Rasos or Rasų Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Vilnius. Founded at the time of the collapse of the Commonwealth of the Two Nations, it has borne witness to the crucial twists and turns of Lithuanian history and that of Vilnius. Among those buried here are Lithuanians, Poles, Belarusians, and visitors from distant countries who lived, worked, and took part in the city’s social, cultural, and political life.
What you’ll find out by following this route:
- Why was Rasos Cemetery established?
- What are the most prominent personalities buried here?
- Where are the leaders of the 1863-1864 uprising buried?
- How did the heart of the Polish President end up in Vilnius?
The cemetery was established in 1801 when Lithuania was part of the Russian Empire. The main reason for its creation was the expansion of the city. In 1799, burials were prohibited at the Church of St. Joseph and St. Nicodemus (near Aušros Vartai – The Gates of Dawn) and at other cemeteries within the city limits.
The Missionary monks oversaw the establishment of the new cemetery, and in April 1801, a plot of land was allocated on the road from Paplauja to Ribiškės. A month later on 6 May, the cemetery was consecrated, and on 8 May the burgomaster of Vilnius, Jonas Miuleris, was buried there. At that time, the cemetery was known by the townspeople either as Rasos, as it was in Rasų borough, or Misionierių because it belonged to the parish of the Missionary monks. When the Church of the Ascension (the Missionary Church) was closed in the middle of the 19th century, the name of Rasos Cemetery prevailed.
Two ornate 3-5 storey columbariums were built in the early 19th century, but unfortunately, they have not survived due to their poor condition. After they were demolished, the remains of the dead were reburied in a common grave. It is believed that they included the remains of the famous painter Franciszek Smuglewicz, although the exact location of his grave is unknown.
The neo-gothic main chapel of the cemetery was completed in 1850. The remains of the participants of the 1863-1864 Uprising that were found on Gedimino Hill were solemnly reburied in this main chapel, including the leaders of the Uprising – Konstanty Kalinowski and Zygmunt Sierakowski.
Rasos Cemetery is an important historical and cultural monument not only for the restored and independent Lithuania but also for our historical neighbours, Poland and Belarus. In accordance with the last will of the inter-war Polish President Józef Piłsudski, the heart of the President was buried next to his mother’s grave in Rasos Cemetery. Lithuanian and Polish soldiers who died in the struggle for independence, commanders and participants of the 19th century uprisings, professors and scientists of Vilnius University, heralds of the Lithuanian, Polish and Belarusian national revival, writers, poets, promoters of the Lithuanian identity of the Vilnius region, book carriers who smuggled books in Lithuanian when it was banned, as well as signatories to the Act of February 16th were all buried there.
In the western part of the cemetery there is a hill, where famous poets, writers, and artists are buried; this part of the cemetery has been named Literatų Hill, where Władysław Syrokomla, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, the sculptor and architect Antoni Wiwulski, the leaders of the national revival Povilas Višinskis, Gabrielius Landsbergis-Žemkalnis, and other well-known citizens of Vilnius were buried.
Rasos Cemetery consists of the Old and New Rasų Cemeteries. They are separated by the current Sukilėlių Street, formerly called Lapkričio Street, and later called Morkų Street. The name of Sukilėlių Street (meaning street of ‘Rebels’) is not accidental – during the 1863-1864 uprising against the Tsarist government, weapons were hidden in the cemetery.
Wandering among the old and sometimes barely legible tombstones, it is tempting to wistfully daydream – “if only these tombstones could speak, what would they tell us?”…
We invite you to take a walk along the route of the Old Rasos Cemetery, to pay tribute to the distinguished people of our region, to touch the history of Vilnius over the last two centuries, and to get to know the people who lived here in the 19th and early 20th century.
The Route
1. The Mausoleum of a Mother and her Son’s Heart
Józef Piłsudski, 1867-1935
Maria Billewicz-Piłsudska, 1842-1884
Body in Krakow – heart in Vilnius
Vilnius was the city of Jozef Piłsudski’s youth, loved and cherished by the future President of Poland. Even before his death, the President had expressed his wish to have his heart buried in Vilnius.
