RUSSIANS IN LITHUANIA - FACTS FIGURES ACTIVITIES
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NATIONAL
COMMUNITIES
IN LITHUANIA
FACTS
FIGURES
ACTIVITIES
RUSSIANS
IN LITHUANIA
DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL MINORITIES UNDER THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA Raugyklos str. 25-102, LT-01140 Vilnius Tel. (+370) 219 48 04 E-mail: info@tmde.lt www.tmde.lt www.facebook.com/TMdepartamentas Printed by UAB „Baltijos kopija“ Kareivių str. 13 B, LT-09109 Vilnius Edition 200 copies © Department of National Minorities under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, 2019 © UAB „Baltijos kopija“, 2019
DEMOGRAPHY
Russians are the second largest national community in Lithuania. According
to the 2011 Population and Housing Census, Russians numbered 176 913
people, comprising 5,8% of the Lithuanian population.
Russians are mostly concentrated in Vilnius, Klaipėda, Kaunas, Visaginas.
A fairly large number of Russians also live in the districts of Rokiškis,
Zarasai, Ignalina, Jonava, Švenčionys, which have traditional Old Believer
communities.
Russian population by municipality, 2011
% Russians Population, total
Total in Lithuania 5,8 176 913 3 043 429
Alytus County 1,3 1 973 157 766
Alytus City Municipality 1,2 725 59 964
Alytus District Municipality 0,6 157 28 167
Druskininkai Municipality 2,7 594 21 803
Lazdijai District Municipality 0,8 190 22 455
Varėna District Municipality 1,2 307 25 377
Kaunas County 3,3 19 784 608 332
Birštonas Municipality 0,7 33 4 626
Jonava District Municipality 8,2 3 827 46 519
Kaišiadorys District Municipality 2,6 876 33 786
Kaunas City Municipality 3,8 11 913 315 993
Kaunas District Municipality 1,8 1 564 85 998
Kėdainiai District Municipality 2,2 1 171 54 057
Prienai District Municipality 0,7 217 29 859
Raseiniai District Municipality 0,5 183 37 494
Klaipėda County 10,4 35 265 339 062
Klaipėda City Municipality 19,6 31 872 162 360
Klaipėda District Municipality 3,1 1 586 51 308
Kretinga District Municipality 0,8 311 41 345
Neringa Municipality 4,4 114 2 570
Palanga City Municipality 2,8 433 15 732
Skuodas District Municipality 0,6 130 20 591
Šilutė District Municipality 1,8 819 45 156
3
Marijampolė County 0,7 1 099 161 649
Kalvarija Municipality 0,7 86 12 056
Kazlų Rūda Municipality 0,9 115 13 235
Marijampolė Municipality 0,8 499 61 366
Šakiai District Municipality 0,4 117 32 488
Vilkaviškis District Municipality 0,7 282 42 504
Panevėžys County 2,3 5 660 250 390
Biržai District Municipality 0,8 236 28 171
Kupiškis District Municipality 1,7 344 20 251
Panevėžys City Municipality 2,4 2 434 99 690
Panevėžys District Municipality 1,2 472 39 011
Pasvalys District Municipality 0,6 167 28 378
Rokiškis District Municipality 5,8 2 007 34 889
Šiauliai County 2,7 8 039 301 686
Akmenė District Municipality 2,5 574 23 307
Joniškis District Municipality 1,3 332 26 173
Kelmė District Municipality 1,4 460 32 412
Pakruojis District Municipality 0,6 146 23 745
Radviliškis District Municipality 2,8 1 186 42 389
Šiauliai City Municipality 4,1 4 512 109 328
Šiauliai District Municipality 1,9 829 44 332
Tauragė County 0,7 723 110 059
Jurbarkas District Municipality 0,5 151 30 186
Pagėgiai Municipality 1,6 156 9 500
Šilalė District Municipality 0,3 74 26 520
Tauragė District Municipality 0,8 342 43 853
Telšiai County 1,4 2 184 152 078
Mažeikiai District Municipality 2,3 1 331 58 242
Plungė District Municipality 0,5 195 38 151
Rietavas Municipality 0,4 31 8 691
Telšiai District Municipality 1,3 627 46 994
Utena County 12,4 18 905 152 004
Anykščiai District Municipality 2,4 701 28 668
Ignalina District Municipality 8,3 1 528 18 386
Molėtai District Municipality 2,5 521 20 700
Utena District Municipality 2,3 990 43 275
Visaginas Municipality 51,9 11 724 22 585
Zarasai District Municipality 18,7 3 441 18 390
4
Vilnius County 10,3 83 281 810 403
Elektrėnai Municipality 5,9 1 463 24 975
Šalčininkai District Municipality 5,4 1 858 34 544
Širvintos District Municipality 2,1 365 17 571
Švenčionys District Municipality 13,3 3 702 27 868
Trakai District Municipality 8,3 2 849 34 411
Ukmergė District Municipality 3,5 1 415 40 055
Vilnius City Municipality 11,9 63 991 535 631
Vilnius District Municipality 8,0 7 638 95 348
RUSSIAN POPULATION IN LITHUANIA, 2011
RUSSIAN POPULATION IN LITHUANIA, 2011
Alytus County Kaunas County
1 973 19 784
Vilnius County
83 281
Klaipėda County
35 265
Marijampolė County
1 099
Panevėžys County
5 660
Šiauliai County
8 039
Tauragė County
723
Telšiai County
Utena County
2 184
18 905
MUNICIPALITIES WITH THE LARGEST RUSSIAN POPULATION
Visaginas Klaipėda Zarasai Švenčionys Vilnius Ignalina Trakai Jonava Vilnius Kaunas
City District District City District District District District City
5
EDUCATION
In the academic year 1798–1799 the teaching of Russian was introduced to
the curriculum of Vilnius Principal School, as Vilnius University was called
back then. In 1803, the Department of Russian Language and Literature was
established at Vilnius University.
