Povilas Višinskis
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Povilas Višinskis (; 28 June 1875 – 23 April 1906) was a
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 ...
n cultural and political activist during the
Lithuanian National Revival The Lithuanian National Revival, alternatively the Lithuanian National Awakening or Lithuanian nationalism (), was a period of the history of Lithuania in the 19th century, when a major part of Lithuanian-inhabited areas belonged to the Russian ...
. He is best remembered as a mentor of literary talent. He discovered Julija Žymantienė (Žemaitė) and advised
Marija Pečkauskaitė Marija is a feminine given name, a variation of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek names Μαριαμ, or Mariam, and Μαρια, or Maria, found in the New Testament. Depending on phonological rules concerning consecuti ...
(Šatrijos Ragana),
Sofija Pšibiliauskienė Sofija Pšibiliauskienė ''née'' Ivanauskaitė (; September 16, 1867 in Akmenė District Municipality, Paragiai, Shavelsky Uyezd, Kovno Governorate – March 15, 1926 in Paragiai) and Marija Lastauskienė were two Lithuanian sister writers of Pol ...
(Lazdynų Pelėda), Gabrielė Petkevičaitė (Bitė),
Jonas Biliūnas Jonas Biliūnas (11 April 1879 – 8 December 1907) was a Lithuanian writer, poet, and a significant contributor to the national awakening of Lithuania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Biography Early life Biliūnas was born near A ...
,
Jonas Krikščiūnas Jonas Krikščiūnas, known by his pen name Jovaras ( – 21 January 1967), was a Lithuanian poet. From around 1896 to 1904, he was a book smuggler helping distribute the banned Lithuanian books. A son of poor peasants, he never received any for ...
(Jovaras), helping them edit and publish their first works. As a biology student at the
Saint Petersburg University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great, the university from the be ...
, Višinskis conducted anthropological research on
Samogitians Samogitians ( Samogitian: ''žemaitē'', , ) are the inhabitants of Samogitia, an ethnographic region of Lithuania. Many speak the Samogitian language, which in Lithuania is mostly considered a dialect of the Lithuanian language together with t ...
which included detailed
anthropometric Anthropometry (, ) refers to the measurement of the human individual. An early tool of physical anthropology, it has been used for identification, for the purposes of understanding human physical variation, in paleoanthropology and in various a ...
measurements. After the university studies, he returned to Lithuania earning a living as a private tutor in various locations (near
Pašvitinys Pašvitinys is a small town in Šiauliai County in northern-central 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 ...
, Kurtuvėnai Manor,
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 ...
). Višinskis directed and played the main role in staging the first Lithuanian-language play ''
America in the Bathhouse ''America in the Bathhouse'' () is a three-act comedy by Keturakis (pen name of brothers and ). The play was first published in 1895. It became the first Lithuanian-language play performed in public in present-day Lithuania when a group of Lithu ...
'' (''Amerika pirtyje'') in 1899. When advertisements for another play printed in Lithuanian using
Latin alphabet The Latin alphabet, also known as the Roman alphabet, is the collection of letters originally used by the Ancient Rome, ancient Romans to write the Latin language. Largely unaltered except several letters splitting—i.e. from , and from ...
were confiscated by police as violating the
Lithuanian press ban The Lithuanian press ban () was a ban on all Lithuanian language publications printed in the Latin alphabet, in force from 1865 to 1904, within the Russian Empire, which controlled Lithuania proper at the time. Lithuanian-language publications t ...
, Višinskis sued and obtained a favorable judgment from the
Governing Senate From 1711 to 1917, the Governing Senate was the highest legislative, judicial, and executive body subordinate to the Russian emperors. The senate was instituted by Peter the Great to replace the Boyar Duma and lasted until the very end of the R ...
in 1903. He contributed some 86 articles and 120 short correspondences to various Lithuanian periodicals, most notably ''
Varpas ''Varpas'' (literally: ''The Bell'') was a monthly Lithuanian-language newspaper published during the Lithuanian press ban from January 1889 to December 1905. Because its publication was illegal in Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire, it w ...
'', ''
Ūkininkas ''Ūkininkas'' or ''Ukinįkas'' (literally: ''The Farmer'') was a monthly Lithuanian-language newspaper published during the Lithuanian press ban by the editorial staff of ''Varpas'' from 1890 to 1905. ''Ūkininkas'' was printed in Tilsit (current ...
'', '' Naujienos'', that were published in
East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...
and then smuggled into Lithuania. After the death of
Vincas Kudirka Vincas Kudirka (; – ) was a Lithuanian poet and physician, and the author of both the music and lyrics of the Lithuanian national anthem, "". He is regarded in Lithuania as a national hero. Kudirka used the pen names V. Kapsas, Paežerių Vi ...
, these newspapers suffered financial losses and frequent staff changes, and he stepped in to fill the leadership gap. He raised funds and addressed other printing issues, essentially becoming an unofficial editor of ''Varpas'' and leader of its contributors. He was an ardent opponent of the Tsarist regime and one of the first to declare that full independence was the ultimate goal of the Lithuanian National Revival. This ultimate goal was adopted by the
Lithuanian Democratic Party The Lithuanian Democratic Party (, LDP) was a political party in Lithuania. The original party was established in 1902. It published newspapers ''Lietuvos ūkininkas'' (1905–1918) and ''Lietuvos žinios'' (1909–1915). During World War I, the ...
, which he co-founded in 1902. After the lifting of the press ban in 1904, he moved to
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 ...
and worked on publishing Lithuanian literature. He strongly supported the
Russian Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...
, but advocated against armed resistance. He edited the first issues of ''
Vilniaus žinios ''Vilniaus žinios'' (literally: ''Vilnius news'') was a short-lived newspaper published in Vilnius, Lithuania. It was the first legal Lithuanian-language daily newspaper to appear after the Lithuanian press ban was lifted on May 7, 1904. History ...
'' and ''
Lietuvos ūkininkas ''Lietuvos ūkininkas'' (literally: ''Lithuanian farmer'') was a weekly Lithuanian-language newspaper published between 1905 and 1940. It was published by and reflected the political views of the Lithuanian Democratic Party, Peasant Union, and L ...
'', but quickly resigned due to ideological differences with their publishers. In 1905, he established Šviesa publishing company to publish Lithuanian books. The company operated until 1913 and published about twenty books. He died in 1906 of
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
that he was first diagnosed with in 1896.


