The present article examines the functioning of street names in Kaunas City in 1918–1940. It reveals the circumstances of the change of street names, discusses the procedure of writing street names in the street name tables and presents the main typological groups of street names and their connections with the memory culture in interwar Kaunas. In 1919, the Council of Kaunas City decided to allow street names to be written in three languages: Lithuanian, Polish and Yiddish. In 1923, the Council of the city adopted a resolution according to which street names had to be written only in Lithuanian, the state language. In 1918–1940, in Kaunas, the largest typological group of street names was of toponymic (place-name) origin (152 out of 477). Street names of personal name origin accounted for about one-fifth of all Kaunas street names (98 out of 477). Most street names of personal name origin referred to the people with high merits to the Lithuanian national culture in the 19th and 20th centuries (52); some of them were still alive during the interwar period. The street names of Kaunas city also referred to the 13th – 15th century rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, officers of the Lithuanian Armed Forces (1918–1940), soldiers, volunteers, etc. Some (13) street names commemorated the persons of non-Lithuanian origin.

In this article sociocultural lituanization in gymnasiums of national minorities in Kaunas in 1926–1940 is analysed as well as teaching (learning) of subjects of Lithuanian language and literature, History of Lithuania and its results are discussed. The attitude of gymnasiums’ communities for the lithuanization of the pupils is evaluated. The study found that in 1926–1940 the pupils’ skills of the Lithuanian language and literature and the History of Lithuania improved, but the desired level of Ministry of Education wasn’t reached. Jewish and Russian gymnasiums were more favorable for the lithuanization; however, Polish and German gymnasiums were less favorable.

The present article discusses socio-cultural Lithuanization of soldiers in Kaunas Garrison in 1919–1940. It focuses on teaching the Lithuanian language, Lithuanian history and geography in the army units as well as the cultural events which were organised in Kaunas Garrison (e.g. lectures, festivals, etc.) to promote Lithuanian national culture. In the Lithuanian army units in Kaunas, the Lithuanian language, history and geography were started to be taught systematically since 1920 when the first education programmes for soldiers were prepared. The army units reached sufficiently good results of the Lithuanian language. For instance, from the recruits who came to the 2nd and 5th infantry, 1st hussar and 3rd artillery regiments, there were only 6,7%, 8,9%, 2,4%, and 4% of analphabets, respectively. After finishing the education course for soldiers, there were only five analphabets (1,8%) in the infantry regiment. Reading various nationally-oriented sources and books written by Lithuanian authors (there were small libraries in the army units) as well as learning Lithuanian-centered history and geography of the country, soldiers got introduced with the national Lithuanian culture and underwent certain influences of socio-cultural Lithuanization. Various cultural events organized in Kaunas Garrison also had influence on soldiers’ socio-cultural Lithuanization. They had lectures on the history of Lithuanian national movement and ethno-cultural features of the Lithuanian nation; state and national festivals (February 16, September 8, etc.) were celebrated. Their celebration included much cultural national symbolism (e.g. singing the state anthem). Soldiers’ visits to the War Museum, which combined the motives of nationalism and struggle for independence, also had socio-cultural influence of Lithuanization.