Suchergebnisse

At the second half of 19th century the formation of the modern Lithuanian nation took place. This process took place together with the formation of modern Poles and other ethnic groups living in the territory of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL). In Lithuania, landlords and clergy played an important role in the national movement, influencing the religious-national consciousness of the commons. The cause of tension and disagreement between Lithuanians and Poles was often the issue of the use of the mother tongue in churches. The paper reviews the extent to which the common events in Inturkė and Joniškis parishes were reflected, how the Polish and Lithuanian national attitudes spread in the society and how the processes were reflected in the media of both nations. Ethnic relations in Joniškis and Inturkė parishes of Giedraičiai dean's office of Vilnius diocese were chosen as the object of research of master's thesis. This study, analyzing the processes of formation of national identity in both parishes, pays attention to Lithuanian-Polish religious-national aspirations, problems of change of their national identity, systematizes existing data, adding new, unpublished sources. The aim of the work is to examine the change of national relations and ethnolinguistic identity in Joniškis and Inturkė parishes of Giedraičiai deanery of Vilnius diocese. To achieve the goal, the following tasks were set: to review the main theories of nationalism and national movements; to determine the change of the national Catholic composition in Joniškis and Inturkė parishes in 1864–1914; to study the ethnic affiliation of Joniškis and Inturkė parish clergy and its role in the national and Catholic movement; to find out Lithuanian and Polish religious-national aspirations during the press ban and their influence on mutual relations; to discuss the manifestations and change of ethnolinguistic identity in Joniškis and Inturkė parishes in 1864 - 1914. In order to achieve the aim of the work, a descriptive method is used, which provides a detailed picture of the research objects on the nature and extent of ethnic conflicts in a particular parish. The comparative analog method is used to compare information from sources, revealing Polish and Lithuanian attitudes towards national relations. The statistical method was used to collect and summarize data on the population of parishes and their ethnic composition. The method of literature and source analysis helped to analyze and systematize scientific and ethnographic literature and narrative sources. The Lithuanian State Historical Archive and the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences store official questionnaires of priests, complaints of the residents and requests to the Vilnius Diocese administration. Some priests 'reports and explanations, as well as deans' letters, made it possible to collect and supplement data on clergy and their activities, and to clarify and compare the facts available on the processes of ethnic disagreement in the parishes under study. The analyzed press provided an overview of how the manifestations of ethnolinguistic identity were reflected. One of the most common modernist theories of nationalism was chosen for this study. Its researchers emphasize that education and access to high culture are important for the formation of modern society. This is relevant in the analysis of the role of the Lithuanian clergy and landlord in the modern national movement in 19th century. At that time, the majority of the population was low-educated peasants, who were most influenced by the faith and the Church. The national press language, which played a significant role in national self-identification, had important ideological and political significance for all national movements. Summarizing the research, it can be stated that in Vilnius county in the 19th century Lithuanians accounted for about 65% of the total population, but no language had a clear linguistic predominance. There are no precise data on the composition of the population of Joniškis and Inturkė parishes. The collected data are not reliable, as some of them were made up of parish priests, who could correct them according to their national beliefs. In the parishes of Giedraičiai deanery in the end of 19th century Lithuanians made up the majority of the population, and church services were held in Lithuanian. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Lithuanian language was used in only a few churches, including Inturkė and Joniškis churches. Comparing the data of the end of 19th century with the beginning of the 20th century, at the beginning of the 20th century, an increase in the number of Poles can be observed in Vilnius County. At the beginning of the 20th century, the language of prayer was considered to be the criterion for choosing a language during the parish census. The parish census sometimes caused serious public disagreement. Until the second half of the 19th century only Polish language was used in the church by Parish clergy. Later, most clergy of Joniškis and Inturkė parishes fostered the Lithuanian language, supported nationality, organized and distributed a forbidden press, raised the spirit of national revival, actively participated in the Lithuanian national movement, fought for the rights of the mother tongue in churches and spoke in the press. At the end of the 19th century in the mixed parishes of Inturkė and Joniškis conflicts often arose in Churches because of Mass language. Both, Poles and Lithuanians, wrote complaints and requests to the governors of the Vilnius diocese. Both nations sought to legitimize their native language in the church. Local landowners demanded to leave the Polish language in the church especially intensively. Complaints and conflicts of both, Poles and Lithuanians continued throughout the first decades of the 20th century. Manifestations and change of ethnolinguistic identity in Joniškis and Inturkė parishes in 1864–1914 are reflected by the press of that time, which became a condition of the identity of the modern democratic nation and a means of communication for the national movement. The newspapers of that time paid a lot of attention to the discussion of ethnic relations, reported on the events in the parishes, and published the complaints and speeches of the parishioners, which showed the national attitudes.

The relevance of the research. The emergence of temporary employment as an atypical form of work organization has become a relevant topic in the research of human resource management processes. Researchers analyze temporary employment not only as an atypical form of work organization, but also note that its practical use in labour market is characterized by flexibility while integrating workers into labour market and improving the productivity of the companies. The problem of the research. There is the lack of research and findings in scientific literature on temporary employment companies, empowering to reveal the flexibility of temporary employment management, its improvement and factors affecting it. There is little discussion among researchers about temporary employment as a flexible form of work organization, the tripartite relationship between a temporary employee, a temporary employment company and a user of temporary work. Specific and narrow issues are most often analysed. The description of the problem in this article can be summarized by the following problematic question: What are the factors that influence the management of a temporary employment company? Object of the research: factors that influence the management of a temporary employment company. Aim of the research: to disclose the factors determining the management of the activities of a temporary employment company. Research methods: Focus group, analysis of scientific literature, systematization, generalization and comparison, analysis of the contents of legal acts, statistics and other documents, methods of deduction and theoretical modelling, analysis, comparison and generalization of scientific statements and empirical research findings based on them, presentation of interpretations. Temporary employment is one of the forms of precarious employment and non-standard employment relationships. Unconventional employment patterns, in particular short-term and temporary work, have spread in many countries over the last few decades, but there is no universally accepted definition of temporary employment in scientific literature, as each country sets up their own specific regulation of employment. Temporary workers are usually considered to be workers who have concluded employment contracts for a specific period or for specific jobs, or those who have seasonal, casual or occasional work. It is widely recognized that temporary work improves the flexibility of labour market, has a positive economic impact, reduces unemployment and rapidly addresses temporary human resource shortages in companies. The form of temporary employment is convenient for disabled people, people with children and students for flexible integration into labour market, as it allows to take into consideration the mutual interests of the company and the temporary worker. Temporary employment services are provided by companies and agencies officially registered for these activities, which include the following functions: search and selection of employees, employee work accounting, employment contracts, etc. In Lithuania, the activities of temporary employment companies are regulated by the Labour Code of the Republic of Lithuania, and the criteria evaluation system of temporary employment companies is used to evaluate the activities of temporary employment companies. Every year, a temporary employment company has to submit a notice to the State Labour Inspectorate that it meets the established criteria. This article analyses a temporary employment company, coded as X at the request of its employees in order to maintain confidentiality. Information about the activities of this company in 2019 was provided by five company employees. The company has been providing temporary employment services in Northern Lithuania since 2012. The annual average number of temporary