„Heraldry: Past to Present“ 

The author of the book, senior research fellow of the Lithuanian Institute of History and the chairman of Lithuanian commission of heraldry Dr.Edmundas Rimša has written books and 200 articles on the questions of sphragistics (the study of seals and signets) and genealogy. In his work, Heraldry: past to present, the researcher of European heraldry briefly and clearly discusses important questions of the history of Lithuanian heraldry: origins and development of blazons, their constituents, figures, colours and meanings of blazons, earmarks of grades and titles, decoration of blazons, joint blazons and other matters related to heraldry. Major attention is paid to the symbols of Lithuanian statehood: the National Emblem, the Columns of Gediminas and the double cross, the flag of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, the national and state flags, and the national anthem. Other chapters in the book analyse the heraldry of Lithuanian lands, nobility, cities and little towns. Chosen themes are recited in such a way that the reader can understand how and when one or another group of blazons originated, changed, survived the crises of 19th-20th centuries and was reborn for a new life. Even Soviet heraldry is included. The book is richly illustrated with 580 blazons, seals, flags, coins and other pictures related to heraldry, most of which are in colour and also included are rarely seen documents and rarely accessed published works from Lithuania, Byelorussia, Belgium, Latvia, Poland, Franc, Russia, Sweden, Germany and other countries.

The book is translated to English language by Vijolė Arbas.