Veiveriai Teachers' Seminary
Encyclopedia
Veiveriai Teachers' Seminary was a seminary
in Veiveriai
, Suwałki Governorate, Congress Poland
(now Lithuania
). It was established as teachers' courses in 1866 and reorganized into a seminary in 1872. It prepared teachers for elementary schools in the Suwałki Governorate. During World War I
, the seminary was evacuated into Russia and subsequently disbanded. During its existence, the seminary prepared 1,025 teachers, some of which later became prominent figures in Lithuanian education, politics, and culture.
, Tsarist authorities closed all institutions of higher education in Lithuania and implemented a radical Russification
program. According to this program, Lithuanian schools would be closed or replaced with Russian schools. To prepare teachers for these new Russian schools, two teachers' seminaries were established: one in Veiveriai for the Suwałki Governorate and another in Panevėžys
for the Vilna
and Kovno Governorate
s. The Veiveriai Seminary was open only to Catholics of Lithuanian origin, while the seminary in Panevėžys was open only to Eastern Orthodoxs. It was hoped that these Lithuanian teachers prepared in Russian spirit would work in Polish provinces and would turn their students away from Polish language and culture.
was opened. The seminary was a three-year school, that accepted 30 students annually. Therefore, it had about 90 students at any given time. The curriculum was taught in the Russian language
and included religion, pedagogy, Lithuanian and Russian languages, history, mathematics, biology and geography, cursive
, music, etc. Students also had to complete a certain number of hours in the seminary's gardens growing fruits and vegetables. The seminary also boasted a choir and an orchestra. After graduation students would be assigned work in Polish provinces; those who received scholarships had to complete at least 4 years at the designated location.
Despite strict prohibitions on speaking in Lithuanian and hopes that the seminary would become a center of Russification, Veiveriai became an important center of the Lithuanian National Revival
. Tomas Ferdinandas Žilinskas, who helped to found the seminary and worked there for 37 years, was once of the activists in the revival movement. Despite official rules, Žilinskas encouraged his students to read banned Lithuanian books
and speak in Lithuanian. Other students took part in illegal book smuggling, hiding the books under the altar of a cemetery chapel. Starting in 1881 students even published 10 issues of a Lithuanian-language monthly Laimės valandos (Hours of Happiness).
During the Russian Revolution of 1905
, students demanded to change the subject language from Russian to Lithuanian. The seminary was temporarily closed and 37 students were arrested; the teaching language policy was not changed, but it was allowed to speak Lithuanian in public. In 1915, during World War I, the seminary was evacuated into Russia, but never returned. Its last class graduated on March 1, 1918. Its former building was used to establish a secondary school, which was named after Žilinskas. The school operates to this day.
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Veiveriai
Veiveriai
Veiveriai is a town in Lithuania. According to the 2001 census, its population was 1,100. It is located about southwest of Kaunas on the road to Marijampolė.-History:...
, Suwałki Governorate, Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
(now 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...
). It was established as teachers' courses in 1866 and reorganized into a seminary in 1872. It prepared teachers for elementary schools in the Suwałki Governorate. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the seminary was evacuated into Russia and subsequently disbanded. During its existence, the seminary prepared 1,025 teachers, some of which later became prominent figures in Lithuanian education, politics, and culture.
Background
After the Uprising of 1863January Uprising
The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
, Tsarist authorities closed all institutions of higher education in Lithuania and implemented a radical Russification
Russification
Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attributes by non-Russian communities...
program. According to this program, Lithuanian schools would be closed or replaced with Russian schools. To prepare teachers for these new Russian schools, two teachers' seminaries were established: one in Veiveriai for the Suwałki Governorate and another in Panevėžys
Panevežys
Panevėžys see also other names, is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2008, it occupied 50 square kilometers with 113,653 inhabitants. The largest multifunctional arena in Panevėžys is the Cido Arena...
for the Vilna
Vilna Governorate
The Vilna Governorate or Government of Vilna was a governorate of the Russian Empire created after the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795...
and Kovno Governorate
Kovno Governorate
The Kovno Governorate or Government of Kovno was a governorate of the Russian Empire. Its capital was Kovno . It was formed on 18 December 1842 by tsar Nicholas I from the western part of the Vilna Governorate, and the order was carried out on 1 July 1843. It used to be a part of Northwestern Krai...
s. The Veiveriai Seminary was open only to Catholics of Lithuanian origin, while the seminary in Panevėžys was open only to Eastern Orthodoxs. It was hoped that these Lithuanian teachers prepared in Russian spirit would work in Polish provinces and would turn their students away from Polish language and culture.