employees is about 70. The customers of the company – the users of temporary employment – are companies operating in manufacturing sector. The company establishes a tripartite employment relationship between a temporary employment user, a temporary employee and a temporary employment company, it employs a temporary employee and then sends an employee to work for a temporary employment beneficiary. The demand for services provided by Company X is determined by internal factors of collaboration with customers. Customers strive to minimize time and other resources and receive quality service. Manufacturing companies apply to Company X due to temporary increase in the scope of work, seasonality, sickness or holidays of employees. Company X expeditiously seeks the necessary employees for temporary employment in its existing database of job candidates or in labour market and then performs the necessary recruitment procedures. The company's activities are strongly influenced by external factors: legislative system, economic and demographic situation of the country, unemployment rate, the education level of employed employees and qualification improvement system of the country. A probabilistic analysis of opportunities of Company X and their impact on its business has disclosed that there is a high probability that a company can attract more customers in the course of different events and that this would have a significant impact on the company's business. The establishment of new divisions in other Lithuanian cities would also have a significant impact on this business, however, such establishment is unlikely. A probability analysis of threats and their impact on its business of Company X suggests that automation of workplaces for the company would be the factor that has the greatest negative impact on the company's business, as it would reduce the need for temporary workers. New competitors, as a medium impact factor, have negative impact, however, due to the fact that the terms and conditions for engaging in these activities for temporary employment companies are high, the likelihood of this threat is low. The highest probability of threats is related to temporary workers, their experience, their qualifications and competencies, low motivation to work, low wages and the impact of emigration. There are five temporary employment companies operating in Šiauliai city and region. The analysis of the competitive environment of Company X revealed that the price of the service is the most important factor for success of five companies in Šiauliai city and region, as the importance of this factor was evaluated by high scores of 2-3,5 by competitors. This is followed by the available base of temporary staff, the image of the company in society and among customers. The timing of service orders is significantly more important to Company X than to other four companies, and conversely, the cost of temporary employment service is much more important to other four companies. In terms of competitiveness, Company X is the second of five companies. As the gap in the estimates of competitiveness is not large, it can be stated that all five temporary employment service companies operating in Šiauliai city and region are similarly competitive.

In 2003, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania in its case-law formulated a thesis telling that the rule of law requires the state to provide the legislator with both a right and an obligation to prohibit acts which result in injuring or endangering the interests of persons, society or the state. The international agreements ratified by the Seimas, the membership in the European Union and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development as well create legal obligations relating liability for corruption in private sector for our country. Thus, appropriate legal liability (including liability for corruption in private sector) might be only conditionally regarded as the issue of discretion of the Seimas. In case the acts in question are sufficiently harmful and (or) the criminalisation thereof is connected with the implementation of the obligations of Lithuania, their inclusion into the Criminal Code of the Republic in Lithuania and active prosecution in respect of them is the duty of the Republic of Lithuania. The research paper aims to evaluate the regulation of liability for corruption in private sector in Lithuanian legal system. It must be noted that it examines not only the issues of criminal liability for corruption in private sector. Taking into account the fact that the standards for the application of criminal liability are particularly high (including inter alia the presumption of innocence), the research question was set on whether the existing legal regulation (labour law) provides possibilities to protect from employees displaying unacceptable standards of behaviour. Legal requirements relating the legal liability for corruption in private sector are provided for in a few international and supranational legal acts, i.e. (a) Council Framework Decision 2003/568/JHA of 22 July 2003 on combating corruption in the private sector; (b) United Nations Convention against Corruption of 31 October 2005 (c) Council of Europe Criminal Law Convention on Corruption of 27 January 1999; (d) Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Criminal Law Convention on Corruption of 15 May 2003; (e) Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions of 18 September 2014 (this Convention has not entered into force yet). Regrettably, these few international instruments are as well rather limited: for example, the Framework Decision requires criminalisation of only active and passive bribery in private sector, and the scope of application thereof fails to include not only any unilateral acts of corruption, but as well the corruption acts related to the aspiration to receive other benefit rather than remuneration, whereas the only one universal instrument of international law, the United Nations Convention against Corruption, requires the contracting states only to consider the criminalisation of corruption in private sector rather than the criminalisation itself. All three documents mentioning active and passive bribery in private sector (including Council of Europe Criminal Law Convention on Corruption besides the two already referred) are applied in restricted scope, i.e. only in cases when a bribe is given for acts or refraining from acting, in breach of the duties. This means that criminal liability is not applied in case the bribe is taken or even forced to give for proper performance of duties. However, Lithuania fails to proper implement event the limited duties formulated in the mentioned documents. Although in accordance with these three mentioned documents the subject of corruption in private sector is considered to be any employee in the private sector, Article 230(3) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania provides that criminal liability for active and passive bribery may arise only in cases when an employee holds administrative powers or is entitled to act on behalf of the legal person or other organisation, or provides public services. As according to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania most of employees in private companies are not held "persons to be treated as public servants", therefore, they might be held liable only for a restricted number of criminal activities – fraud, commercial espionage or disclosure of a commercial secret. Even upon the evidence of existence of dangerous acts, they may not be held liable for active and passive bribery or embezzlement. Due to the settled case-law which links the status of the "persons to be treated as public servants" with the exceptional importance of the company where they work for the public interest, even the majority of directors of companies and other persons acting on behalf of them may not be prosecuted for the mentioned acts. A part of corruption activities of the companies connected to their relations with clients, users and partners are standard ones, another part of corruption activities differ according to the field of activities of companies. Most of corruption activities of private companies occur either in the field of supply chain (production, distribution, marketing), or the purchasing field. These usually include active and private bribery, fraud, unfair commercial activities, misleading advertising or similar activities, subject to criminal or economic sanctions. Meanwhile, in the field of provision of legal services, pharmacy, healthcare, education, etc. possible corruption activities are of specific nature, and the prevention is provided for in special laws and codes of behaviour. Neither international, nor European Union legal acts regulate liability for corruption in labour relations, therefore, this issue is regulated only in national legislation. The main sanctions in labour law applicable in respect of an employee for corruption activities are the suspension of the performance of the labour agreement (a provisional measure) and termination of labour contract on the initiative of the employer upon the fault of the employee (Article 58 of the Labour Code). Besides, in respect of employees who act as directors a measure of revocation may be applied, and indeed, this measure is an important one for the protection of the company from a corrupted director. As well, particular sanctions for failure to execute the duties or improper execution thereof might be established in the internal documents of a company. These may include a warning, termination of additional payments or bonuses, etc. Due to the open list of measures applicable in labour relations, the liability for corruption activities in labour relations is broader in scope than criminal liability. On the other hand, rather short time-limits for the termination of the labour agreement on the initiative of the employer in case of fault of an employee and its weak deterrence weakens the effectiveness of this sanction. The problem of application of short time limits is not acute when the revocation of an employee is applied; however, the latter instrument is possible only in respect of heads of a legal person.

