Vilnius Research Articles

Dogma, art and politics: Roman aspects of St. Casimir's chapel in Vilnius

Dogma, art and politics: Roman aspects of St. Casimir's chapel in Vilnius

The seminar on prophylaxis of parasitoses (held on 25 October 1995, Vilnius)

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size 1995 m. Valstybiniame visuomenės sveikatos centre įvyko seminaras Lietuvos gyventojų parazitozių epidemiologijos ir profilaktikos klausimais. Seminare dalyvavo 66 specialistai iš visos Lietuvos, iš kurių −45 gydytojai parazitologai ar gydytojai epidemiologai. Seminare buvo perskaitytas pranešimas apie Laimo ligos epidemiologinę situaciją Lietuvoje, rekomenduotos profilaktinės priemonės apsisaugojimui nuo erkių. Didelį susidomėjimą klausytojų tarpe sulaukė pranešimas apie imunologinių parazitologinių tyrimų rezultatų vertinimą. Buvo išanalizuotas įvežtinės maliarijos atvejis Alytuje, bei maliarijos entomologinė ir epidemiologinė situacijos. Seminaro dalyviai supažindinti su esama padėtimi trichineliozės atžvilgiu Vilniaus mieste. Pareikalauta iš gydytojų organizuoti ir vykdyti maliarijos bei trichineliozės profilaktines priemones. Savo mintimis apie AIDS situaciją Lietuvoje bei pasitaikančias oportunistines parazitozes maloniai sutiko pasidalinti AIDS centre dirbantys gydytojai.

‘I cooperated with the KGB ... but i was not an informer’: An interview with archbishop Khrizostom of Vilnius and Lithuania∗

‘I cooperated with the KGB ... but i was not an informer’: An interview with archbishop Khrizostom of Vilnius and Lithuania∗

God's Patriot: Jerzy Matulewicz as Bibhop of Vilna, 1918-25

God's Patriot: Jerzy Matulewicz as Bibhop of Vilna, 1918-25

Perestroika in Lithuanian Historiography: The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

While history on occasion may appear to be politics projected on the past, politics can also reflect history as projected on the present: witness Mikhail Gorbachev's approval on June 1, 1989, of the formation of a special commission to investigate the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact of 1939. The Soviet president's decision surprised many people, but Baltic historians had already been attacking the official image of the pact for more than a year. On June 1, as a matter of fact, the Lithuanian offensive on the topic could be called exactly one year old; it was my good fortune in 1988 to have participated in some of the historical debates on the topic. The history of German-Soviet relations in 1939-1940 is fairly well known. According to a secret protocol attached to the pact of August 23, 1939, the Soviets recognized Lithuania as belonging to the German sphere of influence in Eastern Europe. After Soviet troops had moved into eastern Poland, on September 28 the two powers signed a new agreement, according to which Lithuania passed into the Soviet sphere of influence. Moscow then forced the Lithuanians to sign a mutual assistance pact and to admit Soviet troops within their borders; it softened the blow by giving the Lithuanians the city and region of Vilnius, which Soviet forces had just taken from Poland. In the subsequent winter and spring of 1939-1940 the Soviets carefully refrained from overt intervention in Lithuanian domestic affairs. Late in the evening of June 14, 1940, Soviet Foreign Minister Viacheslav Molotov charged that the Lithuanians had mistreated Soviet soldiers and that the government was plotting provocative actions in conjunction with Latvia and Estonia, its allies in the Baltic Entente. He demanded that the Lithuanians admit more Soviet troops and that they form a new government more friendly to Moscow. Soviet troops poured over the frontier on June 15, and under their watchful eyes the people elected a new legislature, the People's Seimas, which requested incorporation into the Soviet Union. In August 1940 Lithuania became the fourteenth republic of the USSR.