Three places were identified in the search for a place to bury his heart: the Chapel of St Casimir in Vilnius Cathedral, the Chapel of Dawn Gate, or Rasos Cemetery. In the end, it was Rasos Cemetery that was chosen; Piłsudski’s heart was buried alongside the loyal Polish soldiers who died in the battles against the Bolsheviks. His mother’s remains were reinterred at the same time. Piłsudski’s body was buried in Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow, alongside those of Stephen Batory, Adam Mickiewicz, Tadeusz Kościuszko, and other prominent Polish figures.
Joseph Piłsudski was an extraordinarily colourful personality. He was actively involved in anti-war activities and was arrested several times. He was exiled to Siberia for an assassination attempt on Tsar Alexander III. He sought the restoration of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, did not understand the desire of the Lithuanian intelligentsia to restore the independent state of Lithuania, and regarded Vilnius as an integral part of Poland. First by diplomatic and later by military means, he tried to annex Vilnius to Poland.
2. Jan Kazimierz Wilczyński, 1806-1885
The creator of ‘Vilnius Album’
After graduating from Vilnius University in medicine, Jan Kazimierz Wilczyński practised as a doctor, but he is more recognised in Lithuania and Poland for his hobbies than for his work. From a young age, the future doctor was fond of collecting antiquities, works of art, and he had a keen interest in archaeology.
As a passionate art lover who was aware of the loss of art if it is not preserved and immortalised, he sought to preserve works of art for future generations. Driven by his dream, he published the six-part ‘Vilnius Album’, a collection of lithographs, chromolithographs, metal engravings, and graphic works depicting the architectural and artistic monuments of Vilnius, portraits of well-known public figures of the time, and images and major events in the city.
3. Mečislovas Davainis-Silvestraitis, 1849-1919
Book smuggler and collector of folklore
Near the northern wall of the cemetery, you can find two wooden roofs that stand out from the other monuments, one commemorating the book smugglers of Vilnius region, and the other marking the grave of Mečislovas Davainis-Silvestraitis – a public figure of the Vilnius region who was a folklore writer, journalist, fosterer of Lithuanian identity, and a book smuggler.
The description ‘an intelligent Lithuanian’ is appropriate for people of M. Davainis-Silvestraitis’ calibre. Growing up in a Polish manor, Mečislovas was fascinated by romantic ideas, the history and customs of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and he dedicated his life to the fight for the Lithuanian language. During the period of the press ban when it was forbidden to write in Lithuanian, he distributed books in Lithuanian and was repeatedly arrested and interrogated by the Tsarist authorities.
He collaborated in the first Lithuanian newspapers ‘Aušra’ and ‘Varpas’, in order to spread the ideas of Lithuanian identity among the Polish-speaking nobility, and he published the newspaper ‘Litwa’ in Polish.
The great passion of M. Davainis-Silvestraitis was folklore. Wandering around Lithuanian villages, he wrote down songs, fairy tales, fantasy stories and legends. He himself wrote patriotic poems, as well as collecting about 700 texts of Samogitian tales.
4. Antoni Wiwulski, 1877-1919
Talented sculptor and architect
His unexpected death in 1919 prevented Antoni Wiwulski (Antanas Vivulskis) from completing his great project – the Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus. His tragic death is commemorated by a bronze soapstone hanging on the wall of Užupio g. 5. While on guard duty, Wiwulski noticed that his friend was freezing, so he took off his uniform and gave it to his frozen friend. He himself caught a cold, contracted pneumonia, and died. Thus ended the career of a young but ambitious architect who had already made a name for himself in Lithuania and Poland.
In 1910, Wiwulski’s impressive sculpture of Vytautas on horseback wearing armour was erected in Krakow. Unfortunately, the monument was demolished when the Germans occupied Krakow. It may seem as if a curse followed everything Wiwulski touched.
Erected in 1916 in Vilnius on Kreivoji Hill according to A. Wiwulski’s project, The Three Crosses were blown up by the Soviets in 1950 and rebuilt on the initiative of the Reform Movement of Lithuania using parts of the old crosses by A. Wiwulski. In 1924, the Šiluva Church of the Holy Cross was built; the Chapel of the Apparition of the Virgin Mary is the only surviving building designed by the architect of the tragic fate.