Biography


Šiauliai Gymnasium

Višinskis was born in 1875 in near
Užventis Užventis (, Samogitian: ''Ožvėntis'') is a city in the Kelmė district municipality, Lithuania. It is located north-west of Kelmė. River Venta flows through the city. Etymology Užventis is a place name derived from the river named Venta ...
,
Kovno Governorate Kovno Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Kovno (Kaunas). It was formed on 18 December 1842 by Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, Nicholas I from the western part of Vilna Govern ...
,
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
. His parents were free peasants (i.e. not former serfs) and owned about of land, but a good portion of it was unusable for agriculture. Višinskis was the youngest of five children. In 1884, his neighbor invited his brother with the family to help on the farm. The brother's wife was Julija Žymantienė who later with Višinskis' encouragement became the well-known writer
Žemaitė Žemaitė (, , "Samogitian woman") was the pen name of Julija Beniuševičiūtė-Žymantienė ( – 7 December 1921). She was a Lithuanian/Samogitian writer, democrat and educator. Born to impoverished gentry, she became one of the major partici ...
. In 1885, after studies with a village tutor at home, Višinskis started the preparatory class at the
Šiauliai Gymnasium 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 ...
. His parents hoped that he would become a priest. The tuition cost 35
rubles The ruble or rouble (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is a currency unit. Currently, currencies named ''ruble'' in circulation include the Russian ruble (RUB, ₽) in Russia and the Belarusian ruble (BYN, Rbl) in Belarus. These currencies are su ...
and dormitory cost another 120 rubles annually. It was a large sum, placing a financial burden on the family. In Šiauliai, Višinskis became acquainted with the illegal Lithuanian press, including the newspapers ''
Aušra ''Aušra'' or ''Auszra'' (literally: ''dawn'') was the first national Lithuanian newspaper. The first issue was published in 1883, in Ragnit, East Prussia, Germany (newspaper credited it as ) East Prussia's ethnolinguistic part - Lithuania Mi ...
'' and ''
Varpas ''Varpas'' (literally: ''The Bell'') was a monthly Lithuanian-language newspaper published during the Lithuanian press ban from January 1889 to December 1905. Because its publication was illegal in Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire, it w ...
'', and shared it with Žymantienė. Despite strict control by the school, he also read banned Russian authors, including '' What Is To Be Done?'' by
Nikolay Chernyshevsky Nikolay Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky ( – ) was a Russian literary and social critic, journalist, novelist, democrat, and socialist philosopher, often identified as a utopian socialist and leading theoretician of Russian nihilism and the N ...
, works by Russian literary critic
Vissarion Belinsky Vissarion Grigoryevich Belinsky (; Pre-reform spelling: Виссаріонъ Григорьевичъ Бѣлинскій. – ) was a Russian literary critic of Westernizing tendency. Belinsky played one of the key roles in the career of p ...
,
Narodnik The Narodniks were members of a movement of the Russian Empire intelligentsia in the 1860s and 1870s, some of whom became involved in revolutionary agitation against tsarism. Their ideology, known as Narodism, Narodnism or ,; , similar to the ...
Nikolay Mikhaylovsky Nikolay Konstantinovich Mikhaylovsky (; – ) was a Russian literary critic, sociologist, writer on public affairs, and one of the theoreticians of the Narodniki movement. Biography The school of thinkers he belonged to became famous in the ...
, Polish positivist
Aleksander Świętochowski Aleksander Świętochowski (18 January 1849 – 25 April 1938) was a Polish writer, educator, and philosopher of the Positivism in Poland, Positivist period that followed the January Uprising, January 1863 Uprising. He was widely regarded as the ...
, fiction by
Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...
,
Fyodor Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influent ...
, and others. He began sympathizing with Narodniks and their slogan "going to the people" in an attempt to teach the peasants to lift them up from poverty and misery. In summer 1891, manor owners in
Užventis Užventis (, Samogitian: ''Ožvėntis'') is a city in the Kelmė district municipality, Lithuania. It is located north-west of Kelmė. River Venta flows through the city. Etymology Užventis is a place name derived from the river named Venta ...
invited Višinskis to tutor their children, including Marija Pečkauskaitė who later became known as
Šatrijos Ragana Šatrijos Ragana ("Witch of Šatrija") was the pen name of Marija Pečkauskaitė (; March 8, 1877 – July 24, 1930), a Lithuanian humanist and romantic writer and educator. Her most successful works are (''In the Old Estate'', 1922) and ''Irko ...
. She borrowed the pen name from one of Višinskis' letters where he called her ''ragana'' (witch). Višinskis introduced Pečkauskaitė to the
Lithuanian National Revival The Lithuanian National Revival, alternatively the Lithuanian National Awakening or Lithuanian nationalism (), was a period of the history of Lithuania in the 19th century, when a major part of Lithuanian-inhabited areas belonged to the Russian ...
, Narodnik ideas, and encouraged her to write the first poems and short stories. They developed a friendship and feelings that grew into tender love. From 1891, Višinskis worked as a tutor and supervisor of a student dormitory managing to pay the school tuition on his own. In 1894, Višinskis graduated from the gymnasium, but refused to follow his parents' wishes to study at the
Kaunas Priest Seminary Kaunas Priest Seminary () is the largest seminary in Lithuania serving the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaunas. It is part of the Faculty of Theology of Vytautas Magnus University. Its current rector is Aurelijus Žukauskas. As of 2007, the semi ...
. Instead, he decided to study biology at the
Saint Petersburg University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great, the university from the be ...
. Angered and disappointed, his parents refused to support him financially. In summer 1894, while waiting for paperwork from Saint Petersburg, Višinskis with schoolmate Vincas Kalnietis set out on foot to Kalnietis' village near Kamajai. Žymantienė gave him her first work ''Piršlybos'' (Matchmaking). On their trip, Višinskis and Kalnietis visited
Gabrielius Landsbergis-Žemkalnis Gabrielius Landsbergis-Žemkalnis (1852–1916) was a Lithuanian playwright and activists of the early Lithuanian amateur theater. Born to an old noble family, Landsbergis attended Šiauliai Gymnasium where his friend Petras Vileišis encourage ...
but received a rather cold welcome. In
Joniškėlis Joniškėlis () is a list of cities in Lithuania, city in the Pasvalys district municipality, Lithuania. It is located west of Pasvalys. In the north of the road 150 (Siauliai-Pakruojis-Pasvalys). Name Versions of the city's name in other langu ...
, they visited
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 started ...
whose brother was a student at the
Šiauliai Gymnasium 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 ...
. Višinskis gave her Žymantienė's manuscript. Petkevičaitė took the work to
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'' ...
and
Vincas Kudirka Vincas Kudirka (; – ) was a Lithuanian poet and physician, and the author of both the music and lyrics of the Lithuanian national anthem, "". He is regarded in Lithuania as a national hero. Kudirka used the pen names V. Kapsas, Paežerių Vi ...
, who edited the work for grammar and spelling, changed the title to ''Rudens vakaras'' (Autumn Evening), and published it in farmer's calendar for 1895 under the pen name
Žemaitė Žemaitė (, , "Samogitian woman") was the pen name of Julija Beniuševičiūtė-Žymantienė ( – 7 December 1921). She was a Lithuanian/Samogitian writer, democrat and educator. Born to impoverished gentry, she became one of the major partici ...
thus launching her literary career. From Joniškėlis, they went to find schoolmate Antanas Vadapalas, who he was at his sister's wedding to Kazimieras, brother of
Jonas Vileišis Jonas Vileišis (January 3, 1872 – June 1, 1942) was a Lithuanian lawyer, politician, and diplomat. Early life and career Vileišis was born in Mediniai, near Pasvalys. In 1892 he graduated from the Šiauliai Gymnasium. During 1892-1894, he ...
. Finally, they visited Povilas Gaidelionis near
Saločiai Saločiai is a small town in Panevėžys County, in northeastern Lithuania next to the border with Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states ...
. There Višinskis learned about a man who drowned in
Mūša The Mūša (; German: Muhsse) is a river in Northern Lithuania and Southern Latvia (Zemgale region). At its Confluence (geography), confluence with the river Nemunėlis () in Latvia, near the city of Bauska, the river Lielupe, Lielupė is formed. ...
and a local priest who tried to locate the body with a help of a miracle. His short correspondence mocking the superstitions was published in ''
Ūkininkas ''Ūkininkas'' or ''Ukinįkas'' (literally: ''The Farmer'') was a monthly Lithuanian-language newspaper published during the Lithuanian press ban by the editorial staff of ''Varpas'' from 1890 to 1905. ''Ūkininkas'' was printed in Tilsit (current ...
'' in November 1894 – his first contribution to the Lithuanian press.


