“Lituanistika”, International Research Database
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Gender, war and remembrance: "Heroic subjects" in Lithuania's memory regime of fighting and suffering.
No full textThe growing body of literature on women, war and remembrance points to the importance of women’s experiences for the construction of national narratives. These narratives often perpetuate stereotypical images of war with suffering women and dominance by fighting men—unless women fight on the ‘right side’ and exhibit extraordinary bravery. Then they become ‘heroic subjects’ in such narratives. These national narratives are part of the processes related to ‘defending memory’. They tend to select actors and experiences that fit their version of the national past. Feminist perspectives on war and memory encourage us to explore silences, contradictions and omissions in these national narratives. They also encourage us to listen to women who decide to publicly record their wartime memories and thus influence national narratives about war. Focusing on the case study of Lithuania, this chapter asks the following questions: What are the gendered aspects of ‘defending memory’? What is the relationship between the experiences of women and the construction of national narratives about war, engaged in ‘defending memory’? What are the tensions between lived experiences (documented in memoirs and oral testimonies) and the ways in which they are articulated publicly, for national consumption
Building bridges: community-based projects for participation and social inclusion of rural NEETs
No full textThis chapter focuses on factors that facilitate community-based projects for providing effective and sustainable responses to the challenges faced by young people Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEETs) in rural areas and more specifically to promote their quality of life and social inclusion. In line with Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model (1977, 1979) and considering community-based projects as part of the exosystem, we aim to identify the barriers and constraints faced by projects targeting young NEETs in rural areas. As part of the collaborative research developed by the members of the “WG1-Rural NEETs Social Networks and Social Inclusion” of the Rural NEET Youth Network, we identified five promising community-based projects in Portugal, Italy, Sweden, North Macedonia, and Lithuania and conducted semi-structured interviews with the project coordinators. Our analysis showed that the identified projects take into account the different levels of the bioecological model and the need to involve how young people and local communities. Both these factors are crucial for their success and sustainability over time. Keywords: Rural NEETs; Youth inclusion; Quality of life; Participation; Community-based projects
Return migration and embedding: through the lens of Brexit as an unsettling event
No full textThis introductory paper, refecting the Thematic Cluster of four papers, brings together two themes that are important for migration studies: return migration and embedding. Beyond any simplistic assumptions of settlement and permanent integration back into the origin country, following return, or notions of ongoing unfettered mobility back and forth over time, this article knits together data from the cluster papers, focusing on Lithuania and Poland, to explore factors that lead to return, or indeed non-return, and subsequent experiences in the ‘home’ country for those who do return. Moreover, using mixed methods, including longitudinal research, we advance a theoretical framework facilitating an examination of how returnees negotiate their lives in the origin society and whether they intend to stay, or migrate again, through the conceptual lens of embedding. While emphasising agency and efort, embedding also recognises structural constraints that may impede migrants’ expectations and aspirations. Hence, return migration may involve parallel processes of re-embedding but also experiences of dis-embedding as the hoped for return project encounters unexpected obstacles and may result in further migration. In mapping the feld of return migration, through the concept of embedding, we focus on the impact of Brexit as‘an unsettling event’. Keywords: Return migration, Embedding, Unsettling events, Brexit, Central and Eastern Europe
Students of the Kaunas school of art – creators of the visual narrative of Lithuanian history