The relevance of the research. The emergence of temporary employment as an atypical form of work organization has become a relevant topic in the research of human resource management processes. Researchers analyze temporary employment not only as an atypical form of work organization, but also note that its practical use in labour market is characterized by flexibility while integrating workers into labour market and improving the productivity of the companies. The problem of the research. There is the lack of research and findings in scientific literature on temporary employment companies, empowering to reveal the flexibility of temporary employment management, its improvement and factors affecting it. There is little discussion among researchers about temporary employment as a flexible form of work organization, the tripartite relationship between a temporary employee, a temporary employment company and a user of temporary work. Specific and narrow issues are most often analysed. The description of the problem in this article can be summarized by the following problematic question: What are the factors that influence the management of a temporary employment company? Object of the research: factors that influence the management of a temporary employment company. Aim of the research: to disclose the factors determining the management of the activities of a temporary employment company. Research methods: Focus group, analysis of scientific literature, systematization, generalization and comparison, analysis of the contents of legal acts, statistics and other documents, methods of deduction and theoretical modelling, analysis, comparison and generalization of scientific statements and empirical research findings based on them, presentation of interpretations. Temporary employment is one of the forms of precarious employment and non-standard employment relationships. Unconventional employment patterns, in particular short-term and temporary work, have spread in many countries over the last few decades, but there is no universally accepted definition of temporary employment in scientific literature, as each country sets up their own specific regulation of employment. Temporary workers are usually considered to be workers who have concluded employment contracts for a specific period or for specific jobs, or those who have seasonal, casual or occasional work. It is widely recognized that temporary work improves the flexibility of labour market, has a positive economic impact, reduces unemployment and rapidly addresses temporary human resource shortages in companies. The form of temporary employment is convenient for disabled people, people with children and students for flexible integration into labour market, as it allows to take into consideration the mutual interests of the company and the temporary worker. Temporary employment services are provided by companies and agencies officially registered for these activities, which include the following functions: search and selection of employees, employee work accounting, employment contracts, etc. In Lithuania, the activities of temporary employment companies are regulated by the Labour Code of the Republic of Lithuania, and the criteria evaluation system of temporary employment companies is used to evaluate the activities of temporary employment companies. Every year, a temporary employment company has to submit a notice to the State Labour Inspectorate that it meets the established criteria. This article analyses a temporary employment company, coded as X at the request of its employees in order to maintain confidentiality. Information about the activities of this company in 2019 was provided by five company employees. The company has been providing temporary employment services in Northern Lithuania since 2012. The annual average number of temporary employees is about 70. The customers of the company – the users of temporary employment – are companies operating in manufacturing sector. The company establishes a tripartite employment relationship between a temporary employment user, a temporary employee and a temporary employment company, it employs a temporary employee and then sends an employee to work for a temporary employment beneficiary. The demand for services provided by Company X is determined by internal factors of collaboration with customers. Customers strive to minimize time and other resources and receive quality service. Manufacturing companies apply to Company X due to temporary increase in the scope of work, seasonality, sickness or holidays of employees. Company X expeditiously seeks the necessary employees for temporary employment in its existing database of job candidates or in labour market and then performs the necessary recruitment procedures. The company's activities are strongly influenced by external factors: legislative system, economic and demographic situation of the country, unemployment rate, the education level of employed employees and qualification improvement system of the country. A probabilistic analysis of opportunities of Company X and their impact on its business has disclosed that there is a high probability that a company can attract more customers in the course of different events and that this would have a significant impact on the company's business. The establishment of new divisions in other Lithuanian cities would also have a significant impact on this business, however, such establishment is unlikely. A probability analysis of threats and their impact on its business of Company X suggests that automation of workplaces for the company would be the factor that has the greatest negative impact on the company's business, as it would reduce the need for temporary workers. New competitors, as a medium impact factor, have negative impact, however, due to the fact that the terms and conditions for engaging in these activities for temporary employment companies are high, the likelihood of this threat is low. The highest probability of threats is related to temporary workers, their experience, their qualifications and competencies, low motivation to work, low wages and the impact of emigration. There are five temporary employment companies operating in Šiauliai city and region. The analysis of the competitive environment of Company X revealed that the price of the service is the most important factor for success of five companies in Šiauliai city and region, as the importance of this factor was evaluated by high scores of 2-3,5 by competitors. This is followed by the available base of temporary staff, the image of the company in society and among customers. The timing of service orders is significantly more important to Company X than to other four companies, and conversely, the cost of temporary employment service is much more important to other four companies. In terms of competitiveness, Company X is the second of five companies. As the gap in the estimates of competitiveness is not large, it can be stated that all five temporary employment service companies operating in Šiauliai city and region are similarly competitive.