Saint Petersburg University

In September 1894, Višinskis began studies of biology at the
Saint Petersburg University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great, the university from the be ...
. His roommate was Vincas Kalnietis, a classmate from Šiauliai, who studied law. At the time, the university had 2,768 students of which 536 studied biology. Of them, only about 5% were sons of peasants (others were sons of nobility or government officials). Višinskis attended lectures of botany by
Andrey Beketov Andrey Nikolayevich Beketov (, 8 December 1825 — 1 July 1902) was a Russian botanist, an Honourable member of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Beketov, the Meritorious Professor of Saint Petersburg University (which he was the head of ...
, anatomy by
Peter Lesgaft Peter Franzevich Lesgaft (; 21 September 1837 – 1909) was a Russian teacher, anatomist, physician and social reformer. He was the founder of the modern system of physical education and medical-pedagogical control in physical training, one of foun ...
, histology by Alexander Dogiel, organic chemistry by
Nikolai Menshutkin Nikolai Aleksandrovich Menshutkin (; – ) was a Russian chemist who discovered the process of converting a tertiary amine to a quaternary ammonium salt via the reaction with an alkyl halide, now known as the Menshutkin reaction. Biography Mensh ...
, geology by
Vasily Dokuchaev Vasily Vasilyevich Dokuchaev (; 1 March 1846 – 8 November 1903) was a Russian geologist and geographer who is credited with laying the foundations of soil science. The Ukrainian city of Dokuchaievsk is named after him. Overview V ...
, and other famous professors. He struggled with chemistry and physics, the latter he failed and was required to repeat the first year. He also attended meetings of the Russian Anthropological Society and the
Imperial Russian Geographical Society The Russian Geographical Society (), or RGO, is a learned society based in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It promotes geography, exploration and nature protection with research programs in fields including oceanography, ethnography, ecology and stati ...
. He continued to participate in Lithuanian cultural life, writing his first fiction ''Paparčių žiedai'' (
Fern Flower The fern flower is a Magic (paranormal), magic flower in Baltic mythology (, ), in Estonian mythology () and in Slavic mythology (, , , ). Tradition According to the myth, this flower blooms for a very short time on the eve of the summer sol ...
s) during the Christmas break in 1894. He gave the work to Pečkauskaitė to read and she sent it to ''
Varpas ''Varpas'' (literally: ''The Bell'') was a monthly Lithuanian-language newspaper published during the Lithuanian press ban from January 1889 to December 1905. Because its publication was illegal in Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire, it w ...
'' to publish. He also contributed articles to ''Varpas''. For example, in spring 1895, he translated an articles from ''
Novoye Vremya ''The New Times'' (, tr. ''Novoe Vremya'') is a Russian language magazine in Russia. The magazine was founded in 1943. The magazine is a liberal, independent Russian weekly news magazine, publishing for Russia and Armenia. (During the Soviet ...
'' and wrote a report on the All-Russian Exhibition of Printing both of which addressed the
Lithuanian press ban The Lithuanian press ban () was a ban on all Lithuanian language publications printed in the Latin alphabet, in force from 1865 to 1904, within the Russian Empire, which controlled Lithuania proper at the time. Lithuanian-language publications t ...
, while a year later he wrote about the
Czech National Revival The Czech National Revival was a cultural movement which took place in the Czech lands during the 18th and 19th centuries. The purpose of this movement was to revive the Czech Czech language, language, culture and national identity. The most pro ...
and
Matice česká Matice česká was a Czech publishing house and cultural institution, similar to other Slavic Matice institutions. It was an important milestone in Czech National Revival. It was established by František Palacký in 1831 at the National Museum a ...
. Višinskis joined the Lithuanian and Samogitian Charitable Society, but it was conservative and dominated by nobles. Therefore, he leaned towards the illegal Lithuanian student organization. He recruited several members, firstly
Petras Avižonis Petras Avižonis (17 April 1875 – 17 October 1939) was a Lithuanian ophthalmologist, rector of the University of Lithuania (1925–1926) and a political figure. Avižonis studied biology at the Saint Petersburg University but transferred to t ...
, to help edit and critique works by Pečkauskaitė and Žymantienė and thus established an informal Lithuanian literary circle. The writers sent him their first works for feedback and edits before submitting them for publication. He encouraged Pečkauskaitė to write on social issues in
literary realism Literary realism is a movement and genre of literature that attempts to represent mundane and ordinary subject-matter in a faithful and straightforward way, avoiding grandiose or exotic subject-matter, exaggerated portrayals, and speculative ele ...
style, but her strength was in impressionist expression of spirituality. In Saint Petersburg, Višinskis discovered another literary talent – poet
Pranas Vaičaitis Pranas Vaičaitis (10 February 1876 – 21 September 1901) was a Lithuanian poet. After graduation from the Marijampolė Gymnasium, he studied law at the Saint Petersburg University. Due to the violations of the Lithuanian press ban, he was impr ...
who studied law. Višinskis sent three of his poems to ''Varpas'' even though the editors discouraged submissions of poetry as too many of the submitted poems were too amateurish. Each year, the university organized a competition of scientific papers on a given topic. In 1896, the topic was anthropological characteristics of one of the nationalities inhabiting the Russian Empire. With encouragement and support from professors and
Eduards Volters Eduards Volters (18 March 1856 – 14 December 1941) was a linguist, ethnographer, archaeologist who studied the Baltic languages and culture. He was a long-time professor at the Saint Petersburg University (1886–1918) and Vytautas Magnus Univ ...
, Višinskis set out to write a paper on the
Samogitians Samogitians ( Samogitian: ''žemaitē'', , ) are the inhabitants of Samogitia, an ethnographic region of Lithuania. Many speak the Samogitian language, which in Lithuania is mostly considered a dialect of the Lithuanian language together with t ...
. He acquired equipment necessary to take
anthropometric Anthropometry (, ) refers to the measurement of the human individual. An early tool of physical anthropology, it has been used for identification, for the purposes of understanding human physical variation, in paleoanthropology and in various a ...
measurements, a
box camera A box camera is a simple type of camera, the most common form being a cardboard or plastic box with a lens in one end and film at the other. They were sold in large numbers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The lenses are often single ...
for taking pictures, and a permit from the Kovno Governor to tour Samogitia. In late May 1896, he traveled to his native Ušnėnai to start the fieldwork. His questionnaire contained 64 questions and 45 measurements. He visited 31 locations, including
Varniai Varniai (; Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Varnē'') is a city in the Telšiai County, western Lithuania. In the Middle Ages the city was known as Medininkai (Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Medėninkā''). Etymology ''Medininkai'' or ''M ...
,
Tverai Tverai () is a small town in Rietavas municipality, Lithuania. It is situated on Aitra River, tributary to Jūra, about 17 km east from Rietavas and 14 km from Varniai. Tverai, with population of about 560, is a capital of an eldera ...
,
Plungė Plungė (; Samogitian: ''Plongė''; ) is a city in Lithuania with 17,252 inhabitants. Plunge is the capital of the Plungė District Municipality which has 33,251 inhabitants (2022). Two parts of the city are separated by the Babrungas River and ...
,
Salantai Salantai () is a small town in Lithuania. It is located in the Klaipėda County, Kretinga district. Etymology Salantai is named after the Salantas River, which runs through the town. History Salantai area was known to be inhabited since the B ...
,
Mosėdis Mosėdis is a small town in Samogitia, northwestern Lithuania in Klaipėda County and Skuodas district. Mosėdis is mostly known for its Rare Stones Museum. The museum and its impressive outdoor collection were started by Vaclovas Intas and have ...
,
Ylakiai Ylakiai () is a town in Skuodas County, in northwestern Lithuania. According to the census of 2011, the town has a population of 950 people. History Ylakiai was first mentioned in 1568 in the inventory list of Grūstė parish made by Jokūbas L ...
, taking about 170 photographs and measuring 67 men and 55 women. During the trip he met
Sofija Pšibiliauskienė Sofija Pšibiliauskienė ''née'' Ivanauskaitė (; September 16, 1867 in Akmenė District Municipality, Paragiai, Shavelsky Uyezd, Kovno Governorate – March 15, 1926 in Paragiai) and Marija Lastauskienė were two Lithuanian sister writers of Pol ...
who later became a known writer under the pen name
Lazdynų Pelėda Lazdynų Pelėda (literally: ''Hazelnut Owl'') was the common pen name of two Lithuanian sisters writers: Sofija Ivanauskaitė-Pšibiliauskienė (1867–1926) and Marija Ivanauskaitė-Lastauskienė (1872–1957), who were individually mostly k ...
. At the same time, he had a falling out with Pečkauskaitė who rebuffed his advances. They continued to correspond, but the letters were more distant and more focused on her literary work.


