Česlovo Milošo skaitymai 2012, nr. 5

The article puts into dialogue the concept of genius loci (the spirit of place) with the representation of Maironis in seven essays by Lithuanian writers (Jonas Kossu-Aleksandravičius, Eduardas Mieželaitis, Tomas Venclova, Sigitas Geda, Gintaras Beresnevičius, Regimantas Tamošaitis, and Marcelijus Martinaitis) written from 1935 till 2012. Though Maironis is not explicitly named to be a spirit of place in these texts, the article aims to argue that these texts construct such an image implicitly and attempts to reconstruct it from the details in the texts, mostly from metaphors, as they are the main means of visualization, creating a perceptual image and making something to be seen as something else. Drawing upon the concept of genius loci in classical Roman culture, the article analyses the representation of Maironis first of all focusing on the etymological meaning of word genius – to engender or man’s power to engender – and shows that the image of engendering Maironis is created by the metaphors, which make us see Maironis as a father, mother, origin, and source of the Lithuanian poetry and culture. Then follows the analysis of the image of Maironis as a spirit, drawing upon the conception of “aura”, defined by Walter Benjamin as the appearance of the distance, and the metaphors, which make us see Maironis as being high, big, above the earth, and distant. The loci aspect as expressed by often used metaphor of house and home is also briefly discussed, arguing that the place, the spirit of which is Maironis, is the Lithuanian literature and culture. The analysis of the functions, which Maironis, as the spirit of place, gets in the essays, shows that some texts present Maironis as a guardian and the others stress his formative power. In all texts Maironis is represented as rigorous, austere, as the one who is always right, and it fosters the image of bad genius loci. [...]

This paper presents the narrative of renewal of children’s religious imagery in Czesław Miłosz’s “The Issa Valley”. The main hero of the novel Tomas is discovering valley as loci of syncretic religious beliefs. There are being synthesized a pagan imagination, animism, monism, the cult objects of nature, magic and Christian theology. The paper shows that the configuration of the heroes of the novel impersonates the potency of the religious imagination. These points of view already present possible parallels with Blake’s “Urthona”, Michalina Surkontowa’s “Tharmas”, Bronislawa Dilbinowa’s “Luvah”, and Baltazar’s “Urizen”.

In the article the poetry of Lithuanian national poet Maironis (1862–1932) and Eastern Prussia’s poet A. K. T. Tielo (Kurt Mickoleit) (1874–1911) is compared. There is analysed how Maironis and Tielo represent Lithuania in their poetry. Maironis is a poet of Lithuanian national revival. Tielo is a poet who has written in German but his origin is Lithuanian. Maironis has represented Lithuania’s nature, history and tried to revive the Lithuanian national spirit with his poetry. Tielo represented dead Prussian nation, Prussian spirit, his lost Native land, admired the landscape of Lithuania Minor. Both Maironis and Tielo felt the great love to their native land Lithuania. Lithuania was “a star” which has inspired these poets to the poetry. Poets Maironis and Tielo admired the great past of Lithuania and felt sorrow for its present in 19th century. The places of Historical Remembrance Punia mound, Rambynas hill, the largest Lithuanian river Neman, castles, cemeteries are the places which remind Maironis and Tielo about the courage of old Lithuanians and their love to motherland. There are also differences in Maironis and Tielo’s lyrics. There is an ideological background of Lithuanian National revival in 19th century in Maironis’ lyrics, which Tielo’s poetry does not have. The poet Maironis has made the great contribution in forming Lithuanian national identity.

The article analyzes how the landscape of the Curonian Spit was understood in Rėza’s poetry book “Prutena”, in the collection of Lithuanian “Dainos” and other literary and linguistic works, what was the most important to the writer. Rėza described the place which was for him homeland. The Curonian Spit has very big significance for this author comparing with other Lithuanian origin writers from Germany. The focus is made on the literary description of the Curonian Spit in the different texts, which were published firstly in the 19th century. The writer tried to express individual emotional and intellectual experience, and to revive the cultural memory of this place. His works were very significant stimulus for other Lithuanian authors who wrote about Curonian Spit later. This article explores the literary and linguistic texts of the 19th century which were written in the East Prussia by Martynas Liudvikas Rėza (1776–1840). He was a professor of Theology, Director of Lithuanian Seminary and the author of “Prutena” (1809, 1825). His native place was Karvaičiai, the very small village in the Curonian Spit. The writer always remembered the time when the place was covered with quicksand and disappeared without signs. There was no other text devoted to the memory of his homeland. The metaphoric term “genius loci” is applied to describe the specifics of the perception of place.

