- SIETYNAS (Constellation), a secret
society for distributing printed matter, active in Suduva (southern
Lithuania) from 1894-1897. Because of the Russian ban on the printing
of Lithuanian works in Latin characters, books and newspapers had to
be printed abroad and smuggled into the country (see Press
Ban). The smuggling was undertaken by individuals and by smaller or
larger groups, especially organized for that purpose. One such group
was organized in 1894 in Meskuciai. The society functioned without a
name and became known as Sietynas only when its activity was
traced by the Russian government. Its founders included doctor Kazys
Grinius, later president of
Lithuania (1926), doctor Jonas Bagdonas, teacher Vincas Palukaitis,
Vincas Slekys (chairman), Jonas Cesna (treasurer). Centered in
Marijampole, the society had eight branches and around a hundred
members, the majority of whom were students or village youths. They
distributed primarily the newspapers Varpas (The Bell) and Ukininkas
(The Farmer), published in Prussia, and Wienibe Lietuwninku
(Lithuanian Unity), published in the United States. These as well as
other books and newspapers were obtained by Jonas Bagdonas who lived
in Naumiestis (now Kudirkos Naumiestis) at the German border, sent by
mail coach to Vilkaviskis, and there picked up by Jurgis Lietuvninkas,
a postal service employee, who with his wife Petronele delivered them
to the society members. Sometimes the printed matter was sent through
the customs office in Virbalis where it was received by a Lithuanian
sympathizer Aleksander Sulkiewicz. There were others who did not
belong to the society but participated in the distribution work; these
included priests, clerics of the Seinai theological seminary, and
students of Veiveriai Teachers' Seminary and Marijampole high school.
- Members of the society carried on their
work successfully for three years. Some of their names were found
during a search of Jurgis Lietuvninkas' home (1897), who had been
discovered receiving suspicious shipments at the Vilkaviskis post
office. Also, the Russians obtained a letter of Andrius Matulaitis,
then serving in the Russian army, in which he sent greetings to the
group of book distributors active in his village and surrounding area,
referring to it as a constellation. During the trial, this was
the name given to the whole society which was accused of seeking to
separate Lithuania from the Russian empire. Most of the arrests were
carried out by the head of the Marijampole gendarmes, Andrei
Vonsiatsky. The trial lasted two years, with more and more defendants
who had no connection with the society but were known as Lithuanian
activists being added to the same case. Thirty-five people were
sentenced. Most of them were exiled for three years to northern
Russia, some to Siberia. Jurgis Lietuvninkas
and his wife received the heaviest sentence; they were both sent to a
hard labor camp in Siberia for fifteen years.
Literature:
ENCYCLOPEDIA LITUANICA I-VI, 1970-1978, Boston
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