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Lithuanian book smugglers and clandestine village teachers (1864 - 1904)

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Profiles

  • Jurgis Bagdonavičius (1873 - c.1918)
    Jurgis was a Lithuanian book smuggler (knygnešys). Reference Information : Bagdonavičius (Bagdonas) Jurgis - biography (in Lithuanian), published by Vilkaviškio krašto e-etnografijos akademija (l...
  • PMD Izydor Sobański h. Junosza (1835 - 1906)
    Izydor Sobański 1835–1906 Его инициалы фигурируют на этикетках ряда предметов, которые в настоящее время находятся в Этнографическом музее в Кракове. Это прежде элементы одежды, связанные с культурой...
  • Rev. Anthony B Kaupas (1870 - 1913)
    VLE: Antanas Kaupas Vikipedija: Antanas Kaupas Lietuvos kunigas, JAV lietuvių visuomenės veikėjas.
  • Anupras Kaupas (c.1841 - 1900)
  • Anastazija Šakarvytė (1842 - 1900)
    4832. ŠAKARVYTE Anastazija (Nasté). Daraktoré. Moké vaikus Kurtinių k. (Debeikiai o Anyksciai). Liet. spaudos gaudavo is knygnešio St.Didžiulio, Jurgio Baranausko ir kt. Pastebéjusi policininką liet. k...

The Lithuanian press ban (Lithuanian: spaudos draudimas) 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 at the time. Lithuanian-language publications that used Cyrillic were allowed and even encouraged.

The concept arose after the failed January Uprising of 1863, taking the form of an administrative order in 1864, and was not lifted until 24 April 1904. The Russian courts reversed two convictions in press ban cases in 1902 and 1903, and the setbacks of the Russo-Japanese War in early 1904 brought about a loosened Russian policy towards minorities.

Under the ban, it was illegal to print, import, distribute, or possess any publications in the Latin alphabet. Tsarist authorities hoped that this measure, part of a larger Russification plan, would decrease Polish influence on Lithuanians and would return them to what were considered their ancient historical ties with Russia. However, Lithuanians organized printing outside the Empire, largely in Lithuania Minor (East Prussia), and in the United States.


Knygnešiai (Lithuanian book smugglers) smuggled illegal books and periodicals across the border. The number of such publications kept increasing despite strict sanctions and persecution of the activists. The ban created a well-defined and organized opposition to Russian rule and culture—the opposite of its original intent. The Lithuanian historian Edvardas Gudavičius has described the ban as a test of the concept of Lithuania: had there been no resistance, the language would have become a historical footnote.

Clandestine village teachers were illegal teachers of Lithuanian in secret schools, usually in rural areas.

Book smugglers illegally brought books and press in Lithuanian printed in Lithuania Minor (Ethnic Lithuanian territory within Kingdom of Prussia) and other foreign countries and distributed risking to get fines, jail sentences, exile to Siberia or even death sentence. These people are very important for survival of heritage in Lithuanian language.



If in your family tree you have an individual who was associated with illegal Lithuanian book smuggling, distribution, collaboration of the process and who were illegal teachers or organizers of Lithuanian secret schools, please add them to this project. It would be great if within profile description there would be brief biography.

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Additional sources for information:

Books:

  • Knygnešiai ir knygnešystė Pakaunės krašte (monografija); aut. Inga Stepukonienė. - Kaunas: Eurispauda, 2020, 552 p. ISBN: 978-609-8261-10-3
  • Lietuvos knygnešiai ir daraktoriai, 1864-1904 (žinynas); aut. Benjaminas Kaluškevičius, Kazys Misius. - Vilnius: Diemedis, 2004, 670 p. ISBN: 998-623-1175

Jeigu savo giminės medyje turite knygnešių ir daraktorių, prašau pridėkite juos prie projekto. Projekto šone spauskite "Veiksmai" ir tada pasirinkite "pridėti profilius". Profiliai turi būti vieši. Pagal galimybes pridėkite profilyje trumpą biografiją.


Spaudos draudimas buvo 1864 - 1904 metais įvestas laikraščių, knygų ir kitų spaudinių lietuvių kalba draudimas lotyniškais rašmenimis Rusijos Imperijoje. Draudimas buvo įvestas 1864 metais po 1863 metų sukilimo ir buvo orientuotas į Lenkijos, Lietuvos ir Latvijos katalikus.

Knygnešiai, lietuviškos spaudos draudimo laikotarpiu, nelegaliai įveždavo knygas ir spaudą lietuvių kalba iš Mažosios Lietuvos, JAV ir kitur ir ją platindavo Lietuvoje ir Rusijos Imperijoje rizikuodami baudomis, tremtimi Sibire, kalėjimu ar netgi gyvybe.

Per šį laikotarpį Mažojoje Lietuvoje pasirodė 1830 leidiniai lietuvių kalba (6 milijonai egzempliorių) ir 701 JAV, kurie taip pat pasiekdavo Lietuvą.

Rusijos Imperijos valdžia taip pat uždraudė parapijines mokyklas lenkų ir lietuvių kalba. Daraktoriai buvo slapti ir persekiojami mokytojai lietuvių kalba dažniausiai kaimo mokyklose spaudos draudimo laikotarpiu. Istoriko Vytauto Merkio teigimu, daraktorių Lietuvoje galėjo būti apie 4800.

Naudingos nuorodos

Knygos:

  • Knygnešiai ir knygnešystė Pakaunės krašte (monografija); aut. Inga Stepukonienė. - Kaunas: Eurispauda, 2020, 552 p. ISBN: 978-609-8261-10-3
  • Lietuvos knygnešiai ir daraktoriai, 1864-1904 (žinynas); aut. Benjaminas Kaluškevičius, Kazys Misius. - Vilnius: Diemedis, 2004, 670 p. ISBN: 998-623-1175