In this issue: Views of East Prussia Antanas Gustaitis and his ANBO Planes Opposites Pro-independence P.R. in 1919-22 USAF Lt. Col. and Physician ...
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SUPPLEMENT TO DRAUGAS NEWS MAR/ APR 2018 VOL 6 (S2) In this issue: Views of East Prussia Antanas Gustaitis and his ANBO Planes Opposites Pro-independence P.R. in 1919–22 USAF Lt. Col. and Physician Banionis Babka: The Easter Queen
Lithuanian
Portraits
The late Prof. Kazys Almenas, nuclear physicist, engineer, and essayist,
exploring the ruins of a church in Gross Ottenhagen in East Prussia,
now part of the Kaliningrad Oblast.
Volume 6, Number S2
Mar / Apr 2018
FEATURES
Views of East Prussia by Romanas Borisovas 6
by Kazys Almenas
The paintings cover a period when cataclysmic change swept over East
Prussia, a time when the cultural heritage of an entire historical era
was being mercilessly destroyed.
Antanas Nori Būti Ore – Gustaitis and ANBO 11
by Mindaugas Sereičikas
During his years in the Lithuanian Air Force, Antanas Gustaitis built
and made trial flights in 9 different types of ANBO planes. They became
one of the best-known symbols of nationhood in Lithuania in the years
before the Second World War. page 6
Opposites 15
by Constantine K. Kliorys
I lectured in Lithuania both behind the Iron Curtain and after it was
lifted. Luckily mathematics is the same, 2 + 2 is still 4 for both com-
munists and capitalists. Most other things are different.
P.R. in the Fight for Lithuania’s Independence 18
by Eric Sibul
In order to change this situation, and to influence the American government
to support de jure recognition of Lithuanian independence, Lithuanian
Americans enlisted the assistance two of the foremost pioneers in the
fields of public relations, public opinion, and propaganda, Edward Bernays
and Carl Byoir.
USAF Lt. Col. and Physician, Arūnas Banionis 21
by Henry L. Gaidis
Since Dr. Banionis is not the kind of person who brags about his ex-
ploits, a guy like myself has to do it for him. page 11
Babka: The Easter Queen 25
by Ona Daugirdienė
Velykų boba, or what many of us call babka, is one of the most traditional
cakes baked at this time and without a doubt, the queen of the Easter
table.
Cover Credits:
FRONT COVER: East Prussian ruin (R. Borisovas)
BACK COVER: Baby foxes in spring (V. Knyva)
INSIDE FRONT COVER: K. Almenas in Prussia. (R. Borisovas)
INSIDE BACK COVER: Shrove Tuesday girl monsters. (shutterstock, MNStudio)
page 25
March / April 2018 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE 1
LABAS
Those magnificent men in their flying
W
machines
PUBLISHER
as a British comedy set in 1910, replete with antics surrounding Lithuanian Catholic Press Society
a fictional London to Paris air race. The first part of the 20th Chicago, IL
century was a time when planes were a source of awe and in- EDITOR
spiration, as evidenced by the symbolic power of the transatlantic flights
of Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas in 1933, and of Feliksas Vaitkus
Jonas Daugirdas
two years later. In the January 2015 LH, Henry Gaidis described the ad- ASSOCIATE EDITOR
ventures of World War I flying ace Vytautas Graičiūnas. In the January
2016 issue (“Gliders on the Dunes”), Mindaugas Sereičikas recounted
Ona Daugirdienė
the exploits of Lithuanian Air Force pilots using gliders launched from
sand dunes for training as well as fun. In the present issue, Sereičikas Wondering about your Estate Plan?
writes about a unique individual whose engineering prowess did much
Remember the Draugas Foundation and
to advance Lithuanian Air Force readiness during the interwar years. His assure the future of our Lithuanian-Amer-
name was Antanas Gustaitis, and his ANBO series of plane designs was ican Press. Since 1992, the Foundation has
internationally recognized and renowned. In another story in this issue, served to sustain the Lithuanian language
Gaidis writes about a Lithuanian American U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel, Draugas and now comes to the aid of
Arūnas Banionis, who was inspired by these aviation heroes from an Draugas News and Lithuanian Heritage as
earlier time. well. Over the years, it has supported capi-
tal improvements and invested in printing
The centenary celebration of Lithuania’s declaration of independence hardware and computers. When times
on February 16, 1918 continues, and Eric Sibul tells us how Lithuanian were especially rough, it helped to pay op-
Americans pulled off a remarkable feat – getting the U.S. Congress and erating expenses. The Draugas Foundation
President to officially recognize the three Baltic nations as fully inde- is our lifeline and guarantor of the future
pendent countries in 1922. To achieve that goal, state-of-the-art public of Draugas’s unique set of publications.
relations methods were used, and our grandparents called up two of the For the Draugas Foundation to fulfill its
nation’s premier experts in the field of P.R. (one of whom would earn mission, it needs your support and in-
the title of “The Father of Public Relations”). volvement. A few legacy gifts of moderate
The importance of fighting for one’s freedom and cultural identity size will ensure the health of Draugas
News, Draugas, and Lithuanian Heritage
is brought home by the realization that such struggles are not uniformly
for years to come.
successful. The fate of the Prussian nation comes to mind, as poignantly
recounted by the late Professor Kazys Almenas, and illustrated by the All donations are tax deductible. The
beautiful watercolors of Romanas Borisovas, whose work enhances not Draugas Foundation (http://www.draugo-
only the pages of Almenas’ article, but also the cover of the current fondas.org) is a charitable, 501(c)(3)
organization. You can write the foundation
issue of LH. into your will by specifying: “Draugas
Some of us who are older had the opportunity to visit Lithuania Foundation,” EIN number: 36-3916303.
while it was under Soviet occupation, and can compare what we saw For questions, please call: Marija Remiene,
then with how we experienced the country after independence. Con- President, Draugas Foundation,
stantine Kliorys, Professor of Management at Gannon University, re- tel. 773-585-9500.
members his brief sabbaticals in Lithuania during both periods, and re-
minds us how different things were, using restaurants as an example.
Jonas Daugirdas, Editor
Lithuanian Heritage is published by the Lithuanian Catholic Press Society (DRAUGAS), 4545 W.
63rd Street, Chicago, IL 60629-5532. Lithuanian Heritage is available as a bimonthly (six times
per year) supplement to Draugas News (http://www.draugas.org/news). Please consult our
website or the back page of this magazine for subscription information. Copyright 2018 by the
Lithuanian Catholic Press Society.