In 2003, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania in its case-law formulated a thesis telling that the rule of law requires the state to provide the legislator with both a right and an obligation to prohibit acts which result in injuring or endangering the interests of persons, society or the state. The international agreements ratified by the Seimas, the membership in the European Union and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development as well create legal obligations relating liability for corruption in private sector for our country. Thus, appropriate legal liability (including liability for corruption in private sector) might be only conditionally regarded as the issue of discretion of the Seimas. In case the acts in question are sufficiently harmful and (or) the criminalisation thereof is connected with the implementation of the obligations of Lithuania, their inclusion into the Criminal Code of the Republic in Lithuania and active prosecution in respect of them is the duty of the Republic of Lithuania. The research paper aims to evaluate the regulation of liability for corruption in private sector in Lithuanian legal system. It must be noted that it examines not only the issues of criminal liability for corruption in private sector. Taking into account the fact that the standards for the application of criminal liability are particularly high (including inter alia the presumption of innocence), the research question was set on whether the existing legal regulation (labour law) provides possibilities to protect from employees displaying unacceptable standards of behaviour. Legal requirements relating the legal liability for corruption in private sector are provided for in a few international and supranational legal acts, i.e. (a) Council Framework Decision 2003/568/JHA of 22 July 2003 on combating corruption in the private sector; (b) United Nations Convention against Corruption of 31 October 2005 (c) Council of Europe Criminal Law Convention on Corruption of 27 January 1999; (d) Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Criminal Law Convention on Corruption of 15 May 2003; (e) Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions of 18 September 2014 (this Convention has not entered into force yet). Regrettably, these few international instruments are as well rather limited: for example, the Framework Decision requires criminalisation of only active and passive bribery in private sector, and the scope of application thereof fails to include not only any unilateral acts of corruption, but as well the corruption acts related to the aspiration to receive other benefit rather than remuneration, whereas the only one universal instrument of international law, the United Nations Convention against Corruption, requires the contracting states only to consider the criminalisation of corruption in private sector rather than the criminalisation itself. All three documents mentioning active and passive bribery in private sector (including Council of Europe Criminal Law Convention on Corruption besides the two already referred) are applied in restricted scope, i.e. only in cases when a bribe is given for acts or refraining from acting, in breach of the duties. This means that criminal liability is not applied in case the bribe is taken or even forced to give for proper performance of duties. However, Lithuania fails to proper implement event the limited duties formulated in the mentioned documents. Although in accordance with these three mentioned documents the subject of corruption in private sector is considered to be any employee in the private sector, Article 230(3) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania provides that criminal liability for active and passive bribery may arise only in cases when an employee holds administrative powers or is entitled to act on behalf of the legal person or other organisation, or provides public services. As according to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania most of employees in private companies are not held "persons to be treated as public servants", therefore, they might be held liable only for a restricted number of criminal activities – fraud, commercial espionage or disclosure of a commercial secret. Even upon the evidence of existence of dangerous acts, they may not be held liable for active and passive bribery or embezzlement. Due to the settled case-law which links the status of the "persons to be treated as public servants" with the exceptional importance of the company where they work for the public interest, even the majority of directors of companies and other persons acting on behalf of them may not be prosecuted for the mentioned acts. A part of corruption activities of the companies connected to their relations with clients, users and partners are standard ones, another part of corruption activities differ according to the field of activities of companies. Most of corruption activities of private companies occur either in the field of supply chain (production, distribution, marketing), or the purchasing field. These usually include active and private bribery, fraud, unfair commercial activities, misleading advertising or similar activities, subject to criminal or economic sanctions. Meanwhile, in the field of provision of legal services, pharmacy, healthcare, education, etc. possible corruption activities are of specific nature, and the prevention is provided for in special laws and codes of behaviour. Neither international, nor European Union legal acts regulate liability for corruption in labour relations, therefore, this issue is regulated only in national legislation. The main sanctions in labour law applicable in respect of an employee for corruption activities are the suspension of the performance of the labour agreement (a provisional measure) and termination of labour contract on the initiative of the employer upon the fault of the employee (Article 58 of the Labour Code). Besides, in respect of employees who act as directors a measure of revocation may be applied, and indeed, this measure is an important one for the protection of the company from a corrupted director. As well, particular sanctions for failure to execute the duties or improper execution thereof might be established in the internal documents of a company. These may include a warning, termination of additional payments or bonuses, etc. Due to the open list of measures applicable in labour relations, the liability for corruption activities in labour relations is broader in scope than criminal liability. On the other hand, rather short time-limits for the termination of the labour agreement on the initiative of the employer in case of fault of an employee and its weak deterrence weakens the effectiveness of this sanction. The problem of application of short time limits is not acute when the revocation of an employee is applied; however, the latter instrument is possible only in respect of heads of a legal person.

The aim of the Master thesis Does the Law System of the Republic of Lithuania Ensure the Non-Discrimination of Women in Labour Market is, by answering the problematic question, to conduct a scientific research and confirm or deny the hypothesis that the law system of the Republic of Lithuania does not ensure the non-discrimination of women in labour market. This topic is problematic because there is a legislative context established in Lithuania that aims to ensure equal individual rights in the field of labour. Despite the relative legislation, the official statistical data demonstrate that de facto situation of women in labour market is worse than men. In Lithuania only in 2012 in the age range of 25-34 there were 17.8% more women with higher education than men and, compared to men, their work pay gap was 12.6%. What is more, in the age range of 35-44 the work pay gap was 17.3%, and the employment rate of women was 3% smaller than men. Hence, the subject of the scientific study is the legal system of the Republic of Lithuania in terms of the non-discrimination/discrimination of women in labour market. The objectives of the paper are as follows: 1. interview the representatives of three different institutions in Lithuania in order to find out the main reasons, why the situation of women in the labour market is worse, and to provide the form and base of discrimination of women; 2. present the concept of positive actions and the application of tools of positive actions that ensure the non-discrimination of women in labour market; 3. analyze and describe how to ensure the non-discrimination of women in labour market on an international and supranational level; 4. analyze Lithuanian law and point out the imperfections of certain laws that do not ensure the non-discrimination of women in labour market. In the first chapter of this Master thesis the forms and reasons of women discrimination in labour market were analyzed. It was important to find what the forms of discrimination are and what factors influence the worse situation of women in labour market, compared to men. The study was done as follows: the representatives of three different Lithuanian institutions were interviewed, the comparative analysis of legislation was carried out, and the analysis of scientific publications was done. The results demonstrated that women in labour market are discrimanet for these reasons: lack of representation of women when making decisions, constantly reproduced gender stereotypes, and the higher burden of family responsibilities, compared to men. The base of discrimination are marital and family status, family commitment, pregnancy, and parental leave. The Lithuanian law provides four prohibited forms of discrimination: direct, indirect, harassment, and sexual harassment. However, the description of law has no direct relation with actual segregation in employment. The second chapter provides the analysis of the application of positive actions that ensure the non-discrimination of women in labour market. Positive actions are important because they eliminate actual inequality in social life. It was researched, what the tools of positive actions are in the public work sector and private work sector. The comparative analysis with other countries was carried out. The results revealed that the Lithuanian law treats positive actions as temporary special measures that are used to ensure equality and prevent the violation of equal rights because of gender-related and other reasons. However, there is no law in Lithuania that would provide the exact nature and conditions of application of these measures. The third chapter provides the analysis of how the non-discrimination of women in labour market on an international and supranational level is ensured. Descriptive, analytic, and comparative methods were used to find out what measures and mechanisms can help to ensure the non-discrimination if women in labour market. With the use of international mechanisms the United Nations obligate the countries-participants of convention to apply national measures in fighting with the discrimination of women in labour market. In Lithuania the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Optional Protocol to the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women are confirmed. Lithuania, as a participating country, formally considers the recommendations regarding the worse situation of women in labour market and implements them through various national programs by modifying or supplementing the legislation. The influence of the European Union is felt on a supranational level when writing national legislation. There are many EU directives applied in the national law of Lithuania. However, not all of them are applied consistently because the non-discrimination of women in labour market is not the priority issue in Lithuania. Chapter 4 provides the analysis of the legislation and legal mechanisms of the Republic of Lithuania. The main focus was on the issue of maternity leave regulated by the Labour Code, and the issue of making decisions, appealing them, and functions of Equal Opportunities Ombudsman. These questions are important because they are directly related to the situation of women in labour market and the ability to address a quasi-judicial body with the appeal about violation of rights. The methods of scientific analysis used in this chapter are analytical method, descriptive method and interview. The provision of parental leave that is regulated by the Labour Code raises main problems regarding the situation of a woman in labour market because the stereotypical idea that only a woman should go on parental leave is still alive. A very small part of men choose to go on a parental leave what causes long breaks between work for women and strongly affects their career. The results showed that people in Lithuania trust the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman more than they trust court. However, the contemporary function of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman, which is the supervision of law enforcement, and its related competence of imposing administrative liability regarding the violation of Act on Equal opportunities for Women and Men and Law on Equal Opportunities are limited. The results of this research are important because they reveal the imperfections of laws and pose a need to adopt amendments. After the scientific research was conducted, the hypothesis raised was confirmed: the law system of the Republic of Lithuania does not ensure the non-discrimination of women in labour market. The answer to the question, whether the law system of the Republic of Lithuania ensures the non-discrimination of women in labour market, is no.

