Happened In Lithuania 50 Years Ago

Once upon a time, 50 years ago, in Lithuania I was having a conversation with a well-educated person (university professor?) about the various cultures in Europe. <br><br>He was distinctly nationalistic and explained that Lithuanians were the most ancient and intelligent race in Europe. We were the original “Aryans” and the greatest people. He explained that we were not “Slavs” because Slavs were inferior. On the other hand, we were equal to the most intelligent people in Europe and capable of matching them in terms of intellect. <br><br>During that time, the Soviet Union was a vast empire, so he was not referring to Russia. He was referring to the people of Western Europe. In his eyes, we were as good as they were.<br><br>At one point he turned to me and said with pride, “After all, we are Europeans!” This is your country - isn’t it something to be proud of?<br><br>So here we are 50 years later. Exactly how “European” is this country? 🤣