No full textStraipsnio problematika yra paremta išankstine įžvalga, kad bendrame tarpukario Lietuvos istorijos tematiką vaizduojančių kūrinių sraute Kauno meno mokyklos auklėtinių kompozicijos išsiskiria naujumu, meninių sprendimų originalumu. Todėl tiriama, kaip šios mokyklos atstovai įsitraukė į Lietuvos istorijos vaizdų kūrimą, kas juos paskatino imtis tokių temų ir kokį palikimą jie suformavo. Šaltinių analizė leido papildyti ikonografinę medžiagą naujais pavyzdžiais ir matyti platesnę tokių kūrinių panoramą, kurioje išryškėjo įvairaus meninio lygmens sprendimai – nuo rimtai ir profesionaliai atliktų kūrinių, matomų, atpažįstamų ir vertinamų visuomenėje, iki iliustratyvių naivokų kompozicijų, menkaverčių tapybinių kopijų, sukurtų pagal fotografinius pirmavaizdžius. Tyrimas leido išskirti gausiau į šios temos kūrybą linkusias absolventų kartas, pedagogų įtaką, taip pat ir platesnio socialinio, politinio bei kultūrinio konteksto poveikį jaunų kūrėjų pasirinkimams. Reikšminiai žodžiai: Kauno meno mokykla, istorinio žanro dailė, Lietuvos istorija.The article aims to explore how students at the Kaunas School of Art contributed to the visual field of the newly constructed narrative of Lithuanian history during the interwar period of the Republic of Lithuania (1918–1940). It delves into the premise that in the given period, the students of this school produced remarkable artworks in the historical genre, characterised by their original thematic and artistic expression. The research focuses on a thorough examination of iconographic materials, archival documents, and contemporary press sources. The findings of the research reveal a broad and diverse panorama of Lithuanian historical imagery crafted by the students of the Kaunas School of Art. Despite the historical genre not being integrated into the teaching process and emphasized in the curriculum, the graduates applied their acquired professional skills to explore historical topics, discovering new narratives and new iconographic schemes, and trying to experiment in this genre and infuse it with the creative principles of modernism. Kazys Varnelis’s monumental painting compositions, which combine elements of constructivism and art deco, stand out as prime examples of renewal. In the field of graphics, Paulius Augius-Augustinavičius’s work shines with a vibrant expressionistic approach. Petras Tarabilda’s graphics, while somewhat more restrained, exhibit a diverse range infused with elements drawn from secession and art deco styles. Stasys Ušinskas and Adomas Galdikas were pivotal mentors who encouraged young creators to break free from the constraints of conservative realism or pseudo-academicism. While the influence of Stasys Ušinskas seemed obvious, the impact of Adomas Galdikas, who led the graphics studio and nurtured a cohort of interesting artists, gradually permeated the entire institution. Through the exploration of new works, reviewing of biographies, and analysis of the legacy of each generation, the significance of Adomas Galdikas’s personality, along with his invaluable advice and encouragement, became increasingly evident. In evaluating the thematic choices of young artists, it becomes obvious that they closely align with the narrative of Lithuanian statehood constructed by the political elite, which places significant emphasis on figures like Vytautas the Great, regarded as the uncrowned king of Lithuania, and the historical period of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania up until his demise. This narrative extends to include the struggles for Lithuanian independence (1918–1920), events that remained vivid in the artists’ collective memory and were often depicted in their artworks. Keywords: Kaunas School of Art, history painting, Lithuanian history
Manifestations of national style and art deco in the work of the 1930s ceramics alumni of the Kaunas school of arts
No full textStraipsnyje tyrinėjamas Lietuvos keramikos vystymuisi svarbus XX a. 4 deš. etapas, siejamas su profesionaliosios lietuvių keramikos užgimimu. 1931 m. Kauno meno mokykloje buvo įsteigta, o nuo 1934 m. intensyviai veikė Keramikos studija. Jos vadovas Liudvikas Strolis mokymo programą orientavo į tautinio stiliaus, taip pat į naujos iš Europos ateinančios art deco krypties estetiką, skatino modernizmo pažinimą. 