In 1940, the Department of the Russian Language (later – Department
of Russian Philology and Intercultural Communication) was opened at
Vilnius Pedagogical University (later – Lithuanian University of Educational
Sciences). The lecturers of the department did not only provide training to
the teachers of Russian language and literature but also taught Russian to
the students of all faculties and study programmes. After Vilnius Pedagogical
University was renamed into Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences,
the department went on functioning. In 2018, Lithuanian University of
Educational Sciences became an integral part of Vytautas Magnus University.
At present, the study programme of Russian Philology is offered by Vilnius
University.
The education of national minorities in their mother tongue creates condi-
tions for Lithuanian Russians to preserve and nurture their identity.
Photo from the Archive of Vilnius Sofia Kovalenskaya Gymnasium
6
During the school year 2018–2019 there were 48 institutions of general
education in the country with Russian as the language of instruction (4
primary schools, 16 Basic (lower secondary) schools, 6 progymnasiums
and 22 gymnasiums), of which Institution there were 26 schools with Russian as the
language of Basic instruction, 10sgeneral of
schools with Lithuanian and Russian as the
Stulpelis1 languages ofschools
instruction, 7 total
schools where classes were held in Russian and
secondary Progymna Gymnasiu education,
Primary schools siums ms
Kaunas City
Klaipėda CityPolish languages, 1 2 and 4 5 schools
1
3 10 with Lithuanian, Russian and Polish as the
1
Šiauliai Citylanguages of instruction. 113 952 pupils in these schools took classes in
Šalčininkai District 1 1 2
1
Russian.
Švenčionys District
Trakai District
1
1
1
1
Vilnius City 3 13 9 25
Vilnius District 4 4
Visaginas City
Total SCHOOLS
16 46 WITH RUSSIAN AS THE LANGUAGE OF
2 1
22
3
48
INSTRUCTION BY MUNICIPALITY (SCHOOL YEAR 2018–2019)
50 48
45
40
35
30
25
25 22
20
16
15 13
10
9
10
6
4 4 4 4
5 3 3 3
2 2 2
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0
Kaunas City Klaipėda City Šalčininkai Šiauliai City Švenčionys Trakai District Vilnius City Vilnius District Visaginas City Total
District District
Primary schools Basic secondary schools Progymnasiums Gymnasiums Institutions of general education, total
SCHOOLS WITH RUSSIAN AS THE LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION
5; 10 %
7; 15 %
26; 54 %
10; 21 %
Russian Lithuanian and Russian Russian and Polish Lithuanian, Russian and Polish
7
8
TOTAL NUMBER OF SCHOOLS OF GENERAL EDUCATION AND THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS
WITH RUSSIAN AS THE LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION IN LITHUANIA, 1990–2019
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUPILS IN THE SCHOOLS OF GENERAL EDUCATION AND THE NUMBER
OF RUSSIAN-SPEAKING PUPILS IN LITHUANIA, 1990–2019
9
STATE SCHOOL-LEAVING (MATURA) EXAMINATION IN LITHUANIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE During the examination in Lithuanian language and literature all pupils must complete the same assignments, but lower literacy and style re- quirements apply to the pupils from the schools providing education in the language of national minorities. The above difference in evaluation only applies during the transitional pe- riod 2013–2020. In 2016, the evaluation criteria for the pupils from national minority schools became more stringent considering: zz longer duration of learning Lithuanian language; zz results of the state school-leaving (matura) examination. To pass the examination, pupils could make not more than: In schools with Lithuanian as In schools with a minority language as the language of instruction the language of instruction 6 grammar and lexis mistakes 14 grammar and lexis mistakes 16 spelling mistakes 27 spelling mistakes 14 punctuation mistakes 14 punctuation mistakes 21 expression and style mistakes 29 expression, style and logic mistakes In 2018, to pass the examination, pupils had to get 30% of points in as- signments. The examination was taken by 18 339 pupils (18 525 in 2017), of whom 1 892 pupils were enrolled in the schools with a minority language as the language of instruction (966 in 2017). The examination was passed by 91.25% of all the pupils (88.94% in 2017), of whom: 10
zz 91.61% of the school-leavers were from the schools with Lithuanian as
the language of instruction (89.50% in 2017);
zz 78.50% of the school-leavers were from the schools providing training
in minority languages (80.74% in 2017; 87.87% in 2016).