However, the architect’s most memorable work was to be the Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus, which would have been the architect’s most ambitious project. A modern, contemporary church, one of the most impressive in Vilnius, was supposed to have been built at the crossroads of Vytenio and Vivulskio Streets in Vilnius, but… in 1919, Vivulskis volunteered for the Polish army to fight against the Bolsheviks and died suddenly – the construction of the church was never completed. It is believed that one of the reasons why the church was not finished was that Wiwulski was ahead of his time; his colleagues tasked with continuing his work did not really understand his modern ideas and technical solutions; they were simply unable to complete the construction. During the Soviet era, the building was reconstructed into the Construction Workers’ Palace.
Wiwulski’s remains were buried in the basement of the church under construction, and after the reconstruction of the building, they were moved to Rasos Cemetery.
5. Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, 1875-1911
An artistic and musical genius
Towering above the others on a small hill stands the tombstone of Mikalojus Konstantinas – one of the great sons of our homeland. M.K. Čiurlionis’ father was an organist, and the young Mikalojus grew up surrounded by music, with choirs rehearsing in the Čiurlionis family home. The future composer’s musical talent manifested itself early on.
Supported by Duke Michal Oginski, Mikalojus studied in Warsaw and later in Leipzig, where he became interested in art and devoted the rest of his life to it, thus becoming not only the best-known Lithuanian composer, but also one of the best-known painters.
Čiurlionis was particularly attracted to Lithuanian folk songs, many of which the composer resurrected from obscurity, writing them down and creating harmonies for them.
Like many intellectuals of the time, he became involved in the Lithuanian national movement, although he spoke Polish at home and never learned Lithuanian well. He wrote to his brother Povilas: “I dedicate all my past and future works to Lithuania. “
In 1907 M. K. Čiurlionis organised the first Lithuanian art exhibition in Vilnius. In the last years of his life, he worked hard and lived a life devoted to art and social activities. He was also attracted by the cultural life of Vilnius and the awakening Lithuanian movement, but he neglected his health. Having caught a cold, his health declined further; lhe died of pneumonia in April 1911 at the age of 35, leaving behind his beloved wife Sofija and his daughter Danutė, who was not even a year old.
6. Mykolas Römeris, 1880-1945
Father of Lithuanian constitutional law
Right next to Čiurlionis rests another prominent person – Mykolas Römeris, often referred to as the father of Lithuanian constitutional law. Born into a prominent noble family of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, M. Römeris had special conditions to pursue his education at the prestigious European universities of the time: he studied at the Imperial Law School in St. Petersburg, the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, and the Paris School of Political Science.
Like other Lithuanian noblemen, Mykolas Römeris had to face a difficult dilemma of how to evaluate Lithuania’s quest for independence. Should he support an independent Lithuanian state or a union with Poland? Römeris was of Polish descent (Michał Pius Römer), but he was actively involved in the Lithuanian national movement, arguing for the right of Lithuanians to a national state, and he became an ardent patriot of Lithuania.
When Vilnius was occupied by the Polish army, M. Römeris moved to Kaunas, became a lecturer in law at the University of Lithuania, and was one of the founders of the independent Lithuanian Constitution.
Alongside his scientific career, Römeris had a colourful personal life and enjoyed the attention of women. He married his second cousin before getting divorced and remarrying, this time to his long-time maid, with whom he had three children.
7. Povilas Višinskis, 1875-1906
A herald of national revival
Many Lithuanian national revivalists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries lived short but creative lives. When he died at the age of 30, Povilas Višinskis had devoted his entire life to fostering Lithuanian identity and popularising the Lithuanian language and culture.
Povilas Višinskis not only wrote literature himself, but he also taught it, inspiring future writers of Lithuanian literature – Marija Pečkauskaitė, (who went on to become known as Šatrijos Ragana), Julija Beniuševičiūtė-Žymantienė (the future Žemaitė). P. Višinskis also maintained close contact with Jonas Biliūnas and other writers. He took care of the printing and distribution of Lithuanian books banned in Tsarist Russia at that time.
