Ūkininkas
Encyclopedia
Ūkininkas or Ukinįkas was a monthly Lithuanian-language
newspaper published during the Lithuanian press ban
by the editorial staff of Varpas
from 1890 to 1905. Ūkininkas was printed in Tilsit (current Sovetsk
) and Ragnit (current Neman
) in German East Prussia
and smuggled into Lithuania by the knygnešiai
.
The two newspapers shared staff and similar ideology, but Ūkininkas was geared towards less educated peasants and had larger circulation of 1,000–2,000 copies. It contained few political or cultural discourses and concentrated on practical advices regarding farming, husbandry, and forestry. It also published short news from various locations across Lithuania, helping to develop idea of Lithuania as a single entity. Various writers, including Jonas Biliūnas
, Vincas Kudirka
, Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė
, Sofija Pšibiliauskienė
, contributed their fiction.
After publication of Ūkininkas was discontinued, it was replaced by weekly Lietuvos ūkininkas (The Lithuanian Farmer), published in Vilnius
.
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
newspaper published during the Lithuanian press ban
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...
by the editorial staff of Varpas
Varpas
Varpas was a monthly Lithuanian-language newspaper published during the Lithuanian press ban from January 1889 to December 1905...
from 1890 to 1905. Ūkininkas was printed in Tilsit (current Sovetsk
Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast
Sovetsk , known by its historical German name of Tilsit in East Prussia before 1946, is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the south bank of the Neman River. Population: -History of Tilsit:...
) and Ragnit (current Neman
Neman (town)
Neman is a town and the administrative center of Nemansky District of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the historic Prussia region, east of the town of Sovetsk, on the steep southern bank of the Neman River, where it currently forms the border with the Klaipėda Region in...
) in German East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
and smuggled into Lithuania by the knygnešiai
Knygnešiai
Book smugglers were people who transported Lithuanian language books printed in the Latin alphabet into Lithuanian-speaking areas of the Russian Empire, defying a ban on such materials in force from 1866 to 1904...
.
The two newspapers shared staff and similar ideology, but Ūkininkas was geared towards less educated peasants and had larger circulation of 1,000–2,000 copies. It contained few political or cultural discourses and concentrated on practical advices regarding farming, husbandry, and forestry. It also published short news from various locations across Lithuania, helping to develop idea of Lithuania as a single entity. Various writers, including Jonas Biliūnas
Jonas Biliunas
Jonas Biliūnas was a Lithuanian writer, poet, and a significant contributor to the national awakening of Lithuania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.-Biography:...
, Vincas Kudirka
Vincas Kudirka
Vincas Kudirka was a Lithuanian poet and physician, and the author of both the music and lyrics of the Lithuanian National Anthem, Tautiška giesmė. He is regarded in Lithuania as a National Hero. Kudirka used pen names - V...
, Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė
Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė
Gabrielė Petkevičaitė was a Lithuanian writer and activist. Her pen name Bitė eventually became part of her last name.-Biography:...
, Sofija Pšibiliauskienė
Sofija Pšibiliauskienė
Sofija Pšibiliauskienė née Ivanauskaitė and Marija Lastauskienė were two Lithuanian sister writers of Polish origin, using the same pen name Lazdynų Pelėda .-Biography:Pšibiliauskienė was born to an impractical painter Nikodem Iwanowski of...
, contributed their fiction.
After publication of Ūkininkas was discontinued, it was replaced by weekly Lietuvos ūkininkas (The Lithuanian Farmer), published in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
.