Order of Star of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union, 1930

Riflemen's Star ( lt, Šaulių žvaigždė) is a

decoration Decoration may refer to: * Decorative arts * A house painter and decorator's craft * An act or object intended to increase the beauty of a person, room, etc. * An award that is a token of recognition to the recipient intended for wearing Other ...

bestowed by the Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Lithuania. The star is awarded to distinguished members of the

Lithuanian Riflemen's Union The Lithuanian Riflemen's Union (LRU, lt, Lietuvos šaulių sąjunga), also referred to as Šauliai ( lt, šaulys for ''rifleman''), is a paramilitary non-profit organisation supported by the State. The activities are in three main areas: milita ...

, other citizens of Lithuania and foreign countries for merits to the Riflemen's Union and the Republic of Lithuania. The Riflemen's star is recognised as an

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

History

The idea of an award for the members of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union was raised in 1927, before the tenth anniversary of the Union. However, the description and the statute of the order was approved only in 1930. The star was designed by the sculptor

Petras Rimša Petras Rimša ( pl, Piotr Rymsza, 3 November 1881 in Naudžiai, Vilkaviškis district – 2 October 1961 in Kaunas) was one of the first professional Lithuanian sculptors and medalists. Biography Rimša was born to a family of farmers in Suvalk ...

. The first stars were awarded on 24 June 1931. 892 people received the award in interwar Lithuania. The bronze Riflemen's Star Medal was established in 1939 for the 20th anniversary of the Riflemen and was awarded to 2,156 people. The order was reestablished in 1991 along with other orders, decorations, and medals of Lithuania. Initially, it was awarded on behalf of the

Seimas The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas), or simply the Seimas (), is the unicameral parliament of Lithuania. The Seimas constitutes the legislative branch of government in Lithuania, enacting laws and amendmen ...

. Since 2003, it is awarded on behalf of the Ministry of National Defence.

Description

The Riflemen's Star measures in diameter. It consists of three petal-shaped rays, resembling a

lily ''Lilium'' () is a genus of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in mu ...

, coated in green enamel, upon a

silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

sun. The top middle vertical ray depicts the Cross of the Jagiellons, one of the varieties of the Cross of Lorraine found on the

Coat of arms of Lithuania The coat of arms of Lithuania consists of a mounted armoured knight holding a sword and shield, known as (). Since the early 15th century, it has been Lithuania's official coat of arms and is one of the oldest European coats of arms. It is ...

and used by the Riflemen's Union as its logo. Two other rays depict a

rifle stock A gunstock or often simply stock, the back portion of which is also known as a shoulder stock, a buttstock or simply a butt, is a part of a long gun that provides structural support, to which the barrel, action, and firing mechanism are attached ...

and a bell of a

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

. A shield with the Coat of arms of Lithuania is placed in the middle of the order. The reverse has inscriptions LŠS (Lithuanian acronym for the Riflemen's Union), dates 1919 (establishment of the union), 1930 (establishment of the order), and (For Merits). The ribbon bar of the order is dark green with two white bands on the sides and a red band in the middle. The same ribbon is used in the flag of the Riflemen's Union.

Bestowal

Recipient certificate of the Star of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union, 1938

The Riflemen's Star is bestowed by Minister of National Defence on behalf of the leader of the Riflemen's Union. The Riflemen's Star is awarded to: : riflemen who, upon received a responsible role in the Riflemen Union, showed exceptional organisational talents, : riflemen privates who showed honesty, determination, and resilience, : citizens who merited the Riflemen Union or the Republic of Lithuania, : riflemen and citizens of foreign countries may be awarded the Riflemen's Star for showing significant benevolence to the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union. Riflemen are awarded during the following national holidays: :

16 February Events Pre-1600 *1249 – Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khagan of the Mongol Empire. *1270 – Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Livonian Order in the Battle of Kar ...

(Act of Independence of Lithuania) :

24 June Events Pre-1600 * 1312 BC – Mursili II launches a campaign against the Kingdom of Azzi-Hayasa. * 109 – Roman emperor Trajan inaugurates the Aqua Traiana, an aqueduct that channels water from Lake Bracciano, northwest of Rome. * ...

(Riflemen Day) :

6 July Events Pre-1600 *371 BC – The Battle of Leuctra shatters Sparta's reputation of military invincibility. * 640 – Battle of Heliopolis: The Muslim Arab army under 'Amr ibn al-'As defeat the Byzantine forces near Heliopolis (Egypt). ...

(Statehood Day) :

23 November Events Pre-1600 *534 BC – Thespis of Icaria becomes the first recorded actor to portray a character on stage. *1248 – Conquest of Seville by Christian troops under King Ferdinand III of Castile. *1499 – Pretender to the thr ...

(Lithuanian Military Day) In special cases, the Riflemen's Star may be awarded on other dates. The same decoration is not awarded twice to the same person. A certificate of decoration is received with the star. People awarded with Riflemen's Star have the right to wear it on the uniform as well as civilian clothing.

Notable recipients

Antanas Žmuidzinavičius Antanas Žmuidzinavičius ( pl, Antoni Żmujdzinowicz, 31 October 1876 – 9 August 1966) was a Lithuanian painter and art collector. Educated at the Veiveriai Teachers' Seminary, Žmuidzinavičius worked as a teacher while pursuing art education ...

(1931) *

Lauri Malmberg Kaarlo Lauri Torvald Malmberg (May 8, 1888 in Helsinki – March 14, 1948 in Helsinki) was a Finnish lieutenant general and son of Emil and Aino Malmberg. He was the Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces in 1925. General Malmberg serve ...

* Stasys Raštikis *

Antanas Gustaitis Antanas Gustaitis (March 26, 1898 – October 16, 1941) was an officer in the Lithuanian Armed Forces who modernized the Lithuanian Air Force, which at that time was part of the Lithuanian Army. He was the architect or aeronautical engineer who ...

(1939) *

Petras Ciunis Petras Ciunis (June 26, 1898 in Perloja – December 29, 1979 in Vilnius) was a Lithuanian army officer, educator. Biography Lithuanian Wars of Independence In 1918, Ciunis graduated from Voronezh Teachers' Seminary (a subsidiary of Tartu Uni ...

(1939) *

Bernardas Brazdžionis Bernardas Brazdžionis (1907 January 11 in Stebeikėliai - 2002 July 11 in Los Angeles) was a Lithuanian poet. Bernardas Brazdžionis also used various pen names, such as '' Vytė Nemunėlis'', ''Jaunasis Vaidevutis''. Biography Bernardas Braz ...

(1996) * Valdas Adamkus

References

{{reflist, 30em Orders, decorations, and medals of Lithuania 1930 establishments in Lithuania Awards established in 1930