2 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE March / April 2018
able manner, allowing our readers
to easily go back and find their fa-
Heritage vorite stories. When people write for
one of our newspapers, their con-
Mailbox tributions will remain accessible. For
example, I’ve been very impressed
with articles I’ve been reading from
the Draugas cultural supplement,
of Draugas News / Lithuanian Her- Mokslas, Menas, ir Literatūra, which
itage magazine. Thank you for mak-
Suggestions for the annual printed
began in 1949, and which continues
I would like to see a calendar of ing it available to those of us of
calendar
to this day as Kultūra.
Lithuanian costumes and the regions Lithuanian heritage who unfortu-
to which they belong. I saw one in nately cannot speak the language.
Lithuania but could not find one for Have taken classes when available,
myself. but they never lasted long enough.
Thank you, Frances Petkus
Mary Ann Lariviere Dayton, Ohio
Waterbury, Connecticut
To Mary Ann: Great idea for
Editor’s responses:
the calendar and we’ll keep it in
Lithuanian Heritage as a Christ-
Dear Draugas: (translated from mind. In the meantime, I found this
mas present
Lithuanian): We’re sending along our on the Web: www.slideshare.net/lpla-
subscription renewals to Lithuanian diene/llkostiumas-6116088.
Heritage, which are Christmas pres- To Marija and Kazimieras: We
ents to our children. Wish you all really appreciate your idea of giving
the best. We all value your efforts subscriptions to Lithuanian Heritage
highly and are grateful for them. to your children for Christmas. Too
Marija and Kazimieras often, Christmas gifts turn out to
Marcinkevicius have little lasting meaning, and we
Chagrin Falls, Ohio at Draugas believe that gifting sub- Hanging apple cheese.
scriptions is an important way of
not only increasing our subscriber
Dear Ona and Jonas: I want to
Like the publications
cheese recipe from the Radvila
Re Rimvydas Laužikas’ apple
base, but also, helping ensure that
tell you how much I and my wife Lithuanian culture and will continue kitchen, as described in the
enjoy receiving and reading Lithuan- to impact our children, relatives, and Sept/Oct 2017 issue: Ona actually
ian Heritage magazine. I appreciate made this, after making a few mod-
friends.
all the work that you two are doing To Jonas: Many thanks for the ifications to the original instructions.
as associate editor and editor. I rec- kind words, and thanks also for your She added hazelnuts (and, in re-
ommend all Lithuanians and those generous gift of $1,000 to help de- sponse to my brilliant suggestion,
interested in Lithuania to subscribe fray the costs of constructing the pistacchios). You can see the results
to the English language Draugas Draugas digital archive. of our (her) effort pictured above.
News and Lithuanian Heritage.
To Fran: No contest that a
Keep up the good work! printed journal is better. However,
John V. Prunskis, M.D. with Draugas, we have been faced
Knight of the Order of Merit with slow and unreliable USPS de- We welcome letters and comments
Hon. Consul of Lithuania livery, and this now is affecting even from our readers. Please address cor-
Dean, Aspen Consular Corps delivery of Draugas News and
respondence to: Lithuanian Heritage,
c/o Draugas News, 4545 W 63rd St.,
Lithuanian Heritage. We’re trying to Chicago, IL 60629; Fax: 773-585-8284.
have the best of both worlds, mak-
Internet is fine, but print is even
email: draugolaikrastis@gmail.com
Include your full name, address, and
I am from the “old school.” I ing our publications available both
better
telephone number or email address.
want a book/newspaper in my in print and online in PDF format, Letters may be edited for space or
hands. I look forward to each issue archiving these PDF files in a search- clarity.
March / April 2018 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE 3
of a bird, but an entire skeleton that was found locked
in the pinesap goo. Team member Ryan McKellar of
the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Canada, sharing
the excitement, says, “It’s the most complete and detailed
view we’ve ever had.” McKellar believes that the bird
hatched on the ground, and then proceeded to move
up into the trees. That would have made it more likely
that it would get trapped, as is the case with the freshly
found specimen.
Liola brothers
and Neniškis win
architecture de-
Lithuanian National Anthem being sung around the world for the sign award.
centenary celebration. (facebook.com/tautiskagiesme) The Journal of
the American Insti-
Celebrating the centenary tute of Architects or- The winning design entry. (www.arches.lt)
A number of interesting facebook pages have been ganized a design
documenting how Lithuanians around the world have competition in San Francisco late last year. The category
been celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the decla- of “Residential Architecture: Custom Home,” was won
ration of independence on February 16, 1918. Among by an architecture studio (arches.lt) from Lithuania
them is a facebook page linked to www.tautiskagiesme.lt, headed by brothers Arūnas and Rolandas Liola, and
begun in 2009, the main purpose of which appears to Edgaras Neniškis. As described by journalist Edward
be to archive Lithuanians singing their national anthem. Keegan, “Local firm Arches designed Valley Villa for a
wooded site just outside Vilnius, Lithuania. The two-
story, 4478-square-feet residence is a collision of ec-
centric geometries, with a U-shaped base that is en-
sconced in the sloped site supporting a V-shaped main
living level above.”
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” composer
His name was Harold Arlen, but he was born Hy-
man Arluck, and Litvak grandparents on both sides of
the family hailed from the Vilnius region. Harold’s father
was a cantor in the local synagogue. While growing up,
he wrote show music for Harlem’s “Cotton Club.” In
1938, he was hired by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer to write
music for the “Wizard of Oz”
movie, and among the songs that
he wrote was “Somewhere Over
100 million year old Cretaceous bird preserved in amber. (R.C. the Rainbow,” for which he and lyri-
McKellar, Royal Saskatchewan Museum)
cist E.Y. (Yip) Harburg won the
Academy Award for Best Music.
Poor birdie! Another favorite from Harold’s
The Canadian archeologists keep finding interesting more than 500 composed songs is Harold Arlen, circa
once-living relics in amber from their diggings in Myan- “That Old Black Magic,” written in 1960. (photo by Carl
mar. In this particular case, it was not only the feathers 1942 with Johnny Mercer. Van Vechten)
4 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE March / April 2018
Vilnius getting into
the blockchain pro-
gramming space
Most people are
not quite sure what
blockchains are,
exactly. As described
by Wikipedia, “A
blockchain is a contin-
uously growing list of
Building housing the new blockchain records, called blocks,
center in Vilnius (madeinvilnius.lt)
which are linked and
“Better late than never” voyagers in front of the castle at Trakai.
secured using cryptography. Each block typically con- (nbc.com)
tains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a
timestamp and transaction data... By design, a blockchain available for watching on the nbc.com website, but be-
is inherently resistant to modification of the data. It is fore granting access, the site does require that you vali-
an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions date a link to your cable TV provider.