4 deš. Kauno meno mokyklos absolventai pamažu suformavo pirmąją ryškią Lietuvos profesionalių keramikų kartą, kurią sudarė Vaclovas Miknevičius, Valdemaras Manomaitis, Emilija Vaškevičiūtė, Ona Šuminaitė-Jurkienė, Bronė Bakutytė-Vosylienė, Eleonora Lukštaitė-Marčiulionienė, Povilas Krivaitis ir dar keli jaunieji menininkai. Išanalizavus šių dailininkų darbus, tapo akivaizdu, kad jie labiausiai pasižymėjo tautiškumo ir art deco bruožais. Ir nors Lietuvos keramikoje art deco stilistika reiškėsi kur kas nuosaikiau nei kitose Europos šalyse, vis dėlto jaunosios kartos keramikų kūriniuose neabejotinai atsiskleidė pastarosios krypties specifiniai ypatumai: įdomesnių indų ar skulptūrėlių formų paieška, išraiškingos smulkios dirbinių detalės, geometriniai elementai, stilizuoto dekoro pomėgis. Reikšminiai žodžiai: tautinis stilius, art deco, Kauno meno mokykla, keramika, dailininkai, kūryba.The article seeks to analyze the work of the inaugural generation of professional Lithuanian ceramicists trained at the Kaunas School of Art (KMM) Ceramics Studio, aiming to unveil the distinctive features of art deco and the national style that manifested within it. The evolution of European applied art in the first half of the 20th century advanced significantly in the realm of design, shaped by scientific and technical breakthroughs, as well as mass-machine production. Against this backdrop, Lithuania trailed behind not only Western Europe but also its neighbouring countries such as Poland, Latvia, and Estonia. In the 1940s, the nation lacked nearly any professionals in applied art, prompting the recognition of the necessity for training decorative art specialists, which was acknowledged by artists and various cultural figures, sparking considerable discussion on the matter at the Kaunas School of Art. It was only in 1931 that the first studio of applied art, specifically the Ceramics Studio, was established at the Kaunas School of Art. Its inception posed numerous organizational and technical challenges, compounded by the difficulty in assembling a cohesive team of teachers. The primary instructor, ceramic technologist Pranas Brazdžius, a graduate of the School of Applied Arts in Myrhorod (Ukraine) and with an internship at the Bechyne School of Ceramics (Czechoslovakia), played a pivotal role in shaping the Ceramics Studio. Despite an initial intake of nineteen students, the numbers dwindled significantly over the course of the school year for various reasons. Firstly, mastering ceramics proved to be a challenging endeavour, requiring substantial physical effort and a grasp of both chemistry and technical intricacies. Secondly, while Brazdžius had commendable technological skills, his artistic competence fell short, hindering the development of a clear curriculum for ceramics. In the subsequent years of its existence, the Ceramics Studio underwent a rejuvenation with the enrolment of new students from the Kaunas School of Art. Individuals like Vaclovas Miknevičius, Voldemaras Manomaitis, Emilija Vaškevičiūtė, Povilas Krivaitis, Ona Šuminaitė-Jurkienė, Eleonora Lukštaitė-Marčiulionienė, Teodora Slyvauskaitė-Miknevičienė, among others, chose to specialize in ceramics. Already demonstrating a serious interest in ceramics and a natural curiosity, most of these students, upon graduating from the Kaunas School of Art, became the founding members of the first generation that laid the groundwork for Lithuanian professional ceramics. They went on to collaborate in various educational and production institutions. In 1934, Liudvikas Strolis became the head of the Ceramics Studio at the Kaunas School of Art. This artist, who initially studied painting at Kaunas School of Art, later pursued ceramics at the Paris National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts from 1929 to 1933. Strolis’s works seamlessly blended the professionalism acquired abroad with a keen understanding of modernity, influenced by art deco, and a creative interpretation of folk-art traditions. His early creations reflected the so-called national style, where, alongside modernist features, the incorporation of Lithuanian folk décor elements and forms held significant importance. Strolis emerged as a practitioner of frugal minimalism, showcasing a penchant for moderate forms and a distinctive styler of national patterns. This artistic vision laid the foundation for the pedagogical approach to teaching ceramics at the Kaunas School of Art under Strolis’s guidance. Upon assuming his role, he swiftly devised a comprehensive curriculum encompassing artistic design, decoration, and the technical realization of works using diverse ceramic materials. The introduction of specific and clearly formulated learning objectives, coupled with discussions on the nature of ceramic works and exploration of decoration and materiality issues, catalyzed positive transformations in the students’ work. As the quality of ceramics studies advanced, the works of young artists began to garner recognition and favourable evaluations at exhibitions featuring students’ and graduates’ creations. Attention was captivated by the harmonious interplay between form and decor, the discerningly chosen glazes employed in the works, and the decoration inspired by motifs from Lithuanian ornaments. Some products exhibited artistic characteristics emblematic of the art deco style, with diagonal or undulating elements evident in handles and covers, as well as a more structured approach to decoration. Furthermore, these art deco stylistic elements persisted in the post-war cutlery of certain artists. Angular, bevelled handles, and constructive design or shape elements continued to appear in their works. Keywords: national style, Art Deco, Kaunas School of Art, ceramics, artists, creation
