Down memory lane
March 16, the birthday of the famous bookseller Jurgis Bielinis. In Lithuania, this day is celebrated as Bookbearer’s Day. After 1863 During the uprising, our language fell into a cage, as it were – the ban on the Lithuanian press continued for 40 years, the Russian tsar forbade reading Lithuanian books, writing or even thinking in Lithuanian. However, the Lithuanian spirit, the desire for independence in the hearts of Lithuanians only grew stronger and encouraged resistance to tsarist oppression. The Lithuanian language survived because it was nurtured by a strong nation, Lithuanianness was preserved by our ancestors, mothers and grandmothers, booksellers and writers, who spread the Lithuanian word from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation. How can we not remember the names of those heroic booksellers and authors who have written down the pages of our country’s history.
Even in the darkest times of oppression, we had bright people who protected the native Lithuanian language and the book. Lithuanian publications were printed abroad (then in Prussia, Little Lithuania, America), illegally transported across the border and distributed in Lithuania, which at that time was part of the Tsarist Russian Empire. Defenders of Lithuania risked going to prison or being deported to Siberia. Their names must live in our hearts. Let’s not forget those whom we still remember, let’s honor them by remembering their works.
In the vicinity of Kaunas, bookselling was very active, and a large number of local residents were involved in this risky activity. The region of Priene is also rich in outstanding personalities, luminaries, heroes, booksellers and fighters for Lithuania.
Celebrating Booksellers’ Day is a great opportunity to remember and honor one of them: the undeservedly forgotten priest, booksellers, fosterer of Lithuania, Silvestras Leonavičius (Leona). This year we will celebrate his 180th birth anniversary. Silvestras Leonavičius was born in 1843. December 16 In the village of Leskava, in a peasant family. After Leon’s parents moved to Smalėni, he studied in a fourth-grade school here. in 1864 entered the seminary of priests in Seina and in 1869 Bishop M. Valančius was ordained a priest. After the ordination, the young priest was appointed vicar of the Veisiei parish. Here, together with pastor K. Sakavičius, he began to deliver sermons in Lithuanian, introduced Lithuanian hymns and hymns, and became involved in bookselling. At that time, he used to get banned Lithuanian “contraband” from priest M. Sederevičius. He mainly distributed prayer books and other religious books, distributing hundreds of copies to his parishioners.
Later, priest S. Leonavičius was assigned to Vilkaviškis, Kudirkas Naumiestis and Šunskis. While working in Kudirka’s Naumiestis, he was helped by the bookseller Tomašauskienė, who brought Lithuanian press, books and prayer books from Little Lithuania by secret routes. The priest continued to distribute them to the people, spreading the Lithuanian word.
in 1880 when he started working in Metelei, he was fined 50 rubles by the Governor General of Warsaw for holding mass outside his parish without the consent of the tsarist authorities. 1883-1884 priest Leon worked in the deanery of Augustav, in the Hoža parish, for his service to the former Unitarians, the Governor General of Warsaw ordered him to be expelled from the parish and fined 150 rubles. Determined S. Leonavičius, despite the persecutions and fines of the tsarist authorities, continued to take care of the faith and the spread of Lithuanianness.
1885-1896 priest Leon worked in the parishes of Pajevoni and Aukštosii Panemune. In Pajevon, he organized the transport of Lithuanian press from Lithuania Minor. Prohibited newspapers and books were brought home, ostensibly while visiting a patient at the border. After bringing the press home, he hid it in the chapel near the rectory. A lot of press and books were also sent by post. His companions in the book-carrying business were also the parish clerks. Unknown persons complained to the gendarmes about the priest, a search was carried out, but nothing was found, so this did not stop the priest from continuing his activities. Appointed to the parish of Aukštosios Panemunes, he continued his work. Here, the bookseller A. Baltrushaitis sent him prayer books and other books, as well as the residents of the Pajevonis parish and his brother Jonas brought him newspapers.
in 1896 the priest was assigned to Balbieriškis, from 1906. served as pastor of this parish. In the same year, he was transferred from Balbieriškis to Lukšiai parish, where he was punished for collecting donations. Here he ended the year of his life, in 1917. February 18 died in Lukšiai.
Priest S. Leonavičius was a fosterer of Lithuania, distributed Lithuanian books and press throughout his life, supported “Varpa”, “Šviesa” and “Ūkininka” with his own funds, participated in the congress of bell ringers in Stebuliškės. He brought light to the people of Lithuania on the paved path of faith until his last breath.
