Romanas Chodakauskas (August 9, 1883 – October 8, 1932) was the Lithuanian

military attaché A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Opport ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, a Lithuanian Diplomat in the

Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR), or Ukrainian National Republic (UNR), was a country in Eastern Europe that existed between 1917 and 1920. It was declared following the February Revolution in Russia by the First Universal. In March 1 ...

, a Colonel in the Lithuanian Military Court, and brother of

Sofija Smetonienė Sofija Smetonienė (''née'' Chodakauskaitė; January 13, 1885 – December 28, 1968), was the wife of the first President of Lithuania Antanas Smetona and served as the First Lady of Lithuania from April 4, 1919 to June 19, 1920 and again from ...

, Tadas Chodakauskas and

Jadvyga Tūbelienė Jadvyga Tūbelienė (née Chodakauskaitė) (January 11, 1891 – October 4, 1988) was one of the founders of the Lithuanian Women's Council, a writer, journalist, head of the Information Bureau in Bern and Paris, Deputy chief of mission, Deputy Chi ...

. Romanas was a member of the Chodakowski noble family.

Early life and education

Žvanagala

Romanas was born in Žvanagala manor
Žvanagala
Joniškėlis Parish,

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), 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. Lithuania ...

, on August 9, 1883, to Antanas Chodakauskas (1850-1925) and Marija-Johana Chodakauskienė (1852-1910). He was baptized in Vaskai Church, by Rev. Heronim Jaksztowitch, the

vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

of the church, on August 30, 1883. His grandfather Casimir Chodakowski (1814-1905) was his godfather. His aunt, Stanisława (née Giedroyć) (1855-1933), wife of Jan Chodakowski (1849-1926), was his godmother. Another of Romanas’ aunts, Cecilija Chodakowska (1853-1937), was also in attendance.From Joniskelis Roman Catholic Church 1880-1888 metrics Romanas’ grandfather, Casimir, and his father, Antanas, leased land at Žvanagala estate, owned by the Dokalski family.

Gavėnonių Estate

Within the year the family moved t
Gavėnonių Estate
Pakruojis region. The estate was owned by the descendants of Felicician Karp (1821-1880), the owner of Joniškėlis manor. A
Gavėnonių Estate
Romanas' parents had three daughters - Sofija Chodakauskaitė (1884-1968), Kazimierza (1888-1889) and Jadvyga (1889-1959) - and one more son - Tadas Chodakauskas (1889-1959). From a young age, Romanas and the other children were raised to be patriotic and socially active. Though the family spoke

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

among themselves, they were

home-schooled Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an onlin ...

in the

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

language and spoke Lithuanian when conversing with the farm workers. They were taught about Lithuanian culture and kept close relations with prominent Lithuanian

intelligentsia The intelligentsia is a status class composed of the university-educated people of a society who engage in the complex mental labours by which they critique, shape, and lead in the politics, policies, and culture of their society; as such, the in ...

and members of the Lithuanian National Revival Movement including

Jonas Jablonskis Jonas Jablonskis (; 30 December 1860, in Kubilėliai, Šakiai district – 23 February 1930, in Kaunas) was a distinguished Lithuanian linguist and one of the founders of the standard Lithuanian language. He used the pseudonym ''Rygiškių Jonas' ...

(1860-1930), Povilas Višinskis (1875-1906), Adomas Sketeris (1859-1916), Motiejus Čepas (1866''-''1962) and Petras Vileišis (1851-1926). Romanas’ parents stressed the education of all their children. They studied foreign languages, read a variety of literature, were interested in music, stressed fair-mindedness and had wide-ranging views. The parents hired teachers or taught them themselves. According to historian Ingrida Jakubavičienė, Romanas' parents were:

"educated and enlightened nobles who dedicated their lives to their children, to family, to education, and to knowledge, but not to wealth."

Antanas Smetona (Faculty of Law student)

Antanas Smetona tutors Romanas

Romanas’ father was introduced to

(1860-1930) by Romanas' niece,

Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė Gabrielė Petkevičaitė (; 18 March 1861 – 14 June 1943) was a Lithuanian educator, writer, and activist. Her pen name Bitė (''Bee'') eventually became part of her last name. Encouraged by Povilas Višinskis, she joined public life and start ...