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.

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.

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.

Lithuanian historical sources mentioned the divers for the first time in the 1990s. With intention to assist emerging national formations of the Department of National Defense of Lithuania, , Valerijus Krisikaitis reported to the local national defense department in Klaipeda in September of 1990. He was a certificated diver and karate instructor and expressed his desire to work in the national defense service. Also, he had displayed an unorthodox approach by offering to organize and train a squad, which would be prepared for combat self-defense and combat diving. These skills could be applied to protection of Klaipėda Seaport again possible attacks organized and executed by foreign hostile military forces. This was the beginning of the formation of combat divers' units in Lithuanian military. Currently, this combat capacity has increased significantly. Due to "Restricted" and "Secret" classification marks, the exact figures cannot be disclosed, but open sources indicate that there are two separate units, The Underwater Action Team, which is part of the Naval Forces and the Combat Divers Service, which is subordinated to the Special Operations Forces. These units have separate boat crews, maintenance and supply teams, individual explosive ordnance disposal experts, combat divers, rescue teams and much more. The structure of research in the master 's thesis consists of a summary in English, an introduction and three chapters. Also, it includes conclusions, list of literature and sources, recommendations and appendices. The first chapter analyzes the key aspects of formation and origins of the Lithuanian Army Combat Swimmer Squad in 1990-1992, the incorporation of combat swimmers into the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the squad contingent formation instructions, divers and possibilities of starting / financing / supplying the technical base. The second chapter is concentrated on the activities of the Lithuanian Combat Swimmers Squadron in 1993-2004. Separate chapters discuss the change of the Lithuanian Armed Forces 'leadership in terms of combat swimmers' platoon and the planning of the platoon employment, the genesis of the Lithuanian Armed Forces 'combat swimmers' platoon competence building system and its transformation. Also, evolution of the technical base of the Lithuanian Army combat swimmers' platoon: financing and supply. The third chapter examines the image of Lithuanian military divers in media in 1991–2004. The main aspects and narratives that need to be paid attention to: the Lithuanian society (media) in relation to Lithuanian combat swimmers are analyzed. It is examined why Lithuanian combat swimmers benefited from media attention. The goal of the research. The main goal of the research is the information analysis of the Lithuanian combat divers' activities during formation of the independent and modern Lithuanian military structure. This analysis includes available sources from the Lithuanian military and public media related with the topic. The methods of the research. The main research was performed applying combined study using both qualitative and quantitative methods of research. The main tools utilized in the research were the questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Statistic data processing and the content analysis methods had been applied in order to process the data collected. The target audience of the qualitative research were 7 individuals who had completed military service in the combat divers' unit in the past. The research was conducted according to the ethical standards. The results of the scientific research. The analysis of the data revealed that Lithuanian combat divers have been perfectly prepared to act as soldiers, both physically and psychologically, during the timeframe of this research embracing periods of 1990s to 2004. Their activities were limited only due to the financial constraints and lack of the reliable diving equipment and infrastructure. The importance of the combat divers in the Lithuanian Armed Forces has been significant since the beginning of their activities and was slowly increasing during the time period of the research. This was mostly attributed to their skills and abilities to perform demolition tasks underwater and this field of activities was equally high skilled in comparison to modern and highly equipped foreign military forces and their divers. The age and education of the potential candidates to the Lithuanian combat divers' unit also had a great significance. Because training and preparation process of the candidates could take years, only young soldiers from the professional military service units have been accepted to be trained as highly professional combat divers. According to the interviewees, the significance of the Lithuanian combat divers was definitely high in the Lithuanian military because a small unit of underwater subversive divers could cause a greater damage than an infantry battalion. Conclusions and recommendations. 1. The origins of formation of the Lithuanian combat divers' squad in 1990s. Back at that time, the leader and main instructor of the combat divers' unit Valerijus Krisikaitis had started to recruit the team and train the diver candidates. There was a clear vision at that time that independent Lithuanian Armed Forces would meet the demand of the highly trained combat divers. The problem of the incorporation of the unit into the structure of Lithuanian Military Forces has been addressed gradually. In the beginning the combat divers under the name of the diving club "Nautilius" were incorporated into the local SKAT department in Klaipėda. In 1992, after the establishment of the "Iron Wolf" brigade and the paratrooper regiment in Klaipėda, the combat divers became subordinated to the regiment commander. Due to insufficient funding during the period from 1990s to 1992, there were active efforts in order to find necessary funding from both private supporters and the government. 2. The position of the senior leadership of the Lithuanian Armed Forces towards the issues of the Lithuanian combat divers had improved since 1993. It was the beginning of the actual support and assistance. Orders had been issued to establish a squad of combat divers. The support has been growing ever since due to the fact that the necessity of this unit had been proved and there were no uncertainties about the quality of training. Overall formation of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and incorporation of the combat divers took more than a few years. Time was necessary for training of the candidates able to perform combat tasks, special operations, reconnaissance and demining tasks both underwater and on the surface. During the period of 12 years since 1992, the training system was implemented from the scratch. The heart of the diving training became the squad of combat divers in Klaipėda, led by Valerijus Krisikaitis. The Lithuanian Armed Forces during the period from 1993 to 2004 had become capable of training the combat divers and explosive ordnance disposal experts in their own local training centers. These locally trained combat divers have been internationally acknowledged as perfectly prepared to perform combat tasks and being able to train other soldiers to perform diving tasks. A positive change in Lithuanian legislative and executive powers' opinion towards the Lithuanian combat divers led to increase of both, reliance and funding. The undisputed importance of the only diving unit able to perform underwater countermining was the main reason that caused such a trust. Back in the period from 1993 to 2004, the territory of the Republic of Lithuania had been covered by unexploded ordnance items left after World War II and still causing threats to the local inhabitants. 3. After the restoration of the independence, Lithuanian media has been used effectively in order to create a positive public opinion about the activities of the combat divers. The soldiers who have been doing their service in the unit have been portrayed as brave and professional specialists doing underwater countermining and other secret military tasks. The main aspects and the common narrative in the media and the public eye were the combat training of the divers, also training in the public sectors, assistance to the rescue services and their contribution to the society. The content of the media publications has changed. In the beginning, the main topic was the issues of the combat divers' service, mostly the financial scarcity. Invitations to join the diving club "Nautilius" and information about private and commissioned diving tasks performed by the unit had been published. Since 1997, the media had changed earlier used kind of publications into information about the international military trainings attended by the Lithuanian combat divers and their autonomous training. The invitations for the civilians to join the combat divers' service disappeared from the media and were replaced by the publications about well-trained divers and their professionally carried out underwater tasks that demonstrate the competence equal to the modern foreign military divers.