‘I am grateful to Orwell’: On language, literature, and Lithuania

‘I am grateful to Orwell’: On language, literature, and Lithuania

Ghetto in Flames: The Struggle and Destruction of the Jews in Vilna in the Holocaust

Ghetto in Flames: The Struggle and Destruction of the Jews in Vilna in the Holocaust

Anioł Doūhird, Philosopher of Vilna

Anioł Doūhird, Philosopher of Vilna

Akcja Wyborcza Polaków na Litwie w wyborach na Litwie

Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania in elections in Lithuania. How Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania managed to surpass the 5 percent electoral treshold? 
 Political activity of Poles in Lithuania started around the same time as Lithuanian. The Union of Poles in Lithuania was established at the congress on 15‑16 April, 1989, which transformed the Socio‑Cultural Association of Poles in Lithuania, founded a year earlier – in 1988. In the first parliamentary elections in independent Lithuania, Polish minority was not very active. Looking at the public space, the internal situation in the political elite of the Polish minority in Lithuania and the development of Polish‑Lithuanian relationship as well as election results of AWPL in Lithuania have a noticeable direct relationship. The development of Polish‑Lithuanian relations after the collapse of the Soviet Union can be divided into three stages: 1st from 1990 to 1994, 2nd from 1995 to 2005 period, 3rd from about 2007 to the present time. AWPL is a regional party and its political influence is limited over the whole country. Meanwhile, the party has regionally dominant positions in two municipalities (the Vilnius region and Šalčininkai), and even in the two municipalities (Vilnius city, Trakai) is a influential party. Cooperation of AWPL with Russian parties in Lithuania started already during 1995 elections. Without support of Russian voters and other marginal parties, AWPL would probably not have been able to overcome 5 percent barier for parties in proportional system.

On Relationships between Municipal and Non-governmental Organisations in Lithuania

This article analyses the problems of relationships between Lithuanian municipalities and non-governmental organisations in two Lithuanian municipalities. Aiming to disclose the problems of interaction between Vilnius city and Ukmergė district municipalities and non-governmental organizations, the authors have carried out three surveys based on in-depth interviews and "participatory" research. The article not only proves the insufficient level of social capital at the interaction of municipalities and non-governmental organizations, but also presents the measures to improve it by promoting higher level of interaction, enhancing the potential of non-governmental organisations, and reducing the asymmetrical information, which means uneven and unfair distribution of information from the ruling elite disposing information. In many ways asymmetrical information creates disproportional power relations and increases unnecessary transactional costs. Asymmetrical information was a greaterproblem in Ukmergė district than in Vilnius city.http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ppaa.10.1.233

Szkoły Stowarzyszenia Nauczycielstwa Polskiego w Wilnie (1896–1921)

The article presents the history of the Polish Teachers Association (Stowarzyszenie Nauczycielstwa Polskiego – SNP) in Vilnius which was established in 1896 as a secret society under the name of Schoolmistress Circle (Koło Nauczycielek). It presents the association’s evolution, basic objectives of operation and problems faced by the organizers and the teachers against a background of political and social events. The authors of the work present the schools of the Association, their origin, starting from organization of the so-called group lessons (junior high school courses) which laid foundation for the future junior high schools (for boys named after King Sigismund August and Joachim Lelewel and for girsl named after Eliza Orzeszkowa), the curricula, financial issues, problems with premises etc. Education in these schools was mostly provided to students who in the Russian Empire attended junior high, secondary and trade schools. The time frame of this work starts in 1896 (when the Association was established) and ends in 1921 when schools within the Association were partly taken over by the state.The above issues have been presented by the authors mostly on the basis of source materials stored in the National Historical Archive in Vilnius (Materials of the Scientific Society of the City of Vilnius).

