million. Biržiškė – educator, publisher, politician, fighter

"In January, the signatory of the law of February 16, who left emigration, wrote to the emigrant in 1947," the day of the year. Independence, March 16, Mykolas Biržiškė. He and his wife, Bronislava and the brothers Vaclovas and Viktoras Biržiškys, will be reimbursed in the old Rasmus cemetery during the state funeral ceremony on Wednesday. This opportunity, according to Hymn's words calling for the strength of our past, is an inspiration to deepen Biržiškis' legacy and message to the present day.

Nation and state

Let's start with the Lithuanians. Probably because of his age, born Biržiškis in 1882, he realized that Lithuania was not a gift, but a question of deliberate self-determination. Having grown up in Polish culture, he deliberately decided to engage both in Lithuanian culture and in the Lithuanian state as a political project. "Research in the present and the present of Lithuania and Lithuania, although still in the current situation, will be able to develop right away if our society is constantly and closely badociated with the new cell or, as we said, to a public company.And such a connection is still in the general work, "said Mr. Biržiška in 1910 by signing the nickname of Analfabetas.His goal was to be a non-cabinet scientist who closed its ivory tower and an active public intellectual who perceives historical research not as surfing on the ancient antique chest, but to shape history by serving the formation of interconnected fabric, human development and the formation of their identity.It is committed not to abstraction, but to specific people who have served their work by cultivating their minds and self-awareness.Biržiškė is an example of intellectual acti f not only publicly, but also politically. It not only deteriorated political responsibility, as demonstrates not only the signatory of the law on independence, but also the activities of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, participation in the Grand Sejm of Vilnius, the Lithuanian conference, for a time Minister of Education. the post. He understood that nationality was not without nationality. In addition, Mr. Biržiškė realized that the creation of the nation and the state is not an end of the process, but continues every day, with particular emphasis on importance of education in this process.

School

Education in the life of Mr. Birziskis played a very important role. In 1915 he became director of the first Lithuanian gymnasium established in Vilnius and later director of the Kaunas Ausros boys' gymnasium. Mr Biržiška understands the importance of humanitarian and humanistic education, because it allows to root in a particular community by taking responsibility for it. "I've written to friends for them to involve, so others who work in better conditions should rely on them." And I'm waiting for these others … <…> These others, and after this day I have to wait. And again, the school affair prompted us and teachers to prepare material for a textbook on the history of Lithuanian literature … ", wrote M Biržiška about his work on textbooks. And they have prepared not only one, but also history, geography, literature and folklore. As you can understand from his own words, he would have happily given this job to someone else, but when he did not do it, he took the responsibility himself.

to help understand the social processes surrounding the creation of the following: "To understand the round-headed person, the society in which he grew up and worked is important for his understanding of the meaning After all, this society, not the other, the domination of the past, gave us such a relationship with us, and not a different poet. "That's the kind of integration that we are talking about in our educational system today, you will not understand literature without knowing history, and the story will be bad if you only talk about political processes without paying attention to literature, music, traditions and customs of the nation.

University

While working in another school of education of the University, Mr. Birziska emphasized the same principles as the one. education should not be distan the most sensitive issues of the state and the nation. In a text written in 1910, he regretted that the students were interested in foreign subjects, not in the history of Lithuania, but in their articles written by the students' badociation. In the same text, speaking about the mission of the lecturers, he emphasizes that it is important not only to demand an irreproachable quality of work, but also to try to infect a young person with a "Scientific disaster" to stay interested in important issues. According to Mr. Biržiškė, the student will at least have enough to bring some important issue to society by syndicating the material by organizing the literature. As you can see from all that he wrote, Mr. Biržiškė has always raised the general business higher than his own staff. Perhaps, rather, it should be argued that a personal matter came only if there was a recipe and a benefit for a common cause. Stasys Šalkauskis, rector of the Vytautas Magnus University, said: "For the fight for Vilnius, he has always fought for the Lithuanian University of Vilnius because it is possible to leave Vilnius from slavery blind to foreign influences without the help of the light of national light, what is the Lithuanian University? The idea of ​​the University of Vilnius has been accompanied by Prof. Biržiškė in all his works and in all his battles. "The words of Biržiškė and S. Šalkauskis reflect Lithuania's desire to have such an education system, starting with the first one. school and graduating from the university, which prepares the elite of the state, and citizens and politically active persons who have a strong commitment to the republic as a common cause [19659012] BFL / Vygintas Skaraitis

Vilnius

The very commitments of Mr. Birziskis are equally revealing in his tireless struggle for Vilnius. As a result, he was both imprisoned and deported by the Polish administration to Kaunas. However, he did not lose hope and justice was more important to him than the temporary geopolitical situation. In 1919, he wrote to independent Lithuania that Lithuanians must remain in Vilnius, "if at least famine or violence comes out of here", "raise their institutions", "get together, work together with other peoples from Vilnius ". to awaken the political and cultural awareness of large crowds by helping them to get to know each other and to feel the unity of Vilnius business with the whole of Lithuania. "

Even an exiled from Vilnius, Mr. Biržiška is actively fighting for the capital – he was one of the founders of the Vilnius trade unions to be the founder and active participant.

Media

Regarding the Vilnius problem, Mr. Biržiška played an active role in the media, publishing newspapers not only in Lithuanian, but also in Polish, Russian. considered Vilnius an inseparable part of Lithuania, but by its very nature a multicultural city, whose diversity should be protected and encouraged by building common bonds based on values ​​based on shared values ​​between different national communities.

" Glos Litwy "," Echo Litwy "," Adam, Ewa, Josef "," Vilnius "," Vilnietis "," Vilenskiy Kurjer "are just a few of the titles of his edited newspapers, so why are there so many? because of the fact that the polo administration She was rushed to close her adverse publications to her, and Mr Biržiškė did not give up – an enviable perseverance.

Analfabetas, M. Baltasis, Mikas-Krttikas, D. Pusgudis, B. Šėšys, Šešelis, S. Tėvelis, Vilnius Kelmas – these are just some of the pseudonyms of Mr. Biržiškė, which he has included in the publication of his texts.

I think it's worth sharing a story that perfectly illustrates Biržiškė's personality and moral principles. As A. Miron told in the magazine Aid, during the agrarian reform of 1920, all the volunteer state creators and signatories of the law were rewarded with land. On the part of the signatories, Steponas Kairys generally refused to give these lands, while Mr Biržiškė took the gift only to sell it and, after adding his own money, to his father's father, built in his hometown of Viekšniai . Antanas Birziskis Ambulatory Memorial.

The following Help Magazine texts were used to compile the article:

Andrius Mironas "Anniversary of Double Mykolas Biržiškė"

Vincas Maciūnas "Mykolas Biržiškė"