Today, it is hard to imagine that Marija Pečkauskaitė had not learnt Lithuanian as a child. Povilas Višinskis was her first teacher, who saw her creative talent and encouraged her to write in Lithuanian.
In 1899, Povilas Višinskis directed the first Lithuanian play ‘America in the Bathouse’. After the death of V. Kudirka, he edited the ‘Varpas’ newspaper.
8. Gabrielius Landsbergis-Žemkalnis, 1852-1916
A Lithuanian prophet
The Landsberg family, a noble family of German origin in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, left a deep imprint on Lithuanian history. Gabrielius Landsbergis-Žemkalnis is the grandfather of Professor Vytautas Landsbergis.
Musical, eloquent, with a stormy temperament and artistic soul, G. Landsbergis-Žemkalnis became one of the pioneers of Lithuanian theatre. He understood perfectly the influence of art on the reviving Lithuanian nation, and hoped to find a way into people’s hearts and minds through art.
The inscription on the memorial stone reads “Gabrielius Landsbergis-Žemkalnis – Lithuanian Vaidila”, which is a kind of prophet, sage, or oracle in ancient Baltic belief traditions. G. Landsbergis-Žemkalnis wrote the first Lithuanian opera ‘Birutė’ (1906) and also directed it and played the part of the ‘Old Vaidila’. He directed some of the first Lithuanian comedies ‘Pagavo!’ and ‘Jurgis durnelis’, which translate as ‘Caught! – Gotcha!’ and ‘Jurgis the Fool’ respectively.
It is believed that it was during a rehearsal of G. Landsbergis-Žemkalnis’ drama ‘Blinda’ that M. K. Čiurlionis met his future wife, Sofija Kymantaitė.
9. Ludwik Władysław Kondratowicz Syrokmla, 1823-1862.
A Lithuanian, Belarusian, Polish poet
Born in what is now Belarus, the future poet, who wrote about Lithuanian nature and history in both Polish and Belarusian, is respected and appreciated in Lithuania, Poland, and Belarus. He himself wrote to a friend about his origins: “If I hadn’t been born Lithuanian, I would have liked to live in Great Poland”.
With his knowledge of Latin, Ludwik Kondratowicz began translating Latin texts into Polish. Later, discovering his talent as a poet, he wrote poems, satires, and was not indifferent to political and social issues; in his works, he ridiculed the habits of the nobility and the restriction of the rights of Lithuanians and Poles.
The poet sought inspiration while travelling around Lithuania and was interested in the past of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This inspired some of the first descriptions of his travels in Lithuania: ‘Trips around Lithuania from Vilnius’, ‘The River Nemunas from its source to the mouth of the river’, and the historical poem ‘Margiris’.
According to his contemporaries, the whole of Vilnius lined the streets to accompany the poet to his final resting place in Rasos Cemetery after his death. The hill of the cemetery, where he lay in eternal rest, was later named the Hill of Writers.
10. Eustachy Tyszkiewicz, 1814-1873
Count and collector of antiquities
In the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Tyszkiewicz family was one of the most influential and wealthy noble families in the territory of the former Duchy. The family motto was Deligas quem diligas! meaning “Choose what you love!” – Eustachy Tyszkiewicz chose archaeology and dedicated his life to it.
While living in Moscow and St. Petersburg, he became interested in archaeology, excavated mounds in Minsk, Vilnius, and Krėva, and explored Trakai Castle. He set up a special room in his home for exhibiting the antiquities he had collected, welcoming anyone who wanted to see them.
In 1856, under the care of E. Tyszkiewicz, the Vilnius Museum of Antiquities was opened in the present-day Vilnius University building – the first museum in Lithuania. The founder of the museum not only donated a large part of his collection of antiquities and books, but also encouraged other noblemen to donate historical treasures to the museum.
Unfortunately, the museum was closed after the 1863-1864 uprising against the Tsarist authorities. Nevertheless, E. Tyszkiewicz can be considered a pioneer of archaeology and museology in Lithuania, and part of his collection is still exhibited in Lithuanian museums today.