Historical traits of school hygiene in Lithuania

Schools in Lithuania appeared as long ago as in 15th century, but issues concerning students’ healthcare were raised only in 17th century. E.g., in the Statute of Kėdainiai School, opened on July 29, 1631, some school hygiene matters were discussed, physical education of students was introduced; from 1651, considering hygiene requirements, examinations were held two times per year: in January and September. Notwithstanding that, until the 19th century students’ healthcare was not officially taken into consideration. Some records have survived witnessing about the low state of sanitation in schools, such as letters-memoirs of Foma Plateris (1499-1582), and in 18th century – school inspection protocols by the Education Commission (1773-1794).
 Great role improving the sanitary supervision of schools and hygienic education of children in Lithuania was played by scientific and practical activity of J. P. Frank, especially his work “On students’ Healthcare and Sanitary Supervision of Schools”. Great furtherance of these works to be practically implemented was personal employment of J. P. Frank at Vilnius University. At his initiative in Vilnius University a course on hygiene and medical police (currently – healthcare organization) was commenced in 1805 with a significant part of curricula dedicated to school hygiene. Thus, we have reasons to consider J. P. Frank the initiator of school hygiene in Lithuania.
 Official government instructions on school sanitary-technical supervision matters appeared only in 1871 (in Vilnius District), and the term “school hygiene” was first used in 1899 in “Kaunas Gubernatorial News.” First school doctors were appointed in Vilnius and Kaunas in 1879-1880. At that time, the “Law on Public Care” was effective in Lithuania according to which in gubernatorial districts councils (commissions) were established, including heads of school directorate and medical inspector. They also considered more important school sanitation questions. In 1887 Czar’s law concerning Lithuanian gubernatorial districts of Kaunas, Vilnius and Grodno city was issued establishing that on the basis of “Medical Statute” every district shall have operating district doctors, and in larger districts – at least paramedics. The appointed persons alongside other issues had to supervise the sanitation conditions of schools. Actually, in fact they very seldom engaged themselves in school hygiene and sanitation management. Such order preserved until the Great October Social Revolution.
 In 1919 the Soviet rule, established in Lithuania, immediately undertook the issues of healthcare. On March 1, 1919, the Healthcare Commissariat including school sanitary unit was founded. In such way healthcare of children was implemented on the governmental level. However, these tasks were not fulfilled because the army of the White Polish occupied Vilnius and Lithuanian bourgeoisie, supported by the interventionists, liquidated the Soviet power in Lithuania.
 The healthcare of bourgeois Lithuania, as well as the bourgeois Poland government in Vilnius, were “managed” according to the Czar’s laws, and paid very little attention to students’ healthcare. In 1940, having restituted the Soviet power in Lithuania, students’ healthcare system was again organized. However, this was not for long: in 1941 it was destroyed by Fascist occupants. Only in 1944, having forced out the occupants, the schools medical – sanitary supervision was restored, which during 15 years fully justified itself.
 The historical review of school sanitary and hygiene development in Lithuania explicitly shows that students’ healthcare and sanitary supervision of schools firstly depends on the political system: under feudalism and capitalism conditions this activity was hardly functioning and was developing at sheer attempts on individual progressive scientists whose voice was not heard by the authorities. It is only the Soviet Power which has the possibility to create the universal students’ healthcare system and organization based on the achievements of medicine and pedagogy sciences.

Group Work in Psychiatric Settings: Its Roots and Branches

The essence of the research is to identify problems and analyse interrelated social policy for disabled in EU and Lithuania. The EU approach to disability does not identify separate categories of people, but is instead based on individual needs. This is a much more socially-inclusive approach than one based on categorisation. It implies a general shift away from disability-specific programmes towards a mainstream approach. The goal is to ensure that people with disabilities enjoy the same human rights as everyone else, by removing barriers and combating all forms of disability-related discrimination. The European Union’s commitment towards its disabled citizens goes hand in hand with an approach to disability based not on the concept of passive assistance but on the idea of integration and active participation in economic and social life. Social welfare, elimination of social exclusion are the main social goals in most of the European and other states. In an individual level, welfare includes a certain level of income and material conditions, as well as the possibilities to take one’s rights and to meet various needs. When a person is economically inactive his/her well-being and social functioning become very problematic. Furthermore, the possibilities to meet one’s needs are very restricted. That causes social exclusion of the particular social groups, including the disabled, lonely, aged etc. In such a situation the system of social security plays an extremely meaningful role. The object of the inquiry being conducted is the receivers of social assistance benefits in Vilnius city, namely the disabled people and their family members. The payment of these benefits is under the responsibility of Vilnius municipality institution The Unit of Social Benefits (Socialinių ismokų skyrius). The guiding question of this inquiry is how much the activities of The Unit of Social Benefits help to meet the needs of the disabled and their family members. The data collected revealed that the most common needs of the social group mentioned above are: financial support; physical and psychical health care; general and special social services; moral support; information about the social assistance etc. To sum up, the activities of The Unit of Social Benefits only partly help to meet the needs of the disabled people and their family members. In order to facilitate the social functioning of the groups excluded, the support system should be more sensitive and integrated.