Friday, September 20, Vilnius–Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda distributed the Lithuanian award the Life-Saver’s Cross to those who rescued Jews during the war.

Recipients are 38 rescuers of Jews. Most are no longer alive so their children and relatives attended the ceremony to receive the award.

President Nausėda said: “We are gathered here to honor the people whose courage, pity and ability to preserve the greatest values during the painful events of the 20th century made them examples of nobility to all of us. May the resoluteness of the heroes of that time to share their fate and food with the persecuted Jewish people inspire us to create the sort of Lithuania which would be good and safe.”

Photo by Robertas Dačkus