Lithuanian historical sources mentioned the divers for the first time in the 1990s. With intention to assist emerging national formations of the Department of National Defense of Lithuania, , Valerijus Krisikaitis reported to the local national defense department in Klaipeda in September of 1990. He was a certificated diver and karate instructor and expressed his desire to work in the national defense service. Also, he had displayed an unorthodox approach by offering to organize and train a squad, which would be prepared for combat self-defense and combat diving. These skills could be applied to protection of Klaipėda Seaport again possible attacks organized and executed by foreign hostile military forces. This was the beginning of the formation of combat divers' units in Lithuanian military. Currently, this combat capacity has increased significantly. Due to "Restricted" and "Secret" classification marks, the exact figures cannot be disclosed, but open sources indicate that there are two separate units, The Underwater Action Team, which is part of the Naval Forces and the Combat Divers Service, which is subordinated to the Special Operations Forces. These units have separate boat crews, maintenance and supply teams, individual explosive ordnance disposal experts, combat divers, rescue teams and much more. The structure of research in the master 's thesis consists of a summary in English, an introduction and three chapters. Also, it includes conclusions, list of literature and sources, recommendations and appendices. The first chapter analyzes the key aspects of formation and origins of the Lithuanian Army Combat Swimmer Squad in 1990-1992, the incorporation of combat swimmers into the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the squad contingent formation instructions, divers and possibilities of starting / financing / supplying the technical base. The second chapter is concentrated on the activities of the Lithuanian Combat Swimmers Squadron in 1993-2004. Separate chapters discuss the change of the Lithuanian Armed Forces 'leadership in terms of combat swimmers' platoon and the planning of the platoon employment, the genesis of the Lithuanian Armed Forces 'combat swimmers' platoon competence building system and its transformation. Also, evolution of the technical base of the Lithuanian Army combat swimmers' platoon: financing and supply. The third chapter examines the image of Lithuanian military divers in media in 1991–2004. The main aspects and narratives that need to be paid attention to: the Lithuanian society (media) in relation to Lithuanian combat swimmers are analyzed. It is examined why Lithuanian combat swimmers benefited from media attention. The goal of the research. The main goal of the research is the information analysis of the Lithuanian combat divers' activities during formation of the independent and modern Lithuanian military structure. This analysis includes available sources from the Lithuanian military and public media related with the topic. The methods of the research. The main research was performed applying combined study using both qualitative and quantitative methods of research. The main tools utilized in the research were the questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Statistic data processing and the content analysis methods had been applied in order to process the data collected. The target audience of the qualitative research were 7 individuals who had completed military service in the combat divers' unit in the past. The research was conducted according to the ethical standards. The results of the scientific research. The analysis of the data revealed that Lithuanian combat divers have been perfectly prepared to act as soldiers, both physically and psychologically, during the timeframe of this research embracing periods of 1990s to 2004. Their activities were limited only due to the financial constraints and lack of the reliable diving equipment and infrastructure. The importance of the combat divers in the Lithuanian Armed Forces has been significant since the beginning of their activities and was slowly increasing during the time period of the research. This was mostly attributed to their skills and abilities to perform demolition tasks underwater and this field of activities was equally high skilled in comparison to modern and highly equipped foreign military forces and their divers. The age and education of the potential candidates to the Lithuanian combat divers' unit also had a great significance. Because training and preparation process of the candidates could take years, only young soldiers from the professional military service units have been accepted to be trained as highly professional combat divers. According to the interviewees, the significance of the Lithuanian combat divers was definitely high in the Lithuanian military because a small unit of underwater subversive divers could cause a greater damage than an infantry battalion. Conclusions and recommendations. 1. The origins of formation of the Lithuanian combat divers' squad in 1990s. Back at that time, the leader and main instructor of the combat divers' unit Valerijus Krisikaitis had started to recruit the team and train the diver candidates. There was a clear vision at that time that independent Lithuanian Armed Forces would meet the demand of the highly trained combat divers. The problem of the incorporation of the unit into the structure of Lithuanian Military Forces has been addressed gradually. In the beginning the combat divers under the name of the diving club "Nautilius" were incorporated into the local SKAT department in Klaipėda. In 1992, after the establishment of the "Iron Wolf" brigade and the paratrooper regiment in Klaipėda, the combat divers became subordinated to the regiment commander. Due to insufficient funding during the period from 1990s to 1992, there were active efforts in order to find necessary funding from both private supporters and the government. 2. The position of the senior leadership of the Lithuanian Armed Forces towards the issues of the Lithuanian combat divers had improved since 1993. It was the beginning of the actual support and assistance. Orders had been issued to establish a squad of combat divers. The support has been growing ever since due to the fact that the necessity of this unit had been proved and there were no uncertainties about the quality of training. Overall formation of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and incorporation of the combat divers took more than a few years. Time was necessary for training of the candidates able to perform combat tasks, special operations, reconnaissance and demining tasks both underwater and on the surface. During the period of 12 years since 1992, the training system was implemented from the scratch. The heart of the diving training became the squad of combat divers in Klaipėda, led by Valerijus Krisikaitis. The Lithuanian Armed Forces during the period from 1993 to 2004 had become capable of training the combat divers and explosive ordnance disposal experts in their own local training centers. These locally trained combat divers have been internationally acknowledged as perfectly prepared to perform combat tasks and being able to train other soldiers to perform diving tasks. A positive change in Lithuanian legislative and executive powers' opinion towards the Lithuanian combat divers led to increase of both, reliance and funding. The undisputed importance of the only diving unit able to perform underwater countermining was the main reason that caused such a trust. Back in the period from 1993 to 2004, the territory of the Republic of Lithuania had been covered by unexploded ordnance items left after World War II and still causing threats to the local inhabitants. 3. After the restoration of the independence, Lithuanian media has been used effectively in order to create a positive public opinion about the activities of the combat divers. The soldiers who have been doing their service in the unit have been portrayed as brave and professional specialists doing underwater countermining and other secret military tasks. The main aspects and the common narrative in the media and the public eye were the combat training of the divers, also training in the public sectors, assistance to the rescue services and their contribution to the society. The content of the media publications has changed. In the beginning, the main topic was the issues of the combat divers' service, mostly the financial scarcity. Invitations to join the diving club "Nautilius" and information about private and commissioned diving tasks performed by the unit had been published. Since 1997, the media had changed earlier used kind of publications into information about the international military trainings attended by the Lithuanian combat divers and their autonomous training. The invitations for the civilians to join the combat divers' service disappeared from the media and were replaced by the publications about well-trained divers and their professionally carried out underwater tasks that demonstrate the competence equal to the modern foreign military divers.

