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2011 – the Czesław Miłosz Year Atnaujinta: 2012-01-02 16:19:22

“It is good to be born in a small country where Nature was on a human scale, where various languages and religions cohabited for centuries. I have in mind Lithuania, a country of myths and of poetry." (From Czesław Miłosz’s Nobel rize acceptance speech in 1980)

In 2011, Vytautas Magnus University marked the year of the winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, VMU Honorary Doctor, Honorary Citizen of Lithuania and one of the greatest 20th century poets, Czesław Miłosz. 100 years have passed in 2011 since the birth of Czesław Miłosz; this anniversary was included among the dates celebrated by UNESCO.

The Czesław Miłosz Slavic Studies Centre is functioning at Vytautas Magnus University, where researchers are analyzing the culture of the Lithuanian midland region, the identity of Poles in Lithuania and their cultural self-awareness, the cultural aspect of interaction between Baltic and Slavic cultural phenomena. The scientists here are working together in a scientific cluster – Czesław Miłosz and Lithuania – Theoretical and Applied Study Aspects. The university is also actively collaborating with the Czesław Miłosz Birthplace Foundation.

Honouring the 100th anniversary of Czesław Miłosz's birth, the university published a book in Lithuanian, Polish and English, containing Egidijus Aleksandravičius' text on Miłosz's search and discoveries in his journey of life, Miłosz's VMU Honorary Doctor's regalia acceptance speech and the bibliography for 1988–2010. The chronologically composed bibliography provides the records on Czesław Miłosz's texts and on the works about Miłosz's person, his works, hometown and the poet's historical memory. 

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Informational scientific study Česlovas Milošas Ir Lietuva (Czesław Miłosz and Lithuania) created by the Assoc. Prof. Vaida Kamuntavičienė (VMU Dept. of History) was published in 2011 as well. Its purpose is to introduce the main stages in Miłosz's journey through life and the main features of his work, paying special attention to his Lithuanian heritage and relation to the "small homeland".

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On 10 February 2011, at the VMU Aula Magna (Gimnazijos str. 7), exhibition marking the centennial, titled Sugrįžimas / Powrόt / Return, was opened. Currently it is travelling around Europe.

In June 2011, work group gathered by Assoc. Prof. Vaida Kamuntavičienė updated the exposition in the barn and installed the outdoor exposition The Issa Valley. On this ocassion, a special text (in Lithuanian) was prepared by Vaida Kamuntavičienė. More information about this and other expositions is available here.

More about VMU Honorary Doctor Czesław Miłosz

  • Czesław Miłosz's VMU Honorary Doctor's regalia acceptance speech (EN, LT, PL)
  • Czesław Miłosz's lecture (in English) marking the acceptance of the Nobel Prize for Literature
  • Czesław Miłosz in Lithuania (photo albums) (in Lithuanian)
  • Timeline of Key Events in Miłosz's Biography

Information based on www.milosz.lt and the VMU archive.

More information on the events of the Czesław Miłosz Year is provided by the VMU Public Communications Office (Janina Masalskienė, j.masalskiene@vkt.vdu.lt), Vaida Kamuntavičienė (v.kamuntaviciene@hmf.vdu.lt).

Partners of the project: