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Lithuanian Collectors Coins Maironis fiercely criticized political and daily situation in In 1928, Lithuania’s President Antanas Smetona Lithuania in his satires such as Kai kam (To Some People): awarded to Maironis the 2nd degree Order of the Duke Gediminas with the Star. You bloodsuckers, scoundrels, a pack of vagrants! The carriers of diplomat luggage! After his return from St. Petersburg in 1909, Maironis Somewhere, someone bought a huge baroque mansion in the corner of the Has changed even his name! Town Square in Kaunas, built in the middle of the 18th Lithuanian Usurers of bribes, who have little scruple! century. For this he used the money earned during his professor’s career in St. Petersburg, also a loan Collectors The poet actively participated in social and cultural from Vilnius Bank, and money of his sister Marcelė life of Lithuania and its provisional capital. He was Mačiulytė who lived with her brother until the end Coins Covers of all the editions (in 1895, 1905, 1913, and 1920) of Pavasario Balsai (Voices of Spring) often invited to all solemn state events, important of his life. Maironis paid back the loan in 1918, and in meetings of the Seimas, and frequently asked 1922, he wrote the will in which he left the mansion Literature) in 1926, continued to read lectures on becomes the King) in 1928. All his dramas were to bless newly built banks, museums, churches, as a gift to the Clergy Seminary in Kaunas, for which Lithuanian history, moral theology, and the history of staged during his lifetime. The trilogy was composed hospitals, and ports. Every time he found the he served as the Rector. TH Lithuanian literature at Kaunas Clergy Seminary and as a tribute to Vytautas the Great, the king whose right word. When consecrating the M. K. Čiurlionis 50 LITAS COIN DEDICATED TO THE 150 the University of Lithuania in the founding of which personality attracted the poet from early childhood. Museum building in 1925, he spoke of shrines of art The poet passed away on 28 June 1932. After four BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF MAIRONIS (JONAS MAČIULIS) he actively participated. Maironis confessed: “Of all my characters, I have in which the soul may find peace, or about his wish years, on the day he died, the Maironis Museum was grown especially fond of Vytautas<…>Our destinies to stop the rattling of guns, wars or vendetta when opened there, which later grew into the national His work in the position of the Seminary’s Rector are somehow interlinked.” consecrating the War Museum in 1921. While in Maironis Museum of the Lithuanian Literature. Silver Ag 925 and as a professor was time consuming; he had 1925, at the foundation pit of the Bank of Lithuania, Quality proof Diameter 38.61 mm less time left for his creative work. Over and over Maironis was an active advocate of Lithuania’s state he said: “Firm principles of honour are needed in The Maironis Memorial Apartment consists of eight Weight 28.28 g again, he planned to give more time to lyrics and and contributed to its restoration. In October 1917, such an institution as a bank in which temptation rooms in which he lived with his sister Marcelė. It still The words on the edge of the coin: theology…. he went as a guest of honour to the Lithuanians’ may overtake the man. <...> nations that have no contains original furniture used by the poet, works GINKIME KALBĄ, ŽEMĘ, JOS BŪDĄ! (KEEP OUR LANGUAGE, LAND, TRADITIONS!) conference in Berne. He spoke there of the need moral principles get sick, moulder, flounder, and of art, chandeliers, clocks, crockery, drapery, etc. Designed by Rytas Jonas Belevičius But the history of the nation and state were in the to start negotiations with Germans as soon as perish.” The speaker also reminded of money being One can also find there a rich archive that offers an Mintage 3,000 first place for him until the end of his life. Lithuania’s possible and proclaim the independence of the nerve in the life of a state, and the need for this opportunity to learn more about Maironis’ biography Issued 2012 history was the major source of inspiration for Lithuania. However, the poet was disappointed in nerve to function properly. and creative work. Maironis. At the very beginning of his poetic career, the Lithuanian authorities after a couple of years. Information is available at the Bank of Lithuania Tel. +370 5 268 0316 in the verse Praeitis (Past), he wished to unravel the Maironis’ works reveal his wishes and dreams Aldona Ruseckaitė Fax +370 5 268 0314 secrets of the past: about independent Lithuania. He was an idealist www.lb.lt and romantic, and thought everyone would be Its image strikes sometimes like a flash of dedicated and work honestly, and that there lightening and hurts the soul, would be no fights, disagreements or self-interests. And