Juozas Grušas (November 16, 1901,
Žadžiūnai-Kalniškiai,
Kovno Governorate
Kovno Governorate ( rus, Ковенская губеpния, r=Kovenskaya guberniya; lt, Kauno gubernija) or Governorate of Kaunas was a governorate ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire. Its capital was Kaunas (Kovno in Russian). It was forme ...
– May 21, 1986,
Kaunas) was a
Lithuanian writer, editor, dramatist and playwright.
Biography
Grušas' first inspirational teacher was the Lithuanian poet
Jovaras, who taught him writing and spurred his interest in literature. In 1920 he enrolled at the
Šiauliai Gymnasium, graduating in 1924.
From 1924 to 1931 he was a student at the University of Lithuania (1930 renamed to ''
Vytautas Magnus University
Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) ( lt, Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas (VDU)) is a public university in Kaunas, Lithuania. The university was founded in 1922 during the interwar period as an alternate national university.
Initially it was known ...
''), in the Theology-philosophy faculty. In 1928 he was elected as chairman of the student organization
Šatrija. After graduating in 1930, he began teaching the Lithuanian language. In 1931, together with
Balys Sruoga
Balys Sruoga (February 2, 1896, in , Kovno Governorate – October 16, 1947, Vilnius) was a Lithuanian poet, playwright, critic, and literary theorist.
Early life
He contributed to cultural journals from his early youth. His works were publis ...
, he co-founded the Lithuanian writers association; from 1937 to 1938 he was chairman of this organization. Grušas served as editor-in-chief of the Christian weekly newspaper ''Mūsų laikraštis'' (''Our Newspaper'') from 1928 to 1938. In 1935 he published a satirical novel, ''Karjeristai'' (''The Careerists''), which has been described as "one of the key works in the history of the Lithuanian novel".
He was interested in Lithuanian and Baltic history and several of his drama plays are about historic characters of the past.
From 1940 to 1941 he worked in the State publishing house as an editor of fiction. He fell ill in 1941, and lived with his in-laws in
Joniškis
Joniškis (; Samogitian: ''Juonėškis'') is a town in northern Lithuania with a population of about 9,900. It is located 39 kilometers north of Šiauliai and 14 kilometers south of the Lithuania– Latvia border. Joniškis is the municipal an ...
until 1949. In 1948 he was accepted into the
Lithuanian SSR
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Lithuanian SSR; lt, Lietuvos Tarybų Socialistinė Respublika; russian: Литовская Советская Социалистическая Республика, Litovskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialistiche ...
writers association. After returning to Kaunas in 1949, he resumed writing, and over time became one of the most productive Lithuanian playwrights. His works have been translated into English,
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
,
Latvian, and
Estonian. Juozas Grušas was buried in
Petrašiūnai Cemetery. Juozas Grušas Secondary School (in
Šilainiai
Šilainiai is an elderate in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas, built as a microdistrict in the 1980s. It is one of the largest elderates in the city, covering and housing over 70,000 people as of 2006. Eighth and Ninth Forts of the Kaunas Fortres ...
elderate of
Kaunas) was named in his honour.
Important works
Books:
* ''Ponia Bertulienė'', 1925
* ''Karjeristai'' (novel), 1935
Dramas:
* ''Dūmai'' (''Smalkės'', 1956)
* ''Herkus Mantas'' (1957)
* ''Švitrigaila'' (1975)
* ''Unija'' (1977)
* ''Gintarinė vila'' (1979)
* ''Meilė, džiazas ir velnias'' (1967)
* ''Barbora Radvilaitė'' (1972)
Most of his plays were produced in the
Kaunas State Drama Theatre.
Collected works:
*''Raštai'', 5 volumes in 1981–1985
*''Mykolas Glinskis'', 1984
*''Gyvų sienojų namai'', 1986
Awards
He received awards for ''Herkus Mantas'' in 1957, and for ''Švitrigaila'', ''Barbora Radvilaitė'' and ''Pijus nebuvo protingas'' in 1976.
In 1976 he was chosen as an "Honorary Lithuanian SSR artist"; in 1971 he received a "People's Writer" award.
His 1972 play ''Barbora Radvilaitė'' was selected as one of the Lithuanian plays of the century.
References
*"Grušas, Jouzas". Encyclopedia Lituanica II: 395–396. (1970-1978). Ed. Simas Sužiedėlis. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. LCCN 74–114275.
External links
Short biography*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070209124705/http://www.maironiomuziejus.lt/lt/maironiomuziejus/Gruso/ Grušas house in Kaunas
1901 births
1986 deaths
People from Šiauliai District Municipality
People from Shavelsky Uyezd
Lithuanian dramatists and playwrights
Lithuanian writers
20th-century dramatists and playwrights
Vytautas Magnus University alumni
Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
Burials at Petrašiūnai Cemetery
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