Statistics of periodicals in the Baltic states: data Sources and collections
No full textLeidyba yra svarbi ir reikšminga kultūros, kūrybos ir ekonomikos sektoriaus dalis. Jos tyrimui, vertinimui ir prognozavimui reikalingi pagrįsti, patikimi, tikslūs, nuoseklūs, palyginami statistiniai duomenys. Atsižvelgiant į periodinių leidinių statistikos tyrimų stoką ir leidybos statistikos aktualumą bei tai, kad Baltijos šalyse leidybos statistikos duomenis renka to paties lygmens institucijos, keliama problema, ar nacionalinės bibliotekos taikomas rekomendacinių ir teisinių dokumentų pamatas bei duomenų rinkimo metodologija gali užtikrinti duomenų pagrįstumą, patikimumą, išsamumą ir palyginamumą. Šio straipsnio tikslas – išnagrinėti ir palyginti Baltijos šalių periodinių leidinių statistikos duomenų rinkimo praktikas. Tyrimo objektu pasirinkti Lietuvos, Latvijos ir Estijos leidybos statistikos teisinis pamatas bei 2022 m. leidybos statistikos ištekliai ir oficialiosios statistikos duomenų rinkiniai. Tokių duomenų rinkimo ir apskaitos gairėmis galima laikyti UNESCO rekomendacijas bei Tarptautinės standartizacijos organizacijos standartus. Teisinis leidybos statistikos pamatas – privalomojo egzemplioriaus teisės aktai, kurie turi užtikrinti statistikos duomenų šaltinius. Nepaisant to, kad leidybos statistikos duomenis renka nacionalinės bibliotekos ir visose šalyse statistikos duomenų šaltiniu yra privalomieji egzemplioriai, vis dėlto statistikos duomenų rinkiniai nėra tapatūs, šalys pasirenka, kokius duomenis rinkti, pagal kokius kriterijus ir kokia forma juos pateikti. Svarbu pabrėžti, kad leidybos industrijos duomenys statistikos rinkiniuose nepateikiami, nors jų rinkimo gairės ir pateikimo svarba akcentuojama tarptautiniuose rekomendaciniuose ir norminiuose dokumentuose. Statistinius duomenis apie e. periodinius leidinius pateikia tik Estija. Baltijos šalių nacionalinės bibliotekos yra oficialiosios statistikos rengėjos, todėl šalių statistikos institucijoms yra teikiami apibendrinti periodinių leidinių leidybos statistikos duomenys, tai atveria naujas technologines duomenų analizės ir naujų duomenų in tegravimo galimybes. Laikraščių ir žurnalų statistinių duomenų rinkiniai gali būti palyginami tik pagal kelis pagrindinius kriterijus, nes šalys yra pasirinkusios skirtingus statistinių duomenų pateikimo požymius, kurių pagrindiniai – įvairuojantis laikraščių ir žurnalų priskyrimas kategorijoms ir periodiškumo ypatumai. Reikšminiai žodžiai: periodinių leidinių statistika, leidybos statistikos duomenys, leidybos statistika, laikraštis, žurnalas, periodinis leidinys, serialinis leidinys, privalomasis egzempliorius, leidybos industrija.Publishing is a significant part of the cultural, creative, and economic sectors. Its research, assessment, and forecasting require grounded, reliable, accurate, consistent, and comparable statistical data. Considering the lack of research in periodicals statistics and the relevance of publishing statistics, as well as the fact that in the Baltic countries, publishing statistics data are collected by institutions at the same level, the problem arises whether the national libraries’ applied foundational recommendations and legal documents, as well as data collection methodology, can ensure data validity, reliability, comprehensiveness, and comparability. This article aims to examine and compare the data collection practices of periodical statistics in the Baltic States. The research object includes the legal foundation of publishing statistics in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, as well as the 2022 publishing statistics resources and official statistics data collections. UNESCO recommendations and International Organization for Standardization standards can be considered guide lines for such data collection and accounting. The legal foundation of publishing statistics consists of legal deposit laws, which must ensure the sources of statistical data. Even though publishing statistics data