Leonas Bistras
Encyclopedia
Leonas Bistras is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
– October 17, 1971 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...
) was a Lithuania
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 politician, journalist, translator, philosopher and professor. He had studied medicine also.
Bistras was elected to the 2nd Lithuanian Seimas
Seimas
The Seimas is the unicameral Lithuanian parliament. It has 141 members that are elected for a four-year term. About half of the members of this legislative body are elected in individual constituencies , and the other half are elected by nationwide vote according to proportional representation...
representing the Lithuanian Christian Democrats
Lithuanian Christian Democrats
The Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD was a Christian-democratic political party in Lithuania. Originally established in 1905, it was closely associated with the Roman Catholic Church...
Party. He was also elected as Chairman of Seimas. In the 9th and 10th Minister Cabinet of Lithuania, he was Minister of Education. After Vytautas Petrulis
Vytautas Petrulis
Vytautas Petrulis was a Lithuanian politician, one of the main figures in the Lithuanian Christian Democrats party, and an accountant...
' cabinet resigned, he took office of Prime Minister of Lithuania
Prime Minister of Lithuania
The Prime Minister of Lithuania is the head of the executive arm of Lithuania's government, and is chosen by the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas. The modern office of Prime Minister was established in 1990, although the official title was "Chairperson of the Council of Ministers" until 25...
and Minister of Land Defense in the 12th cabinet, from April 14, 1926 was also Minister of Foreign Affairs.
After the coup d'état at the end of 1926, he was appointed as Minister of Education, and left cabinet after the 3rd Seimas
Seimas
The Seimas is the unicameral Lithuanian parliament. It has 141 members that are elected for a four-year term. About half of the members of this legislative body are elected in individual constituencies , and the other half are elected by nationwide vote according to proportional representation...
was released. He returned to the Cabinet of Ministers after Lithuania lost Klaipėda Region
Klaipėda Region
The Klaipėda Region or Memel Territory was defined by the Treaty of Versailles in 1920 when it was put under the administration of the Council of Ambassadors...
in 1939, and in the 20th cabinet was Minister of Education and refused to take the Minister of Foreign Affairs office.
On July 11, 1940, he was arrested, imprisoned in the Kaunas Prison
Kaunas Prison
Kaunas Prison is a prison in the center of Kaunas, second largest city of Lithuania. As of 2007, it houses approximately 300 prisoners and employs around 230 prison guards...
, and sent to Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
in 1941, returning to Lithuania in 1945. In 1950, he was arrested and sent to Siberia again. He returned to Lithuania again in 1956. As the Soviets did not grant him a pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
, he lived on donations from people 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...
, where he died three days before his 81st birthday. He was buried in Petrašiūnai Cemetery
Petrašiunai Cemetery
Petrašiūnai Cemetery is Lithuania's premiere last resting place formally designated for graves of people influential in national history, politics, arts, and science.- Location :...
of Kaunas.