Out of all the school-leavers from the schools providing training in minori-
ty languages, who took the examination, 0.84% received the evaluation of
100 points (0.43% in 2017).
RESULTS OF THE STATE SCHOOL-LEAVING (MATURA) EXAMINATION
IN LITHUANIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE IN GYMNASIUMS WITH
RUSSIAN AS THE LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION, 2018
Number of Re- Re- Re-
school-leav- ceived ceived ceived
Failed
ers taking the 16–35 36–85 86–100
examination points points points
IN GYMNASIUMS WITH RUSSIAN AS THE LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION
Kaunas Alexander Pushkin 27 7 14 6 0
Gymnasium
Klaipėda Aitvaras Gymnasium 48 17 21 8 2
Klaipėda Žaliakalnis Gymnasium 39 10 22 6 1
Šalčininkai Santarvė Gymnasium 1 0 1 0 0
Vilnius District Valčiūnai Gymnasium 3 2 0 1 0
Vilnius Juventa Gymnasium 47 13 18 16 0
Vilnius Santara Gymnasium 64 15 25 20 4
Vilnius Sofia Kovalevskaya Gymnasium 66 21 33 12 0
Vilnius Vasily Kachalov Gymnasium 76 11 32 29 4
Vilnius Žara Gymnasium 14 1 5 8 0
Visaginas Atgimimas Gymnasium 20 9 9 2 0
IN GYMNASIUMS WITH LITHUANIAN AND RUSSIAN AS THE LANGUAGES OF
INSTRUCTION
Klaipėda Adult Gymnasium 7 1 5 0 1
Visaginas Verdenė Gymnasium 23 0 5 17 1
11IN GYMNASIUMS WITH POLISH AND RUSSIAN AS THE LANGUAGES OF INSTRUCTION
Ferdynand Ruszczyc Gymnasium, 23 14 7 1 0
Rudamina, Vilnius District
Konstanty Parczewski Gymnasium, 21 2 11 7 1
Nemenčinė, Vilnius District
Marina Mizhigurskaya Private 5 1 4 0 0
Gymnasium
Michał Baliński Gymnasium, Jašiūnai, 11 4 7 0 0
Šalčininkai District
St. Raphael Kalinowski Gymnasium, 26 6 10 10 0
Nemėžis, Vilnius District
Stanislovas Rapolionis Gymnasium, 13 5 5 3 0
Eišiškės, Šalčininkai District
Trakai Gymnasium 12 7 3 2 0
Vilnius Adult Education Centre 12 6 4 2 0
Vilnius Joachim Lelewel Engineering 11 1 9 1 0
Gymnasium
Žeimena Gymnasium, Pabradė, 12 3 8 1 0
Švenčionys District
Data of the National Examination Centre, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania, 2018.
NON-FORMAL EDUCATION
Picture taken by Džoja Gunda Barysaitė
12In order to teach the native Russian language and to get to know the na-
tional culture, traditions and history, four Saturday and Sunday schools
function in Alytus, Kėdainiai and Vilnius.
Russian Sunday School has been operating in Vilnius under the auspices
of the Lithuanian Russian Culture Fund since 2000. The school is headed
by Tatjana Michniova. From 16 to 20 pupils under 16 years old are enrolled
to school every year. Children get an opportunity to learn Russian and to
attend the classes of Russian art. During the classes learners get to know
the history of Lithuania and the historical development of the Russian
cultural heritage. The school cooperates with Vilnius University, Vilnius
Ateities School, Alytus Russian Saturday School, Eišiškės Stanislovas
Rapolionis Gymnasium.
Alytus Russian Saturday School is a branch of Alytus Russian Culture
Association Malachit. The school was founded in 2002. Since its
establishment the school has been led by Nadiežda Krakovskaja. About
20 children attend the school every year. Children do not only learn
Russian and culture but also participate in sightseeing tours, festivals
of Lithuanian national minorities. The school cooperates with Kaunas
German Community, Kaunas Armenian Community, Alexander Pushkin
Literary Museum, Kaliningrad Orthodox Gymnasium.
Russian Sunday School at Alytus Non-formal Education Centre To-
lerancija was founded in 2016. It is headed by Nina Šutova. The school
offers lessons on Russian and culture for beginners and advanced
learners. The school’s activities and children’s non-formal education are
funded from the sources of the so called ‘basket’ of non-formal children’s
education. Nineteen pupils between the ages of 8 and 13 are enrolled in
the school. The school cooperates with the schools of the city and district
of Alytus, Kaunas Slavic Aesthetic Education Centre. The school’s learners
participate in the festivals of Sunday schools of Lithuanian national
minorities, sightseeing tours, Alytus City festivals every year.