(1861-1943). Jablonskis was a distinguished Lithuanian

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

and promotor of the Lithuanian National Revival, who was teaching Greek and

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

at Jelgava Gymnasium. During summer vacations, Jablonskis collected information from native speakers in Lithuania for his linguistic studies. The Chodakauskas and Jablonskis families became close and started regularly visiting each other. Jablonskis often spent summers with the Chodakauskas family. Romanas’ father invited Lithuanian students, recommended by Jablonskis, to teach his children. In the summer of 1895, Jablonskis recommended a young student of his, seventh-class student

Antanas Smetona Antanas Smetona (; 10 August 1874 – 9 January 1944) was a Lithuanian intellectual and journalist and the first President of Lithuania from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1926 to 1940, before its occupation by the Soviet Union. He was one of the m ...

(1874-1944), to be the tutor for Romanas. Romanas was studying in preparation for the entrance exams to Jelgava Gymnasium and Smetona, being from a poor, farming background, needed the work. Smetona had recently passed his entrance examinations for the Samogitian Diocesan Seminary in Kaunas. However, he had felt no great calling for the priesthood and enrolled into Jelgava Gymnasium instead. Jelgava Gymnasium was a cultural hub of the Lithuanian National Revival and attracted many future leaders in Lithuanian culture and politics, including

Juozas Tūbelis Juozas Tūbelis (9 April 1882 in Ilgalaukis, Kovno Governorate – 30 September 1939, Kaunas) was a Lithuanian politician, Prime Minister and member and chairman of the Lithuanian Nationalists Union. In 1908, he graduated from Polytechnical In ...

(1882-1939) and Vladas Mironas (1880-1953) who later became Smetona's political companions. In particular,

Lithuanian language Lithuanian ( ) is an Eastern Baltic language belonging to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is the official language of Lithuania and one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.8 millio ...

and culture was openly promoted by Jablonskis, with whom Smetona developed a close friendship. Both Antanas Smetona and Jablonskis were great promoters of the Lithuanian language and culture. The Chodakowski family was soon inspired by their passion. Romanas’ youngest sister Jadvyga once asked Jablonskis, who was visiting the Chodakauskas house, “Who am I?” Jablonskis answered, “Well, how do you feel?” Jadvyga replied, “I feel Lithuanian.” “That's it!” Jablonskis exclaimed. While teaching Romanas at Gavėnonių, Smetona met Sofija Chodakauskaitė, Romanas’ sister. A friendship soon developed between them. Antanas Smetona promised that when she graduated from Jelgava Girl's Gymnasium, he would return and propose to her. Smetona and Sofija would later marry.

would become the first and longest-standing

President of Lithuania The President of the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidentas) is the head of state of Lithuania. The officeholder has been Gitanas Nausėda since 12 July 2019. Powers The president has somewhat more executive authority tha ...

in Lithuania's history.

Jelgava Gymnasium

Romanas went to school at Jelgava Gymnasium. He probably started in 1895, as gymnasiums only accepted new pupils up to the age of twelve. He stayed on until he graduated. His two sisters also went to gymnasium in Jelgava. When Sofija and Jadvyga were studying, their mother Marija-Johana, spent a few years in a rented apartment in Jelgava with the girls. Romanas’ brother

Tadas Tadas is a village in the southern state of Karnataka, 28Km away From Hubli & 20 km away from Mundgod IndiaVillage code= 815200 Tadas, Haveri, Karnataka It is located in the Shiggaon taluk of Haveri district in Karnataka. Tadas has bee ...

, also lived with them.

Kharkiv University

Romanas studied law at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University in

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

at the time. He graduated in 1912.

Vilnius

Romanas returned to

and settling in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

. On December 16, 1913, he married Janina Turaitė-Jacunskiėne (b.1884) in the

Lithuanian Evangelical Reformed Church The Evangelical Reformed Church of Lithuania or latin: "Unitas Lithuaniae"; polish: "Jednota Litewska" ( lt, Lietuvos evangelikų reformatų bažnyčia) is a Calvinist denomination in Lithuania which uses presbyterian polity. History The church w ...

(Pylimo gatvė 18,

). On August 20, 1914, Romanas’ first child, Miroslavas (1914-1952) was born at Topolis, Kupiškis region, Lithuania, the home of his wife's parents.

Daina Society

While living in

, Romanas was a member of the

Daina Society Daina Society (''daina'' means ''song'' in Lithuanian; lt, „Dainos“ draugija) was a Lithuanian cultural organization promoting Lithuanian folk traditions and songs. It was established as an illegal cultural society by the composer Juozas Nauj ...

, a cultural and artistic society that sought to revive the national Lithuanian spirit by means of Lithuanian song. He served as the chair between 1913 and 1915. He later was a member when the Daina Society was based in

Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...

Vladimir Military Academy

Romanas trained at the

Vladimir Military Academy Vladimir may refer to: Names * Vladimir (name) for the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Slovenian spellings of a Slavic name * Uladzimir for the Belarusian version of the name * Volodymyr for the Ukr ...

in St. Petersburg. The Vladimir Military Academy was a military educational institution of the

Russian Imperial Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...