More than a hundred years ago, God’s grace also visited Šilavotas, where priest Antanas Radušis came. in 1848 born in Oranai, Gižai county. Later, he studied at the seminary of priests in Seina, after which he was vicar in Punsk, Šakiai, Údra, Skriaudjii and in 1896. was appointed pastor of Šilavotos. The works done by the priest and his love for the Motherland are still remembered today. He was an exceptional personality, one of the most intelligent luminaries of the nation, who expressed his love for the Motherland by taking care of faith and culture. Reverend A. Radušis built the church of Šilavotos, the parsonage buildings, and despite the ban on the press and schools, he founded a Lithuanian school in the parsonage. Wherever the priest went or worked, he nurtured Lithuanianness, took care of collecting folklore and folk songs, distributed Lithuanian press.
Teachers I. Mažeikienė and J. Jurkienė from Alytus, having collected a lot of material about booksellers, also shared their knowledge about priest A. Radušis. They said that the pupil of Seina seminary was a member of the “Varpo” publication committee, and around 1890, while working in the Alytus district, Údria, which at that time had become a sanctuary for booksellers, priest R. Radušis very actively distributed Lithuanian books. It is said that he transported bags of Lithuanian “contraband” and urged people to read, educate themselves and nurture the Lithuanian word. He and his helpers had set up a book warehouse in the house of priest A. Grinevičius.
So it was not difficult for the priest to establish a Lithuanian school in Šilavota. He knew where to get books, how to transport them and how to distribute them, so he had enough books, although transporting them was dangerous enough. Carrying the light, he believed that educated people who had learned to read and write from a young age would work for God and the Motherland. Fully devoted to the people, he himself was left with debts and without health, in 1918, at a very young age, he died.
Another nurturer of Lithuania is priest prelate Mykolas Krupavičius, born in 1885. in Balbierišky. While still studying at the Veiveriau teachers’ seminary, the young man was actively involved in the distribution of the banned Lithuanian press. in 1904 at the end of the year, he participated in the organization of the student strike, and in 1905 undertook the implementation of the resolutions of the Vilnius Seimas.
Unfortunately, as a Lithuanian unreliable to the Russian authorities, he could not teach. He lived in Lomža Governorate for a couple of years, and when more favorable times came and conditions improved, he returned to Lithuania, taught in Papilės and participated in Lithuanian activities. In order to help people more, in 1908 entered the Seinė Priests’ Seminary, after graduating he studied at the Petrapilis Spiritual Academy. in 1917 was appointed to the Voronezh Martynas Yčas Gymnasium as a chaplain. Here he organized the Christian Democrat movement and participated in the Lithuanian Seimas of Petrapilis.
After returning to Lithuania, he was appointed to work at the Council of Lithuania. M. Krupavičius, as the leader of the Seimas majority and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Party, had a great influence in 1921-1926. for the internal life of Lithuania. 1927 – 1929 he went to study in France, later returning to Lithuania he continued his work as a priest. However, in 1942 for handing over a memorandum to the German occupation authorities regarding the cancellation of the colonization of Lithuania, the persecution of Jews and Poles, and the nationalization of property carried out by the Bolsheviks, he was arrested and imprisoned in Eitkūnai and Tilžė prisons, and in 1943 confined in a Carmelite monastery in Regensburg.
After the end of the war, he devoted himself to the affairs of Lithuania. in 1945 was elected chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Liberation of Lithuania. All his life he was devoted to people, the Motherland and the truth. Cherishing Lithuania, he lived in the name of Lithuania until his last breath. M. Krupavičius died in Chicago in 1970.
The rich Garm family also made a significant contribution to the distribution of the banned press and the fight against the tsar’s rule. One of them, Juozas Garmus, was born in 1877. Būčkiemi, Pakuonis parish. After his studies, he took up the trade of a village tailor. He got involved in the distribution of the Lithuanian press around 1896. Juozas Kancleris used to bring the banned press to Juozas, and sometimes he brought them from Lithuania Minor as well. Distributed in the vicinity of Jiezno, Stakliškii, Aukštadvaris, Darsūniškis, Kalvii and Kruonis. Lithuanian press also shared with brother Povilas and other members of “Lietuvos tarnų” society. Juozas Garmus, being a tailor and traveling from village to village, had good conditions for distributing books. He collaborated with priest Antanas Bajoraitis and priest Juoz Šmulktis in Pakuoni. However, in 1899 after his brother Povilas was caught, his house was also searched. Avoiding arrest, Juozas fled to the USA, where he continued to work as a tailor and cooperated in the publication of “Ūkininka”, “Tēvynės sargas”, “Vienyba”, and after the press ban, other newspapers. Other Juoz brothers were among the nurturers of Lithuanianness and distributors of banned press.
All these people mentioned in the article are only a small part of our luminaries who contributed to the distribution of the Lithuanian press, who carried the light for future generations. We have no right to leave them in oblivion. Let’s remember, respect and appreciate what we have, what they worked hard and fought for. Bookselling is undoubtedly a unique phenomenon in the history of Lithuania in the 19th century, which has no analogues in the world. Booksellers played a special role in the history of Lithuania.
Rūta Žiobaitė
Curator of the Prienai Region Museum