Kėdainiai Saturday (Sunday) School was opened in 2005 and functions
as a structural unit of the nursery-kindergarten Aviliukas. The purpose
of the school is to maintain the ethno-linguistic viability of the national
minority, to satisfy the specific educational, ethnic-cultural expression and
socialisation needs of national minority children, youth and adults. Children
and adults learn their mother tongue, their nation’s history, religion, and
ethnic culture. Since 1 September 2015, the Saturday (Sunday) Russian
school has been headed by teacher Vilija Maksimec.
13CULTURE
Alexander Pushkin Literary Museum in Markučiai Manor. Photo from the Museum Archive.
Lithuania was home to quite a number of prominent Russian figures of cul-
ture, science and politics. In 1884, Grigory Pushkin, the son of poet Alexander
Pushkin, who married the daughter of Russian Transport Minister Melnikov,
moved to Markučiai Manor in 1884. He also brought his father’s items, which
are still stored at the museum. Markučiai Manor currently houses Alexander
Pushkin Literary Museum. The museum ensemble consists of the central res-
idential building of Markučiai Manor built in 1868 (now – the building of Al-
exander Pushkin Literary Museum), the family cemetery of Grigory Pushkin
and his wife Varvara, and St. Varvara’s Chapel built in 1906. The monument
to poet Alexander Pushkin created by sculptor Bronius Vyšniauskas and ar-
chitect Vytautas Nasvytis in 1955 (moved from Sereikiškės park in 1992) is
an important element of the ensemble and a decoration of Markučiai park.
The museum library houses over 1 500 units of publications. Their consid-
erable part is dedicated to Pushkin’s life and works, his family members and
contemporaries; there are also many literary criticism and research works
and publications devoted to promoting the poet’s memory in Lithuania and
abroad. The museum archive stores the documents on Markučiai Manor
and the manor life dating to the times of Varvara and Grigory.
In 1866–1912, the Vilnius Drawing School, which provided training to a
number of famous artists, was led by painter Ivan Trutnev.
According to the data of the Lithuanian census of 1923, the number of
Russians in Lithuania (without Vilnius and Klaipėda region) amounted
to 50 460 people, comprising 2.5% of the country’s population. Russians
14were mainly concentrated in Kaunas City as well as the counties of Zarasai,
Rokiškis, Kaunas, Utena and Ukmergė. In terms of religion, most Russians
belonged to Old Believer (63%) or Orthodox (36%) communities. In the
1930s there were 53 Old Believer churches and 31 Orthodox parishes in
the country. The great majority of Russians (82%) lived in the countryside
and were engaged in agriculture. Kaunas City was home to a small com-
munity of Russian intellectuals represented by teachers, scientists, military
officers, lawyers, doctors, and members of other professions. The intellec-
tuals made a substantial contribution to the development of science and
culture in the country. A group of prominent Russian professors worked at
Vytautas Magnus University: historian and philosopher Lev Karsavin, law-
yer Alexander Yashchenko, financier Nikolai Pokrovsky, literary historian
Mykolas Banevičius (Podshibiakin), engineer Platonas Jankauskas, etc. The
State Theatre helped to reveal the talent of ballet master Nicolas Zverev,
ballet dancer Vera Nemchinova, scenographer Mstislav Dobuzhinsky,
opera director and singer Teofan Pavlovsky and other artists. The private
Russian Gymnasium of Kaunas Teachers’ Society, which organised the Rus-
sian Culture Day, drama performances, Russian folk music concerts and
other festivals, became the major hub of Russian education and culture
in the country. In 1933–1940, an amateur Russian drama theatre troupe
led by director Vladimir Bastunov, which was located in Kaunas, staged
A moment from the festival Pokrovskije kolokola. Photo from the Archive of the Centre of Folklore and Ethnography of the Lithuanian
National Minorities.
