Stasys Anglickis, Unknown Samogitian Writer: How Did the Initiator of the Samogitian Writers Gathering Live? | You know?

Creativity and fateful decisions

Vytautas Mačernis’s relative, S. Anglickis, divided his work into four periods.

The first is the time of Independent Lithuania since 1920. The second, when he wrote little, was the period of wars and coups since 1939. June 15 The third is the beginning of the reorientation, when he returned to literature, and in the 1960s. the book “Under the Open Sky” was published.

photo from archivesofculture.com/S. The Anglickis poem 11-19-11-1934-01-09

The last period of the writer’s work was already living in Vilnius. S. Angglickis could simultaneously write works of various genres, carry out translations: he translated “Demon” by Mikhail Lermontov (1949), “Travel Images” by Heinrich Heine (1953) and others.

1927 After graduating from the Telšiai Masters Seminary, according to S. Angglickis himself, one of the defining moments of his life took place: he did not have the funds to go to study.

photo from archivesofculture.com/S. Anglickis, who graduated from the Telšiai Masters Seminary in 1927.

1932 Graduated in German studies from the Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, wrote a diploma thesis “The role of Mephistopheles in Faust and Goethes Fauste”. During his studies, S.Anglickis participated in the Sruoga Drama Seminar in Bali, with the help of Vincas Krėvė, he published his drama “Palace without Foundation”.

Another crucial moment for S. Angglickis is 1944. autumn, because at the Kretinga train station he did not get on the train, he did not go to the West. Although many acquaintances and relatives left with him, anticipating imminent dangers, deportation, arrest, S. Engglis deliberately remained in his homeland.

1932-1940 S. Anglickis taught at the Šiauliai Boys’ Gymnasium, led a group of student writers, which was attended by writers Antanas Vienuolis, Salomėja Nėris, Ieva Simonaitytė, Petras Cvirka and others.

He published books of poetry in Šiauliai, collaborated in the literary magazine Linija (No. 1, 1932), in which he spoke for the independence and naturalness of his work. S. Angglickis also wrote in “Literature”, “Dienovidis” and elsewhere.

A gathering of Samogitian writers

The first incentive to organize a gathering of Samogitian writers and prepare an anthology for S. Angglickis was Telšiai himself, his landscape.

Initially wishing to publish a book by local writers, the writer laid a more serious literary foundation for his work in 1936. November 14-15 organized a literary evening of Samogitian writers and a conference to discuss the structure of activities and the publication of a anthology.

The night of literature took place in Šiauliai, in the hall of the Mergaičiai gym, the lecture – in the staff room of the children’s gym, where S. Engglis worked. The event was attended by Ieva Simonaitytė, Pranas Genys, Butkų Juzė, Liūnė Janušytė, Petras Gintalas, Statys Santvaras, Fabijonas Neveravičius. S. Anglickis was elected editor of the anthology in preparation.

photo from archivesofculture.com/I. Simonaitytė with P. Babickas, L. Dovydėnas, Pr. Genius, et al. during the literature night in Telšiai [1937 m.]

The Samogitian poetry and prose anthology “Samogitians” appeared in 1938. The book contains texts by Vydūnas, I. Simonaitytė, Mykolas Vaitkus, Sofija Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė, Butkų Juzė and others.

According to Professor Viktorija Daujotytė, “S. Anglickis gave a great boost to Lithuanian regional literature and cultural Samogitianism. […]”. Although the idea of ​​ethnic identity was not new at the time, the “Samogitians” anthology was a mature and necessary book: the danger of Germanization, Samogitians writing in a common language and suppressing the richness of their language; These and other reasons determined the relevance and uniqueness of the “Samogitians” anthology.

The most famous Samogitian poems of S.Anglickis: “Truobalė pri opės”, “Vėnta”, “Pošelė” and others.

Removed from the list of Soviet writers

During the Second World War, during the Soviet occupation, S. Angglickis wrote little. Apparently he did not want or could not create ideological poems, for which he was condemned by active writers.

Curriculum Vitae, in the case of the Union of Writers of the Lithuanian SSR, 1945. June 30 S. Angglickis wrote about the consequences of the Second World War and its situation: “1944 subway. I suffered a lot from the war. A whirlwind of war dismantled my library, destroying expensive manuscripts and literary documents. The bibliographical oddities were taken out or thrown away in the garden, where they were exposed to the rain during the summer. I lost many items and most of the clothing. Now I am quite poor. I can’t go to literature nights because I don’t have anything to wear. “

On the threats of being expelled from among the Soviet writers, 1949. February 28 when answering the questionnaire, the writer himself mentions.

True, citing another reason for a possible exclusion: “You are absolutely right to threaten to remove me from the ranks of Soviet writers for not paying 300 Rb. member and lit. tax on the fund. So how to treat me differently, who hasn’t seemed more effective with anyone for several years? ”.

photo from archivesofculture.com/S. Anglickis in 1945, Kuršėnai-Olesynė

1950 November 30 S. Angglickis was expelled from the Writers’ Union of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, and with the separation of Soviet writers, his publication became even more difficult.

S. Angglickis was interested in whether Soviet and Communist literature could maintain its artistic face. His poem “Karvinis Gružas” was published in parts in a regional newspaper.

Life at the desk

“I put my ninety years on the desk,” Angglickis said once. As early as 1995. At the end of the 19th century, he thought, or perhaps earlier dreamed, that some of the last five books of the Čiupikai novel should be published.

But only two appeared. The writer’s vision weakened over time and writing became more difficult. his latest collection of poetry appeared, Pigeon Blue.

S. Angglickis’ creative trajectory lasted about seventy years, his creative work became about two dozen books. Ričardas Pakalniškis was preparing to write a book on S. Anglickis – he was making extracts from his personal archive, listening to the stories of S. Anglickis – but he died without writing it.

After close contact with the writers Faust Kirša, Petronėle Orintaitė, Viktoras Katilius, Benis Barkauskas and others, he survived many of them.

S. Anglickis himself died in Vilnius, and evenings in his memory are still organized in the Union of Writers, Kuršėnai and others.

___________________________________________________________________

The series of items marked with the Cultural Archive brand is an initiative of the Lithuanian Art and Literature Archive, aimed at disseminating and researching the documentary material stored in the archives.

You can find out more about Lithuanian culture, art, history and heritage from the Lithuanian Art and Literature Archive.

The preparation of the article was supported by the Lithuanian Council of Culture.