Winters in Crimea

He struggled financially. He tutored whenever he could find work or a break in a full class schedule. He ate poorly, often drinking just tea instead of a meal, which negatively affected his health. In October 1896, he was diagnosed with
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
and was sent to
Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...
to recover. He found a place with Toropovs at their manor on the road from
Yalta Yalta (: ) is a resort town, resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crime ...
to
Sevastopol Sevastopol ( ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea. Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city's harbours, Sevastopol has been an important port and naval base th ...
until the end of January 1897. He spent that winter in his native Ušnėnai, returning to Saint Petersburg only for exams in April. At the same time, Višinskis translated Pečkauskaitė's ''Pirmas pabučiavimas'' (First Kiss) from Polish to Lithuanian. He spent the summer of 1897 in Lithuania. He organized a meeting of a small group of students with
Stasys Matulaitis Stasys Matulaitis (24 October 1866 – 10 April 1956) was an activist of the Lithuanian National Revival who became one of the leaders of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania. He later joined the Communist Party of Lithuania and became a hist ...
, editor of ''
Varpas ''Varpas'' (literally: ''The Bell'') was a monthly Lithuanian-language newspaper published during the Lithuanian press ban from January 1889 to December 1905. Because its publication was illegal in Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire, it w ...
'', in
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 ...
. He then brought Matulaitis and Avižonis to meet Žymantienė in person. A few days later, he met
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'' ...
who visited Žymantienė. Višinskis also continued to work on his anthropological research, taking additional measurements in the
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 ...
area. He returned to Saint Petersburg only to be diagnosed with tuberculosis in September 1897. Višinskis once again traveled to Crimea to recuperate. He found a job in
Yalta Yalta (: ) is a resort town, resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crime ...
tutoring the son and nephew of
Nikodim Kondakov Nikodim (or Nikodeme) Pavlovich Kondakov (; 1 (13) November 1844, Olshanka, Kursk Governorate, Russian Empire– 17 February 1925, Prague, Czechoslovakia), was an art historian with special expertise in the history of Russian and ...
, a noted art historian. It was a well-paid position (40 rubles a month plus full room and board) and he was able to send some money to his parents who were in debt. Višinskis continued to work on his anthropology paper, which was due in December, asking Žymantienė to send descriptions of some local dishes and traditions as well as samples of Samogitian folk art, including 75 samples of home-weaved fabric. His 133-page work had five chapters: historical overview, geography (including borders, waters, geology, climate, fauna, flora), physical characteristics (anthropometric measurements), material culture (buildings, tools, food, clothes, occupations), and spiritual culture (character, beliefs, superstitions, games, dances). The last chapter was the longest. The paper was left unfinished due to lack of time and study material. For example, he planned but failed to describe wedding traditions or songs, listed 29 dances without describing them, provided raw measurement data without a summary of findings. Despite the shortcomings, the work placed third in the contest. The study was first partially published with an introduction by
Vincas Krėvė-Mickevičius Vincas Mickevičius (pl. ''Wincenty Mickiewicz'', October 19, 1882 – July 17, 1954), better known by his pen name Vincas Krėvė-Mickevičius, was a Lithuanian writer, poet, novelist, playwright and philologist. He is also known as Vincas Krėv ...
in 1935. The full text, but without measurement data, was published in 1964 in Višinskis collected works. The full work was finally published in 2004 by Gintautas Česnys. At the same time he worked intensively with Žymantienė explaining her the theory of literature, helping her improve
characterization Characterization or characterisation is the representation of characters (persons, creatures, or other beings) in narrative and dramatic works. The term character development is sometimes used as a synonym. This representation may include dire ...
and explaining the basics of comedy (i.e. that in addition to making people laugh, a comedy should educate people and poke at the shortcomings of the society). In Yalta, he met Olga, daughter of
Nikolay Umov Nikolay Alekseevich Umov (; January 23, 1846 – January 15, 1915) was a Russian physicist and mathematician known for discovering the concept of Umov-Poynting vector and Umov effect. Biography Umov was born in 1846 in Simbirsk (present-day U ...
, and she became interested in Žymantienė's life story. With her introduction, Višinskis translated a sample of Žymantienė's work to Russian and sent it to Nikolai Storozhenko for evaluation. But it was one of her weaker works, depicting a perfect and happy couple, and Storozhenko replied that it was a sentimental work with sugary characters but with well-written scenes of nature. In June 1898, Višinkis returned to Lithuania. He met with
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 started ...
and
Petras Avižonis Petras Avižonis (17 April 1875 – 17 October 1939) was a Lithuanian ophthalmologist, rector of the University of Lithuania (1925–1926) and a political figure. Avižonis studied biology at the Saint Petersburg University but transferred to t ...
in
Joniškėlis Joniškėlis () is a list of cities in Lithuania, city in the Pasvalys district municipality, Lithuania. It is located west of Pasvalys. In the north of the road 150 (Siauliai-Pakruojis-Pasvalys). Name Versions of the city's name in other langu ...
and they decided to visit
Vincas Kudirka Vincas Kudirka (; – ) was a Lithuanian poet and physician, and the author of both the music and lyrics of the Lithuanian national anthem, "". He is regarded in Lithuania as a national hero. Kudirka used the pen names V. Kapsas, Paežerių Vi ...
, the publisher of ''Varpas'' living in Naumiestis in
Suvalkija Suvalkija or Sudovia ( or ''Sūduva'') is the smallest of the five cultural regions of Lithuania. Its unofficial capital is Marijampolė. People from Suvalkija (Suvalkijans) are called (plural) or (singular) in Lithuanian. It is located sout ...
. On their trip they were joined by
Jadvyga Juškytė Jadvyga Teofilė Juškytė (1869–1948) was a Lithuanian activist during the Lithuanian National Revival. Born to a family of petty Lithuanian nobles, Juškytė did not get any formal education but worked as a teacher most of her life. At a you ...
and her sister Marija. They visited
Tadeusz Dowgird Tadeusz Dowgird (; February 27, 1852 – October 29, 1919, in Kaunas, Lithuania) was a Lithuanian painter and archaeologist, nobleman of the Łabędź coat of arms. Biography His father Michał Mikołaj Dowgird was an engineer building a railwa ...
, archaeologist and artist, and
Petras Kriaučiūnas Petras Kriaučiūnas (1850–1916) was an activist during the Lithuanian National Revival. Educated as a priest, he taught at the Marijampolė Gymnasium in 1881–1887 and 1906–1914 and was active as an amateur linguist. Kriaučiūnas was born ...
, teacher and
book smuggler Lithuanian book smugglers or Lithuanian book carriers (, singular: ) smuggled Lithuanian language books printed in the Latin alphabet into Lithuanian-speaking areas of the Russian Empire, defying a Lithuanian press ban, ban on such materials in ...
. The police allowed them to spend only 12 hours in Naumiestis. They found Kudirka terminally ill with tuberculosis but still working on Lithuanian press. On their way back, the group stopped in Kaunas to visit
Kazimieras Jaunius Kazimieras Jaunius (1848–1908) was a Lithuanian Catholic priest and linguist. While Jaunius published very little, his major achievements include a well regarded Lithuanian grammar, systematization and classification of the Lithuanian dial ...
, priest and linguist. After the trip, Juškytė gave him her first short story ''Ubagė'' (Beggar) which he praised, be she declined to publish. In September 1898, Višinkis returned to Saint Petersburg only to be diagnosed with a chronic inflammation of his lungs within three weeks. Once again, he spent the winter in Yalta earning a living from tutoring. He continued intense correspondence with Žymantienė who was working on various comedies with Petkevičaitė-Bitė.


