives of self-injury of convicted and arrested persons are the following: attempted suicide (25,7 per cent); rejection by family (21,9 per cent); debts (20,0 per cent); 4) only 56,94 per cent of self-injured were consulted by specialist. Of them: 30,6 per cent who attempted suicide and 12,4 per cent attempted self-injure. This fact shows that the self-injury prevention basis is weak; 5) the hypothesis of the thesis was confirmed.

Valakas land reform was started in the Great Duchy of Lithuania in the middle of the 16th century and is mostly related to the changes in social and economic life. However, the reform not only changed the agrarian relationship between the estate and the village and the agronomy system, but also made complete changes in Lithuanian landscape. The rules of Valakas reform regulated the changes in Lithuanian landscape territory and settlement structures. Due to Valakas reform a three-field strip system, street strip villages with a new barton plan structure, a new building type (stockyard), the network of village streets and roads, the network of small estates, as well as new space forms of agro plantings were developed, town planning was changed, a rectangular plan system was applied for their reorganization. The research object of the present paper is the objects that developed in state lands of Upytė district under the influence of Valakas reform. The constituent parts of the research object are as follows: landscape that developed in Upytė district during the Valakas reform and its separate elements, such as replanned towns, formed street strip villages, the network of small estates. The object of the paper is analysed in several aspects: in the aspect of heritage research and in the aspect of heritage conservation. The aim of the paper is to localize the heritage of Valakas reform in state lands of Upytė district and to analyse the heritage situation in the view of heritage conservation as well as to provide a conservation outline. The present paper claims to be the first complex analysis of Valakas reform from identification and localization of Valakas heritage, to its accountancy, security. According to the inventory of Upytės district of the year 1554, the following landscape elements of state lands of Upytė district were formed: 357 villages and 2 towns. During the research 279 villages and 2 towns mentioned in Upytė district inventory were localized. After using the maps of the 19th-20th centuries for the analysis it was determined that 103 villages with the names defined in the inventory of the 16th century, no longer exist. During the field study inventory of 20 villages it was defined that the following elements of valakas landscape have remained up to the present: fragments of street villages, plan structure of barton buildings, fragments of street plantings, rectangular plan of town squares and street network, cultural layer of towns, fragmental network of small estates. The landscape which developed during the 16th century and its separate elements remained almost unchanged for even four centuries, i.e. until the first part of the 20th century. The structure of valakas landscape started disappearing at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century, when grange reform and later kolkhoz reforms in the middle of the 20th century were started to be implemented. Although the typological notion of heritage is developing, in research projects and in the system of heritage conservation the term of Valakas reform does not exist in the way that terms of industry heritage, defence heritage or other groups of heritage which were determined by certain defence, social and political actions of the society, exist. The notion of this heritage group that has not been validated does not allow to understand the complex value of this heritage, as well as the necessity of its integral security Until present the heritage of Valakas reform has been saved by keeping the cultural value of separate element objects despite their primary complex whole. The Law of the Conservation of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Lithuania is an attempt to fortify the complex or integral security of ethno cultural parts of towns and villages by providing them with the status of cultural reservation.