11.The Vileišiai Family Chapel
Petras Vileišis, 1851-1926
Antanas Vileišis, 1856-1919
Jonas Vileišis, 1872-1942
The Vileišiai brothers – architects of Lithuanian Independence
Wealthy families commissioned tomb-chapels in Rasos cemetery where their family members were buried in niched alcoves. Many of these families were of noble origin, while the Vileišiai brothers descended from free peasants. The family’s wealth came from their eldest brother Petras, who built bridges in the Russian Empire. The Vileišiai brothers and other relatives are buried in the family chapel-mausoleum.
Even the noblest ideas often fail without a financial foundation. P. Vileišis was the man who mainly financed Lithuanian projects, became a patron of the Lithuanian national idea, published Lithuanian books, and tried to mobilise the Lithuanian intelligentsia. At the beginning of the 20th century, almost nothing Lithuanian happened in Vilnius without the Vileišiai brothers’ participation and support.
Antanas Vileišis was a doctor, and he was also an active participant in the Lithuanian national revival movement, cooperating with the press, and organising Lithuanian exhibitions. His wife, Emilija Jasmantaitė-Vileišienė, was also an active promoter and patron of Lithuanian identity.
Jonas Vileišis, together with other Lithuanian intellectuals, was elected to the Council of Lithuania and became a signatory of the Act of February 16th. It is believed that he was also the main author of the text of the Act, the original of which was written in Jonas Vileišis’ handwriting.
12. Emilija Jasmantaitė-Vileišienė, 1861-1935
Patron of Vilnius Lithuanians
While studying in St Petersburg, Emilija met the Vileišiai brothers. This meeting was rather fateful for her – she became the wife of Antanas, a faithful helper of the Vileišis brothers in their Lithuanian activities, and a protector of the Lithuanians of Vilnius region.
Living in a time when women still had little participation in public life, according to her friends, E. Vileišienė substituted ten men. It is said that when Vilnius was occupied by the Germans during the First World War, appeals to the population in Polish and German were posted in the city. Vileišienė walked around the city and tore down the posters. She went to the German commandant and asked: “How dare you come to the capital of Lithuania and address the population only in Polish?” The next day, posters in Lithuanian were also put up in the city.
It is said that the future President of Poland, J. Piłsudski, was hiding from the Tsar’s gendarmes in the Vileišiai family house. Antanas and Emilija hid and saved the future President from being arrested, so J. Piłsudski was always grateful and felt indebted to E. Vileišienė.
When Vilnius was occupied by the Poles, Emilija did not move to Kaunas, but stayed in Vilnius and devoted her entire life to social and charitable activities – because of her acute temper and strong character, she was often referred to respectfully by Lithuanians and mockingly by Poles as the ‘Queen of Lithuania without a crown’.
She was imprisoned in Lukiškės for her participation in Lithuanian social activities by both the Tsarist and Polish authorities, but it is not known whether it was because of her position in society or because of her friendly relations with Józef Piłsudski that her prison stay was not so long.
She spent the last years of her life in Vilnius, taking care of the Lithuanians in the Vilnius region. She was often seen with bags of food and clothes at Lukiškės Prison as she considered it her duty to clothe and feed every Lithuanian arrested.
13. August Louis Bécu, 1771-1824
Pioneer of vaccination in Lithuania
August Louis Bécu was a professor at Vilnius University who was one of the first to vaccinate the population against smallpox. However, he is not only known for his scientific work. He married the mother of Juliusz Słowacki, and hence became the stepfather of the well-known poet who lived in Vilnius and wrote in Polish.
Adam Mickiewicz, who participated in the activities of the Philaret Society and was arrested for it, accused the professor of passing on information about members of the Society to the Tsarist gendarmes. When A. L. Bécu was killed by a lightning bolt striking his apartment on Pilies Street where he lived with his family, A. Mickiewicz described his death as follows:
He was hit suddenly. He cannot understand:
There are, after all, several lightning bolts around.
And they killed him where he was treating the sick.
Silver rubles were melted there by thunder.
Where were they in the cupboard by his head –
The rubles are to blame for this disaster
(‘Dziady’ (‘Forefathers’ Eve’, ‘Vėlinės’ in Lithuanian translated from Polish into Lithuanian by Justinas Marcinkevičius)
For a long time, J. Słowacki could not forgive A. Mickiewicz for such a disrespectful description of the death of his beloved stepfather.