First theater performances

In spring 1899, Višinkis returned to Lithuania. He first visited
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 ...
where he met members of the
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 i ...
and developed a friendship with
Augustinas Janulaitis Augustinas Janulaitis (1878–1950) was a Lithuanian attorney, judge, and university professor who specialized in the legal history of Lithuania. Janulatis studied law at the University of Moscow but was expelled for participating in the 1899 Ru ...
, at the time law student at the
University of Moscow Moscow State University (MSU), officially M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University,. is a public research university in Moscow, Russia. The university includes 15 research institutes, 43 faculties, more than 300 departments, and six branches. Al ...
. He then went on to visit Petkevičaitė-Bitė who recruited him to organize the first Lithuanian-language theater performance in
Palanga Palanga (; ; ) is a resort town, resort city in western Lithuania, on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Palanga is the busiest and the largest summer resort in Lithuania and has sand, sandy beaches (18 km, 11 miles long and up to 300 metres, 10 ...
, which was part of the
Courland Governorate Courland Governorate, also known as the Province of Courland or Governorate of Kurland, and known from 1795 to 1796 as the Viceroyalty of Courland, was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the ...
where anti-Lithuanian
Russification Russification (), Russianisation or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians adopt Russian culture and Russian language either voluntarily or as a result of a deliberate state policy. Russification was at times ...
policies were less strictly enforced. Therefore, Liudas Vaineikis was able to obtain an official permit for the performance. They settled on a comedy ''
America in the Bathhouse ''America in the Bathhouse'' () is a three-act comedy by Keturakis (pen name of brothers and ). The play was first published in 1895. It became the first Lithuanian-language play performed in public in present-day Lithuania when a group of Lithu ...
'' (''Amerika pirtyje''), which required only nine actors and simple
props A prop, formally known as a (theatrical) property, is an object actors use on stage or screen during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...
and was already performed in Saint Petersburg and thus had been approved by the state censors. Višinkis played Vincas, the main villain, who conned the naive Agota, played by , who dreamed of immigration to America. Other actors included Jadvyga Juškytė and Augustinas Janulaitis. The performance on 8 August 1899 was a critical and commercial success. After the performance, Vaineikis took Višinskis and Avižonis to
Tilsit Sovetsk (; ) is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the south bank of the Neman River which forms the border with Lithuania. History Early history Tilsit, which received civic rights from Albert, Duke of Prussia in 1552,''Sło ...
in
East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...
, the major publishing center of the illegal Lithuanian press. On their way back, they visited
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, universi ...
in
Kuliai Kuliai ( Samogitian: ''Kulē'', ) is a town in Telšiai County, 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 Ba ...
and
Sofija Pšibiliauskienė Sofija Pšibiliauskienė ''née'' Ivanauskaitė (; September 16, 1867 in Akmenė District Municipality, Paragiai, Shavelsky Uyezd, Kovno Governorate – March 15, 1926 in Paragiai) and Marija Lastauskienė were two Lithuanian sister writers of Pol ...
near
Tryškiai Tryškiai (, , ) is a small town in Telšiai district municipality, Lithuania with a population of about 1,000. History In late July 1941, 70 to 80 Jewish men were killed on the banks of the Virvyte in a mass execution perpetrated by an Einsatzg ...
. Višinskis did not return to Saint Petersburg and obtained a tutoring job at a manor near
Pašvitinys Pašvitinys is a small town in Šiauliai County in northern-central 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 ...
. In November 1899, he received a certificate that he had completed the full course at the Saint Petersburg University. As a Lithuanian and Catholic, he could not obtain a job at a government institution and was forced to continue working as a tutor. He continued to devote his energy to the Lithuanian cultural life. He resumed writing correspondences to ''Varpas'' and worked to organize the next Lithuanian play. He wanted to find a different work to stage, particularly since Žymantienė and Petkevičaitė-Bitė tried their hands at comedies. He pushed them to write ''Velnias spąstuose'' (The Devil in A Trap) in a week. Vaineikis obtained a permit to stage ''America in the Bathhouse'' in
Liepāja Liepāja () (formerly: Libau) is a Administrative divisions of Latvia, state city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea. It is the largest city in the Courland region and the third-largest in the country after Riga and Daugavpils. It is an ...
during the winter break on 16 January 1900. The actors were mostly the same as in Palanga; Višinskis also recruited
Jonas Biliūnas Jonas Biliūnas (11 April 1879 – 8 December 1907) was a Lithuanian writer, poet, and a significant contributor to the national awakening of Lithuania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Biography Early life Biliūnas was born near A ...
to play the role of the matchmaker. In spring 1900, Višinskis responded for a call for Lithuanian exhibits to the world's fair held in Paris by sending 70 photographs and 16 items, including
kanklės The ''kanklės'' () is a Lithuanian plucked string instrument (chordophone) belonging to the Baltic box zither family known as the Baltic psaltery, along with the Latvian '' kokles'', Estonian '' kannel'', Finnish '' kantele'', and Russian '' ...
. Vaineikis was arrested in May 1900, but Janulaitis managed to obtain a permit to stage ''Velnias spąstuose'' on 21 July in Liepāja and on 23 July in
Jelgava Jelgava () is a state city in central Latvia. It is located about southwest of Riga. It is the largest town in the Semigallia region of Latvia. Jelgava was the capital of the united Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1578–1795) and was the ad ...
. The posters and programs were published in both Russian and Lithuanian languages. Since the performance was legal, Višinskis decided to hang the posters in Pašvitinys. The police soon tore it down as an illegal Lithuanian-language sign. He then posted them again in
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 ...
for which he was put on trial. The permit for theater performances was revoked and several Lithuanian activists, including Janulaitis, were arrested. Many others were searched or questioned, including Višinskis on 23 August, Petkevičaitė-Bitė on 13 October, Avižonis on 7 September, Bilūnas on 13 October, Pečkauskaitė on 5 December 1900. A total of 24 people received various sentences (mostly a few years of exile in the interior of Russia) in February 1902. Nevertheless, Višinskis continued to contribute articles and reports to ''Varpas'' using a multitude of pen names, including some of those used by the arrested people, to confuse the police.