between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and
permanent way... Blockchain was invented by Satoshi
Nakamoto in 2008 for use in the cryptocurrency bitcoin,
as its public transaction ledger.” Recently, Antanas
Guoga, a Lithuanian businessman, poker player, politi-
cian, and philanthropist, organized the opening of
“Blockchain Centre Vilnius,” housed in the new Green
Hall 2 technology building. This not for profit center
aims to be a “catalyst for the adoption of blockchain
technology for the benefit of all,” according to the or-
ganization’s website, www.bcgateway.edu. Guoga is a fas-
cinating person in his own right. Born in Lithuania, he Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” anchors comment on
moved to Melbourne, Australia when he was 11 years the Ball brothers séjour in Lithuania.
old, and later returned to found many businesses in (https://youtu.be/3SMAqBSu36w)
Lithuania. His blockchain center in Vilnius may serve
as a springboard to help make Vilnius a leading sector Ball brothers training in Prienai a source of comedy
in this new technology, which can be applied not only jabs
to cryptocurrency, but to banking, and even secure vote LaVar Ball is an American business man and the
counting during elections. Lithuania is positioning itself father of 3 basketball players. The eldest, Lonzo, is a
as “a gateway to Europe for Asian partners looking for guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. Next, his second son
opportunities in blockchain driven technologies,” the LiAngelo was enrolled as a student at UCLA and played
center’s chairman Paulius Kuncinas said in a statement. for their team, but was suspended after he was accused
of shoplifting while on a trip to China. His youngest
“Better late than never” traveling companions visit son, LaMelo, was a high school basketball star. Father
Lithuania LaVar pulled both sons out from their schools and de-
As described on Wikipedia, this American reality cided that they would benefit from basketball training
TV show aired by NBC documents the experiences of in Europe, and for this purpose, he signed them on to
“four ‘seasoned’ North American celebrities, William the Prienų Vytautas basketball team in Prienai, Lithuania.
Shatner, Henry Winkler, George Foreman and Terry Due to father LaVar’s rather eccentric nature and his
Bradshaw, accompanied by younger comedian Jeff Dye, public spat with President Trump after LiAngelo’s
as they travel overseas without luxuries, experiencing shoplifting episode, the experience of the two Ball
new cultures and checking off their bucket lists.” They brothers in Lithuania has become the subject of a lot
finally got around to visiting Lithuania and one of the of amusement and satire. The above youtube link shows
moving aspects of this episode was Star Trek captain how Saturday Night Live’s satirical news show, “Week-
William Shatner’s visit to Vilkaviškis, the hometown of end Update,” views the situation.
his Litvak grandparents. The Lithuanian visit episode is
March / April 2018 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE 5
Borisovas: Views of
East Prussia
by Kazys Almenas
T he watercolors of Romanas Borisovas are beau-
tiful. Works of art do not require any additional
justification. However, I am certain that after
viewing them, many will experience something more.
Let’s call it the breath of passing history, or possibly an
intimation of the vulnerability of the works of man.
The watercolors were painted during the past several
decades; the destructive effect of time and history is
their unifying thread. They cover a period when cata-
clysmic change swept over East Prussia, a time when
the cultural heritage of an entire historical era was being
mercilessly destroyed, and when a totally different his-
torical reality was to be built on its ruins.
The setting for Borisovas’ paintings is a unique cor- Seaside home near the Baltic sea. Watercolor, 2001.
ner of Europe, which for a long time was called East
Prussia. Periodically glaciers advanced over this territory can see the history of this land, stretching back for
from the heights of Scandinavia. The marks left by many millions of years. Layers of gravel created by the
these geological events can be seen clearly on the western debris of melted glaciers are separated by layers of sand,
shore of the Semba peninsula (just to the east of pres- which mark millions of years when oceans covered the
ent-day Kaliningrad or Karaliaučiai), where the rolling land. Down at the bottom, almost at the level where
hills of Semba meet the Baltic Sea. It is not a gentle the waves beat against the precipitous face of the shore-
meeting; there is no beach; the waves hurl their full side hills, there is a dark, tarlike layer, the remains from
force directly against the hills that impede their progress. when the climate here was tropical and enormous conifer
Looking down their remarkably stable sheer faces, one forests covered the region. It is this layer that has left a
unique gift to this land. The sap that oozed from those
trees became fossilized and the sea washed segments
of it onto the beach, giving the region its name – “The
Amber Shore.”
The glaciers of the last ice age melted about 12,000
years ago, a mere blink of the eye on the geological
scale; human settlement followed not long thereafter.
Evidence of the first Neolithic settlers is present from
about 6,000 years ago, and thus antedates the pyramids
of Egypt. Archeological evidence shows that the in-
habitants were Balts. They evolved here through Ne-
olithic times, to the Bronze, and subsequently, to the
Iron Age. They had amber to trade, and did so with
Greece, Rome, and Byzantium. After the Roman Empire
Romanas Borisovas next to his most recent work (left) and portrait collapsed and entire nations moved across the face of
of his daughter Joana (center). Europe, the Prussian Balts did not join the wandering
6 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE March / April 2018
Fragment of a German church at Allenburg, Prussia. Watercolor. 2004.
throngs. Their neighbors, the Goths and the Galinds, spreading of Christianity was just a façade; actually, the
moved; Slavs appeared in their stead. But the Baltic movement of Christian armies to the north was moti-
tribes remained where they had first settled. They cleared vated by the knowledge that here lands could be won
a part of the extensive forests and engaged in agriculture and held.
and fishery, and became artisans and tradesmen. The following two centuries were bloody. In 1233
The glacier-swept land they inherited was not a the Teutonic knights, an order of armed monks with
wilderness anymore; it became desirable and attracted origins in the Holy Land, transferred their base to Torun,
the attention of its neighbors. The Balts built numerous Mazovia (a region in north central Poland, about 100
hill forts to defend their territory. It is at this point that
written history begins. About 1,000 years ago, missionary
Christianity reached the Baltic lands. The first meeting
was not successful. Their neighbors, the Slavs and the
Germanic peoples, had converted to Christianity a cen-
tury or so earlier, but the Baltic tribes, including the
Prussians, could not be persuaded. An additional two
hundred years passed. Enormous changes occurred in
Christian Europe during that time. Under the influence
of the Crusades to the Holy Land, the teachings of
Christ, the Prince of Peace, had become subverted.
Christianity deformed into a war-like religion; the teach-
ings of Christ were now spread by the sword. In fact, Ruins at Kneiphof, a district of Königsberg. Watercolor. 2015.
March / April 2018 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE 7
miles south of Gdansk), and, aided by volunteers from existing society, but a gradual, centuries-long coexistence
Christian Europe, began a war of conquest and con- and eventual blending of two peoples. As a result, a
version against the Prussian tribes. It took half a century unique Prussian ethos developed.
to conquer the Prussians, then another 150 years during Characteristics of the monarchical system and some
which the war was prosecuted less successfully against unique historical accidents led to the ironic development
the Lithuanians. The numerous castles which dot the that in the 16th century, “Prussia,” the name of the
Prussian lands hark back to this time. conquered people, was transferred to the region of
Until the Second World War this prolonged war Brandenburg (surrounding current-day Berlin), and later
dominated the historical consciousness of Prussia. This became synonymous with Germany. This changed the
was due not only to the extraordinary length of this image of “Prussia,” and it was not a change for the bet-
conflict, but also because in the medieval context, it ter. It is well to remember that the inhabitants of the
was a clash of civilizations. The stakes were high – for real Prussia were not responsible for the sins committed
the Baltic peoples, losing meant not just a change of re- in their name during the 20th century by the government
ligion but also servitude and acceptance of Germanic in Berlin.
societal values and language. In the end the Lithuanians Let’s return to the watercolors of Romanas Boriso-
won and maintained much of their territory and most vas. They show the cultural heritage of the original
importantly, their identity, but the Prussians had to ac- Prussians only indirectly. It could not be otherwise.
cept the lot of the conquered. Prussian dwellings and hill fortifications were built of
It took a long time for the conquerors and the con- wood and vanished long ago. However, in choosing lo-
quered to meld into a new society. In conquered Prussia, cations to be fortified, they chose well. The conquering
the Prussian language survived for four hundred years, Teutonic knights recognized this and built their own
into the 17th century. In its northern segments Lithuan- fortifications on the same sites. Usually they did not
ian was spoken well into the 20th century. Books were change the name of conquered territories, or changed
published in these languages, church services held. Baltic them only slightly; thus Balga remained Balga, Ragainė
place-names survived in slightly Germanized versions; was changed to Ragnit, and Šakiai to Schaaken.
the legends, folk-tales, and songs of this region were a There is not much stone to be found in the glacier-
blend of local and German traditions. It is now apparent scraped land, so the builders of forts, churches, and
that the conquest was not a sudden destruction of the castles used mostly bricks. This is evident in the water-
15th century church in Pobethen - Pabėčiai (Romanovo), destroyed during WWII. Watercolor. 2010
8 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE March / April 2018region. They show that no ties exist between the inhab-
itants who worshiped in these churches, some of them
dating back to the 13th century, and the latest conquerors
who replaced them. This time historical continuity was
severed completely.
It is difficult to write about the fate of Prussia after
1945. The changes which took place there are so unique
that it is difficult to find a point of comparison. There
simply are no recognizable analogies. In 2003, after re-
peated visits to the region now called Kaliningrad (Kar-
aliaučiai), I tried to summarize what I saw in an article
titled “Consciousness Determines Reality.” An excerpt
follows:
“It is ‘Kaliningrad’ not ‘Königsberg,’ which falls so
much more gently on our ears. The historical city is
A Christmas tale. Ruins of a church in Medenau, East Prussia.
Watercolor, 2009. gone, now there is just ‘Kaliningrad.’ I had to face this
fact during my first visits here in the beginning of the
colors of Borisovas. In most of the depicted structures, 1990s. Not a trace was to be found of the old Königs-
brick walls dominate. They show that medieval brick berg. When I first visited this sad city, the ruins of the
was not only a strong, but also an amazingly varied, cathedral stood roofless, Lenin glared across the huge,
building material. Borisovas reflects this variation in a concrete-paved ‘Victory’ square, surrounded by
truly masterful fashion. Note especially his paintings of pompous, massive, colonnaded Soviet buildings. On the
structural elements like doorways and arches. The colors flat roofs of seemingly endless five- storied buildings of
of the bricks vary from almost black, through various crumbling concrete, slogans such as ‘Slava Sovietskomu
shades of red, to burnt yellow. That’s how they appear Narodu’ (Glory To the Soviet Nation) were spread out.
in reality. These were not factory-stamped bricks; each The huge letters made of rusting iron matched the des-
was formed individually by hand, dried in the sun and olate gray, peeling facades of the buildings…
baked in wood-fired kilns. Subsequent centuries of sun, “The prime example of this ‘glory’ squatted right
rain, and freezing weather altered their colors further. in the gutted heart of old Königsberg. There, at the lo-
At the hands of a master painter, the subtle color vari- cation where Köningsberg’s landmark castle, the defen-
ation of these bricks is represented beautifully. sive, administrative, and cultural center of Prussia, had
Most of the structures depicted in the watercolors stood for 700 years, rose an uncompleted concrete mon-
are ruins. Ruins of medieval castles do not dismay us. strosity of unique ugliness. Try to imagine a twenty-
Openings in weathered massive walls, which allow a story high structure of bare gray concrete; rows of
view into a stark interior, arches which support no roof, empty, glassless windows, and strange concrete protru-
partially collapsed towers – all of that seems almost sions. It squatted among piles of abandoned structural
natural. Castles have long ago lost their function; their elements, garbage, and weeds, surrounded by a weath-
ruins mark the relentless passage of time. But look ered wooden fence marred by scatological graffiti. Those
again. Many of the ruins documented in these water- who have seen the ‘Building of the Soviets’ know that
colors are the remains of churches! Not only churches my description of it is inadequate. Before giving up its
in the large towns which were bombed during the war, ghost, the Soviet system built a monument to its impo-
but in small villages, like Tarava, Lapynai, Pavandenė, tence…
and Obeliškiai, which survived the war intact. Borisovas “It was still like that five years ago. At that time the
recorded what he saw over several decades, thus the first supermarkets had been built in Lithuania, pizza
presented view is a glimpse not of what is, but what was replacing shashliks, and many facades of the Vilnius
was. In the course of these decades, destruction pro- Old Town were gleaming with new paint. In comparison,
ceeded apace, and some of the depicted church towers Kaliningrad appeared even bleaker than during earlier
are now just piles of rubble. visits. German funds were slowly restoring the cathedral,
That is the painful component of Borisovas’ work; and the cleansed ancient brickwork contrasted with So-
it starkly shows us the changes that engulfed the Prussian viet bleakness. Another change was a huge crater dug
land after 1945. The ruins of churches do not reflect in a ramshackle park behind the statue of Lenin. A
the relentless, gradual action of time; they are evidence weathered billboard proclaimed that a cathedral was to
that a uniquely destructive historical shift engulfed this be built in this place. At that time there was water at its
March / April 2018 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE 9Majestic ruins of the cathedral at Königsberg. Watercolor, 2010.
bottom, trash floated on top of it, and Lenin did not have developed a nostalgia for that which was destroyed.
seem overly concerned. So far, the evidence of capital- Pictures and mementos of old Köningsberg have be-
ism around him consisted of numerous ramshackle come very popular, and some of the remaining struc-
kiosks… tures in old Köningsberg have been restored.
