The Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas was re-instituted to honour the citizens of Lithuania for outstanding performance in civil and public offices. Foreign nationals may also be awarded this Order.
The Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas was instituted in 1928. However, its Statute was amended in 1930. The first badges of the Order were struck after the design of Andrius Lopuchinas.
February 16 - the Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania, is also a holiday in honour of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas.
The first five persons awarded the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas after the restoration of the Independent State of Lithuania were poets Justinas Marcinkevicius and Bernardas Brazdzionis, priest Ricardas Mikutavicius, painter Vytautas Kazimieras Jonynas and scientist Jonas Kubilius. Justinas Marcinkevicius was conferred the Order marked No 1. Stasys Antanas Backis, a veteran of the Lithuanian diplomatic service, was the first to receive in 1996 the First Class Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas.
During the first decade of independence the Order was awarded to 1 030 Lithuanian citizens and foreign nationals, of which 33 persons received the 1st Class Order, 117 - the 2nd Class, 226 persons - the 3rd Class, 295 - the 4th Class and 359 - the 5th Class. The recipients of the Order include the President of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, renowned philanthropist George Soros and prominent musician Mstislav Rostripovich.
In 1994, the Vilnius Artworks' Association started to make the badges of the lower classes of the Order, but in later years they were produced at the Mint of Lithuania, which has been the single producer of the badges of the higher classes of the Order. Until 1996 the ribbon for the Order was made at the Lithuanian Textiles Institute, but since then it has been manufactured at the workshops of the Danish Company "Morch & Sons."