, which trained

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

officers. It was located at Malaya Grebetskaya Str., 5, 9; B. Grebetskaya (now Pionerskaya) st., 18 St. Petersburg and had been operational since December 1, 1869. Владимирское военное училище // Военная энциклопедия : � 18 т./ под ред. В. Ф. Новицкого … � др. — СПб. ; abbr>М.: Тип. т-ва И. Д. Сытина, 1911—1915. In the fall of 1914, with the outbreak of

WWI World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the school switched from a two-year to a four-month accelerated program. Graduates were increased from 400 to 885 and received the rank of ensign upon graduation. Romanas graduated in 1915.

Military service

Romanas served in the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Ukraine

In 1917 he served in the Lithuanian

Exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

s General Representative Office in

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

where he acted on behalf of the ''Lietuvos Tarybos'' (the

Council of Lithuania The Council of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Taryba, german: Litauischer Staatsrat, pl, Rada Litewska), after July 11, 1918 the State Council of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Valstybės Taryba) was convened at the Vilnius Conference that took place betwe ...

Germany

In August 1918 Romanas was dispatched by the

on a

diplomatic Diplomatics (in American English, and in most anglophone countries), or diplomatic (in British English), is a scholarly discipline centred on the critical analysis of documents: especially, historical documents. It focuses on the conventions, p ...

mission to

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

to assist with returning Lithuanian

Prisoners of War A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...

held in that country.

Ukraine

On November 19, 1918 the Government of the Republic of Lithuania delegated Romanas to be the representative with

affairs to the

(

had first proclaimed its independence from the

Russian Republic The Russian Republic,. referred to as the Russian Democratic Federal Republic. in the Decree on the system of government of Russia (1918), 1918 Constitution, was a short-lived state (polity), state which controlled, ''de jure'', the territ ...

on January 25, 1918) and

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

. His work in

Kiev Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

included agitating Lithuanian officers, and helping Lithuanian citizens, to return to Lithuania. Also working in Ukraine was Martynas Yčas (1885-1914), who began work at the beginning of June, 1918. The

appointed him as the representative in

, to deal with the return of war refugees and exiles. As the Germans retreated, Romanas returned to Gomel, at that time part of the Ukrainian State. In December 1918, Romanas had been absent from his post in

for several weeks. On January 7, 1919 the

Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

invaded

. Ukraine declared war once again against

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

on January 16, 1919. The two main directions of the Bolshevik's forces were onto

and

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Kiev Governorate. Once the Bolsheviks controlled the area, Romanas returned to Kiev. By late January, with the Bolsheviks inquiring after him, Romanas went incognito to

. Before leaving, he organized the ''Minsk Lithuanian Exiles’ Committee''.On January 27, 1919, Romanas was awarded the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Lithuanian Army

On February 2, 1919, Romanas was called to join the

Lithuanian army The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Naval Force and the Lithuanian Air Force. In wartime, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (wh ...

. Delegated to the

Ministry of National Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

, he was responsible for special affairs. He was later the representative for the Ministry of National Defence responsible for

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels. Jur ...

Military Attaché in Berlin

Romanas served in

as the

Military Attaché A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Opport ...

at the Lithuanian Embassy under

Jurgis Šaulys Jurgis Šaulys (; 1879–1948) was a Lithuanian economist, diplomat, and politician, and one of the twenty signatories to the 1918 Act of Independence of Lithuania. Šaulys attended secondary school in Palanga and attended the Kaunas Theologi ...

(1879-1948), who was appointed Lithuania's first minister extraordinary and

plenipotentiary A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of his or her sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the word ...

in Germany on November 23, 1918. The military relationship between Lithuania and Germany was crucial for Lithuania's survival. Lithuania feared both the

from

and the army of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

. Germany, until only recently the

occupying power Military occupation, also known as belligerent occupation or simply occupation, is the effective military control by a ruling power over a territory that is outside of that power's sovereign territory.Eyāl Benveniśtî. The international law ...

in Lithuania, was seen as an important strategic partner.

Military Court in Kaunas

On June 7, 1920, Romanas was transferred to the Military Court. By August 1921, he was working as the Public Defender's Assistant in the Military Court in

. On May 22, 1923, Romanas was promoted to the rank of

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. On July 11, 1923, he was again promoted, this time to the rank of

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

. On October 1, 1923, Romanas was given a permanent position in the Military Court - whereas before he was temporary. On September 15, 1926, Romanas was awarded the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in the Military Court, and then on October 1, 1926, due to health concerns, he was transferred to the Reserves.