“I noted that things had started to change during The latest historical glacier which engulfed East
my 2003 visit when I reached the bridge across the Prussia in 1945 is melting, leaving enormous destruction
Pregel River. From this position one had a good view and much debris behind. Like a block of hardening am-
of the blocks of concrete buildings which had been ber, the watercolors of Borisovas capture what happened
adorned with the huge rusting “Slava Sovietskomu Nar- to the cultural heritage of East Prussia. Even when the
odu” slogan. The slogan had now vanished! In its place, paintings depict evidence of barbaric destruction, they
in somewhat smaller and considerably more elegant remain beautiful. That is the mark of the artist. However,
Latin, not Cyrillic, letters there was just one word – the artist is free to choose what he will depict. Borisovas
SAMSUNG.” chose to depict the vanishing cultural heritage of Prussia
It is evident that changes are occurring. What will and Königsberg. His accomplishment is not just the re-
follow now? Lenin had cause to be worried. He is gone sult of artistic talent, but also recognition of what is
from Victory (formerly Hansa) square. In place of the truly valuable. The technique is professional; it is the
crater behind his back there now rises a large Orthodox choice of subject matter that makes his work unique.
cathedral with five gold-plated domes. The generation
which was born and grew up in this land does not
harbor the destructive hate which their parents and Adapted with permission from: “Disappearing East Prussia”
(Išeinantys Rytprūsiai). Catalog for an Art Exhibition by Romanas
grandparents brought with them. They are still very un- Borisovas. Kaunas: Kopa, 2006. Watercolors can be purchased
certain with regard to their identity, but many of them directly from the artist: romanas.borisovas@gmail.com.
10 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE March / April 2018Antanas Gustaitis
Builder of Airplanes
by Mindaugas Sereičikas
A s we celebrate the centenary
of Lithuanian Independ-
ence, we look to the past to
find people and symbols to serve as
reminders of the concept of state-
Antanas Gustaitis was born on
March 26, 1898, in the village of
Obelinė, near Marijampolė. On May
28, 1916, at the age of eighteen, he
graduated from high school and be-
School became especially difficult.
Because it lacked its own facilities,
the School at first operated out of
the parental home of its first com-
mandant, Konstantinas Fugalevičius.
hood embodied in the February 16, gan studies in Saint Petersburg, Rus- The school lacked supplies, text-
1918 Declaration of Independence. sia, at the School of Engineering books, and most importantly, in-
One of the individuals who embod- named after Czar Alexander I. structors who were knowledgeable
ied this concept of Lithuanian state- As the battles of the First World in the theoretical disciplines of avi-
hood was fighter pilot and airplane War dragged on for more than three ation and who could teach flying.
builder Antanas Gustaitis. In 1925 years, farmers, factory workers and Military Aviation School students re-
his future wife Bronė came up with students lived in constant anticipa- ceived only fragmentary instruction
the acronym ANBO from the words tion. In 1917 it became clear to An- in warfare and aviation.
‘Antanas Nori Būti Ore’ (Antanas tanas that he, like other students, Flying lessons began when the
wants to be in the air). This acronym would not be able to avoid service school obtained three Albatros B.II
was used on all the planes that Gus- in the Russian imperial army. In 1917 training planes from the Germans,
taitis built and became one of the he enrolled in the Constantine who were retreating from Lithuania.
best-known symbols of nationhood School of Artillery, but the Bolshe- The students at the School of Mili-
in Lithuania in the years before the vik Revolution cut short his military tary Aviation were divided according
Second World War. service. The war and the revolution to their abilities into pilot and scout
caused turmoil to spread over the groups. On July 21, 1919, Antanas
Russian empire. In 1918 Gustaitis was assigned to the first flying-lesson
returned to Lithuania as the revolu- group, headed by senior lieutenant
tion was spreading. Haris Rotteris. By the end of August
By the end of 1918 it became a group consisting of six advanced
evident that military force would be students was created, and Antanas
needed to establish and defend Gustaitis became part of that group.
Lithuanian independence. This led Unfortunately, flying instruction
to the creation of the Lithuanian soon came to an end after instructor
Army, and on March 12, 1919, the Rotteris stole a plane and fled
Lithuanian School of Military Avia- Lithuania. This led to the firing of
tion was created. Its purpose was to the remaining German instructors
train fighter pilots for the Lithuanian for fear that they might be untrust-
Army. Gustaitis enrolled at this worthy.
school on March 15, 1919. From As 1919 drew to a close, Gus-
that day forward his entire life be- taitis’ superiors made the decision
came connected with the Lithuanian to accelerate his studies at the School
Antanas after finishing his studies at the
Air Force. of Military Aviation so that they
School of Military Aviation. Kaunas, 1920. As the Red Army attacked could be concluded by the end of
(Author’s archive) Lithuania, work at the Air Force the year. He graduated on December
March / April 2018 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE 11Gustaitis in front of his first plane, the ANBO-I, Kaunas, 1925. (Lithuanian Aviation Museum archive)
16, 1919, with the degree of lieu- Air Force, to build his first plane, Squadron, whose pilots used
tenant of engineering and was as- which he began to do at the end of ANBO-I to conduct accurate land-
signed to the Lithuanian Air Force. 1924 in factories of the Lithuanian ing exercises. This plane is the only
In 1920, as battles for Lithuan- Air Force with money he himself plane constructed by Gustaitis which
ian independence continued, flying had saved. has survived. It is on display in the
lessons intensified and pilots solidi- Gustaitis constructed airplanes Vytautas Magnus War Museum in
fied their flying skills by making which were very practical and met Kaunas.
flights into battle. In 1920 Gustaitis, the needs of the Lithuanian Air The commanders of the
who had just begun flying on his Force. His first plane was a compact, Lithuanian Air Force took note of
own, made three flights to the front. low-winged sports monoplane. He Gustaitis’ talents, and the Ministry
His fourth flight ended before it himself made a trial flight in this of Defense awarded him a scholar-
could begin: on October 4th the plane, which was made of metal ship. In the fall of 1925 he left to
plane he was piloting crashed on pipes and woodwork, in Kaunas on study at the prestigious Paris Ad-
takeoff because it was overloaded July 14, 1925. The plane was named vanced School of Aeronautics and
with bombs. ANBO-I. The Roman numeral in- Mechanical Construction. He re-
After the battles for independ- dicated that it was the first to be turned three years later after having
ence ended, a more peaceful life be- constructed. Upon completion, the been trained as a professional engi-
gan. New squadrons were formed, plane was turned over to the First neer of aeronautics and mechanical
pilots were trained, and new planes
were purchased. Gustaitis took
courses for pilots and scouts, and
he later completed advanced acro-
batic piloting courses. On August
29, 1922, he was awarded the title
of fighter pilot.