Illegal public work

In winter 1900–1901, Višinskis had another falling out with Pečkauskaitė. He once again confessed his love, but was rebuffed. They also deported in their political ideologies – Višinskis held liberal anti-clergy opinions while Pečkauskaitė leaned towards the church. She wrote to the Catholic press, her works starting to show elements of
religious morality The intersections of morality and religion involve the relationship between religious views and morals. It is common for religions to have value frameworks regarding personal behavior meant to guide adherents in determining between right and wron ...
, but continued to ask Višinskis for critique. Nevertheless, they did not cut off the relationship and continued to correspond on literary matters. Characters, inspired by Višinskis, appeared in Pečkauskaitė's works, particularly as Jonas in well-received ''Viktutė''. He wrote many articles for ''Varpas'' and in May 1901 published ''Credo. Kilk ir kelk!'' (Credo. Climb and lift!) which spelled out that independent Lithuania was the ultimate goal and that the Tsarist government was their main adversary. The article was vague on how to achieve this goal or how to fight the government, but it elicited a political discussion. It was the first clear and unambiguous declaration calling for an independent Lithuania that, due to Višinskis' efforts, was later adopted as an official goal of the
Lithuanian Democratic Party The Lithuanian Democratic Party (, LDP) was a political party in Lithuania. The original party was established in 1902. It published newspapers ''Lietuvos ūkininkas'' (1905–1918) and ''Lietuvos žinios'' (1909–1915). During World War I, the ...
. The clergy replied in ''
Tėvynės sargas ''Tėvynės sargas'' (Guardian of the Fatherland) was a Lithuanian-language periodical first established in 1896 in Tilsit, East Prussia during the Lithuanian press ban and the Lithuanian National Revival. It was published by the clergy and later b ...
'' by rejecting the idea of full independence as a pipe dream, instead arguing for autonomy and professing loyalty to the Tsar. In summer 1901, on the
Feast of Saints Peter and Paul The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul or Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul is a liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June. The celebration is of ancient Chri ...
, members of the intelligentsia gathered under the pretext of celebrating the
name day In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, as well as Christian communities elsewhere. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively t ...
of Petkevičaitė-Bitė's father in Puziniškis. The gathering, also attended by
Jonas Biliūnas Jonas Biliūnas (11 April 1879 – 8 December 1907) was a Lithuanian writer, poet, and a significant contributor to the national awakening of Lithuania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Biography Early life Biliūnas was born near A ...
and
Vincas Kapsukas Vincas is a Lithuanian masculine given name. People named Vincas include: *Vincas Grybas (1890–1941), Lithuanian sculptor *Vincas Kudirka (1858-1899), Lithuanian poet and physician, author of the Lithuanian National Anthem *Vincas Mykolaitis-P ...
, discussed ''Credo'' and the efforts to coordinate literary work. In fall 1901, he found a new tutoring position at the Kurtuvėnai Manor. While its owner disapproved Lithuanian activities, the locations was much closer to
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 ...
where could more easily reach other members of the intelligentsia, including Biliūnas with whom he developed a close friendship. He continued to look for literary talent and found
Jonas Krikščiūnas Jonas Krikščiūnas, known by his pen name Jovaras ( – 21 January 1967), was a Lithuanian poet. From around 1896 to 1904, he was a book smuggler helping distribute the banned Lithuanian books. A son of poor peasants, he never received any for ...
(also known by his pen name Jovaras) and . At the same time, he met Polish archaeologist
Ludwik Krzywicki Ludwik Joachim Franciszek Krzywicki (21 August 1859 – 10 June 1941) was a Polish Marxism, Marxist anthropologist, economist, and sociologist. An early champion of sociology in Poland, he approached historical materialism from a sociological vie ...
and helped him collect information on Samogitian
hill forts A hillfort is a type of fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late European Bronze Age and Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roman period. The fortific ...
and
tumuli A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of Soil, earth and Rock (geology), stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found through ...
. Višinskis translated one of Pečkauskaitė's works to Polish and sent to Krzywicki in
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
. In early 1902, he also met Juzefa Mikuckaitė, a midwife, whom he married on 1 March 1905 in
Čekiškė Čekiškė is a small town in Kaunas County in central Lithuania, it is located about north-west of Kaunas city municipality Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic s ...
. Later in 1902, he began corresponding with
Jonas Basanavičius Jonas Basanavičius (, ; 23 November 1851 – 16 February 1927) was an activist and proponent of the Lithuanian National Revival. He participated in every major event leading to the independent Lithuanian state and is often given the informal hon ...
, who at the time lived in the
Principality of Bulgaria The Principality of Bulgaria () was a vassal state under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. It was established by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. After the Russo-Turkish War ended with a Russian victory, the Treaty of San Stefano was signed ...
, and recorded ten folktales for his collection. Višinskis become more and more involved in ''Varpas'' publishing. He sent letters to the editors of ''Varpas'' advising them of publishing matters and collected donations to compensate for financial losses. In October 1902, he organized and chaired a meeting of ''Varpas'' publishers and contributors in
Dabikinė Manor Dabikinė Manor is a former Zubov residential manor in Dabikinė, Akmenė District Municipality Akmenė () is a city in northern Lithuania. Following the discovery of large reserves of limestone and clay in the region, in 1947 construction w ...
. The meeting was attended by Biliūnas,
Kazys Grinius Kazys Grinius (, 17 December 1866 – 4 June 1950) was the third President of Lithuania, holding the office from 7 June 1926 to 17 December 1926. Previously, he had served as the fifth Prime Minister of Lithuania, from 19 June 1920 until his r ...
,
Jurgis Šaulys Jurgis Šaulys (; 5 May 1879–18 October 1948) was a Lithuanian economist, diplomat, and politician, and one of the twenty signatories to the 1918 Act of Independence of Lithuania. Šaulys attended Palanga Progymnasium and Vilnius St. J ...
,
Jonas Vileišis Jonas Vileišis (January 3, 1872 – June 1, 1942) was a Lithuanian lawyer, politician, and diplomat. Early life and career Vileišis was born in Mediniai, near Pasvalys. In 1892 he graduated from the Šiauliai Gymnasium. During 1892-1894, he ...
,
Antanas Smetona Antanas Smetona (; 10 August 1874 – 9 January 1944) was a Lithuanian intellectual, journalist and politician. He served as the first president of Lithuania from 1919 to 1920 and later as the authoritarian head of state from 1926 until the Occu ...
,
Stasys Matulaitis Stasys Matulaitis (24 October 1866 – 10 April 1956) was an activist of the Lithuanian National Revival who became one of the leaders of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania. He later joined the Communist Party of Lithuania and became a hist ...
,
Andrius Bulota Andrius Bulota (; 16 November 1872 – 16 August 1941) was a Lithuanian lawyer and politician in the Russian Empire. He was a member of the Second and Third Russian State Dumas (1907–1912) and the Russian Constituent Assembly (1918). Educated ...
, and others. They discussed political ideas and established the
Lithuanian Democratic Party The Lithuanian Democratic Party (, LDP) was a political party in Lithuania. The original party was established in 1902. It published newspapers ''Lietuvos ūkininkas'' (1905–1918) and ''Lietuvos žinios'' (1909–1915). During World War I, the ...
which later adopted a program along the ideas outlined in ''Credo'' that ultimately called for an independent Lithuania. ''Varpas'' financial situation continued to worsen and its most active contributors and editors moved abroad to study. Thus Višinskis became an informal editor of ''Varpas'', contributing some 20 articles in the second half of 1903. He kept correspondence with the newspaper, based in
East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...
, via Mikuckaitė's sister who lived in
Kybartai Kybartai is a town in Marijampolė County, Vilkaviškis District Municipality in south-western Lithuania. It is located west of Vilkaviškis and is on the border of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. History Kybartai was founded during the reign of ...
and could easily cross the Prussia–Russia border. At the same time he worked to raise funds for
Žiburėlis Žiburėlis (diminutive of ''žiburys'' meaning 'light', 'beacon') later Lietuvos žiburėlis was a charitable society providing financial aid to gifted Lithuanian students. The society grew out of the Lithuanian National Revival, hopes of creat ...
, a charitable society providing financial aid to gifted Lithuanian students. Intense work took a toll on his frail health and he wanted to retire from ''Varpas'', but stayed when no replacement could be found.


