Šviesa
Encyclopedia
Šviesa or Szviesa was a short-lived Lithuanian-language
newspaper printed during the Lithuanian press ban
in Tilsit (now Sovietsk
) in German East Prussia
and smuggled to Lithuania by the knygnešiai
. The monthly newspaper was published from August 1887 to August 1888 and from January to August 1890. 50- to 32-page newspaper had circulation of about 1,000. A special 72-page supplement was published in 1888. Influence of Šviesa was not very significant as it did not last and did not offer new ideas.
After the first national Lithuanian newspaper Aušra
ceased its publication due to financial difficulties, Lithuanian students in Moscow
and young priests, disappointed by secular Aušra, organized publication of Šviesa. They sought to take leadership of the Lithuanian National Revival
and propagate Catholic ideals. Edited by priest Antanas Vytartas and Jonas Kriaučiūnas, Šviesa was geared towards a common villager and included many practical articles about farming, husbandry, forestry. Other articles explained Christianity, promoted education, developed nationalistic ideas. Šviesa did not protest Russification
or other policies of the Russian Empire
. It also had conflicting views of Polish culture: sometimes it would criticize Polonized Lithuanians and argue for distinctively Lithuanian culture, but in other cases common Catholic faith would take precedence against Russian Orthodoxy
.
Contributors included Antanas Baranauskas
, Jonas Jablonskis
, Petras Leonas, Pranas Mašiotas, Maironis
.
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 printed 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...
in Tilsit (now Sovietsk
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:...
) 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 to 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 monthly newspaper was published from August 1887 to August 1888 and from January to August 1890. 50- to 32-page newspaper had circulation of about 1,000. A special 72-page supplement was published in 1888. Influence of Šviesa was not very significant as it did not last and did not offer new ideas.
After the first national Lithuanian newspaper Aušra
Aušra
Aušra or Auszra was the first national Lithuanian newspaper. The first issue was published in 1883, in Ragnit, East Prussia, Germany East Prussia's ethnolinguistic part - Lithuania Minor. Later it was published monthly in Tilsit...
ceased its publication due to financial difficulties, Lithuanian students in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and young priests, disappointed by secular Aušra, organized publication of Šviesa. They sought to take leadership 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...
and propagate Catholic ideals. Edited by priest Antanas Vytartas and Jonas Kriaučiūnas, Šviesa was geared towards a common villager and included many practical articles about farming, husbandry, forestry. Other articles explained Christianity, promoted education, developed nationalistic ideas. Šviesa did not protest Russification
Russification
Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attributes by non-Russian communities...
or other policies of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. It also had conflicting views of Polish culture: sometimes it would criticize Polonized Lithuanians and argue for distinctively Lithuanian culture, but in other cases common Catholic faith would take precedence against Russian Orthodoxy
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
.
Contributors included Antanas Baranauskas
Antanas Baranauskas
Antanas Baranauskas was a Lithuanian poet, mathematician and a catholic bishop of Polish town Sejny. Baranauskas is best known as the author of the Lithuanian language poem Anykščių šilelis. He used various pseudonyms, including A.B., Bangputys, Jurksztas Smalaūsis, Jurkštas Smalaūsis, and Baronas...
, Jonas Jablonskis
Jonas Jablonskis
Jonas Jablonskis was a distinguished Lithuanian linguist and one of the founders of the standard Lithuanian language...
, Petras Leonas, Pranas Mašiotas, Maironis
Maironis
Maironis is one of the most famous Lithuanian romantic poets. He was born in Pasandravys, Raseiniai district municipality, Lithuania. Maironis graduated from Kaunas high school and went on to study Literature at Kiev University. However, in 1884, after one year of studies at the university, he...
.