In 1923 the career of Gustaitis
took a leap forward: at age 25 he
was made head of the Training
Squadron. He was entrusted with
organizing advanced piloting classes
and was promoted to the rank of
senior lieutenant. Gustaitis had a tal-
ent for mathematics. He got permis-
sion from lieutenant general Juozas
Kraucevičius, head of the Lithuanian ANBO-III plane in flight over Kaunas. (Lithuanian Aviation Museum archive)
12 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE March / April 2018construction. He soon used the sys-
tematic knowledge of plane con-
struction he had acquired to build a
new plane, the ANBO-II. This was
a two-seater designed to train begin-
ner pilots. The style dominant in
Paris influenced the techniques that
Gustaitis used to construct the
ANBO-II. It was a high-winged
monoplane with wings supported
on props. Gustaitis took a pragmatic
approach to the materials, attach-
ments and motor needed to con-
struct the plane: he took cost, quality,
and use of the various elements of
the plane into account. When he re-
turned from Paris in the summer of Participants in the flight around Europe. Gustaitis is third from the left. Kaunas, 1934.
1927, he oversaw construction of (Lithuanian Aviation Museum Archive)
the plane, and he finally made a trial sponsible for all of the aviation tech- with the prototype of this plane
flight with it on November 10, 1927. nology of the Lithuanian Air Force, from the Kaunas airfield on July 14,
The plane was used to train pilots, and he was entrusted with the care, 1932. In 1932 the command of the
and in 1931 it was donated to the assembly and repair of all of its Lithuanian Army and Air Force an-
Lithuanian Flying Club. planes. nounced an international contest for
While still in Paris, Gustaitis at- Gustaitis returned from Paris the best new scouting plane. Gus-
tained the rank of captain. When he with plans and preliminary drawings taitis won the contest with his
came back from his studies, he was for a few more airplanes. One of ANBO-IV plane. He beat out three
made a major, and also chief of staff them was a plane designed for ad- other planes entered by world-fa-
for the Lithuanian Air Force. A few vanced training of pilots, the mous airplane manufacturers. This
months later he assumed the post ANBO-III. Pilots training in the led to serial manufacture of the
of Head of the Technical Depart- Lithuanian Air Force had to make ANBO-IV plane. There were 15
ment of Lithuania’s Air Force, which between 80 and 130 trial flights with ANBO-IV planes built in Lithuanian
included Air Force manufacturing an instructor before flying on their Air Force plants from 1932 to 1935.
plants. Even though he was still a own. From the beginning of the In the summer of 1934, on the
young engineer, he was made re- 1930s, it was the ANBO-III that was first anniversary of the flight of
used for further pilot training after Darius and Girėnas across the At-
a pilot’s first solo flight. ANBO-III lantic, three ANBO-IV planes led
was the first plane manufactured se- by Gustaitis flew around Europe.
rially. In 1930-1931 nine of these They visited 12 countries and cov-
planes were manufactured in ered 10,000 kilometers by air. The
Lithuanian Air Force plants. ANBO name became known all
After finishing ANBO-III Gus- over Europe and brought interna-
taitis began working on his most fa- tional acclaim not only to Gustaitis,
mous airplane, the ANBO-IV. In but also to the Lithuanian Air Force.
this new plane he combined the After this flight the British engine
characteristics of a scouting plane manufacturer Bristol used the
with those of a bomber. The new ANBO-IV plane in its advertise-
plane was smaller than planes used ments. After the European flight,
for scouting missions at that time. Gustaitis was given the military rank
It was fast, more nimble, and had of colonel and was made head of
Gustatitis In front of an ANBO-IV. Kaunas
the capacity to carry a small number the Lithuanian Air Force. On No-
1934. (Lithuanian Aviation Museum of bombs intended for enemy land vember 23, 1937, he was made a
archive) targets. Gustaitis made a trial flight brigadier general.
March / April 2018 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE 13ANBO-VIII, piloted by Gustaitis,
made its first trial flight on Septem-
ber 5, 1939. It was anticipated that
this well-equipped and aerodynamic
airplane would enable the greater
part of the battle squadrons of the
Lithuanian Air Force to be ready for
combat. Unfortunately, the begin-
ning of the Second World War and
the Soviet occupation which fol-
lowed put an end to the construction
of ANBO-VIII.
During his years of service in
The reconnaissance ANBO-41 plane, credited with being one of Gustaitis’ finest designs. the Lithuanian Air Force, Antanas
(Lithuanian Aviation Museum archive) Gustaitis built and made trial flights
The years 1935-1939 were espe- after the first flight of ANBO-V, in nine different types of ANBO
cially productive. Gustaitis began to Gustaitis created the ANBO-VI planes. In 1940, of the 120 planes
perfect the ANBO-IV. The new plane, which was designed to train a in the Lithuanian Air Force, 56 were
ANBO-41 had a three-blade pro- new generation of pilots. ANBO-construction planes. Gus-
peller and a larger wing span. From At the end of the 1930s the air- taitis designed all of the training
1936 to 1939 twenty ANBO-41 fields of the Lithuanian Air Force planes and a large part of the scout-
planes were built. They became the still had a fair number of German ing planes. When the Soviet Union
most highly regarded of the planes planes made during the First World occupied Lithuania, the Soviets
constructed by Gustaitis. War, but in 1931 the ANBO-V de- seized some of Gustaitis’ planes and
The Lithuanian Air Force grew signed by Gustaitis began to take transported them east, and they de-
considerably after 1930. New the place of these uneconomical, stroyed the others, using them for
squadrons were formed. The net- outdated and unsafe planes. In 1936 target practice. In March of 1941,
work of airfields expanded. In 1932 Gustaitis designed and built his last the Soviets arrested Gustaitis, ac-
the Lithuanian Air Force School was training plane – the ANBO-51. cused him of anti-Soviet activity, and
reestablished. More pilots and more In 1938 he took on his last proj- conducted a sham trial. They con-
training planes were needed. In 1931 ect – designing a light bomber. It demned him to death and executed
Gustaitis began to design a new was a two-seater low-winged mono- him in the Butyrka prison of
training plane, the ANBO-V. Soon plane of mixed construction. The Moscow on October 16, 1941.
Mindaugas Sereičikas is a Ph.D. student
of History at Klaipėda University
(www.ku.lt/en/). The main sources for this
report, which are available on request, in-
clude unpublished documents from Office
of the Chief Archivist of Lithuania, Lithuan-
ian Special Archives and the Lithuanian
Aviation Museum. Also used were articles
by Algirdas Gamziukas, Estela Gruzdienė,
Eugenijus Raubickas, Gytis Ramoška, Vik-
toras Ašmenskas, Vilius Kavaliauskas, and
Vytautas Asevičius. Memoirs used included
those by Jonas Martynas Laurinaitis, Jonas
Mikėnas, Juozas Namikas, Leonardas
Peseckas, Pranas Hiksa, and Simas
Stanaitis, as well as unpublished memoirs
by Bronė Aleksandravičiūtė-Jablonskienė
Gustaitienė.