14. Tadeusz Wróblewski, 1858-1925
A lawyer who donated a library to the city
Tadeusz Wróblewski was exiled to Siberia for his participation in anti-Tsarist activities. He returned to Vilnius after the death of his parents in 1891 and inherited his father’s extensive library. He used the property inherited from his parents and a large part of his earnings to enlarge the library.
He also practised as a lawyer. He often defended Lithuanians in court free of charge when they were persecuted for their activities relating to their Lithuanian identity. He was respected and loved by all the inhabitants of Vilnius – Poles, Lithuanians, and Jews – for his efforts to always help the disadvantaged through his educational and charitable activities.
Before his death, he donated a huge collection of around 80,000 books to Vilnius.
15. Balys Sruoga, 1896-1947
Prisoner at Stutthof
Balys Sruoga is best known for his autobiographical novel ‘The Forest of the Gods’, in which he described his experience in the Stutthof concentration camp. The book was censored during the Soviet era and was published with alterations only 10 years after the writer’s death.
B. Sruoga was a very bright personality, he liked to dress exquisitely; in his youth he had long hair and had a proclivity for jewellery, hats, and the attention of others. In his youth, he dreamt of being a forester, or as he himself put it – “running around the forest with a gun and writing poetry”.
There are many amusing stories about the talented writer, poet, and playwright. In 1930, after writing the drama ‘In the shadow of a giant’, he was so convinced that he would receive the ‘Vytautas the Great 500th Anniversary Literary Prize’ that he bought himself a luxury car. When he didn’t win the prize, he had to continue to pay back the debt on the car for a long time.
B. Sruoga spoke many languages and taught Slavonic studies at Vytautas Magnus University. He was arrested for anti-Nazi campaign together with a group of Lithuanian intellectuals and military officers and sent to a concentration camp. This was the Nazis’ revenge on Lithuanians for their reluctance to join the SS divisions.
16. Joachim Lelewel, 1786-1861
A fanatical scientist and rebel
Joachim Lelewel was a well-known historian and professor at Vilnius University. His main characteristic as a historian was to rely solely on historical facts, rejecting the romanticism and idealisation of the time. He was also an excellent cartographer and drew ancient maps, later bequeathing them to Vilnius University.
Lelewel was said to have had a large collection of books and maps; he lived very modestly, and spent all the money he earned on books, milk, of which he was very fond, and bread, which he purportedly used to keep mice at bay by feeding them to prevent them from chewing his books.
Lelewel took part in the 1831 uprising against the Tsarist authorities and was elected to the Rebel Council, had to flee the country after the uprising was suppressed, and settled in Paris, where he died. Initially buried in Montmartre Cemetery, his remains were transferred to Rasos Cemetery according to his wishes as stated in his last will and testament.
17. Jonas Basanavičius, 1851-1927
Patriarch of the Lithuanian nation
Resisting his parents’ wish for him to enter the priesthood, Jonas Basanavičius went to Moscow to study medicine. During this period, he became interested in Lithuanian folklore and the past.
After graduating, he did not get a job as a doctor in the Russian Empire; instead, he went to Bulgaria in 1880 at the invitation of the Bulgarian government. Jonas Basanavičius spent a quarter of a century working abroad in Bulgaria, and areas that now belong to Czechia, and Austria.
While working in Czechia, he prepared the first issue of ‘Aušra’ (‘Dawn’), which was the first monthly newspaper dedicated to Greater Lithuania, published in 1883-1886.
In 1887, in Bulgaria, an attempt was made on Basanavičius’ life, wounding him with two bullets, one of which was lodged near his spine and the other in his arm. The motive for the attempt is still unknown, but it is likely to have been political.
Returning to Vilnius in 1905, he immediately became involved in Lithuanian revivalist activities, cooperated with the press, and oversaw the establishment of a Lithuanian school. However, Basanavičius’ real hour of glory came on 16 February 1918, when, as the Chairman of the Lithuanian Council, he was the first to sign the Lithuanian Independence Act. As the left and the right disagreed on how to move forward, the role of Basanavičius as a moral authority and the father of the nation became obvious.