are collected by national libraries and the source of statistical data in all countries is legal deposits, the statistical data collections are not identical. Countries choose which data to collect, what criteria to apply, and in what form to present them. It is important to emphasize that data on the publishing industry are not presented in statistical collections, although their collection guidelines and presentation importance are highlighted in international recommendations and normative documents. Statistical data on electronic periodicals are provided only by Estonia. National libraries in the Baltic States are official statistics compilers, so summarized publishing statistics data are provided to national statistics in stitutions, opening new technological possibilities for data analysis and integration of new data. The collections of statistical data on newspapers and magazines can only be compared according to a few main criteria, as countries have chosen different statistical data presentation features, the main ones being the varying categorization and periodicity characteristics of newspapers and magazines. Keywords: periodical statistics, publishing statistics data, publishing statistics, news paper, magazine, periodical, serial publication, legal deposit, publishing industry
Lithuanian entrepreneurs with a past during the 1990s
No full textTyrime analizuojami Lietuvos verslininkai su praeitimi pirmaisiais metais po Lietuvos nepriklausomybės atkūrimo. Pagrindinė keliama problema – iki šiol nėra ištirta, kokie sovietmečiu privilegijuoti ir verslo ar administravimo patirtį turėję žmonės aktyviai įsitraukė į Lietuvos įmonių kūrimą. Analizuojamas pirmųjų verslininkų amžius, išsilavinimas, kilmės vieta, verslo pobūdis, partinė priklausomybė, gebėjimas prisitaikyti prie laisvosios rinkos sąlygų. Pagrindiniai tyrimo šaltiniai yra enciklopedijos, periodiniai leidiniai, specializuotų leidinių sudaryti Lietuvos verslo lyderių sąrašai, žinynai, verslo istorijos literatūra, Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausiosios rinkimų komisijos bei Statistikos departamento duomenys ir Registrų centras. Tyrime verslininkai su praeitimi, remiantis istoriografija, skirstomi į šias kilmės grupes: pogrindžio verslininkai, kooperatininkai, administratoriai, galios struktūrų atstovai bei nomenklatūrininkai. Prieinama išvada, jog bendras šių grupių verslininkų portretas gana prieštaringas ir nevienareikšmis: stipriai varijavo verslininkų amžius (gimę nuo 3 iki 7 deš. vid.), įkurtų verslų pobūdis (nuo prekybos ir paslaugų sektoriaus iki stambių pramonės įmonių), kilmės vietos (vienose grupėse daugiau kilusių iš miestų, kitose – iš provincijos), išsilavinimas (dauguma turėjo aukštąjį išsilavinimą, tačiau pasitaikydavo pogrindžio verslininkų ir kooperatininkų, turinčių tik vidurinį ar specialųjį vidurinį išsilavinimą) ir pirminė socialinė kilmė (dauguma aprašomų verslininkų buvo glaudžiai susiję su sovietų valdžios struktūromis, o pogrindžio verslininkai ir kooperatininkai dažniausiai buvo iš neprivilegijuotų socialinių sluoksnių). Raktažodžiai: verslininkas su praeitimi, privatus verslas, verslininkai, įmonių administratoriai, kooperatininkai.The study attempts to expose the prototype of the Lithuanian entrepreneur with a past by analysing Lithuanian businesspeople of the period of 1990 to 2004 and taking into account their activities prior to the start of private business. In this study, specific groups of origin of entrepreneurs are singled out: former politicians, former underground entrepreneurs, former officials, law enforcers, former company administrators, and persons who founded the first cooperatives in the Soviet era. The age, education, geographical origin, the field of their business, etc. of the first business people are analysed. The article allows us to observe certain characteristics of the collective portrait of an entrepreneur with a past. Most of the businesspeople of this type were able to take advantage of their entrepreneurial background, their corporate administration, or their social capital to develop their businesses after the 1990s, but not all of them succeeded. Due to Lithuanian legislation, lack of compliance, lack of education, or old age, businesses set up by underground businesspeople, the KGB and high-ranking Communist Party figures eventually became exceptions in the context of Lithuanian business. Until 2004, businesses run by high-ranking Komsomol figures, former law enforcement officials, and administrators were particularly successful, and cooperatives were able to take advantage of their strengths. However, only a small number of this type of