The last of the ANBO designs, the ANBO-VIII, first tested in flight in September of 1939.
(Lithuanian Museum Archive) Translated from Lithuanian by Rimas
Černius.
14 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE March / April 2018A Tale of Two Countries,
Pre- and Post-Soviet Lithuania
(A mathematician’s discovery of the “opposite” principle)
T
By Constantine K. Kliorys
o anyone born after 1990 the
term “Iron Curtain” is just a
historical term of no more
import than the term “Hadrian’s
Wall.” Unless it falls again, no one
will experience it again. As a profes-
sor of mathematics I had the op-
portunity to lecture in Lithuania
both behind the Iron Curtain and
after it was lifted. Luckily mathemat-
ics is the same, 2 + 2 is still 4 for
both communists and capitalists.
Most other things are different.
In 1980, as a newly minted as- Full class, but no one wants to sit up front.
sistant professor I lectured for about
3 months on Algebraic Number rations on freedom of religion, but garita. It is a hot day and the poet
Theory at the Institute of Mathe- that meant you had better not go to Bezdomny would like a cold drink.
matics and Cybernetics of the Acad- church or it would be the worse for “A glass of lemonade, please,” said
emy of Sciences of Lithuania in Vil- you. I became a godfather to a col- Bezdomny. “There isn’t any,” replied
nius. league’s baby son. We arranged the the woman in the kiosk. For some
After much thought, I decided baptism in a darkened church reason the request seemed to offend
that my entire experience could be through a back entrance in the mid- her. “Got any beer?” inquired Bez-
best described by one word, “oppo- dle of the night. Examples of these domny in a hoarse voice. “Beer is
site” in the sense that the real mean- reverse, opposite meanings being delivered later this evening,”
ing of a word was the exact opposite abounded in everyday life. What is a said the woman. “Well what have
of its literal meaning. It was like liv- bar? A place for a beer? Of course you got?” asked Bezdomny. “Apricot
ing in Orwell’s 1984 and in Alice’s not, that is a place where there is no juice, only it is warm,” was the an-
Wonderland. If Orwell had a Min- beer or at best it will be warm. A swer.
istry of Truth, a main Soviet publi- typical Soviet joke describes a tourist It continues. A hotel is a place
cation was “Pravda” (Truth) which who by mistake walks into a butcher where you cannot stay. Every tourist
of course published everything but shop and asks for bread. The indig- that travelled to Lithuania under So-
that. When Humpty Dumpty used nant clerk replies that this is a butcher viet rule knew that all hotels were
a word incorrectly and Alice ob- shop: we have no meat here. Next off limits except “Gintaras” where
jected he replied that when he used door is the bakery: that is where they here it was now off limits to locals.
a word it meant only what he wanted have no bread. This type of phe- Restaurants were usually places
to, what was important was who was nomenon was so pervasive that it ac- where you could not eat. First, it was
to be the master. tually appeared in literature (which because it was very difficult to get
As I walked down streets, red of course was banned: what is a in past the doorman. The standard
banners proclaimed “liberty,” but the book? something you cannot read). greeting was “there are no empty
people were enslaved. The Soviet Here is a short dialogue from places,” which meant there were
constitution had very strong decla- Mikhail Bulgakov’s Master and Mar- empty places (the opposite principle
March / April 2018 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE 15again – o.p), only you forgot to give The invariant answer will be “meat” gan to replay itself. All the two per-
him a bribe. A half empty restaurant and if you ask what kind, the stan- son tables were again full, but there
was preferred to a full one (o.p. dard answer is “cooked” (kepsnys). were plenty of empty four person
again) since the wages were the same The beverage will always be “drink” tables where I again sat down. Only
and there was half as much work. (gerimas), and if you ask what kind, this time when the waiter went by I
Even if you got in, don’t look at the you will get an angry retort that it is collared him and said “there are four
menu or it will become impossible a “brand drink” (firminis). Of course, of us at this table and I would like
to order a meal. The menus were you have no idea if you will get beer to order four dinners.” When he
usually imposing leather bound vol- or buttermilk, but you will get the brought the four dinners, I happily
umes whose purpose was to list all “drink.” So I happily ate my meat began eating mine. A few minutes
the food that was unavailable. and had my drink while the poor later the waiter came by and asked
I witnessed the following com- students were still engaged in the where my three friends were. I
edy. A group of foreign students hopeless task of trying to order from replied “Oh they are enjoying their
came in to the restaurant and care- the menu. It was like a skit from Sat- meals very much, only they are in-
fully studied the menu an placed urday Night Live, where whatever you visible.” I had learned how live in
their order when the waiter ap- order you will always get “cheese- the theater of the absurd.
peared. He immediately informed burger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger, This “opposite” principle also
them that none of their choices were no Coke, Pepsi.” surfaced in more serious situations.
available. They again resumed study- Even having discovered the The purpose of the “Iron Curtain”
ing the menu and placed a different “opposite” principle, it was not that was not to keep people from entering
order with the same result. This easy for a capitalist like me to im- the communist paradise, but from
pointless back and forth went on for plement it in a communist society. leaving paradise (opposite again!). In
quite a while. In the meantime, I was Knowing how to enter a restaurant conversations with some of my rel-
enjoying my meal because I had and how not to look at the menu atives I lamented the fact that they
learned how to operate in a country was not always enough. I entered a could not travel to other countries.
run under the “opposite” principle. restaurant where all the tables had To my surprise they answered that
The first step is NOT to open the either two chairs or four chairs. All they were free to travel. They said
menu, but to ask what is available. the two seaters were occupied so I they could travel to any democratic
sat down at a four seater. I was ig- country. At which point I exclaimed,
nored for about ten minutes. Finally, well then come visit us in America!
I grabbed a passing waiter to try and We would love to see you. Oh no,
order. He rudely muttered, “we don’t they replied America is not a demo-
serve at that table.” I figured maybe cratic country, it is a capitalist coun-
that section of the restaurant was try. Totally befuddled, I asked, so
closed, and moved to a different what are the democratic countries?
four person table. The same result, Democratic East Germany, the
the waiter even more angrily stated Democratic Country of North Ko-
that they don’t serve at that table ei- rea, Democratic Peoples Republic of
ther. Desperately, I asked, “where China, was the list. I could have
do you serve then?” He replied that kicked myself. Here I thought I was
a single person must sit at a two per- mastering the “opposite” principle
son table (which were all occupied). and it turns out I was still a neophyte.