Lithuanian historical sources mentioned the divers for the first time in the 1990s. With intention to assist emerging national formations of the Department of National Defense of Lithuania, , Valerijus Krisikaitis reported to the local national defense department in Klaipeda in September of 1990. He was a certificated diver and karate instructor and expressed his desire to work in the national defense service. Also, he had displayed an unorthodox approach by offering to organize and train a squad, which would be prepared for combat self-defense and combat diving. These skills could be applied to protection of Klaipėda Seaport again possible attacks organized and executed by foreign hostile military forces. This was the beginning of the formation of combat divers' units in Lithuanian military. Currently, this combat capacity has increased significantly. Due to "Restricted" and "Secret" classification marks, the exact figures cannot be disclosed, but open sources indicate that there are two separate units, The Underwater Action Team, which is part of the Naval Forces and the Combat Divers Service, which is subordinated to the Special Operations Forces. These units have separate boat crews, maintenance and supply teams, individual explosive ordnance disposal experts, combat divers, rescue teams and much more. The structure of research in the master 's thesis consists of a summary in English, an introduction and three chapters. Also, it includes conclusions, list of literature and sources, recommendations and appendices. The first chapter analyzes the key aspects of formation and origins of the Lithuanian Army Combat Swimmer Squad in 1990-1992, the incorporation of combat swimmers into the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the squad contingent formation instructions, divers and possibilities of starting / financing / supplying the technical base. The second chapter is concentrated on the activities of the Lithuanian Combat Swimmers Squadron in 1993-2004. Separate chapters discuss the change of the Lithuanian Armed Forces 'leadership in terms of combat swimmers' platoon and the planning of the platoon employment, the genesis of the Lithuanian Armed Forces 'combat swimmers' platoon competence building system and its transformation. Also, evolution of the technical base of the Lithuanian Army combat swimmers' platoon: financing and supply. The third chapter examines the image of Lithuanian military divers in media in 1991–2004. The main aspects and narratives that need to be paid attention to: the Lithuanian society (media) in relation to Lithuanian combat swimmers are analyzed. It is examined why Lithuanian combat swimmers benefited from media attention. The goal of the research. The main goal of the research is the information analysis of the Lithuanian combat divers' activities during formation of the independent and modern Lithuanian military structure. This analysis includes available sources from the Lithuanian military and public media related with the topic. The methods of the research. The main research was performed applying combined study using both qualitative and quantitative methods of research. The main tools utilized in the research were the questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Statistic data processing and the content analysis methods had been applied in order to process the data collected. The target audience of the qualitative research were 7 individuals who had completed military service in the combat divers' unit in the past. The research was conducted according to the ethical standards. The results of the scientific research. The analysis of the data revealed that Lithuanian combat divers have been perfectly prepared to act as soldiers, both physically and psychologically, during the timeframe of this research embracing periods of 1990s to 2004. Their activities were limited only due to the financial constraints and lack of the reliable diving equipment and infrastructure. The importance of the combat divers in the Lithuanian Armed Forces has been significant since the beginning of their activities and was slowly increasing during the time period of the research. This was mostly attributed to their skills and abilities to perform demolition tasks underwater and this field of activities was equally high skilled in comparison to modern and highly equipped foreign military forces and their divers. The age and education of the potential candidates to the Lithuanian combat divers' unit also had a great significance. Because training and preparation process of the candidates could take years, only young soldiers from the professional military service units have been accepted to be trained as highly professional combat divers. According to the interviewees, the significance of the Lithuanian combat divers was definitely high in the Lithuanian military because a small unit of underwater subversive divers could cause a greater damage than an infantry battalion. Conclusions and recommendations. 1. The origins of formation of the Lithuanian combat divers' squad in 1990s. Back at that time, the leader and main instructor of the combat divers' unit Valerijus Krisikaitis had started to recruit the team and train the diver candidates. There was a clear vision at that time that independent Lithuanian Armed Forces would meet the demand of the highly trained combat divers. The problem of the incorporation of the unit into the structure of Lithuanian Military Forces has been addressed gradually. In the beginning the combat divers under the name of the diving club "Nautilius" were incorporated into the local SKAT department in Klaipėda. In 1992, after the establishment of the "Iron Wolf" brigade and the paratrooper regiment in Klaipėda, the combat divers became subordinated to the regiment commander. Due to insufficient funding during the period from 1990s to 1992, there were active efforts in order to find necessary funding from both private supporters and the government. 2. The position of the senior leadership of the Lithuanian Armed Forces towards the issues of the Lithuanian combat divers had improved since 1993. It was the beginning of the actual support and assistance. Orders had been issued to establish a squad of combat divers. The support has been growing ever since due to the fact that the necessity of this unit had been proved and there were no uncertainties about the quality of training. Overall formation of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and incorporation of the combat divers took more than a few years. Time was necessary for training of the candidates able to perform combat tasks, special operations, reconnaissance and demining tasks both underwater and on the surface. During the period of 12 years since 1992, the training system was implemented from the scratch. The heart of the diving training became the squad of combat divers in Klaipėda, led by Valerijus Krisikaitis. The Lithuanian Armed Forces during the period from 1993 to 2004 had become capable of training the combat divers and explosive ordnance disposal experts in their own local training centers. These locally trained combat divers have been internationally acknowledged as perfectly prepared to perform combat tasks and being able to train other soldiers to perform diving tasks. A positive change in Lithuanian legislative and executive powers' opinion towards the Lithuanian combat divers led to increase of both, reliance and funding. The undisputed importance of the only diving unit able to perform underwater countermining was the main reason that caused such a trust. Back in the period from 1993 to 2004, the territory of the Republic of Lithuania had been covered by unexploded ordnance items left after World War II and still causing threats to the local inhabitants. 3. After the restoration of the independence, Lithuanian media has been used effectively in order to create a positive public opinion about the activities of the combat divers. The soldiers who have been doing their service in the unit have been portrayed as brave and professional specialists doing underwater countermining and other secret military tasks. The main aspects and the common narrative in the media and the public eye were the combat training of the divers, also training in the public sectors, assistance to the rescue services and their contribution to the society. The content of the media publications has changed. In the beginning, the main topic was the issues of the combat divers' service, mostly the financial scarcity. Invitations to join the diving club "Nautilius" and information about private and commissioned diving tasks performed by the unit had been published. Since 1997, the media had changed earlier used kind of publications into information about the international military trainings attended by the Lithuanian combat divers and their autonomous training. The invitations for the civilians to join the combat divers' service disappeared from the media and were replaced by the publications about well-trained divers and their professionally carried out underwater tasks that demonstrate the competence equal to the modern foreign military divers.