15plays based on Russian classical literature. About 30 Russian public organ- isations (political, economic, cultural-educational, charity, religious, sport) were founded in interwar Lithuania. The stars of the Russian theatre – Vera Komisarzhevskaya and Vasily Kochalov – also have connections with Lithuania. Teofan Pavlovsky served as the chief director of the Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theatre for many years. Outstanding artists of Russian descent also made the history of the Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theatre: singer Elena Chudakova, dancers Viacheslav Nikolaev, Valery Fadeyev, Olga Fedosova, Anatoly Obukhov and a number of other artists. Russian-born Lithuanian jazz musicians Olegas Molokojedovas, Leonidas Šinkarenka and others are well known in the world. In 2016, jazz trio – Vladimiras Tarasovas, Vladimiras Čekasinas and Viačeslavas Ganelinas (the latter is a member of the Jewish community) – received the Lithuanian National Culture and Art Award. Russian romances can be heard in the concerts of Liuba Nazarenko, Society Melos. The band Lemon Joy and its leader Igoris Kofas, Andrius Mamontovas, the band Biplan, other performers of pop music, rock and other genres have a wide audience of their dedicated fans. Traditional festivals and cultural events are already very popular in the country. The international folklore festival Pokrovskije kolokola, the Inter- national Russian Sacred Music Festival, the cycle of events Dialogue of Cul- tures are among such events. The international creative camps-technique development courses Tradition organised by the Centre of Folklore and Ethnography of the Lithuanian National Minorities are held in Lithuania every year. The colourful and polyphonic opening concert was attended by over one hundred participants from the folklore ensembles of children, youth and adults, their leaders and recognised folklore professionals from Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, and elsewhere. The camps offer technique development courses, present the latest techniques of working with folklore ensembles; round-table discussions, seminars, creative lab- oratories, the reviews of unique documentary films from various folklore expeditions, the evenings of folk dances as well as the concerts of folklore ensembles are held. The partners of the summer international creative camps-technique development courses Tradition are the Department of National Minorities under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, Vilnius City Municipality. 16
RUSSIAN DRAMA THEATRE OF
LITHUANIA
Russian Drama Theatre of Lithuania. Photo by Michalas Janušanecas
Pavel Vasiliev, an outstanding actor of Saint Petersburg Imperial Alexan-
drinsky Theatre, founded the first permanent troupe of the Russian The-
atre in Vilnius in December 1864. Back then the theatre belonged to the
Governor General and used to receive a subsidy every year. On 8th January
1864, a document concerning the regulation of the theatre’s activities was
adopted. Prince Shakhovskoy-Strezhnev and Count Ozharovsky became
the theatre’s honorary sponsors. In 1865, the Rules for the Actors of the
Vilnius Theatre were issued. The first season was opened on 6th December
1864 with a joint play based on Nikolai Polevoy’s Tangled Affair and Grand-
father of the Russian Fleet.
At present, the Russian Drama Theatre of Lithuania is engaged in active
creative work. Not only the residents of Vilnius and other Lithuanian cities
but also Russian and Polish audiences can see its plays. The theatre parti-
cipates in the World Theatre Olympics, shows its plays in various festivals in
Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Belarus,
and Israel.
The theatre was situated in Jogailos street in Vilnius for many years (not
even the building is left today). In the mid-1980s the theatre was moved
to J. Basanavičiaus street, where it is located to this day. The building of the
theatre is an architectural monument.
17The theatre has presented over 400 premieres since 1946. The Russian Drama Theatre is currently the only professional theatre in Lithuania stag- ing plays in the Russian language. On 11 January 2019, to promote the cultural life of national communities and to make it more varied as well as to spread the knowledge about na- tional cultures in society, the Department of National Minorities under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and the Russian Drama Theatre of Lithuania concluded a cooperation agreement. FINANCING OF CULTURAL PROJECTS The Department of National Minorities under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania provides funding to traditional and newly organised events of non-governmental organisations by announcing tenders for the funding of cultural projects of national minorities. The associations, charity and support foundations and public establishments registered in the procedure established by the laws of the Republic of Lithuania are eligible to submit their tenders for partial funding. In 2016–2019, the Department of National Minorities under the Govern- ment of the Republic of Lithuania allocated EUR 290 550 for the partial funding of the cultural projects implemented by Russian non-governmen- tal organisations. CULTURAL HERITAGE AND RELIGION Russians moved to Lithuania during different periods and in several stag- es. It is believed that the Orthodox Church of St. Paraskeva was construct- ed in Vilnius on demand of Grand Duke of Lithuania Algirdas’ first wife Ma- ria (a Vitebsk princess). In 1350, Algirdas contracted the second marriage with Uliana of Tver, who was a devoted Christian and promoted Orthodoxy in Lithuania. With her support, the Orthodox church was built in Trakai and 18
the Orthodox Church of
the Holy Trinity was
constructed in Vilnius.
In the reign of Algirdas,
the Church of Transla-
tion of the Holy Relics of
St. Nicholas the Won-
derworker and the Holy
Mother of God was built
in the Lithuanian capi-
tal. The Orthodox faith
was also promoted by
Grand Duchess Elena,
the wife of Lithuanian
Grand Duke Alexander.
The Church of Annunci-
Orthodox Church of St. Paraskeva in Vilnius. Photo of the Department of National Minorities
ation of the Blessed Vir-
gin Mary and, according
to some sources, the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius were built on
her initiative. In the 15th–early 16th centuries some of ethnic Russian lands
and their inhabitants were part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Though
politically dependent on the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Russian lands
preserved their cultural traditions. In the second half of the 16th century
the Grand Duchy of Lithuania saw the influx of noble dukes, religious oppo-
nents to Orthodox believers, free-thinkers and peasants from Russia,
whereas in the 17th–18th centuries, there was a wave of townspeople, crafts-
men and merchants. In the 15th century Russian merchants were frequent
guests in Vilnius where they had the warehouses of their merchandise. Un-
til the 17th century the Russian migration to Lithuania was not massive but
it was continuous.
