Travel by time machine to Kaunas and Lithuania 100 years ago: what was it like in 1922. October? | Do you know?
Elections to the Seimas
Today, while the debates about the upcoming municipal elections are raging, one hundred years ago, Lithuanian residents witnessed one of the significant political events of that time – the Seimas elections.
Now history lovers know it better as the 1st Seimas elections (2022-2023). At that time, voters could express their position in the voting held on October 10-11.
October 10 On the front page of the official newspaper Lietuva, a campaign message appears: “Citizens and citizens!” Tuesday and Wednesday, October 10 and 11. elect your representatives to Seiman, submitting the numbers (lists) whose candidates seem to know the best about Lithuanian affairs. He is not worthy of the name of Lithuanian citizen, who will not vote!”.
Active pre-election campaigning bore fruit. When electing the First Seimas, the guarantee is about 73 percent. citizens with the right to vote.
Such activity, according to A. Kelmučis, who reviewed the election results (Lithuania, No. 238), could also be due to the fact that: “During the elections, there were beautiful clear days, so it is not difficult for the people of Sod to go to their polling stations to vote.”
When the results were counted, it became clear that no party got a clear majority. Although, as in the Constituent Assembly, the Christian Democratic bloc won the most (38 seats out of 79), but their dominance has ended.
The Lithuanian Peasants’ Union and the People’s Democratic Block of Lithuanian Socialists received 19 seats.
It is surprising that in these elections, the Workers’ Union, made up of members of the Lithuanian Communist Party, did not shy away from talking about the dictatorship of the proletariat or a coup d’état in the campaign, and overtook the Lithuanian Jewish, Polish, German party, receiving 5 mandates.
It is true that the “fifth column” supported by Moscow in the Seimas was more characterized not by serious statements, but by work disturbances, disrespect to the symbols of the Lithuanian state and other different incidents.
For example, during the fifth session of the Seimas, the communist Kazimieras Dominas was pushed aside by other members of the Seimas, after his 1921 April 23 a written application in which he renounced his Lithuanian citizenship and declared himself a Russian citizen (M. Tamošaitis, I Seimas, History of the Lithuanian Seimas 20th–21st century).
One of the most decisive tasks of the 1st Seimas was the military annexation of Klaipėda region to Lithuania. On the other hand, there have been failures in international politics, Vilnius region has been lost.
Basically, due to ideological differences, the constructive work of the Seimas lacked unity, so in 1923 March 13 the 1923 letter of the President of the Republic Aleksandars Stulginskis and the Prime Minister Ernests Galvanauskas was read during the meeting. March 12 an order was signed by which the First Seimas was dissolved.
Maironis’ 60th anniversary
this month, news about Vytautas Landsbergis’ 90th birthday was shared on social networks and the media. There was no lack of memories, photos or stories about the first head of the restored state of Lithuania.
And a hundred years ago, Lithuanian society congratulated one of the most important poets of the national revival, priest Jonas Mačiulis-Maironis. in 1922 October 21 The author of Trakai Castle and Dear Lietuva celebrated his 60th anniversary.
The next day (October 22) celebrations were held at Maironi’s house, where about 60 guests gathered. Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas, Vincas Krėvė-Mickevičius, Stasys Šilingas congratulated the anniversary with “hot words”.
The musical program of the soloists of the opera Adelė Nezabatauskaitė-Galaunienė and Julija Dvarionaitė, prepared according to the poetry of Maironis.
On the evening of that activity, Maironis also came to the concert held at the War Museum. Having surprised the audience with his performance, the prelate was warmly welcomed with a loud ovation.
Vladas Nagevičius gave a welcome speech. Maironis thanked for the attention paid to the parody and thanked the Lithuanian army for protecting them from enemies (Lithuania, No. 241).
It is interesting that in 1922 Maironis refused public celebrations, but he was often written about in the press. The poet’s good friend J. Tumas-Vaižgantas gave a special course on Maironis at the University of Lithuania, the lecture material was published in newspapers, and later a separate study was published.
According to literary researcher Viktorija Šeina, this work is significant in that it contains a more detailed biography of Maironis (previously, the press was limited to presenting only a few important facts of the poet’s life).
The biographical narrative of Maironis created by J. Tumos-Vaižgant often became the story of the poet’s later life (in textbooks, readings, periodicals) and greatly contributed to the formation of Maironis’ significant canon. (V. Šeina, Perpetuating the memory of Maironis from the aspect of literary canonization (1932–1940))
Rising prices
The difficult economic situation, manifested in rising prices, continued to trouble the residents of Lithuania. At the beginning of autumn, there was talk of a shortage of coal and the coming hard times.
Lithuanians living abroad also felt the hardship. The American Lithuanian press (Tēvynės balsas, No. 71) reported that the shortage of coal due to the strike of coal miners and railways had sharply increased its prices. It is recommended that families stock up on alternative heating fuel for the winter.
Meanwhile, the economic situation in Lithuania was also tense. October 12 The Kaunas City Board convened the representatives of various organizations due to the increase in daily use goods – bread, meat sugar, firewood, kerosene, etc. – prices (Lithuania, No. 236).
The meeting was organized by the administrator of the newspaper “Lietuvos ūkis” Alfonsas Morauskas together with J. Ettinger, who also prepared his report on grain prices and bread baking conditions in Kaunas.