Lithuanian historical sources mentioned the divers for the first time in the 1990s. With intention to assist emerging national formations of the Department of National Defense of Lithuania, , Valerijus Krisikaitis reported to the local national defense department in Klaipeda in September of 1990. He was a certificated diver and karate instructor and expressed his desire to work in the national defense service. Also, he had displayed an unorthodox approach by offering to organize and train a squad, which would be prepared for combat self-defense and combat diving. These skills could be applied to protection of Klaipėda Seaport again possible attacks organized and executed by foreign hostile military forces. This was the beginning of the formation of combat divers' units in Lithuanian military. Currently, this combat capacity has increased significantly. Due to "Restricted" and "Secret" classification marks, the exact figures cannot be disclosed, but open sources indicate that there are two separate units, The Underwater Action Team, which is part of the Naval Forces and the Combat Divers Service, which is subordinated to the Special Operations Forces. These units have separate boat crews, maintenance and supply teams, individual explosive ordnance disposal experts, combat divers, rescue teams and much more. The structure of research in the master 's thesis consists of a summary in English, an introduction and three chapters. Also, it includes conclusions, list of literature and sources, recommendations and appendices. The first chapter analyzes the key aspects of formation and origins of the Lithuanian Army Combat Swimmer Squad in 1990-1992, the incorporation of combat swimmers into the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the squad contingent formation instructions, divers and possibilities of starting / financing / supplying the technical base. The second chapter is concentrated on the activities of the Lithuanian Combat Swimmers Squadron in 1993-2004. Separate chapters discuss the change of the Lithuanian Armed Forces 'leadership in terms of combat swimmers' platoon and the planning of the platoon employment, the genesis of the Lithuanian Armed Forces 'combat swimmers' platoon competence building system and its transformation. Also, evolution of the technical base of the Lithuanian Army combat swimmers' platoon: financing and supply. The third chapter examines the image of Lithuanian military divers in media in 1991–2004. The main aspects and narratives that need to be paid attention to: the Lithuanian society (media) in relation to Lithuanian combat swimmers are analyzed. It is examined why Lithuanian combat swimmers benefited from media attention. The goal of the research. The main goal of the research is the information analysis of the Lithuanian combat divers' activities during formation of the independent and modern Lithuanian military structure. This analysis includes available sources from the Lithuanian military and public media related with the topic. The methods of the research. The main research was performed applying combined study using both qualitative and quantitative methods of research. The main tools utilized in the research were the questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Statistic data processing and the content analysis methods had been applied in order to process the data collected. The target audience of the qualitative research were 7 individuals who had completed military service in the combat divers' unit in the past. The research was conducted according to the ethical standards. The results of the scientific research. The analysis of the data revealed that Lithuanian combat divers have been perfectly prepared to act as soldiers, both physically and psychologically, during the timeframe of this research embracing periods of 1990s to 2004. Their activities were limited only due to the financial constraints and lack of the reliable diving equipment and infrastructure. The importance of the combat divers in the Lithuanian Armed Forces has been significant since the beginning of their activities and was slowly increasing during the time period of the research. This was mostly attributed to their skills and abilities to perform demolition tasks underwater and this field of activities was equally high skilled in comparison to modern and highly equipped foreign military forces and their divers. The age and education of the potential candidates to the Lithuanian combat divers' unit also had a great significance. Because training and preparation process of the candidates could take years, only young soldiers from the professional military service units have been accepted to be trained as highly professional combat divers. According to the interviewees, the significance of the Lithuanian combat divers was definitely high in the Lithuanian military because a small unit of underwater subversive divers could cause a greater damage than an infantry battalion. Conclusions and recommendations. 1. The origins of formation of the Lithuanian combat divers' squad in 1990s. Back at that time, the leader and main instructor of the combat divers' unit Valerijus Krisikaitis had started to recruit the team and train the diver candidates. There was a clear vision at that time that independent Lithuanian Armed Forces would meet the demand of the highly trained combat divers. The problem of the incorporation of the unit into the structure of Lithuanian Military Forces has been addressed gradually. In the beginning the combat divers under the name of the diving club "Nautilius" were incorporated into the local SKAT department in Klaipėda. In 1992, after the establishment of the "Iron Wolf" brigade and the paratrooper regiment in Klaipėda, the combat divers became subordinated to the regiment commander. Due to insufficient funding during the period from 1990s to 1992, there were active efforts in order to find necessary funding from both private supporters and the government. 2. The position of the senior leadership of the Lithuanian Armed Forces towards the issues of the Lithuanian combat divers had improved since 1993. It was the beginning of the actual support and assistance. Orders had been issued to establish a squad of combat divers. The support has been growing ever since due to the fact that the necessity of this unit had been proved and there were no uncertainties about the quality of training. Overall formation of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and incorporation of the combat divers took more than a few years. Time was necessary for training of the candidates able to perform combat tasks, special operations, reconnaissance and demining tasks both underwater and on the surface. During the period of 12 years since 1992, the training system was implemented from the scratch. The heart of the diving training became the squad of combat divers in Klaipėda, led by Valerijus Krisikaitis. The Lithuanian Armed Forces during the period from 1993 to 2004 had become capable of training the combat divers and explosive ordnance disposal experts in their own local training centers. These locally trained combat divers have been internationally acknowledged as perfectly prepared to perform combat tasks and being able to train other soldiers to perform diving tasks. A positive change in Lithuanian legislative and executive powers' opinion towards the Lithuanian combat divers led to increase of both, reliance and funding. The undisputed importance of the only diving unit able to perform underwater countermining was the main reason that caused such a trust. Back in the period from 1993 to 2004, the territory of the Republic of Lithuania had been covered by unexploded ordnance items left after World War II and still causing threats to the local inhabitants. 3. After the restoration of the independence, Lithuanian media has been used effectively in order to create a positive public opinion about the activities of the combat divers. The soldiers who have been doing their service in the unit have been portrayed as brave and professional specialists doing underwater countermining and other secret military tasks. The main aspects and the common narrative in the media and the public eye were the combat training of the divers, also training in the public sectors, assistance to the rescue services and their contribution to the society. The content of the media publications has changed. In the beginning, the main topic was the issues of the combat divers' service, mostly the financial scarcity. Invitations to join the diving club "Nautilius" and information about private and commissioned diving tasks performed by the unit had been published. Since 1997, the media had changed earlier used kind of publications into information about the international military trainings attended by the Lithuanian combat divers and their autonomous training. The invitations for the civilians to join the combat divers' service disappeared from the media and were replaced by the publications about well-trained divers and their professionally carried out underwater tasks that demonstrate the competence equal to the modern foreign military divers.