When the Poles occupied Vilnius, Basanavičius did not move to Kaunas, but stayed in Vilnius until the end of his life. As his health declined, he concentrated on his work at the Lithuanian Scientific Society.
It is symbolic that the life of the patriarch of the nation passed away on the same fateful day, 16 February 1927; a huge crowd of Vilnius residents – Lithuanians, Poles, and Jews – turned out to accompany the doctor on his final journey.
18. Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas, 1893-1967
Between priesthood and creation
Although he wrote a lot of poetry and translated foreign poets’ texts into Lithuanian, Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas was most famous for his novel ‘Altorių šešėlyje’ (‘In the Shadow of the Altar’). It was the first modern Lithuanian novel, the first bestseller, and to this day it remains one of the most frequently read books written in Lithuanian. Like the novel’s protagonist, Liudas Vasaris, V. Mykolaitis-Putinas was torn between the priesthood and his love of a woman. Eventually, he gave up the clerical path and got married.
He did not retreat to the West after the second Soviet occupation, instead choosing to remain in Lithuania for the rest of his life. He was painfully affected by the fate of Lithuania and the Soviet terror. Under the influence of Soviet ideology and censorship, he tried to remain true to himself.
19. Józef Montwiłł, 1850-1911
A great benefactor and developer of Vilnius
It is no coincidence that Józef Montwiłł is buried in the most venerable place in Rasos Cemetery, near the entrance to the central chapel. He was a banker and an influential political figure of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who never forgot to care for the disadvantaged; he established and financed an orphanage and a charity canteen in the premises of the Franciscan Monastery on Trakų Street, supported scientific and social organisations. Together with his brother Stanisław, he founded the Montwiłł Brothers’ Charity Fund by allocating the impressive sum of 100,000 roubles – extremely generous in those times.
J.Montwiłł travelled extensively, visiting European cities and bringing back many interesting ideas for Vilnius. Following the example of European cities, he began to create housing estates for workers in Rasos, Lukiškės, and Piromonta. To this day, these neighbourhoods are still known as the Montwiłł Colonies.
20. The Petrauskas Brothers – Mikas and Kipras
Mikas Petrauskas, 1873-1937
Kipras Petrauskas, 1885-1968
The originators of Lithuanian opera
The older of the brothers, Mikas, learned from his father how to play the organ and taught his younger brother, Kipras, the secrets of music.
In 1906, Mikas Petrauskas staged the first Lithuanian opera ‘Birutė’ in Vilnius and invited his younger brother to perform the role of Birutė’s brother. Impressed by his talent as a soloist, Lithuanian intellectuals sponsored Petrauskas’ studies at St. Petersburg Conservatory.
In 1912, Petrauskas met the famous Russian singer Feodor Chaliapin, who not only became Petrauskas’ stage partner, but also his teacher – the two artists were linked by a creative and personal friendship, Feodor Chaliapin visited Lithuania, and the artists often toured together in foreign countries.
In October 1920, when the Poles occupied Vilnius region, together with Kazys Binkis and other Lithuanian intellectuals, K. Petrauskas immediately volunteered and even demanded to be sent to the front lines. However, the headquarters instructed them to form a ‘battalion of artists’, and gave them a special task – wearing new uniforms, they went on tours of the front lines, visiting the towns and hospitals where soldiers were being treated.
K.Petrauskas was one of the initiators and organisers of the establishment of the Lithuanian Opera Theatre.
During the Soviet era, K. Petrauskas was not privileged with tours abroad as the Soviets did not consider him loyal to the system, but Lithuania simply adored its singer, and he became the property of the whole nation and was known affectionately as ‘our Kipras’.
During the German occupation, K. Petrauskas and his wife Elena Žalinkevičiūtė-Petrauskienė rescued a Jewish girl from death in the Kaunas Ghetto; they brought Danutė Pomerancaitė up, and she later became a famous violinist. Kipras and Elena were awarded the title of ‘Righteous Among the Nations’ in recognition of their brave deed.
Route by Domas Palevičius.
Photos by Kristina Černiauskaitė.
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