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The paper deals with the problem of unpopularity of small towns and rural areas. Our society has to accept a new image of non-urbanized areas. By the well known report, named as strategic study "Towards a New Urban Rural Partnership in Europe", directed by Flavio Boscacci, we have to realize, that "rural is no longer synonymous with the agricultural economy, but an area with a diversified economy, including industrial and services activities. These new ac-tivities have now overtaken agriculture in terms of their capacity to generate revenue and work opportunities. This process has facilitated the improvement of infrastructure, providing new transport routes and better accessibility, as well as new forms of communication (e.g. the information technologies)." The second part of the paper is designed for the pre-sentation of Kražiai people's approach to the development of the current situation ofKraziai and its perspectives. The main purpose of our research is to find out how to improve the strategy of this small town, well known in the past as the important centre of culture and science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of population in Lithuania is decreasing. Therefore, it might be noticed that sparsely populated territories are expanding. The entire regions are forming where the residents' density is less than 12.5 inhabitants' per km². The survey stresses that the biggest sparsely inhabited region stretches in East Lithuania. Almost all Eastern Lithuania (except Vilnius district) might be attributed to the sparsely populated area with the density less than 12.5 people per km². Vilnius district holds a specific place as it is strongly affected by the largest Lithuanian city and due to this reason the population in the district is high. Eastern Lithuania region is unique as in this region demographic, economic and social problems play a big role. This region has an exclusively diverse national structure of population which also initiates the problems. The region does not have fertile soil or convenient conditions for agriculture, thus, it pointed out as the less-favoured area for agriculture. In this region dominate the farms that are smaller than Lithuanian average. According to the 2010 agricultural census, in the region the average farm area was almost 1.5 times lower than an average in Lithuania. In the region dominates local farmers. This region differs from others according to the land-use units' structure. In the region is less arable land and as well it might be found large plots of abandoned agricultural land. A large proportion of farmers pursue extensive agricultural activities, or even "simulate" it only in order to receive EU support. The survey showed that agricultural activities are often just an additional source of income, whereas the intensive and modern farming is being developed only by a few percent of the wards' farmers. The intensive denaturalization processes have begun in the abandoned lands. Recently, the plots of abandoned lands are decreasing, but newly cultivated lands are used not intensively. Despite the fact that traditional agricultural activity is often not profitable, still quite a lot of land owners (farmers) are not interested in changing the nature of their activity or initiate non-traditional agricultural activities and other businesses. Therefore, such situation has a great influence on the low standard of living of rural residents. Also, it initiates the appearance of social problems. This paper attempts to find out: what are the leading social problems that the farmers are facing in sparsely populated areas; how do they plan to develop agrarian areas in future; what is the impact of population decline for the social processes in rural areas. Also, it was tried to foresee the development tendencies of the villages in Eastern Lithuania. The main conclusions: 1. Only less than half of the East Lithuanian farmers underline agricultural activity (including the EU's support) as the main source of income (accounting for more than 50proc. of total income). Another part of the farmers receive the main income from other activities or receive the incomes as pensions and social benefits. 2. In recent years, mainly due to the EU support, it is worth again to maintain the farmland. Therefore, the plots of abandoned agricultural land are decreasing. The survey showed that in case the EU support would be stopped, 39proc. of the farmers would continue their activities without restriction, 33proc. would continue only partly, and 28proc. would stop farming. 3. Around 84proc. of farmers are going to continue agricultural activities in future and only 16proc. is going to stop farming in the near future. However, only 59proc. were ensured that someone will inherit their farm, another 14proc. had doubts about it and the remaining 27proc. of respondents thought that probably no one would be farming after them. Hence, it is clear that the current farmers are committed to engage in agrarian activities until they have health, although they are not receiving high-profit. 4. Arable land contains less than 50proc. of all enrolled farmland in sparsely populated East Lithuanian territories. Arable land contains 40proc. in Ignalina district, 24proc. in Utena district, 15proc. Zarasai district. In some sparsely populated territories arable land accounts for only several percent. For instance, in Antazavė ward (Zarasai district) - 15proc., in Suginčiai ward (Molėtai district) - 12proc.. In South-eastern Lithuania there is a higher proportion of arable land. It should be underlined, that there are too many declared meadows and pastures for the existing number of cattle. The large part of these meadows and pastures are not used in general and they are only maintained in order to receive EU support. The number of grazing animals per hectare is ten times lower in less favourable for farming sparsely populated areas comparing with favourable for farming sparsely populated areas. 