I left without eating, but with a much Of course! A Democratic country is
deeper understanding of the beauty one where there is no democracy,
of the “opposite” principle. You how could I forget.
cannot sit where there is room, but When Communism was de-
must sit where there is no room. But stroying Lithuania and pushing it
I was not about to starve in a com- back into a Stone Age, all the news-
munist paradise, after all only capi- papers, radio, T.V., and government
talists in America were starving. The agencies trumpeted the great
next day I returned to the same progress that was being made. Of
Jackets disappear during heated lectures. restaurant and the same scenario be- course that now makes sense. Under
16 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE March / April 2018play it (an interesting opportunity to
apply the “opposite “ principle to
their comments).
Expensive cars clog the streets,
but beggars also sit on the curbs.
There is a surprising number of
young people in churches, but also
a number of them sitting on curbs
in the morning drinking beer. I
learned in my first grade Lithuanian
grammar book “alu gerti sveika” (to
drink beer is healthy), but I cannot
understand how one can drink it in
the morning.
The prices are also mysterious.
Are they high or are they low? The
Restaurant that is “full.” daily paper is more expensive than
my Cleveland Plain Dealer, but a plate
the “opposite” principle all regress You walk past a gleaming steel and of cepelinai (potato dumplings) is
was labeled progress. glass Omnitel building, but you also dirt cheap. Is the city safe or dan-
I returned to Lithuania in 2001 pass crumbling cement and broken gerous? Under Communism I
as a lecturer at Vytautas Magnus door multistory apartment buildings. walked everywhere at all hours in
University in Kaunas. Then the You walk into a store whose cash perfect safety. There were militiamen
“Iron Curtain” was just a historical register is an abacus (no need for and blinking blue lights on every
memory. Yet when much progress electricity!), but next door is an In- corner. Now I was warned to avoid
was already made, there were people ternet café where kids competently certain sections of town, day or
still stating that it was better under are surfing the web. Some clever night. Cars are routinely stolen. But
Communism when the total meat in hackers broke into Parliament’s web the reverse vocabulary of Soviet
a butcher shop was a row of cow’s site and posted a game “Vytai, Vytai” times is still useful. Ads appear in
hooves. So vestiges of the “oppo- where the object was to blow off newspapers stating that a car “dis-
site” principle still remain. If things Vytautas Landsbergis’ head. appeared” on such and such a day
get better, it is still important to say Violent games are routine in in such and such a location. Reward
that they are worse. America, but this caused a sensation for “finding” it. You get your car
However, for restored inde- in Lithuania. It was amusing to listen back by paying ransom to the thief.
pendent Lithuania I have a new sum- to parliamentarians admit that they I kind of enjoyed those ads about
mary descriptor word, “contrast.” saw the game, but certainly did not “disappearing cars.” It reminded me
of my invisible dinner companions.
In a café I see parents give a few
litai to their kids and the kids run
off to spend them in toy stores or
arcades. No fear of letting kids run
loose. My neighbors in America built
a wooden fence around their back-
yard, afraid to let them play in their
own yard.
Reflecting on my trip to now in-
dependent Lithuania I was sur-
rounded by contrasts. And I was not
sure if I was happy or sad. Perhaps
the “opposite” principle was still in
effect.
Vytautas Magnus University entrance.
March / April 2018 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE 17New Techniques of Public Relations in the
Fight for Lithuania’s Independence
G
By Eric Sibul
iven the contemporary im- on Public Information “bolstered
portance of strategic com- the morale of our citizens and of
munications, information our allies and helped to break down
operations, and counter-propaganda enemy morale. Its propaganda ef-
for the Baltic countries, it is perhaps forts were so effective that one his-
useful to look at the Lithuanian ex- torian later wrote that words won
perience in its relations with the the war.” Bernays greatest contribu-
United States in the 1918–1922 pe- tion to the Committee on Public In-
riod, when Lithuanian Americans formation was creating the League
needed to sway American public of Oppressed Nations which rep-
opinion and ultimately influence resented various ethnic groups in
American policy. the U.S. who had relatives in Europe
The problem the Lithuanians under Austrian or German rule.
faced in 1919 was that the U.S. De- In March of 1919, Bernays left
Edward L. Bernays.
partment of State accepted some the Committee on Public Informa-
form of autonomy for the Baltic lied powers maintained a consensus tion and returned from Europe to
Countries in an “indivisible Russia” of recognizing the de facto independ- the United States. Of his experience
but not full independence. In con- ence of the Baltic countries, but not with the committee, he stated, “I
trast, the independence of Poland de jure. Among the Allies, Great had learned much in the war that
and Armenia from Russia was sup- Britain was perhaps the most sup- could be applied to peacetime pur-
ported, largely because of influential portive of full independence and the suits.” On return to the United
electorates in the Pittsburgh and United States the least. In order to States, Bernays opened a public re-
Chicago areas and in Southern Cal- change this situation, and to influ- lations firm – his first two clients
ifornia. State Department policy was ence the American government to were the American government, that
driven by “old Russia hands,” who support de jure recognition of wanted someone to conduct a cam-
had associated with Baltic Germans, Lithuanian independence, Lithuan- paign encouraging businesses to hire
and Polish and Russian aristocrats ian Americans enlisted the assistance recently discharged veterans, and the
during diplomatic missions to two of the foremost pioneers in the Lithuanian National Council.
Moscow and Saint Petersburg and fields of public relations, public Bernays took on a partner, Carl
had come to share the beliefs and opinion, and propaganda, Edward Byoir, to work with him in the effort
biases of their social acquaintances. Bernays and Carl Byoir. to assist Lithuania. Byoir was born
There were other factors in play Edward Bernays can perhaps be to Jewish immigrant parents from
as well. There existed a powerful a considered one of the foremost fig-
“white Russian” lobby which sup- ures in the early conceptual devel-
ported an “indivisible Russia” due opment of the field of public rela-
to worries about recouping Ameri- tions. A Cornell University graduate,
can investments in the Tsarist Em- Bernays was initially not involved in
pire. There were also fears by petro- corporate communications or polit-
leum interests that the Japanese ical campaigns but rather, was a pub-
might gain control of oil bearing licist for the arts – the theatre, the
Russian territories with the dissolu- opera, and the ballet in New York
tion of the Empire. Both of these City. However, as the United States
interest groups were working hard entered World War I, he joined the
to influence Congress and the State U.S. Committee on Public Informa-
Department to not recognize Baltic tion headed by George Creel. Ac-
independence. All of the major Al- cording to Bernays, the Committee Carl Byoir. (FDR Library)
18 LITHUANIAN HERITAGE March / April 2018You can also read