In the aftermath of the ecclesiastical reform in Russia initiated by Patriarch
Nikon in the middle of the 17th century, the Old Believers started moving
to Lithuania on a mass scale. In the 18th century large and well-organised
communities of the so called Bezpopovtsy and Popovtsy Old Believers
settled in the northwestern and southeastern parts of the Grand Duchy
of Lithuania. After 1772, up to 180 000 Russian Old Believers of various
denominations comprising one of the largest ethnic-confessional
minorities lived in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The nobility-
ruled Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth viewed the Old Believers as free
people, Russian refugees seeking for refuge, religious dissidents. In the
18th century the Old Believer denomination of the Bezpopovtsy developed
19their writings and literature. The culture of the Old Believers already
witnessed a modernist orientation and the emergence of new literary
genres: public sermons, historical narrative, biography, eyewitness notes,
etc. The Old Believer cemetery with a wooden chapel in Degučiai, Zarasai
district, which has functioned since the late 18th century, is a necropolis of
the Old Believers, which serves as the place of eternal rest for priests,
merchants, patrons.
Owing to historical circumstances,
Lithuania was part of the Russian Em-
pire and the USSR for as many as 166
years during the past centuries. The
state policy undertaken by the tsar in
the 19th century led to the new wave
of Russian migration to Lithuania. Af-
ter the uprisings of 1831 and 1863 an
active Russification policy was intro-
duced in Lithuania. The participants
of the uprisings were deported and
replaced with Russian colonists who
were moved to Lithuania. Despite the
bans and persecutions imposed by
the government until 1905, Russian
Old Believers repaired their old and Klaipėda Old Believer Church of the Assumption of
the Holy Mother of God. Photo by Potašenka
built new churches on the present
territory of Lithuania – there were at least 56 of them at the start of the 20th
century. Between 1883 and 1905, the Old Believers built a brick church with
Russian and neoclassical features in Vilnius, which has been the spiritual cen-
tre of the Lithuanian Old Believers ever since.
During the Soviet period many people from various republics of the
Soviet Union, including Russia, arrived in Lithuania. After Lithuania
restored its independence, a small immigration remained. The Russian
national minority has preserved its authentic culture and language, and
actively participates in the country’s cultural, public and political life. The
Russian community seeks to preserve its religious, national and cultural
heritage and to create the new one. Klaipėda Mary the Patroness and St.
Michael Orthodox Church (architect Dmitriy Borunov from Penza, Russia)
was constructed from 2000 to 2005. After 1990, the Old Believers built
several new churches in Zarasai, Utena, Šiauliai. In the period 2012–2016,
the church complex with the Church of the Assumption and St. Michael
(architect Vytenis Mazurkevičius) was constructed in Klaipėda.
20Most Russians are Orthodox and Old Believers. Lithuanian residents
who consider themselves Orthodox account for 125.2 thousand (4.1%),
whereas 23.3 thousand (0.8%) people identify themselves as Old Believ-
ers. After independence was restored, the Government of the Republic
of Lithuania returned the property and churches to the believers. Reli-
gious communities are supported every year. There are about 56 active
Orthodox and 61 Old Believer communities in Lithuania. There are Rus-
sian Orthodox monasteries and convents, religious public organisations
in Vilnius; religious press and literature is published. Orthodox and Old
Believers celebrate Christmas, Palm Sunday, Easter and other religious
holidays according to the Julian calendar. On Easter, Orthodox believers
gather around the table where consecrated food is served in the early
morning, after the resurrection of Christ – eggs, which have to be as red
as possible, as they symbolise the blood of Christ, sweets and paskha, the
main Easter dish. The Easter table is always decorated with the yeast-risen
bread known as kulich, which must be towering and round-shaped.
LITERATURE
Russian literature occupies a special place in the cultural life. Various fables,
tragedies and dramas, poems, novellas and short stories, sketches and
memoirs were created. They all make up a rich library of Russian literature.
Several authors are noteworthy:
Austrian-born Pavel Kukolnik,
Vasily von Rotkirch, a descendant
from a line of German knights,
Saint Petersburg-born Alexander
Navrotsky, Alexander Zhirkevich,
a descendant from the nobles of
the Grand Duchy of Lithuania,
writer and journalist Arkady Buk-
hov, celebrities of the Russian
literary life in interwar Vilnius: Vy-
acheslav Bogdanovich and Doro-
fei Bokhan, poets Vasily Selivanov
and Konstantin Olenin.
Since 2008 the National Society of the International Writers and Publicists
Association led by Lev Mesengiser has been working in Lithuania. The
21society organises creative meetings, forums, festivals for Russian-writing
writers and publicists Baltic Gamayun. The almanac Stupeni (Steps) is one
of the most popular publications of the society. The public establishment
Planeta Vvkure publishes the Russian literary almanac Litera every year.
Derzhavin’s Russian Literary Club is active in Kaunas. The club publishes
Kaunas Literary Almanac in which the authors writing in Russian have an
opportunity to publish their works. The above publications are supported
by the Department of National Minorities under the Government of the
Republic of Lithuania.
