This year marks the 10th anniversary of the tradition of celebrating every summer season in Klaipėda by unfurling the sails of the port city’s symbol, the sailing ship “Meridian”. This year’s sail-raising ceremony will take place on Friday 17th May at 7pm and will also kick off a host of events that weekend.
In total, “Meridian” has 14 sails with a total area of more than 600 square meters. It has already become customary that the so-called straight sails, which are spread on the front mast – the foremast – announce a certain message important to Klaipėda city every year. This time, in cooperation with Klaipėda City Municipality, the front sails of “Meridian” will be dedicated to the Year of the Lighthouse.
News, the impulse to declare 2024 in Klaipėda as the Year of Lighthouses was the 140th anniversary of the lighting of the White Lighthouse, which stood at the end of the North Pier. Therefore, on the straight sails of “Meridian” the White Lighthouse of impressive size will be reproduced from the historical photo postcard stored in the archive of the Ieva Simonaitytė Public Library of Klaipėda County, the author of which is the famous East Prussian photographer Fritz Krauskopf (1882-1945).
Another tradition will not be violated this year: continuing the 1948 The history of the “Meridian” built in Finland as an educational sailing ship of the Klaipėda Maritime School at the time, the sails will be raised again by the students of the Lithuanian Higher Maritime School, and the members of the Association of Sea Captains, some of whom have actually sailed under the sails of the “Meridian”, will take part in the ceremony.
By the way, this year’s sail-raising ceremony will not only mark the beginning of the season, but will also be a prelude to more events that will take place on the same weekend, among them – for the first time in Klaipėda Fish Days, Street Music Day, Boat Parade and finally – the traditional Run of Hope.