Press ban lifted

In spring 1901, the peace court in
Žagarė Žagarė (, see also #Etymology, other names) is a city located in the Joniškis district, northern Lithuania, close to the border with Latvia. It has a population of about 2,000, down from 14,000 in 1914, when it was the 7th largest city in Lith ...
fined Višinskis three rubles for posting the bilingual posters in Pašvitinys and Joniškis. It was a small fine, but he appealed the decision arguing that the
Lithuanian press ban The Lithuanian press ban () was a ban on all Lithuanian language publications printed in the Latin alphabet, in force from 1865 to 1904, within the Russian Empire, which controlled Lithuania proper at the time. Lithuanian-language publications t ...
had no legal basis and that the censorship law did not apply to those posters. The court in Šiauliai asked the police to produce a copy of the 1866 law that outlawed any Lithuanian-language materials printed in Latin alphabet. The police had to admit that they did not have a copy. Regardless, in January 1903, the court upheld the guilty verdict and ordered Višinskis to pay the fine. He appealed the decision to the
Governing Senate From 1711 to 1917, the Governing Senate was the highest legislative, judicial, and executive body subordinate to the Russian emperors. The senate was instituted by Peter the Great to replace the Boyar Duma and lasted until the very end of the R ...
and was found not guilty on 13 May 1903. Despite the victory, Russian police continued to enforce the ban and confiscate Lithuanian press. Only the outbreak of the
Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...
in February 1904 forced the Russian government to relax restrictions placed on the minorities and the ban was officially lifted on 26 April 1904. Lithuanian activists began organizing publication of Lithuanian books. Višinskis first wanted to publish a book for children by Žymantienė as a test to see if Russian censors would approve this "innocent" text. He also toyed with ideas to establish a periodical, a publishing company, or a bookstore. In May 1904, he and others organized a gathering in
Kairiai Kairiai is a small town in Šiauliai County in northern-central 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 ...
to discuss the press, including the critical situation at ''Varpas'', and the activities of the
Lithuanian Democratic Party The Lithuanian Democratic Party (, LDP) was a political party in Lithuania. The original party was established in 1902. It published newspapers ''Lietuvos ūkininkas'' (1905–1918) and ''Lietuvos žinios'' (1909–1915). During World War I, the ...
. Višinskis worked to find funding for Biliūnas literature and Pečkauskaitė's pedagogy studies at the
University of Zurich The University of Zurich (UZH, ) is a public university, public research university in Zurich, Switzerland. It is the largest university in Switzerland, with its 28,000 enrolled students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of the ...
, corresponded with
Adomas Varnas Adomas Varnas (January 1, 1879, in Joniškis, Lithuania – July 19, 1979, in Chicago, United States) was a prominent Lithuanian Painting, painter, photographer, collector, philanthropist, and educator. Author of the world first album of ethnogr ...
about illustrations for literary works, explored possibilities of establishing an exposition of Lithuanian ethnographic material at the Polish
National Museum in Kraków The National Museum in Kraków (), popularly abbreviated as MNK, is the largest museum in Poland, and the main branch of Poland's National Museum, which has several independent branches with permanent collections around the country. Established in ...
. He received an invitation from
Petras Vileišis Petras Vileišis (; 25 January 1851 – 12 August 1926) was a prominent Lithuanian engineer specializing in the construction of railroad bridges. He was very active in Lithuanian public life and together with his brothers Jonas Vileišis, Jonas ...
to move to
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 ...
and work as the editor of daily ''
Vilniaus žinios ''Vilniaus žinios'' (literally: ''Vilnius news'') was a short-lived newspaper published in Vilnius, Lithuania. It was the first legal Lithuanian-language daily newspaper to appear after the Lithuanian press ban was lifted on May 7, 1904. History ...
''. Before starting the new job, Višinskis traveled to
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
to visit editorial staff of Polish publications ''Ogniwo'' (to which he had contributed two articles and three correspondences), ''Kurier Codzienny'', ''Gazeta Handlowa''. The trip, once again, brought back the illness. The first issue of Vilniaus žinios was published on 10 December 1904. Višinskis used his literary contacts to obtain submissions to ''Vilniaus žinios'', but Vileišis – more conservative and loyal to the Tsarist government – blocked the publication of more liberal pieces. In protest, Višinskis resigned on 2 January 1905. Writers were particularly dismayed by Vileišis' position that since he paid for the works he now owned the
copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive legal right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, ...
. Višinskis intervened on behalf of
Sofija Pšibiliauskienė Sofija Pšibiliauskienė ''née'' Ivanauskaitė (; September 16, 1867 in Akmenė District Municipality, Paragiai, Shavelsky Uyezd, Kovno Governorate – March 15, 1926 in Paragiai) and Marija Lastauskienė were two Lithuanian sister writers of Pol ...
to "buy back" her works. In April 1905, he wrote a lengthy article explaining his opposition to ''Vilniaus žinios'', but it was not published because it was not approved by the state censors. Višinskis remained in Vilnius and began organizing Šviesa, a publishing company aimed at publishing the works of Lithuanian writers. The company was established in February 1905. By late spring it had 20 shareholders that each contributed 50–100 rubles. The first published work was a book on Switzerland by
Kazys Grinius Kazys Grinius (, 17 December 1866 – 4 June 1950) was the third President of Lithuania, holding the office from 7 June 1926 to 17 December 1926. Previously, he had served as the fifth Prime Minister of Lithuania, from 19 June 1920 until his r ...
. Other books included a work on Japan by
Steponas Kairys Steponas Kairys (; 1879 in Užnevėžiai near Ukmergė – 16 December 1964 in Brooklyn) was a Lithuanian engineer, nationalist, and social democrat. He was among the 20 men to sign the Act of Independence of Lithuania on 16 February 1918. ...
, a translated work on Bulgaria, in addition to literary works by Lithuanian writers, including debut comedy of
Jurgis Smolskis Jurgis Smolskis (, (Yuri Osipovich Smolski), ; 1881–1919) was a writer and socialist activist in the Rokiškis District, then part of the Russian Empire now Lithuania. As a gymnasium student in Riga and a law student at the University of St. ...
. At the same time, he wrote educational texts explaining basic concepts of a democracy (constitution, parliament, or
universal suffrage Universal suffrage or universal franchise ensures the right to vote for as many people bound by a government's laws as possible, as supported by the " one person, one vote" principle. For many, the term universal suffrage assumes the exclusion ...
). Using his teaching experience, he wrote an original
primer Primer may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Primer'' (film), a 2004 feature film written and directed by Shane Carruth * ''Primer'' (video), a documentary about the funk band Living Colour Literature * Primer (textbook), a te ...
to teach children to read. It was illustrated and featured excerpts from Lithuanian writers, samples of Lithuanian folklore, and omitted any Catholic prayers. It was very popular and was reprinted six times. It introduced the analytical
synthetic phonics Synthetic phonics, also known as blended phonics or inductive phonics, is a method of teaching English reading which first teaches letter-sounds (grapheme/phoneme correspondences) and then how to blend (synthesise) these sounds to achieve full pr ...
method, developed in Russia by Konstantin Ushinsky and still used in schools today, instead of the old method of rote memorization of syllable by syllable (). Višinkis published two other primers – an abbreviated version of the first primer and a version aimed at teaching to write. He wanted to publish many other works, but the work was slow – each publication needed to be approved by the state censors and then published at the Zawadzki press. Therefore, he continued to edit ''Varpas'' and publish stand-alone works in East Prussia. In Vilnius he collaborated with
Felicija Bortkevičienė Felicija Bortkevičienė ''née'' Povickaitė (1 September 1873 – 21 October 1945) was a Lithuanian politician and long-term publisher of ''Lietuvos ūkininkas'' and ''Lietuvos žinios''. She became active in public life after she moved to Vil ...
(both worked on
Žiburėlis Žiburėlis (diminutive of ''žiburys'' meaning 'light', 'beacon') later Lietuvos žiburėlis was a charitable society providing financial aid to gifted Lithuanian students. The society grew out of the Lithuanian National Revival, hopes of creat ...
) and
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'' ...
(he lived across the street), worked with Sofija Pšibiliauskienė to improve her writing. At Šviesa, he was assisted by Juozas Paršaitis.