5. In Eastern Lithuania the age of agricultural workers' is growing. Such situation strictly affects entrepreneurship and innovation. The survey underlined that older people are not tended to take non-traditional businesses, innovations, and usually works in the way they are used for many years. It might be predicted that in future the current farmers will be unable to maintain their farmland, and due to their unwillingness to change, it will be difficult to develop non-traditional agricultural activities. 6. About half of inquired farmers underlined that the conditions for the agricultural activities were unfavourable and pointed out that the quality of the land they own was medium. Despite that fact, about 60proc. of farmers pointed-blankly that they would not like to change the purpose of the land or to cover the land with forest. Only 9proc. of respondents stressed that they would accept to cover with forest all their infertile land. 7. The survey pointed out that depopulation of rural areas has no significant impact on the land use intensity. The land use intensity depends on soil fertility and the convenience of conditions for agricultural activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the recent changes in agricultural landuse and soil renaturalization processes in Lithuania. The paper briefly presents renaturalization research currently carried out in Lithuania and analysis of recent changes in arable land. Although renaturalization research in Lithuania is relatively young, but area of agrarian soils in Lithuania affected by renaturalization processes is huge (about 1 million ha according to year 2005 estimates). According to statistical land-use data and land-use surveys, area of arable land decreases every year, and the annual change ranges from -1% (in 1990-1991) to 10% (in 2005). Certain cycles of changes are obvious: from 1990 to 1995 the decline in arable lands was faster. There was noticeable slowdown in the period up to 2002, followed by sudden acceleration reaching its peak in 2005. During the last five years the situation has stabilized with arable land decreasing annually by 3-4%. It is believed that in different parts of Lithuania renaturalization processes currently progress quite rapidly and this trend will continue in future. Some scientists predict that with development of unconventional or even nonagrarian farming the agrarian landscape that dominated for centuries should be gradually replaced by forested landscape. Obviously, for the optimization of agrarian land use and planning of changes in it permanent long-term research is needed, from registration of annual changes to long-term monitoring of soil status. Thus the linking of causes and effects of re-naturalization processes with extent of actual changes in agricultural land and the summarized knowledge of various fields of science are preconditions for costefficient and naturally optimized soil renaturalization regulation. Pedological soil renaturalization research mainly focused on southern and south-eastern Lithuania characterised by low productivity and diverse soil cover. Studies carried out deal with a variety of potential transformations of arable land use, including grassland, afforestation, or even effects of long-term fallowing on pedological properties, soil properties change and nutrient circulation and energy, moreover, these studies also deal with bio-diversity issues. Studies at the Institute of Agriculture and Forestry have revealed that soil renaturalization significantly changes chemical and microbiological parameters of soil. The analyzed parameters include soil pH, P and ? mobile, organic carbon, total nitrogen and soil microbial properties. However, studies based on total or mobile mineral nutrients analysis, and soil organic carbon status remain largely uncovered. Complex field and laboratory studies on soil organic carbon (DOA) and nutrient content of organic and mineral forms (oNPS) by using different methods of soil renaturalization and soil carbon change prediction modelling have recently been started at the Vokė Branch of LRCAF. Previously such studies in Lithuania were only occasional, therefore now they will make an important contribution to devising scientifically based, rational and optimized land use strategy. The authors of the article summarize that in one way or another renaturalization processes have affected about 15% of the land in Lithuania, but they have been differently evaluated by specialists in different fields. Pedological renaturalization studies gain practical significance because of Lithuania's international obligations in the struggle against climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the analysis of the life, work and social activity of Jonas Aleksa (1879 - 1955). He played one of the leading roles in the agriculture, organisation of rural communities, science (published some books and articles), in management of village society in the prewar Lithuania. He was raised in wealthy catholic family in Kumetiškiai village (west Lithuania). Some of his relatives were educated people and stimulated (e.g. his mother) J. Aleksa's education. J. Aleksa in the very youth was interested in social problems, studied sociology and agriculture in Moscow and Warsaw. J. Aleksa, as active intellectual, was imprisoned in Moscow. In 1918, he returned to native country. He created the ideas towards attitudes to the independent economy of nation. According to him, the country can come alive, if the agriculture, farming, and private property will prosper. He was a very educated person (interested in history, ideas of such philosophers as V. Solovjov, L Shestov, writer F. Dostojevskį). Because Lithuania suffered under regime of Russian empire, he participated in the process of the developmentoffarmers'solidarity. The purpose of J. Aleksa was to consolidate the Lithuanian nation and create the Farming Unity. He was very active participant in country's social life. In 1918-1920, he was the director of Agriculture Department, in 1920-1923 - Minister of Agriculture and State Wealth. In 1925 - 1940, he was docent, later professor in Kaunas University, in 1925, J. Aleksa was the creator of Far mers' party, in 1925-1927 - President of Agriculture Palace, in 1926- 1935, he was Minister of Agriculture, in 1928-1936-the leader of the Farmers Unity organization, doctor of agriculture science (since 1929). In 1925 - 1927, he was the editor of the journal "Žemės ūkis". 