MEMORABLE DAYS
6 June is the Russian
Language Day. The
date was chosen in
honour of the great
Russian poet Alexan-
der Pushkin as it coin-
cides with his birthday.
12 June is celebrated
as Russia Day.
Photo by Vladimiras Moraras
LANGUAGE
Russian belongs to the sub-group of East Slavic languages within the In-
do-European language family. It is the most widely spoken Slavic language.
Ukrainian and Belarusian languages are closest to Russian, but other Slavic
languages (Polish, Czech, Bulgarian, Serbian) are also rather similar, because
the Slavic languages were less differentiated over time than, for example,
Germanic languages. The Russian language is most widely used in East-
ern Europe and Asia. According to different estimates, Russian is used by
300–320 million people as the mother tongue or as the second language.
Russian is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
22DISHES
Russian cuisine offers a wide variety of bakery goods: cakes and pastries,
bagels, cookies, flour pancakes, etc. Pancake cakes, dumplings, crepe-like
pancakes are made from unleavened dough. Tea occupies an important
place in Russian national cuisine. In Russia tea-drinking evolved into a
separate culture with its specific vessels, such as samovar. Tea is usually
served with sugar; sometimes it is sweetened with jam. In earlier times
there was a custom to pour tea into a small plate and sip from it.
MEDIA
PRESS INTERNET
Weeklies: • www.ru.delfi.lt
• Litovskij Kurjer • www.nedelia.lt
• Obzor
• www.obzor.lt
Magazines:
• Ekspres Nedelia, • www.kurier.lt
• Pensioner • www.rusradio.lt
Regional weeklies: • http://www.orthodoxy.lt/
• Šalčia • www.starover.lt
• Švenčenskij kraj
• Žeimenos krantai
Visaginas newspaper V každyj dom
23RADIO AND TELEVISION The Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) broadcasts current affairs and news programs in Russian: “Rusų gatvė” (Russian Street), “Dabar pasaulyje” (Now in the World) and the radio information program aired daily. LRT also re-broadcasts the news programs aired by the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. An educational religious program about Orthodox history, traditions and culture “Krikščionio žodis” (Christian’s Word), is broadcasted on LRT Plius every second Saturday, at 10 a.m. Russkoje radijo Baltija, a Russian radio station, which broadcasts news and music, and Raduga, a Russian radio station, which offers popular news and chanson music, are also available in Lithuania. POLITICAL REPRESENTATION During the National Revival the activists of national minority organisations contributed to the activities of the Reform Movement of Lithuania Sąjūdis. Vladimiras Jarmolenka and Eugenijus Petrovas were elected deputies of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania (Reconstituent Seimas). They were also the signatories to the Act of 11 March. Professor Natalija Kasatkina, who is regarded as the pioneer of research on the adaptation of national minorities in Lithuania, deserves a special mention for her active political and public activities. During the National Revival she was an active participant of the Sąjūdis Movement and received the Cross of the Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania. The Russian Public Organisations Coordination Council of Lithuania led by Chairperson of the Lithuanian Russian Culture Fund Tatjana Michniova operates in Lithuania. During the National Revival it organised meetings in order to promote the loyalty of Russian intellectuals in the endeavour to restore the independent state of Lithuania. Lithuanian Russians are also active in the political domain. Two Russian political parties function in Lithuania – Lithuanian Russian Union and Political Party Russian Alliance. 24
Member of Political Party Russian Alliance Irina Rozova serves in the Elec-
toral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance Political
Group of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania during the 2016–2020
term of office.
In the 2019 Elections to Municipal Councils Political Party Russian Alliance
entered into coalition with Electoral Action of Poles entitled Christian Fam-
ilies Alliance. The coalition won 54 mandates in the elections. Romualda
Poševeckaja got a mandate in Vilnius City Municipality, Olegas Bykovas
and Vladimiras Ikonikovas won mandates in Visaginas Municipality, and
Tatjana Markova received a mandate in Vilnius District Municipality. The
members of Public Election Committee Titov and Justice, Viačeslavas Tito-
vas and Jurijus Šeršniovas, got two mandates in Klaipėda City Municipality.
PUBLIC ORGANISATIONS
Active and versatile cultural activities are pursued by 57 public
organisations in Lithuania. They are situated countrywide and engage
in cultural, educational, sports, children and youth-oriented activities
in the attempt to preserve the Russian culture as part of the Lithuanian
culture with professional contemporary forms of urban culture – theatre,
original music, art. The Russian Cultural Centre, one of the earliest Russian
non-governmental organisations in Lithuania operating since 1988, has
already organised a wide variety of cultural and educational events in the
restored state of Lithuania. Mstislav Dobuzhinsky Russian Culture and
Aesthetic Development Centre, which functioned in Kaunas from 1989
to 2018, was well known for its activities. Russian cultural centres can be
found in a number of Lithuanian cities and districts. Their key purpose is to
promote the traditions and customs of the Russian culture and to spread
the knowledge about them in society. The centres provide an opportunity
to communicate in the mother tongue, celebrate religious holidays, hold
parties, and literary evenings. The members of the centres are also active
participants in the events taking place countrywide.