History
Veiveriai Seminary was established in two-story brick post office building, left empty since the office closed after the Warsaw – Saint Petersburg RailwayWarsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway
The Saint Petersburg – Warsaw Railway, Russian "Санкт-Петербурго-Варшавская железная дорога" is a long railway, built in the 19th century by the Russian Empire to connect Russia with Central Europe. At the time the entire railway was within Russia, as Warsaw was under a Russian partition of Poland...
was opened. The seminary was a three-year school, that accepted 30 students annually. Therefore, it had about 90 students at any given time. The curriculum was taught in the Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and included religion, pedagogy, Lithuanian and Russian languages, history, mathematics, biology and geography, cursive
Cursive
Cursive, also known as joined-up writing, joint writing, or running writing, is any style of handwriting in which the symbols of the language are written in a simplified and/or flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing easier or faster...
, music, etc. Students also had to complete a certain number of hours in the seminary's gardens growing fruits and vegetables. The seminary also boasted a choir and an orchestra. After graduation students would be assigned work in Polish provinces; those who received scholarships had to complete at least 4 years at the designated location.
Despite strict prohibitions on speaking in Lithuanian and hopes that the seminary would become a center of Russification, Veiveriai became an important center of the Lithuanian National Revival
Lithuanian National Revival
Lithuanian National Revival, alternatively Lithuanian National Awakening , was a period of the history of Lithuania in the 19th century at the time when a major part of Lithuanian inhabited areas belonged to the Russian Empire...
. Tomas Ferdinandas Žilinskas, who helped to found the seminary and worked there for 37 years, was once of the activists in the revival movement. Despite official rules, Žilinskas encouraged his students to read banned Lithuanian books
Lithuanian press ban
The Lithuanian press ban was a ban on all Lithuanian language publications printed in the Latin alphabet within the Russian Empire, which controlled Lithuania at the time. Lithuanian-language publications that used the Cyrillic alphabet were allowed and even encouraged...
and speak in Lithuanian. Other students took part in illegal book smuggling, hiding the books under the altar of a cemetery chapel. Starting in 1881 students even published 10 issues of a Lithuanian-language monthly Laimės valandos (Hours of Happiness).
During the Russian Revolution of 1905
Russian Revolution of 1905
The 1905 Russian Revolution was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, while some was undirected. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies...
, students demanded to change the subject language from Russian to Lithuanian. The seminary was temporarily closed and 37 students were arrested; the teaching language policy was not changed, but it was allowed to speak Lithuanian in public. In 1915, during World War I, the seminary was evacuated into Russia, but never returned. Its last class graduated on March 1, 1918. Its former building was used to establish a secondary school, which was named after Žilinskas. The school operates to this day.
Alumni
- Mykolas KrupavičiusMykolas KrupavičiusMykolas Krupavičius was a Lithuanian priest and politician. He is best remembered for his involvement with the land reform in the interwar Lithuania....
, Minister of Agriculture - Kazys SkučasKazys SkučasKazys Skučas was a Lithuanian politician and General of the Lithuanian Army. Skučas was the last Minister of the Interior of independent Lithuania. He was a target of anti-Lithuanian Soviet propaganda in the days leading to the 1940 Soviet ultimatum and occupation of Lithuania...
, Minister of the Internal Affairs - Antanas ŽmuidzinavičiusAntanas ŽmuidzinaviciusAntanas Žmuidzinavičius was a Lithuanian painter and art collector. Sometimes he used Antanas Žemaitis as his pen name....
, painter