In addition to the two persons, the following representatives of the Military Intendant Jonas Glemža, representative of the Cooperative Union Jonas Lapėnas, representative of the “Parama” cooperative Jonas Pakalka, head of the municipality’s social security department Laurynas Kairūnaitis, member Joselis Roginskis and city mayor Jonas Vileišis will be consulted.
The purpose of the meeting was to reduce the prices of the already mentioned products for consumers. Following Germany’s example, it was decided that it was not worth regulating the price of bread drastically, by punishing traders, and an initiative was taken to organize the purchase of grain and the baking of bread.
A Bread Supply Committee has been assembled for this purpose. At the next meeting, they are considering buying grain and wheat so that local suppliers reduce prices.
Also, with the help of cooperatives, ensure the baking of bread, determine its quantity and price. Money for the initial capital was expected to be received from the Ministry of Finance. (Lithuania, No. 237).
Kaunas city museum funds photo. /Kaunas consumer company “Parama” bakery. Established in 1929 Photo from J. Skrinskas’ album “Kaunas”, 1930.
Jurgis Krasnickas murder
the very difficult economic situation in the country pushed citizens to commit crimes at that time. There was no shortage of high-profile crimes in interwar Lithuania, especially in the first post-war years.
in 1922 October 25 probably one of the most painful events in interwar Lithuania took place, Jurgis Krasnickas, a young student of the University of Münster, was killed.
It was announced in the press: “On the way back from Kaunas, he was brutally murdered by unknown criminals in the village of Simnos Atesnykai. In the person of the deceased, Catholic Lithuania ceased to be an actor of noble soul, tireless eloquence of beauty, deep wisdom and great diligence, and a zealous preacher of Christian-democratic thought, who dedicated all his young forces to base Lithuanian life on the ideals of Christ, to defend the freedom and rights of the Church” (Laisvė, No. 199). . (Photo 4).
Photo from the article: Gintaras Lučinskas. Jurgis Krasnickas (1902–1922) futurist, shooter, social activist (Terra Jatwezenorum, 2017 (1), p. 262)./Jurgis Krasnickas. in 1921
In the same “Laisvė” letter, the work of the law enforcement was indignant, and it was stated that more people were brutally killed in various parts of Lithuania within a few weeks.
There was no lack of attacks in Kaunas, where local criminals robbed residents and guests of the city.
It later turned out that the crime was committed by a former volunteer of the Lithuanian army, Petras Kryžiauskas. Until then, he had committed more than one crime, and he killed Mr. Krasnickas in order to rob him.
The body of the murderer was found on the side of the road without his outer clothes, missing like art objects and money. Although the culprit was initially sentenced to death by firing squad, the sentence was later commuted in 1940. June 14 Kryžiauskas was released. (G. Lučinskas, Terra Jatwezenorum, 2017 (1))
The murder of the student’s killer shook Lithuania, because he was an active public and political figure, J. Kraujo’s intellectual abilities, energetic.
Soon comrades began to care for Krasnick’s memory. The students bought a photo with Krasnick’s image, and the collected money was later used for the construction of the monument.
in 1922 in November, on the initiative of Pranas Dovydaitis, the Krasnickas schoolchildren relief fund was established, where the collected money was expected to financially support other students.
In exile, not long after Krasnick’s death, articles dedicated to his memory were published, and Krasnick became a character in one novel, but in 1972. The United States Union of Future Students published the book “Jurgis Krasnickas. In memory of the 50th anniversary of his death” (G. Lučinskas, Terra Jatwezenorum, 2017 (1)).
Opening of Kaunas Town Hall
despite poverty and criminal events, life in Lithuania did not stop. The cultural life taking place in the country gave optimism and hope.
Here is October 25. “Lietuvos žinios” published two happy news: on October 21 The concert of Beethoven’s VI Symphony (conductor Juozas Tallat-Kelpša) and the opening concert of the Kaunas Town Hall took place in the Kaunas Officers’ Rest House.
Today, impatiently waiting for the completion of the renovation of the Kaunas Town Hall, after which the inner spaces of the Town Hall will be much more adapted to the needs of the public and museum activities (a modern and modern city museum, cafe, multifunctional spaces, etc. will be located here), as the public welcomed the opening of the Town Hall a hundred years ago. years.
“Now this rococo rarity will no longer be the Kaunas Town Hall, but the White Swan, as the Lithuanian priest Krivaičius Krivė himself baptized it. To J. Tumo’s godparents – Mr. with the noisy approval of the mayor and members of the City Board, and numerous guests,” the author of the article announced.
We are happy that the Town Hall will become a great place for art events, it will accommodate about 300 guests, a good mood will be guaranteed, and their hearts will be happy in the bright white rococo style hall.
Opera soloists Antanas Sodeika, Aleksandras Kutkauskas, A. Nezabatauskaitė-Galaunienė, J. Dvarionaitė performed at the opening event without welcoming speeches.
Pupils of Olga Dubeckienė’s ballet studio danced. True, after the gathered guests ended the opening night of the Town Hall with noisy dances, the unknown author was afraid of jokes: “My only fear is that the noisy dances, as usually ends our noble hours, will soon dust and cover the innocent hall with sweat vapors.” Lithuanian news, no. 193).
What events will November bring? You will find out about it at the end of November. We invite those who would like to dive deeper into the hundred-year-old events to follow the project “100 years ago” page In it, you will find something new from the past every day.
According to the “100 Years Ago” project, the materials were prepared by Dr. Dr. Gediminas Kasparavičius.