people created long-lasting and sustainable businesses, while the majority remained players at the small business and sole trader level. Entrepreneur with a past started their own companies between 1990 and 1996, the earliest entrants being the founders of cooperatives, underground entrepreneurs, and communists, and the latest being administrators and law enforcement officers. These entrepreneurs chose a wide range of activities, but enterprises in the services and commercial sectors dominated, with only businesspeople from the Communist Party and the administrators more likely to set up industrial and agricultural companies. The businesspeople had a broad age span, with birthdates ranging between 1920s and 1960s. The majority of these entrepreneurs had a university education, predominantly in engineering and the social sciences, although there were also graduates in arts and humanities among them. Only in two groups – the underground entrepreneurs and the founders of cooperatives – the proportion of businesspeople with only secondary or vocational education was relatively high. Although most entrepreneurs with a past are stigmatised in Lithuania and shy away from talking about themselves, they should not be seen in a one-dimensional way but as a kind of a heterogeneous reflection of the late Soviet era. The fact that only a small proportion of this type of entrepreneurs are successful in Lithuania today should not be overlooked. Keywords: entrepreneur with a past, private business, businesspeople, company administrators
Homeland in 16th-century Biblical translations from the territory of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
No full textThe article presents an analysis of the concept of homeland in 16th-c. Biblical translations produced on the territory of Poland (the late period of the Jagiellonian dynasty and early Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Those include translations into Polish: the Catholic Leopolita Bible (1561) and the Jakub Wujek Bible (1599), the Protestant Radziwiłł or Brest Bible (1563), the Arian translation by Symon Budny (the Nesvizh Bible) (1572), as well as into Church Slavonic: the Ostrog Bible (1580–1581) or a hybrid translation by Francis Skaryna (1517–1519). It is argued that despite religious and linguistic differences, Biblical translations reveal a large number of similarities. Based on the analysis of these similarities, it can be assumed that the 16th century was a turning point in the development of the concept of homeland, and its formation in the modern understanding was influenced, in different ways, by both the New and the Old Testament. Keywords: homeland; Biblical translations; 16th century; Poland; the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Exploring the psychology of price barriers in Baltic stock markets
No full textPurpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the presence of psychological barriers both in the main stock market indices of the Baltic states and the most actively traded individual stocks. A psychological barrier refers to a specific price point, often at round numbers (i.e. powers of 10), that investors believe is challenging to breach, influencing their behavior and trading decisions. Design/methodology/approach – We conduct uniformity tests and barrier tests, such as barrier proximity tests and barrier hump tests, to evaluate the presence of psychological barriers. Additionally, we explore variations in means and variances near these potential barriers using regression and GARCH analysis. Findings – The findings reveal that psychological barriers do exist in the Baltic stock markets, particularly within market indices. The Estonian market index stands out with the most pronounced indications of psychological barriers. Individual stocks also display significant changes in means and variances related to potential barriers, albeit with less uniformity. Practical implications – Collectively, our findings challenge the traditional assumption of random returns within the Baltic stock markets. For practitioners, the finding that psychological barriers exist opens up opportunities for investment strategies that can capitalize on them. Originality/value – This study is the first to comprehensively investigate psychological barriers in the Baltic stock markets. Our results provide a valuable contribution to understanding the impact of that phenomenon on pricing dynamics, which is particularly pertinent in less-researched frontier markets like the Baltic states. Keywords: Baltic stock markets, psychological barriers, stock market indices, individual stocks, market psychology
