Prisikėlimas Military District
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The Prisikėlimas military district (Lithuanian: ''Prisikėlimo apygarda''; "Resurrection district") was a military district of
Lithuanian partisans Lithuanian partisans () were partisans who waged guerrilla warfare in Lithuania against the Soviet Union in 1944–1953. Similar anti-Soviet resistance groups, also known as Forest Brothers and cursed soldiers, fought against Soviet rule in E ...
which were active from 1947 to 1969, and comprised the counties of
Šiauliai Šiauliai ( ; ) is a city in northern Lithuania, the List of cities in Lithuania, country's fourth largest city and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, sixth largest city in the Baltic States, with a population of 112 581 in 202 ...
,
Joniškis Joniškis (; Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Juonėškis''; ) is a city 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 i ...
, and partially -
Kėdainiai Kėdainiai () is one of the oldest List of cities in Lithuania, cities in Lithuania. It is located north of Lithuania's second largest city Kaunas on the banks of the Nevėžis River. Kėdainiai were first mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle ...
,
Panevėžys Panevėžys () is the fifth-largest List of cities in Lithuania, city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, eighth-most-populous city in the Baltic States. it occupies with 89,100 inhabitants. As defined by Eu ...
and
Raseiniai Raseiniai (; Samogitian dialect, Samogitian: ''Raseinē'') is a city in Lithuania. It is located on the south eastern foothills of the Samogitians highland, some north from the A1 highway (Lithuania), Kaunas–Klaipėda highway. History Grand ...
. It formed out of the
Kęstutis military district The Kęstutis military district (Lithuanian: ''Kęstučio apygarda'', previously Joint Kęstutis military district; ''Jungtinė Kęstučio apygarda'') was a military district of Lithuanian partisans which operated from 1946 to 1959 in the counties ...
as managing its wide area presented difficulties. The newly created district prioritized connections with other partisan districts as well as the protection of partisan leadership.


History


Formation

As the front between
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
and the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
was moving back towards
Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
, multiple resistance organizations were established. On 16 July 1944 Motiejus Pečulionis, a representative of the
Supreme Committee for the Liberation of Lithuania The Supreme Committee for the Liberation of Lithuania or VLIK () was an organization seeking independence of Lithuania. It was established on November 25, 1943, during the Nazi occupation. After World War II it moved abroad and continued its operat ...
, arrived in the city of
Šiauliai Šiauliai ( ; ) is a city in northern Lithuania, the List of cities in Lithuania, country's fourth largest city and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, sixth largest city in the Baltic States, with a population of 112 581 in 202 ...
to seek connection with underground resistance movements, primarily with the Lithuanian Liberty Army (LLA). The following day he ordered members of the army to retreat with the front but to stay and organize partisan resistance if the Soviet Union should stay and occupy Lithuania. The LLA intended to form four districts within the country. The district of Šiauliai at first was named the ''Saturnas'' (
Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant, with an average radius of about 9 times that of Earth. It has an eighth the average density of Earth, but is over 95 tim ...
) district and its leader was selected as lieutenant Adolfas Eidimtas. He assumed leadership of the LLA after its creator, , died on 28 December 1944. Although the headquarters of the Saturnas district was established in 1945, after which Eidimtas attempted to establish connections with its
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
counterpart, it did not last long and was destroyed. Despite this failed attempt, independent partisan cells were still being formed. From 1946 to 1947 these cells gradually were incorporated into the
Kęstutis military district The Kęstutis military district (Lithuanian: ''Kęstučio apygarda'', previously Joint Kęstutis military district; ''Jungtinė Kęstučio apygarda'') was a military district of Lithuanian partisans which operated from 1946 to 1959 in the counties ...
. Due to the district's large span and other organizational reasons, it was decided that the area should split into a new district on 8 August 1947.
Jonas Žemaitis Jonas Žemaitis, also known under his ''nom de guerre'' ''Vytautas'' (March 15, 1909 – November 26, 1954) was a Lithuanian general and freedom fighter who served as the ''de facto'' president of Lithuania from 1949 until his death in 1954. A ...
, the commander of the Kęstutis military district, sent Petras Bartkus and Bronius Liesis to establish connections with the fallen local headquarters and gather the partisans. The chief of staff of the headquarters was selected to be Leonardas Grigonis.


Activity

At a meeting that took place on 22 April the ''Žalioji'' unit was incorporated into the district. Bartkus began regularly inspecting the partisans of the newly formed district. When the '' Povilas Lukšys'' unit became severely weakened due to MGB attacks, its new leader Povilas Morkūnas was set to re-establish discipline. Morkūnas divided the district into smaller subdivisions, as well as renamed it to the ''Maironis'' district. On 29 April it was incorporated into the Prisikėlimas military district. Other units, such as the ''Atžalynas'' and ''Voverė'' (later - ''duke Žvelgaitis'') were also later incorporated into the district. Petras Bartkus was replaced by Leonardas Grigonis after Bartkus was selected as the head of the Unified Freedom Fight Union Organization. Despite the district lacking in partisan press in the beginning, it managed to publish its own newspaper ''Prisikėlimo Ugnis'' (Fire of the resurrection), first in 1948. Due to the district's favorable strategic position, Jonas Žemaitis relocated to a forest within its area. The district prioritized connections with other districts as well as security of high-profile partisans. Žemaitis also met with partisan leaders from southern Lithuania like
Adolfas Ramanauskas Adolfas Ramanauskas (March 6, 1918 – November 29, 1957), code name Vanagas (), was a one of the leaders of the Lithuanian partisans and the anti-Soviet Resistance in Lithuania during World War II, resistance. In 2018, the Seimas of Lithuania po ...
. In 1949 leaders shifted again as Povilas Morkūnas replaced Leonardas Grigonis, who headed the district until 1951. In May 1952 he ordered the district to be destroyed as it was severely weakened. Juozas Paliūnas became the last commander of the district on 1 August 1951. He headed the Povilas Lukšys unit until his death on 1 October 1952. The last high-profile partisan of the district, Pranciškus Prūsaitis, was captured in 1962 and executed in Vilnius in 1963. The last partisan of the area, Kostas Liuberskis, was killed in 1969.


Leaders


Structure of Lithuanian partisans' organisation


References

{{Reflist


External links


Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of LithuaniaThe partisan military districts of the Lithuanian freedom fighters''Vienui Vieni'' ("Utterly Alone")
2004 film about the Lithuanian Forest Brothers, based on the real life events of Juozas Lukša aka Juozas L. Daumantas

– Chronicle of Lithuanian partisans, June 1944 – May 1949, prepared by Algis Rupainis
«Forest Brothers – Fight for the Baltics»
– official ''YouTube'' channel of NATO, 2017 Military districts of Lithuanian partisans Guerrilla organizations Cold War rebellions