The article discusses the issue of local identity in the creative work of writers. It focuses on the local identity of Fabijonas Neveravičius (1900–1981), born in a feudal family of Samogitia region (Žemaitija), by highlighting its relation to his feudal background. The article aims to reveal Neveravičius’ perception of his local identity and its expression in his creative work. In such a way, the uniqueness of his identity in the historical context is disclosed and reasons for it are provided. Neveravičius grew in a feudal environment which was greatly influenced by the Polish culture tradition. However, his family valued Lithuanian tradition as well, which caused him to identify with the Samogitians, rather than the Polish, by preserving his feudal background at the same time. It was feudal roots that determined the uniqueness of Neveravičius’ identity which is most vividly revealed in his literary work. In his historical novels “Blaškomos liepsnos” (“Flustered Flames”) (1936) and “Erškėčiai” (“Biars”) (1937), Neveravičius introduces a Lithuanian historical narrative alternative to the one prevalent during the interwar period. In the narratives about the history of Samogitia, the most important role is assigned to the Polishspeaking feudal families, whereas in regard of ethnology, Samogitian peasantry is left in the background. By presenting the culture of Samogitian feudal lords and emphasising the good they did to the region, Neveravičius also proposes an alternative, i.e. other than ethnolinguistic, understanding of the Samogitian identity based on the loyalty to the native land.

This paper analyses the famous art historian Jurgis Baltrušaitis, educational, scientific and cultural activity period in Lithuania (1933–1939). The aim of the article is to analyse in detail Baltrušaitis’ pedagogical activity at Vytautas Magnus University and to evaluate his contribution to the interwar Lithuanian art research history. Although Baltrušaitis in Lithuania is not a forgotten personality, however, adequate attention to this period of his activity and its evaluation has not been given. This research expanded information about his pedagogical work at Vytautas Magnus University. It was found out that in the period of 1933–1939 his course “General History of Art” was devoted for the students of History department, General history group. He taught on art history from prehistoric period till 16th century and took a very wide geographical area. This famous art researcher discussed each period of art history in a very detailed and comprehensive way. He has never digressed from his scientific interest field. It is assumed that in this case he was passing interests of Lithuanian youth needs, because they have not even hadv the basis of art history. “General History of Art”, written by Baltrušaitis, was prepared on his lectures basis and published in two volumes in 1934 and 1939. This course book is a unique example of formalistic art research principles in Lithuanian interwar period. The book appeared in a context which clearly lacked elementary publications about Western European art history. The book of Ignas Šlapelis “Outlines on Art History”, published in 1930, or three volumes of Kazimieras Jasėnas’ book “General History of Art”, published in period of 1923– 1938, only partially upheld the needs of the persons who were interested in art history. The book of Šlapelis was written in a popular style, without references, citation and other scientific indications. [...]

Lev Platonovich Karsavin (1882–1952) was a Russian Orthodox religion philosopher, professor in University of Lithuania in Kaunas, a historian of culture, specializing in the Middle Ages. The tractate “On Perfection” was written in 1952, in hospital of Gulag camp. It summarized the key metaphysical ideas of Lev Karsavin. The idea of perfection was the cornerstone of all his considerations. The philosopher approaches some special all-embracing expression of ideas. The Orthodox thought of Lev Karsavin was born in an intuitive poetic intermingling of images and logical constructs. The logical constructs, system and images of this tractate should be interpreted in the context of ideas and the destiny of the author aspiring to express perfection. The translation “On Perfection” from Lithuanian to Russian revealed the multilingual concept as it was described significantly later in contemporary theoretical and practical investigations of this phenomenon.

The article presents a comparative analysis of Honoré de Balzac’s novel “Eugénie Grandet” and its translation into Russian by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1844). As it is shown the latter is a transposition of the French original into a discourse and intertextual arsenal of Russian literature of the 1840s. It is full of quotations and allusions to Alexander Pushkin’s works, and this is regarded in the article as a way of intertextual acculturation of the French original. In opposition to Leonid Grossman’s opinion, Dostoevsky’s translation belongs not so much to Nikolai Gogol’s as to Puskhin’ literary tradition.

Comparative analysis of biographies of two passionate personalities Piotr Stolypin and Lev Karsavin testifies that Lithuania of the first part of XX century has been a “genial” place serving as a bridge between the East and the West where it was possible for extraordinary alumni of the Russian Empire who have finished their studies in Western Europe to successfully synthesize the acquired experience. Lithuanian stage of their lives in particular was the most fruitful and productive as it was conditioned by creative latitude and creative process itself, and was directed towards individual freedom or liberation. This comparison proves out a thesis of a philosopher Stasys Šalkauskis about Lithuania as a land of constant intersection of different cultures wherein a new phenomenon was generated.

The aim of this article is to draw the possibilities of space representation in Czesław Miłosz’s “ABC” written in the form of encyclopedic dictionary. We define the concept of “space” more in the discursive, rather than actually philosophical sense: as global environment of human existence, include the world of things, culture and memory. The subject of the study – space of individual memory – expands the boundaries of spatial semiotics. The memory is represented as a system of loci different ontological nature: cities and countries, languages, cultural texts, concepts. The structure of the mental space is described as an associative network of loci, updated in the form of texts. Closing the last page of the “ABC”, one comes to the conclusion that person lives in the space of language, culture, memory which are the true reality. The world exists, as we translate it into the signs and texts.