Family

Romanas was a member of arguably the most respected, powerful and well-connected family in

interwar In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relativel ...

Lithuania. His sister,

, was an active player in the woman's movement and married to

, the first and long-standing

. Romanas’ other sister,

, was one of the founders of the Lithuanian Council of Women, a writer,

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

and married to

, the long-standing

Prime Minister of Lithuania The prime minister of Lithuania ( lt, Ministras Pirmininkas; "Minister-Chairman") is the head of the government of Lithuania. The prime minister is Lithuania's head of government and is appointed by the president with the assent of the Lithuania ...

. His brother, Tadas Chodakauskas, was the mayor of Panevėžys, the fifth-largest city in

. His cousin, Gabrielė Petkevičiatė-Bitė, was an active worker in social rights and one of the foremost writers in the country.

Second Marriage and Son

On June 22, 1928, Romanas married Wanda

Łukaszewicz Łukaszewicz is a Polish surname. It comes from the given name Łukasz (Lucas). It is most frequent in north-eastern Poland. Archaic feminine forms: Łukaszewiczówna (unmarried) and Łukaszewiczówa (married). Related surnames: Łukasiewicz an ...

(née Gryffin) at

Vytautas' the Great Church Church of Vytautas the Great or the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( lt, Vytauto Didžiojo bažnyčia) is a Roman Catholic church in the Old Town of Kaunas, Lithuania, and is one of the oldest churches in the city and an imp ...

in Kaunas. The officiating priest was

Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas Juozas Tumas also known by the pen name Vaižgantas (20 September 1869 – 29 April 1933) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and an activist during the Lithuanian National Revival. He was a prolific writer, editor of nine periodicals, univers ...

(1869–1933). The witnesses to the marriage were President Antanas Smetona and Gvidonas Ruscicas. Wanda had been married once before, to Witold Łukaszewicz (1888''-''1926) - a cousin of painter

Bronisława Łukaszewicz Bronisława Łukaszewicz (1885-1962) was a Polish-Lithuanian painter. Biography Bronisława Łukaszewicz was born in the Kresy area and studied at St. Petersburg Gymnasium from where she graduated in 1901. She then lived in Vilnius, Lithuan ...

(1885-1962). Wanda had two children from the previous marriage. Romanas lived with Wanda and her children in

and spent summers at Wanda's estate in Vilnius District, Lapšiai Manor. In 1930/1931, the family address was Laisvės aleja 58,

. In 1932, their address was first at Kęstučio gatvė 27 (courtyard), Kaunas, then Kalnu str. 13, before finally Vytauto pr. 14 (now 30) Kaunas, flat Nr. 6 (Juozas Daugirdas Apartment Building). They lived on the fourth floor of five. On April 7, 1932, Romanas’ son Roman Chodakowski (1932-2001) was born in

. He was baptized at their home in the Juozas Daugirdas Apartment Building. President Smetona was Roman's godfather. Romanas’ sister,

, was the godmother.

Death

On October 9, 1932, Romanas died from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

. The procession from Romanas' house to the Kaunas Cathedral Basilica was described by the press:

On October 9, 6 pm the body of Romanas Chodakauskas was taken from his house on Vytautas Avenue to the
Basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...
. The Republican President Smetona, his sisters
Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
, Jadvyga, Tūbelis, the
Minister of National Defence of Lithuania The Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublikos krašto apsaugos ministerija) was established in 1990. Its mission, according to its website, consists of: "Implementation of joint policy with NATO, cooperat ...
, B Giedraitis, and the Commander of
Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...
Command, relatives and many other people, participated in the procession.

The funeral took place on Monday, October 10, 1932 at the Kaunas Cathedral Basilica. Romanas was buried at the Old City Cemetery, on Vytauto prospektas,

- now Ramybės park. Writer and priest

(1869–1933) and

University of Lithuania 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 ...

law professor A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...

Petras Leonas Petras Leonas (1864–1938) was a Lithuanian attorney and politician, the first Minister of Justice of the newly independent Lithuania in 1918. After graduating from Moscow University in 1889, Leonas held a government job at various courts in S ...

(1864''-''1938) spoke at the grave. A

memorial plaque A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...

was installed in Ramybės Park 2018 to commemorate those who fought for Lithuanian

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

Citations

References

Vytautas Zabielskas
Romanas Chodakauskas. Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija, T. IV (Chakasija-Diržių kapinynas). V.: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas, 2003. - 66 psl. . {{authority control 1883 births 1932 deaths Lithuanian military personnel National University of Kharkiv alumni