Valakas land reform was started in the Great Duchy of Lithuania in the middle of the 16th century and is mostly related to the changes in social and economic life. However, the reform not only changed the agrarian relationship between the estate and the village and the agronomy system, but also made complete changes in Lithuanian landscape. The rules of Valakas reform regulated the changes in Lithuanian landscape territory and settlement structures. Due to Valakas reform a three-field strip system, street strip villages with a new barton plan structure, a new building type (stockyard), the network of village streets and roads, the network of small estates, as well as new space forms of agro plantings were developed, town planning was changed, a rectangular plan system was applied for their reorganization. The research object of the present paper is the objects that developed in state lands of Upytė district under the influence of Valakas reform. The constituent parts of the research object are as follows: landscape that developed in Upytė district during the Valakas reform and its separate elements, such as replanned towns, formed street strip villages, the network of small estates. The object of the paper is analysed in several aspects: in the aspect of heritage research and in the aspect of heritage conservation. The aim of the paper is to localize the heritage of Valakas reform in state lands of Upytė district and to analyse the heritage situation in the view of heritage conservation as well as to provide a conservation outline. The present paper claims to be the first complex analysis of Valakas reform from identification and localization of Valakas heritage, to its accountancy, security. According to the inventory of Upytės district of the year 1554, the following landscape elements of state lands of Upytė district were formed: 357 villages and 2 towns. During the research 279 villages and 2 towns mentioned in Upytė district inventory were localized. After using the maps of the 19th-20th centuries for the analysis it was determined that 103 villages with the names defined in the inventory of the 16th century, no longer exist. During the field study inventory of 20 villages it was defined that the following elements of valakas landscape have remained up to the present: fragments of street villages, plan structure of barton buildings, fragments of street plantings, rectangular plan of town squares and street network, cultural layer of towns, fragmental network of small estates. The landscape which developed during the 16th century and its separate elements remained almost unchanged for even four centuries, i.e. until the first part of the 20th century. The structure of valakas landscape started disappearing at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century, when grange reform and later kolkhoz reforms in the middle of the 20th century were started to be implemented. Although the typological notion of heritage is developing, in research projects and in the system of heritage conservation the term of Valakas reform does not exist in the way that terms of industry heritage, defence heritage or other groups of heritage which were determined by certain defence, social and political actions of the society, exist. The notion of this heritage group that has not been validated does not allow to understand the complex value of this heritage, as well as the necessity of its integral security Until present the heritage of Valakas reform has been saved by keeping the cultural value of separate element objects despite their primary complex whole. The Law of the Conservation of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Lithuania is an attempt to fortify the complex or integral security of ethno cultural parts of towns and villages by providing them with the status of cultural reservation.

The idea of the restitution of the Lithuanian national monetary system for the first time was discussed openly on May 26, 1988 at the meeting of scientists at the Institute of Economics of the Academy of Sciences, where professor Stasys Uosis for the first time openly expressed the idea of the restitution of the Lithuanian national monetary system. Some scientists, among them the nomenclature of soviet banks, spoke, against the idea of litas. In spring 1989, the group of the creation of independent Lithuanian monetary and credit system was organized, in which lecturers of Vilnius University Finance and Credit Department and bankers-practitioners took part. In half a year the conception of independent Lithuanian monetary and credit system and the projects of related laws were prepared. When on March 11, 1990 the Independence was restored, the ossibilities to create the real, functioning central bank and national currency appeared. But the newly re-established the Bank of Lithuania had neither premises nor resources. It had only several workers, the Board hadn't been organized. When Vilius Baldišis was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania and the Statute of the Bank of Lithuania was approved, the main tasks in the monetary sphere were formulated, the concrete work began. On November 5, 1991 the Supreme Council adopted the publishing of Money Law. The Committee of Litas was founded. Its task was to fix the litas emission date. At the beginning of 1992 it was already prepared to introduce litas, but because of the inflation politics of the Government of that time the infroduct of litas became impossible - litas would quickly devaluate, the mere idea of litas as the national currency symbol would be discredited. The prices jumped up sharply, the lack of goods grew. The Government changed the order of selling the deficit goods by coupons (product cards). On July 29, 1991 the new common coupons were introduced. They were not money, but only universal trade cards. This change of the trade order did not diminish the problems. In this situation, the Bank of Lithuania suggested not to put coupons in circulation and only in case of necessity to use them as temporary money, but the government did not pay attention to this suggestion. The shortage of rouble cash began, the salaries, pensions, various payments and grants were not paid in time. Rouble signs were printed and emitted in Russia. For the political and economical reasons there was no possibility to expect the accession of cash from the USSR State Bank, so the Bank of Lithuania was looking for possibilities to emit the substitutes of rouble. On May 1, 1992 new coupons as the substitutes of rouble were put in circulation. With their help the bigger part of the arrears was liquidated. At the same time trade by common coupons (universal trade cards) was stopped. Life changed the plans of the creation of national monetary system. It was decided to introduce temporary money. When the Government changed, the Committee of Litas on September 16, 1992 adopted the decision that from October 1, 1992 only temporary money-coupons would be circulating in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania. Roubles were changed into coupons in the ratio 1:1. This way on October 1, 1992 the national currency was introduced and the own monetary system re-established in Lithuania. The Bank of Lithuania acquired the possibility to fulfil the main function of the Central Bank - to regulate the turnover of money, to apoly instruments of monetary policy. The growth of the amount of money and inflation process slowed down, and from December I, 1992 the exchange rate of coupon against rouble became stronger. The variation of the exchange rate of coupon towards convertible currencies became smaller, though their exchange rates towards our money grew. The state had a possibility to prepare for changing temporary money-coupons into litas.