1948 - 1955, he was deported to Siberia. So J. Aleksa experienced terror and genocide in soviet prisons and places of deportations such as killing, physical and moral torments, personal indignity, worsening or changing of living conditions which caused deaths. J. Aleksa saw many dramatic events among other prisoners and deportees. J. Aleksa was the author of the ideology of farmers' unity in Independent Lithuania. During the first four decades of the 20th century, the ancient village system of country was transformed into separated farm system. Growing individualism of farmers was accompanied by increasing political polarization. At the same time the process of formation of co-cooperative relations among the farmers started and the efforts for fostering their unity increased. He played very important role in the organization of the agricultural system. Agriculturist, sociologist Jonas Aleksa participated in the process of the development of farmers' solidarity. J. Aleksa was the leader in the Lithuanian agricultural community, propagating the significance of farming in society, improvingthecultureoffarming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the problem of civil education in contemporary post-soviet region society. The survey of the latest alterations in social behavior reveals the disunity of society, devaluation of civil attitudes and approaches, conspicuous non-education, and dilettantism of the significant part of society. The so-called knowledge society can be evaluated as network society, when people have a lot of knowledge "about everything", but almost nothing about substantial features and nature of social processes. This society has often been characterized as consumer society, which realizes less its own responsibilities and opportunities in dealing with both the local community as well as national and international issues. The society is increasingly overwhelmed by frustration and apathy, individualism and distrust of anyone. Public frustration and indifference have been more and more expressed in residents' decreasing participation in elections of municipalities councils, and still less confidence in elected persons. The civil society's degradation problem both in Lithuania and in other post-Soviet countries is determined by political reluctance of present administrations and their inability to change the content of their activity, as well as strategic decision-making methods and procedures. However, the active part of the society is not inclined only to passively monitor the erosion of civil position. It is participating in very intensive discussion on the following topics: 1) the role of personality in the modern society, 2) the citizens' ability to participate in making decisions, which are extremely important for the public interest, 3) changes in the concepts of local and state governance, 4) the formation of new power centers in the global space, 5) the role of nations and their cultural heritage in the changing world, 6) alterations in the value system. Representatives of the different social groups are presenting wide variety of social problem-solving models: from proposals about immediate imposition of the absolute dictatorship to unsophisticated faith, that everything will be solved by itself, i.e. evolutionary. The attitude that nothing can be changed has been promoted quite often, so that the world, nevertheless, is rolling into perdition. The 2nd article of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania states: "The State of Lithuania shall be created by the Nation. Sovereignty shall belong to the Nation." The 4th article states: "The Nation shall execute its supreme sovereign power either directly or through its democratically elected representatives." Analogical approach is expressed in the 33rd article: "Citizens shall have the right to participate in the governance of their State both directly and through their democratically elected representatives as well as the right to enter on equal terms in the State service of the Republic of Lithuania." But for implementation of these provisions, it is necessary that the state should have: 1) citizens, not "inhabitants" or as it is now often identified in the public space as "Lithuania's people"; 2) self-controlled territory, which belongs only to its citizens; 3) culture (language, education, science, art, etc.). If at least one of these elements is "almost no longer exists", the state also no longer exists. Citizen's ethnic identity ignorance is completely unacceptable and can be treated as the humanitarian crime. Ethnicity is not and shall not be an obstacle for the formation of civil society. Civil society encourages the development of national cultures. However, analysis of the content of public information sources reveals a rather strange tendency when attempting to ignore, belittle or even deny the importance of classical national culture, explaining that national cultural heritage has completely lost its meaning and its place is now only in museums and domestic exhibitions of cultural objects, i.e. so-called skansens. Therefore, it is not appropriate to call our current society as knowledge society. The more exact description can be like "society of myths and public images". Huge divide between "mine" and "not mine" (company, street, someone else's owned forest or even the state) is also the biggest obstacle for the formation of the civil activity. In order to solve these problems it is necessary to start changing the state and local institutional frameworks, by creating the new procedures of the elections, as well as by creating the effective system of elected persons' responsibility for the citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]