25Alytus Russian Culture Association Lithuanian Russian Nobility Community Association of Russian Romance Lovers
Malachit Chairperson Irina Zavadskaja in Lithuania Melos
Chairperson Nadiežda Krakovskaja Chairperson Valentina Kalinčeva
Alytus Cultural Centre of National Lithuanian Russian Community of Seniors Association
Minorities Culture and Education Svietlica Poiushchie Serdtsa
Chairperson Gintas Babrauskas Chairperson Galina Kuzmina Chairperson Lilija Riumina
Alytus Vocal Studio Association Gluosnelės Lithuanian Russian Culture Fund Slavic Aesthetic Education Centre
Chairperson Liubovė Illarionova Chairperson Tatjana Michniova Chairperson Elena Berežok
Ensemble Igraj, Bajan Lithuanian Russian Meeting Slavic Mercy Foundation
Chairperson Zinaida Boženkina Chairperson Liudmila Riabenko Chairperson Olga Gorškova
Association Alytus Non-formal Society of Teachers of Lithuanian Slavic Traditional Music School
Education Centre Tolerancija Russian Schools Chairperson Irena Zacharova
Director Nina Šutova Chairperson Ela Kanaitė
Association Baltijos lyra Lithuanian Russian Meeting Kaunas Club Šiauliai Russian Cultural Centre
Chairperson Snežana Novikova Nadežda Chairperson Nadežda Bessarab
Chairperson Elena Suodienė
Folklore Association Večiora Lithuanian Russian Meeting Ivuška, National Society of the International
Chairperson Marija Serbriakova Rokiškis branch Writers and Publicists Association
Chairperson Sergejus Melnikovas President Levas Mesengiseris
Association Slavų vainikas Russian Public Organisations Coordination Public Establishment Klaipėda Special
Chairperson Tatjana Dvilevič Council of Lithuania School-Multifunctional Centre Svetliačiok
Executive Secretary Tatjana Michniova Director Marina Korinevskaja
Baltic Russian Creative Resources Lithuanian Children’s Creative Association Public Establishment
Chairperson Pavelas Lavrinecas Mūza Šypsokis
Chairperson Jurijus Antonovas Chairperson Svetlana Šipurova
Derzhavin’s Russian Literary Club Association of Culture and Education of Vilnius City Children and Youth Theatre
Chairperson Galimas Sitdykovas Lithuanian Old Believers Association Žaliasis žibintas
Chairperson Vasilijus Degteriovas Chairperson Zoja Radzivilova
Jonava Slavic Club Lithuanian Slavic Youth Organisation Vilnius Russian Folklore Centre
Chairperson Svetlana Berezneva Chairperson Aleksandras Vybornis Chairperson Nikolajus Zaharovas
Kaunas Russian Cultural Centre Lithuanian Orthodox Educational Society Vilnius Russian Music Society
Mokslas-Šviesa Živoj kolos Rusų klasika
Chairperson Tatjana Vilčinskienė Chairperson Irina Arefjeva Chairperson Tatjana Rinkevičienė
Kaunas Russian Community Marijampolė Club Mozaika Vilnius Russian School Teachers Society
Chairperson Vyacheslav Afonin Chairperson Galina Ovčiarova President Viktorija Šalkovskaja
Kėdainiai Russian Cultural Club Art Gallery Vilnius Children’s Club
Susitikimai Aukštaitijos ežerai Darija
Chairperson Vilija Maksimec Director Galina Udovenko Chairperson Liudmila Nikolskaja
Klaipėda Russian Community Panevėžys City Russian Cultural Centre Visaginas City Russian Community
Lada Chairperson Valentina Vatutina Sadko
Chairperson Svetlana Vasičkina Chairperson Ilja Churakovas
Klaipėda Volunteer Russian Literary Association of Russian-writing Public Organisation
Cultural Association Otečestvo Poets and Writers in Lithuania Ls Logos Muzikos svetainė
Chairperson Tamara Lochankina Chairperson Vladimiras Koltsovas Chairperson Tatjana Filatova
Club Desiderija Radviliškis Russian Cultural Centre Public Organisation Mūsų dialogas
Chairperson Liudmila Chorošilova Chairperson Vera Jasinskaja Chairperson Larisa Dmitrijeva
Club Draugų vakaras Russian Cultural Centre VPublic Organisation Rusų centras
Chairperson Vladimiras Zegulinas Chairperson Natalja Kapočė Chairperson Vladimiras Charitonovas
Klub veteranov truda Družba Russian Poetry and Theatre Lovers Public Establishment
Chairperson Larisa Jesaulenko Community Sąskambis Rusų namai
Chairperson Olegas Zachavenkovas Chairperson Vladimiras Charitonovas
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