The idea of the restitution of the Lithuanian national monetary system for the first time was discussed openly on May 26, 1988 at the meeting of scientists at the Institute of Economics of the Academy of Sciences, where professor Stasys Uosis for the first time openly expressed the idea of the restitution of the Lithuanian national monetary system. Some scientists, among them the nomenclature of soviet banks, spoke, against the idea of litas. In spring 1989, the group of the creation of independent Lithuanian monetary and credit system was organized, in which lecturers of Vilnius University Finance and Credit Department and bankers-practitioners took part. In half a year the conception of independent Lithuanian monetary and credit system and the projects of related laws were prepared. When on March 11, 1990 the Independence was restored, the ossibilities to create the real, functioning central bank and national currency appeared. But the newly re-established the Bank of Lithuania had neither premises nor resources. It had only several workers, the Board hadn't been organized. When Vilius Baldišis was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania and the Statute of the Bank of Lithuania was approved, the main tasks in the monetary sphere were formulated, the concrete work began. On November 5, 1991 the Supreme Council adopted the publishing of Money Law. The Committee of Litas was founded. Its task was to fix the litas emission date. At the beginning of 1992 it was already prepared to introduce litas, but because of the inflation politics of the Government of that time the infroduct of litas became impossible - litas would quickly devaluate, the mere idea of litas as the national currency symbol would be discredited. The prices jumped up sharply, the lack of goods grew. The Government changed the order of selling the deficit goods by coupons (product cards). On July 29, 1991 the new common coupons were introduced. They were not money, but only universal trade cards. This change of the trade order did not diminish the problems. In this situation, the Bank of Lithuania suggested not to put coupons in circulation and only in case of necessity to use them as temporary money, but the government did not pay attention to this suggestion. The shortage of rouble cash began, the salaries, pensions, various payments and grants were not paid in time. Rouble signs were printed and emitted in Russia. For the political and economical reasons there was no possibility to expect the accession of cash from the USSR State Bank, so the Bank of Lithuania was looking for possibilities to emit the substitutes of rouble. On May 1, 1992 new coupons as the substitutes of rouble were put in circulation. With their help the bigger part of the arrears was liquidated. At the same time trade by common coupons (universal trade cards) was stopped. Life changed the plans of the creation of national monetary system. It was decided to introduce temporary money. When the Government changed, the Committee of Litas on September 16, 1992 adopted the decision that from October 1, 1992 only temporary money-coupons would be circulating in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania. Roubles were changed into coupons in the ratio 1:1. This way on October 1, 1992 the national currency was introduced and the own monetary system re-established in Lithuania. The Bank of Lithuania acquired the possibility to fulfil the main function of the Central Bank - to regulate the turnover of money, to apoly instruments of monetary policy. The growth of the amount of money and inflation process slowed down, and from December I, 1992 the exchange rate of coupon against rouble became stronger. The variation of the exchange rate of coupon towards convertible currencies became smaller, though their exchange rates towards our money grew. The state had a possibility to prepare for changing temporary money-coupons into litas.

