Une Babickaite
Encyclopedia
Unė Babickaitė-Graičiūnienė (born Uršulė Babickaitė also known as Une Bay; April 19, 1897 near Kupiškis
– August 1, 1961 in Kaunas
) was a Lithuania
n actress and theater director. She was a wife of business theorist Vytautas Andrius Graičiūnas
.
During World War I
, Babickaitė and her family retreated to Saint Petersburg
. There she met Balys Sruoga
, who encouraged her to begin theater studies at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory
in 1916. Balys named her Unė. After return to Lithuania, she organized and theater group Daina and staged several performances. However, a woman director stirred up controversy in a conservative society and the plays were attacked by critics. In 1919, Babickaitė moved to the United States
, where she simplified her name to Unė Baye. There she took parts in theaters in New York, Washington DC, Chicago, and played in three silent film
s. In 1928, when her husband moved to Europe for business, Babickaitė appeared in London and Paris theaters. Her husband Graičiūnas financed her artistic endeavors. In France she met with Konstantin Balmont
, who dedicated at least four of his poems to her. In 1936, she returned to Lithuania and directed plays in Šiauliai
.
After World War II
, the Lithuanian SSR
became part of the Soviet Union
. Her husband, an American citizen, was arrested in 1951 and sentenced to 10 years in GULAG
. He died the following year under unclear circumstances. Babickaitė was also sentenced to 5 years. In 1953, during de-Stalinization
after Stalin's death, she received amnesty and was allowed to return to Lithuania. She died in 1961 in Kaunas
.
Babickaitė left an extensive collection of documents, correspondence, photos, which are preserved by the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
. Two volumes of documents were published in 2001 and 2005. Various theater exhibits, collected by her, are displayed by the Lithuanian Theatre, Music and Film Museum, established by Balys Sruoga
and Vincas Krėvė-Mickevičius
in 1926. The family home in Laukminiškės village, where Babickaitė and her brother writer Petras Babickas were born, was turned into an ethnographic and memorial museum in 2002.
Kupiškis
Kupiškis is a city in north-eastern Lithuania. It is the capital of the Kupiškis district municipality. Kupiškis is situated on the Lėvuo and Kupa rivers. The name of the city originates from Kupa River. Gediminas bridge crosses river Kupa.-History:...
– August 1, 1961 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 actress and theater director. She was a wife of business theorist Vytautas Andrius Graičiūnas
Vytautas Andrius Graiciunas
Vytautas Andrius Graičiūnas was a Lithuanian management theorist, management consultant, and engineer. Born to Lithuanian immigrants, he studied at the University of Chicago. During the World War I served in France...
.
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...
, Babickaitė and her family retreated to Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. There she met Balys Sruoga
Balys Sruoga
Balys Sruoga was a Lithuanian poet, playwright, critic, and literary theorist.He contributed to cultural journals from his early youth...
, who encouraged her to begin theater studies at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory
Saint Petersburg Conservatory
The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory is a music school in Saint Petersburg. In 2004, the conservatory had around 275 faculty members and 1,400 students.-History:...
in 1916. Balys named her Unė. After return to Lithuania, she organized and theater group Daina and staged several performances. However, a woman director stirred up controversy in a conservative society and the plays were attacked by critics. In 1919, Babickaitė moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where she simplified her name to Unė Baye. There she took parts in theaters in New York, Washington DC, Chicago, and played in three silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
s. In 1928, when her husband moved to Europe for business, Babickaitė appeared in London and Paris theaters. Her husband Graičiūnas financed her artistic endeavors. In France she met with Konstantin Balmont
Konstantin Balmont
Konstantin Dmitriyevich Balmont was a Russian symbolist poet, translator, one of the major figures of the Silver Age of Russian Poetry.-Biography:Konstantin Balmont was born in v...
, who dedicated at least four of his poems to her. In 1936, she returned to Lithuania and directed plays in Šiauliai
Šiauliai
Šiauliai , is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 133,900. It is the capital of Šiauliai County. Unofficially, the city is the capital of Northern Lithuania.-Names:...
.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Lithuanian SSR
Lithuanian SSR
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Lithuanian SSR, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union...
became part of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Her husband, an American citizen, was arrested in 1951 and sentenced to 10 years in GULAG
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
. He died the following year under unclear circumstances. Babickaitė was also sentenced to 5 years. In 1953, during de-Stalinization
De-Stalinization
De-Stalinization refers to the process of eliminating the cult of personality, Stalinist political system and the Gulag labour-camp system created by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Stalin was succeeded by a collective leadership after his death in March 1953...
after Stalin's death, she received amnesty and was allowed to return to Lithuania. She died in 1961 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...
.
Babickaitė left an extensive collection of documents, correspondence, photos, which are preserved by the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania is a national cultural institution which collects, organizes and preserves Lithuania’s written cultural heritage content, develops the collection of Lithuanian and foreign documents relevant to research, educational and cultural needs of Lithuania,...
. Two volumes of documents were published in 2001 and 2005. Various theater exhibits, collected by her, are displayed by the Lithuanian Theatre, Music and Film Museum, established by Balys Sruoga
Balys Sruoga
Balys Sruoga was a Lithuanian poet, playwright, critic, and literary theorist.He contributed to cultural journals from his early youth...
and Vincas Krėvė-Mickevičius
Vincas Kreve-Mickevicius
Vincas Mickevičius , better known by his pen name Vincas Krėvė-Mickevičius, was a Lithuanian writer, poet, novelist, playwright and philologist...
in 1926. The family home in Laukminiškės village, where Babickaitė and her brother writer Petras Babickas were born, was turned into an ethnographic and memorial museum in 2002.