sometimes, its magic smell can be felt in On the other hand, despite all difficulties and The coin was minted at the UAB Lithuanian Mint the air… disappointment, Maironis acknowledged that “future www.lithuanian-mint.lt generations would envy us, who lived in the days of Investigations of the past and its images, desire our political awakening.” Lithuanian Collectors Coins “to have at least one of our ancestors raised from © Lietuvos bankas, 2012 Illustrations in the publication were taken the dead“ inspired Maironis to write a number of The poet was especially sensitive about solders and from the holdings of the Maironis Museum of TH historical verses and poems. He wrote the dramatic volunteers who died for the freedom of Lithuania. Lithuanian Literature 50 LITAS COIN DEDICATED TO THE 150 BIRTH ANNIVERSARY trilogy Kęstučio mirtis (The Death of Kestutis) in 1921, He used to say that even after their death they Designer Klaudijus Gelžinis Published by the Bank of Lithuania, OF MAIRONIS (JONAS MAČIULIS) Vytautas pas kryžiuočius (Vytautas in Captivity of could serve an example to others and that they Gedimino pr. 6, LT -01103 Vilnius Crusaders) in 1925, Vytautas – Karalius (Vytautas would be national heroes forever! Maironis Memorial Apartment: the workroom and the main sitting-room decorated by Tadas Daugirdas Printed by the UAB “Lodvila”, Sėlių g. 3A, LT -08125 Vilnius Maironis was born on 21 October (2 November to himself in the third person he wrote in his Maironis spent the best twenty years of his life waves which retreat back and come to shore over Hill). It took very long for him to write the poem according to the new calendar) in a small estate of biography: “After graduating from gymnasium in in St. Petersburg, Russia’s capital of that time. The and over again. During a more peaceful period in Mūsų vargai (Our Hardships) – he started writing it Pasandravys, Raseiniai district. He grew together 1883 <…>, he entered St. Vladimir University in studies at the Theological Academy lasted for four Lithuania’s history, the verses of the classic are as if in 1911, but the poem was published only in 1920. with his three sisters in Bernotai village. His parents Kiev to study at the Faculty of Philology which he years after which he worked as a professor there for at rest, but during difficult and elated mood periods The historical situation in Lithuania kept changing Aleksandras and Ona née Kurmauskaitė were free chose because of his attraction to literature<…>. another fifteen years (since 1894 to 1909) to earn in the state’s life Maironis’ poems forge ahead. His during these years; it was deluged with disasters and peasants. The poet’s father was an enlightened and Unfortunately, at that time there were no professors his degree, to become one of the best professors in poetry could be heard cited during the post-war sufferings which offered new themes to the poet. smart man who talked much with his son about to satisfy his hunger for knowledge in literature in moral theology and a vice rector of the Academy. period – the years of Soviet oppression, when Lithuania’s history, dukes and their greatness. He also this faculty, and he returned to Lithuania in 1884 Only his close friends among Lithuanians knew thin volumes with Maironis’ poems were travelling In 1909, Maironis returned from St. Petersburg knew Motiejus Valančius, the bishop. The father used to enter the Clergy Seminary in Kaunas, for his that a prominent professor of theology and the to Siberia in the pockets of deportees who were forever after being invited to take the rector’s to take his teenage son Jonukas to Kaunas to visit vocation to the priesthood, a sentiment he had felt passionate poet Maironis was the same person learning them by heart, as well as during the mass position at Kaunas Clergy Seminary. Before his the Bishop, or secretly bring him books and prayer- since early years.” whose verses called his countrymen to fight meetings organised by Sąjūdis or at the barricades return, he wrote in a letter to his close friend and books. The boy received Confirmation and the name against the tsar’s oppression. on the 13th of January… priest Adomas Jakštas-Dambrauskas: “It is far easier MAIRONIS Stanislovas from the hands of Bishop Valančius who Thus Maironis dedicated his life to the service of in Petrapilis where my job is simple and where (JONAS MAČIULIS) was a poet, playwright, had a huge impact on the creed of the boy. God rather than to literature. The first period of Pavasario balsai (Voices of Spring), a collection of As Tomas Venclova said, “Maironis belongs to poets I do not need to cast around money; but like a professor of theology, history and literature, his ambitions and achievements as a young man his poems, was issued by Maironis four times – in who never die.
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