Antanas Venclova
Encyclopedia
Antanas Venclova was a Lithuania
n and Soviet politician, poet
, journalist
and translator
.
, in Kaunas
. In 1936, Venclova visited the USSR, and became fascinated with the Soviet system and its culture. Before the outbreak of the Second World War, he worked as a teacher, and was the editor of the procommunist journals, Trečias frontas (Third Front), and Prošvaistė.
. He was elected as a representative to the "People's Seimas" and went to Moscow as part of the delegation requesting that Lithuania be incorporated into the USSR. After the German invasion of the U.S.S.R. in 1941, he retreated with the Red Army and remained in Soviet Russia during the Nazi occupation, returning to Lithuania in 1944.
In the following years, he faithfully served the Soviet government.
In 1947, he received the Stalin Prize
. Venclova wrote the original words for the anthem of Lithuanian SSR
, and translated the lyrics of the Soviet anthem into Lithuanian. After Joseph Stalin
's death, the second stanza of the L.S.S.R. lyrics were changed by Vacys Reimeris
to remove any mention of Stalin. Between 1954 and 1959, he was Chairman of the Lithuanian Writer's Union.
, was a prominent dissident.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n and Soviet politician, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and translator
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
.
Early life
He studied Lithuanian, Russian and French at the Vytautas Magnus UniversityVytautas Magnus University
Vytautas Magnus University ) is a public university in Kaunas, Lithuania. The university was founded in 1922 during the interwar period as an alternate national university...
, in Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
. In 1936, Venclova visited the USSR, and became fascinated with the Soviet system and its culture. Before the outbreak of the Second World War, he worked as a teacher, and was the editor of the procommunist journals, Trečias frontas (Third Front), and Prošvaistė.
Politician
Following the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940, he was briefly appointed as Minister of Education of the Lithuanian SSRLithuanian SSR
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Lithuanian SSR, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union...
. He was elected as a representative to the "People's Seimas" and went to Moscow as part of the delegation requesting that Lithuania be incorporated into the USSR. After the German invasion of the U.S.S.R. in 1941, he retreated with the Red Army and remained in Soviet Russia during the Nazi occupation, returning to Lithuania in 1944.
In the following years, he faithfully served the Soviet government.
In 1947, he received the Stalin Prize
USSR State Prize
The USSR State Prize was the Soviet Union's state honour. It was established on September 9, 1966. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the prize was followed up by the State Prize of the Russian Federation....
. Venclova wrote the original words for the anthem of Lithuanian SSR
Anthem of Lithuanian SSR
The State Anthem of the Lithuanian SSR was the national anthem of Lithuania when it was a republic of the Soviet Union and known as the Lithuanian SSR.-Background:...
, and translated the lyrics of the Soviet anthem into Lithuanian. After Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
's death, the second stanza of the L.S.S.R. lyrics were changed by Vacys Reimeris
Vacys Reimeris
Vatsis Reimeris - a Lithuanian Soviet poet, translator, honored culture Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic ....
to remove any mention of Stalin. Between 1954 and 1959, he was Chairman of the Lithuanian Writer's Union.
Family
His son, the poet Tomas VenclovaTomas Venclova
Tomas Venclova is a Lithuanian scholar, poet, author and translator of literature.Tomas Venclova is son of poet and Soviet politician Antanas Venclova. He was educated at Vilnius University. As an active participant in the dissident movement he was deprived of Soviet citizenship in 1977 and had...
, was a prominent dissident.