The idea of the restitution of the Lithuanian national monetary system for the first time was discussed openly on May 26, 1988 at the meeting of scientists at the Institute of Economics of the Academy of Sciences, where professor Stasys Uosis for the first time openly expressed the idea of the restitution of the Lithuanian national monetary system. Some scientists, among them the nomenclature of soviet banks, spoke, against the idea of litas. In spring 1989, the group of the creation of independent Lithuanian monetary and credit system was organized, in which lecturers of Vilnius University Finance and Credit Department and bankers-practitioners took part. In half a year the conception of independent Lithuanian monetary and credit system and the projects of related laws were prepared. When on March 11, 1990 the Independence was restored, the ossibilities to create the real, functioning central bank and national currency appeared. But the newly re-established the Bank of Lithuania had neither premises nor resources. It had only several workers, the Board hadn't been organized. When Vilius Baldišis was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania and the Statute of the Bank of Lithuania was approved, the main tasks in the monetary sphere were formulated, the concrete work began. On November 5, 1991 the Supreme Council adopted the publishing of Money Law. The Committee of Litas was founded. Its task was to fix the litas emission date. At the beginning of 1992 it was already prepared to introduce litas, but because of the inflation politics of the Government of that time the infroduct of litas became impossible - litas would quickly devaluate, the mere idea of litas as the national currency symbol would be discredited. The prices jumped up sharply, the lack of goods grew. The Government changed the order of selling the deficit goods by coupons (product cards). On July 29, 1991 the new common coupons were introduced. They were not money, but only universal trade cards. This change of the trade order did not diminish the problems. In this situation, the Bank of Lithuania suggested not to put coupons in circulation and only in case of necessity to use them as temporary money, but the government did not pay attention to this suggestion. The shortage of rouble cash began, the salaries, pensions, various payments and grants were not paid in time. Rouble signs were printed and emitted in Russia. For the political and economical reasons there was no possibility to expect the accession of cash from the USSR State Bank, so the Bank of Lithuania was looking for possibilities to emit the substitutes of rouble. On May 1, 1992 new coupons as the substitutes of rouble were put in circulation. With their help the bigger part of the arrears was liquidated. At the same time trade by common coupons (universal trade cards) was stopped. Life changed the plans of the creation of national monetary system. It was decided to introduce temporary money. When the Government changed, the Committee of Litas on September 16, 1992 adopted the decision that from October 1, 1992 only temporary money-coupons would be circulating in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania. Roubles were changed into coupons in the ratio 1:1. This way on October 1, 1992 the national currency was introduced and the own monetary system re-established in Lithuania. The Bank of Lithuania acquired the possibility to fulfil the main function of the Central Bank - to regulate the turnover of money, to apoly instruments of monetary policy. The growth of the amount of money and inflation process slowed down, and from December I, 1992 the exchange rate of coupon against rouble became stronger. The variation of the exchange rate of coupon towards convertible currencies became smaller, though their exchange rates towards our money grew. The state had a possibility to prepare for changing temporary money-coupons into litas.