Russian Revolution and death

He published various articles in ''Varpas'' on the
Russian Revolution of 1905 The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...
– he called for the abolition of the Tsarist regime and did not support the
State Duma The State Duma is the lower house of the Federal Assembly (Russia), Federal Assembly of Russia, with the upper house being the Federation Council (Russia), Federation Council. It was established by the Constitution of Russia, Constitution of t ...
, but did not go as far as to support the
revolutionary socialism Revolutionary socialism is a political philosophy, doctrine, and tradition within socialism that stresses the idea that a social revolution is necessary to bring about structural changes in society. More specifically, it is the view that revo ...
. He was delegated by the
Lithuanian Democratic Party The Lithuanian Democratic Party (, LDP) was a political party in Lithuania. The original party was established in 1902. It published newspapers ''Lietuvos ūkininkas'' (1905–1918) and ''Lietuvos žinios'' (1909–1915). During World War I, the ...
as a representative from the
Vilna Governorate The Vilna Governorate was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Northwestern Krai of the Russian Empire. In 1897, the governorate covered an area of and had a population of 1,591,207 inhabitants. The governorate was defined by the Minsk Governo ...
to the congress of
zemstvo A zemstvo (, , , ''zemstva'') was an institution of local government set up in consequence of the emancipation reform of 1861 of Imperial Russia by Emperor Alexander II of Russia. Nikolay Milyutin elaborated the idea of the zemstvo, and the fi ...
s, organized by
Pyotr Dmitriyevich Dolgorukov Prince Pyotr Dmitriyevich Dolgorukov (; 1866, Tsarskoye Selo – 1951. Vladimir) was Russian liberal politician. Life Graduate of Moscow University. Well-known zemstvo man and for many years chairman of Sudzha Zemstvo Board. For his radica ...
in October 1905. Two other Lithuanian delegates were
Kazys Grinius Kazys Grinius (, 17 December 1866 – 4 June 1950) was the third President of Lithuania, holding the office from 7 June 1926 to 17 December 1926. Previously, he had served as the fifth Prime Minister of Lithuania, from 19 June 1920 until his r ...
and Vaclovas Bielskis. His main task was to raise the issue of Lithuania's autonomy within the Russian Empire, but the organizers refused to discuss the issue. He did not find support among Polish delegates and only managed to get some ideas published in ''
Novoye Vremya ''The New Times'' (, tr. ''Novoe Vremya'') is a Russian language magazine in Russia. The magazine was founded in 1943. The magazine is a liberal, independent Russian weekly news magazine, publishing for Russia and Armenia. (During the Soviet ...
''. He returned further convinced that Tsarist promises, including the
October Manifesto The October Manifesto (), officially "The Manifesto on the Improvement of the State Order" (), is a document that served as a precursor to the Russian Empire's first Constitution, which was adopted the following year in 1906. The Manifesto was is ...
, cannot be trusted and that the revolution needed to go on. However, did not support an armed struggle and argued for passive resistance. Višinskis was a member of the organizational committee of the
Great Seimas of Vilnius The Great Seimas of Vilnius (, also known as the ''Great Assembly of Vilnius'', the ''Grand Diet of Vilnius'', or the ''Great Diet of Vilnius'') was a major assembly held on December 4 and 5, 1905 (November 21–22, 1905 Old Style and New Style d ...
, but resigned and was replaced by
Jonas Vileišis Jonas Vileišis (January 3, 1872 – June 1, 1942) was a Lithuanian lawyer, politician, and diplomat. Early life and career Vileišis was born in Mediniai, near Pasvalys. In 1892 he graduated from the Šiauliai Gymnasium. During 1892-1894, he ...
when he disagreed with
Jonas Basanavičius Jonas Basanavičius (, ; 23 November 1851 – 16 February 1927) was an activist and proponent of the Lithuanian National Revival. He participated in every major event leading to the independent Lithuanian state and is often given the informal hon ...
over the Seimas' agenda. Višinskis wanted to emphasize political and social issues, while Basanavičius was a lot more cautious and concentrated on cultural questions. At the Seimas, Višinskis delivered at least four longer speeches on Lithuania's autonomy and borders, on the congress of
zemstvo A zemstvo (, , , ''zemstva'') was an institution of local government set up in consequence of the emancipation reform of 1861 of Imperial Russia by Emperor Alexander II of Russia. Nikolay Milyutin elaborated the idea of the zemstvo, and the fi ...
s in Moscow, on difficulties faced by Lithuanian schools, and other topics. He was also active in calming down raucous delegates and urging a compromise resolution. After the Seimas, he became editor of ''
Lietuvos ūkininkas ''Lietuvos ūkininkas'' (literally: ''Lithuanian farmer'') was a weekly Lithuanian-language newspaper published between 1905 and 1940. It was published by and reflected the political views of the Lithuanian Democratic Party, Peasant Union, and L ...
'', sponsored by the Lithuanian Democratic Party, but his strong support to the revolution attracted criticism and after the first two issues he was replaced by
Antanas Smetona Antanas Smetona (; 10 August 1874 – 9 January 1944) was a Lithuanian intellectual, journalist and politician. He served as the first president of Lithuania from 1919 to 1920 and later as the authoritarian head of state from 1926 until the Occu ...
. Such internal disagreements led to the spin-off of the leftist Peasant Union. Višinskis continued to work on publishing various works, including his own pacifist brochure on war and a lengthy calendar for 1906. However, his health worsened and in February 1906 he was sent to
Merano Merano (, ; ) or Meran () is a (municipality) in South Tyrol, Northern Italy. Generally best known for its Spa town, spa resorts, it is located within a Depression (geology), basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to Height above mean sea ...
in the
Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...
for treatment. On his way, he stopped for a few days in
Tilsit Sovetsk (; ) is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the south bank of the Neman River which forms the border with Lithuania. History Early history Tilsit, which received civic rights from Albert, Duke of Prussia in 1552,''Sło ...
to deal with various issues publishing Lithuanian books and periodicals. Feeling ill, he disembarked in Berlin and found refuge with Veronika Janulaitytė, Biliūnas' sister-in-law who was studying medicine. He died on 23 April leaving his wife with a two-month-old daughter. His body was transported to Vilnius and he was buried at the
Rasos Cemetery Rasos Cemetery (; , , ) is the oldest and most famous cemetery in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is named after the Rasos district where it is located. It is separated into two parts, the old and the new cemeteries, by a narrow Sukilėliai ...
on 29 April.


See also


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Visinskis, Povilas 1875 births 1906 deaths People from Kovno Governorate Lithuanian literary critics Lithuanian journalists Lithuanian male writers Lithuanian schoolteachers Lithuanian politicians Lithuanian anthropologists 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis 19th-century Lithuanian people Saint Petersburg State University alumni Tuberculosis deaths in Germany Burials at Rasos Cemetery Lithuanian writers in Polish Writers from the Russian Empire