Creation of the image of the Gaižiūnai military range in the community in 1931-1939

The Army of the first Republic of Lithuania was raised to defend and protect the independence of Lithuania. In order to ensure these aims, The Lithuanian Armed Forces had to be trained accordingly. Each soldier had to be prepared as a brave, ingenious and dogged fighter who not only had knowledge of military theory but also was able to use this information in practice, i.e. in a battlefield. The Lithuanian Army dispensed tactical training of soldiers in the military range of Gaižiūnai which functioned from 1931 to 1939. Various guests visited this territory in a period of practical training of Gaižiūnai military range. The activity dispensed in the range was widely published in the public press, both social and military, and broadcasted on the radio from Gaižiūnai. Soldiers created artistic creations about this military range. The image of Gaižiūnai range was conditioned by mass communication in society. All information represented in the military press, i.e. a factual description of the range, created the image of the Gaižiūnai military range as the best place of advantageous service and experience for soldiers. In this way, a military command strove not only to uplift a fighting spirit and resolution of soldiers to do military service in Gaižiūnai military range and in the Army but also to motivate the relevance of the military service. The image of Gaižiūnai military range was represented to society as a sphere of perfect military order and as a place of the best readiness of soldiers. It was represented through the medium of social press. The service in the Lithuanian Army was also represented by means of artistic creation of soldiers. The military range of Gaižiūnai became a representative institution of the Lithuanian Army; it was conditioned by a specific purpose of military training field and a unique circumstance of service