The idea of the restitution of the Lithuanian national monetary system for the first time was discussed openly on May 26, 1988 at the meeting of scientists at the Institute of Economics of the Academy of Sciences, where professor Stasys Uosis for the first time openly expressed the idea of the restitution of the Lithuanian national monetary system. Some scientists, among them the nomenclature of soviet banks, spoke, against the idea of litas. In spring 1989, the group of the creation of independent Lithuanian monetary and credit system was organized, in which lecturers of Vilnius University Finance and Credit Department and bankers-practitioners took part. In half a year the conception of independent Lithuanian monetary and credit system and the projects of related laws were prepared. When on March 11, 1990 the Independence was restored, the ossibilities to create the real, functioning central bank and national currency appeared. But the newly re-established the Bank of Lithuania had neither premises nor resources. It had only several workers, the Board hadn't been organized. When Vilius Baldišis was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania and the Statute of the Bank of Lithuania was approved, the main tasks in the monetary sphere were formulated, the concrete work began. On November 5, 1991 the Supreme Council adopted the publishing of Money Law. The Committee of Litas was founded. Its task was to fix the litas emission date. At the beginning of 1992 it was already prepared to introduce litas, but because of the inflation politics of the Government of that time the infroduct of litas became impossible - litas would quickly devaluate, the mere idea of litas as the national currency symbol would be discredited. The prices jumped up sharply, the lack of goods grew. The Government changed the order of selling the deficit goods by coupons (product cards). On July 29, 1991 the new common coupons were introduced. They were not money, but only universal trade cards. This change of the trade order did not diminish the problems. In this situation, the Bank of Lithuania suggested not to put coupons in circulation and only in case of necessity to use them as temporary money, but the government did not pay attention to this suggestion. The shortage of rouble cash began, the salaries, pensions, various payments and grants were not paid in time. Rouble signs were printed and emitted in Russia. For the political and economical reasons there was no possibility to expect the accession of cash from the USSR State Bank, so the Bank of Lithuania was looking for possibilities to emit the substitutes of rouble. On May 1, 1992 new coupons as the substitutes of rouble were put in circulation. With their help the bigger part of the arrears was liquidated. At the same time trade by common coupons (universal trade cards) was stopped. Life changed the plans of the creation of national monetary system. It was decided to introduce temporary money. When the Government changed, the Committee of Litas on September 16, 1992 adopted the decision that from October 1, 1992 only temporary money-coupons would be circulating in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania. Roubles were changed into coupons in the ratio 1:1. This way on October 1, 1992 the national currency was introduced and the own monetary system re-established in Lithuania. The Bank of Lithuania acquired the possibility to fulfil the main function of the Central Bank - to regulate the turnover of money, to apoly instruments of monetary policy. The growth of the amount of money and inflation process slowed down, and from December I, 1992 the exchange rate of coupon against rouble became stronger. The variation of the exchange rate of coupon towards convertible currencies became smaller, though their exchange rates towards our money grew. The state had a possibility to prepare for changing temporary money-coupons into litas.

The object of this research is the Zaberezinskis family among the political elite of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: the association of the family's history (its genealogy, economic, political, foundational activity) with the rest of the environment of the GDL rulers of the Jagiellonian Dynasty. The general backdrop of the political life of the GDL makes it possible to see and evaluate the weight of the Zaberezininkis family among the country's ruling elite. From the late 15th to the middle of the 16th century, the aristocratic authority with its ages-old roots acquired institutional form. Foreseeing the possibility of rulers residing outside the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (as during Kazimierz Jagiellonian's rule), Alexander Jagiellonian's privilege of 6 August 1492 authorized broader prerogatives for the Council of Lords. At the same time, on the eve of the proclamation of the Grand Duke, the summoned parliament initiated the tradition of representation of the nobility. Institutional changes were accompanied by the reception of humanistic ideas, legal culture and political theory, linked to the custom, increasing at the time, of nobility sending their offspring to universities to pursue higher education. The story of the Zaberezinskis family, descendants of Rimvydas, is presented In the context of the formation of the GDL Republic (Respublica Magni Ducatus Lithuaniae), a political nation of descendants of the Romans (as the Lithuanian nobility portrayed themselves). The earliest data on the kin are associated with the times of Sigismund Kęstutaitis, and the latest with those of Sigismund Augustus. Members of the family played a particularly significant role in the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the times of Kazimierz Jagiellonian and his two sons Alexander and Sigismund the Old, from the 1480s until 1544. Responding to the postulates of the modern science of genealogy, the story of the family is presented according to its different branches. Against the background of key events in Lithuanian history, beginning from Jurgis Rimvydaitis and Jonas Jurgaitis Zaberezinskis, the careers of the latter's children and their descendants, their interrelationships, and factors influencing their careers are analysed. Due to the different status of different members of the family and the different amounts of data available in the sources, the questionnaire applied to different members of the family differs. Jonas Jurgaitis and his son Jonas Jonaitis Zaberezinskis, who reached the highest posts, are the most significant, and the most extensive treatment is given to their biographies. The composition of the landholding and the development of the network of towns are discussed in a separate part of the study. The available data (including property holdings) do not directly confirm a family relationship between the Zaberezinskis and the Manvydas families. No sources have been found in which the Zaberezinskis in any way mention Manvydas or his brother, or a family relationship with them. In the view of the author of this work, the success of Jonas Jurgaitis Zaberezinsky's career can be attributed to his holding the strategic post of Vicar of Polotsk at a key moment, the favour of Lithuanian Grand Duke Alexander and strong personal abilities. In consequence, Jonas Jurgaitis Zaberezinsky proved one of the most prominent personalities on the Council of Lords, achieving the particularly high offices of Voivode of Trakai and Grand Marshall, and personally taking part in the most important events in the interstate relations of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. For a variety of reasons (often due to early death), the only descendent of Jonas Jurgaitis Zaberezinskis who achieved a significant political career was his son Jonas Jonaitis Zaberezinskis (~1473-1538), who ultimately, like his father, assumed the posts of Voivode of Trakai and Grand Marshall of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. His relations with the other most influential high-ranking noblemen of the period are considered, especially the meaning of marriages contracted by him and arranged by him for his descendants and relatives. The gathered data regarding the formation and distribution of the family's latifundium show that the most important stage in the formation of the estate was the time of Jonas Jurgaitis Zaberezinskis, although later the family also acquired significant properties through marriage and purchases. A major step in this process was the marriage of Jonas Jurgaitis Zaberezinskis to the daughter, Ona, of Jonas Nasuta, who held large properties in Palenkė (Podlasie). Other ways land was acquired were purchases and gifts of the rulers (Casimir and Alexander). One such event that stands out is Alexander's gift in 1506 of the regions of Alytus and Simnas. Many of the surviving papers written by Jonas Jonaitis Zaberezinskis in the final period of his life, when he resided in Alytus as Keeper of the City and the Region, testify to intense internal colonization of the area of Alytus and Simnas by the Nemunas River. Alytus and Simnas also include the most noteworthy church foundations made by Jonas Jonaitis Zaberezinskis and his family, a clear witness to the founders' piety. As he gave the decisive impulse for Alytus and Simnas to become city-like settlements, he can properly be considered the founder of those cities. The political self-awareness of the Lithuanian aristocracy is best captured by the term from that period "the Republic of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania" (Respublica Magni Ducatus Lithuaniae), as D. Kuolis has accurately observed. The theory of the Roman origins of the Lithuanian nobility, with all its consequences (such as e.g. the rule of law), can be considered the highest peak of the political culture of the ruling elite of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1525 (well before the Union of Lublin, which is often associated with Lithuanian republican traditions) Albertas Goštautas's memorial to the Grand Duchess Bona associated the notion of nobility with loyalty to the ruler and responsibility for the commonwealth (the republic). Although it can be said that certain Republican ideals drawn from antiquity thrived among the Lithuanian aristocracy, their dominant trait was conservatism (unwillingness to admit lesser nobility to the structures of power). The high-rank nobility clearly recognized the ruler as the head of the political body of the Grand Duchy, and sought for him a crown. The programme for a Kingdom of Lithuania should be linked to the need, fostered by aristocracy, for the GDL to have its own distinct identity, though having a separate ruler was important also for practical reasons: the unquestioned centralized government accelerated the defence mechanisms of the state. A contemporary observer testifies that, when the ruler was absent, the Lithuanian lords "did not know what to do, remained undecided and did nothing." The ruling elite of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, both in their actions and in what they wrote (in the Lithuanian chronicles and elsewhere), unequivocally showed that no agreements with the Polish Crown bound them. The role of the aristocracy in the political emancipation of the lesser nobility and the importance of the latter for the maturing of the Lithuanian-Polish Union are issues that still require further research. Jonas Jonaitis Zaberezinskis gave some of his nobles personal freedom and economic autonomy, which can be regarded as a precondition for political emancipation.