Lithuania (Lieteva/Lietuva)

Capital : Vilnius

History

The modern inhabitants of Lithuania are descended from Indo-European tribes which settled the Baltic area about 4000 years ago. Lithuanian is the closest living relative of the Sanskrit language. Before the Christian era, Germanic peoples had settled around the mouth of the River Vistula and the Slavs moved into the area around AD 500, joining with the Balts to form a Balto-Slavic nation from which the inhabitants of modern Belarus are descended. There were three main Slavic tribes - the Kryvicy (north and central Belarus), the Radzimicans (upper Dniapro) and the Drehavicans (Prypiac river area). modern Lithuania. Some Baltic peoples, such as the Samogitians from Aukstota, remained ethnically separate and are the ancestors of the modern Lithuanians. Duke Mindouh, or Mindaugas, who founded the Grand Duchy of Litva, was from this region.

The area was less important as a trade route than its neighbours to the north, Latvia and Estonia, as the country was largely impenetrable forest isolated from the sea so had no useful ports. Riga in Latvia was established as a bishopric in 1198 but most of the Slav tribes retained their own religion and independence. Swedish traders travelled through the area and Kievan Russia was the main power but much of the Baltic coast was under the control of the German Teutonic Order who subdued the most westerly Baltic tribe, the 'Old Prussians' and colonised their territory.

In 1248, Grand Duke Mindaugas united the Lithuanian tribes politically and the country remained outside the Christian sphere of influence although Mindaugas himself became a Christian. Lithuania became the largest territorial state in Europe under his pagan susccessors, Gedymin and Olgierd, and when the latter's son, Jogaila or Jagiello, became a Christian and married the heiress to the Polish throne in 1386 the dynasty ruled much of what is now Belorussia and the Ukraine as well as modern Lithuania and Poland. Estonia and Livonia (Latvia) came under Swedish rule despite resistance from Poland. The Polish and Lithuanian alliance defeated the Teutonic Order in 1410 and became officially united in 1569. The Duchy of Courland was formed by the Poles and Lithuanians out of southern Livonia and Lithuania gained control of Latgale to the east of Livonia in the C17th and established the country's Catholic religion there but both these territories later came under German rule.

The Grand Princes of Moscow enlarged their small territory steadily for 350 years. The long war of Ivan IV (the Terrible) with Livonia in the C16th failed to establish Muscovite control of the Baltic coast but Lithuania lost much of its territory to them. After the third partition of Poland in 1795, Russia acquired most of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the tsar became king of the newly reformed Polish kingdom after Napoleon's short-lived Duchy of Poland was dissolved.

The country still had a Polish influenced ruling class and remained far less urbanised than Latvia and Estonia although the city of Vilnius was ethnically and culturally diverse and became a centre of Jewish scholarship from the late C15th. This aristocracy was associated with the anti-tsarist uprisings in Poland in 1830 and 1863 and lost much of its land and power. The peasant serfs were freed in 1861 and were able to acquire some of the land but became targets of the tsars 'russification' policy. The Lithuanian language was banned and Russian became the official language of government and education. The ethnic Lithuanians were in the minority in the major towns and many emigrated to Canada and America during the C19th. The Catholic clergy appears to have tried to keep Lithuanian culture and language alive to resist the russification and a secret nationalist movement began to develop.

The Social Democratic Party was formed in 1895 and the Lithuanian Peasant League and Catholic Democratic party followed the 1905 revolution. Lithuanian and the Roman script were made legal again instead of Russian Cyrillic but there was little political change.

Germany invaded in 1915 after the failure of Russia's East Prussian offensive and was in control of all Lithuania and Courland (which they called the 'Land Oberost') by September that year. As Germany had encouraged Lithuanian defiance of Russia, some attention was paid to requests for autonomy and the 'Taryba' or Lithuanian National Committee met in September 1917 but the country was threatened with partition if it did not comply with German demands. The country declared itself independent in February 1918 but the West did not give any assistance and it only as an allied state that it was recognised as independent by Kaiser Wilhelm in March 1918. Duke Wilhelm of Urach, a Catholic, was proclaimed as King Mindaugas II in July 1918 but the monarchy was abandoned by November.

After the defeat of Germany, Lithuania lost much territory to the Bolsheviks but regained it later in 1919. Peace was made with Soviet Russia began in July 1921 with sovereignty over the Vilnius area (which had been under Polish occupation) and rights to some Polish claimed territory as a reward. At this stage, the country was ethnically diverse with a population of a little over 2 million of whom 84% were Lithuanian, 7.6% Jewish, 3.2% Polish 2.7% Russian and 0.7% Latvian and there was quite a lot of discrimination against the minorities, especially the Jews and Poles.

In 1926, the democratic system was abandoned in a military coup under the Nationalist Party leaders, Antanas Smetona who became president and Augustinas Voldemaras who became prime minister. The latter was dismissed in 1929 with Smetona's brother-in-law Tubelis replacing him. Voldemaras made several attempts to regain power, ending with imprisonment in 1934 and Smetona remained in control as dictator with the new constitution of 1938 only consolidating his rule. Later that year, Poland used the threat of German invasion to force Lithuania to resume diplomatic relations and recognise Polish sovereignty over Vilnius. The country was in Germany's power after the reconquest of Lithuanian-occupied Klaipeda in March 1939 and after the invasion of Poland in September and Ribbentrop's Moscow visit, came into the Soviet sphere of influence.

Smetona wanted to resist by force but was overruled by the government and the Soviets sent a replacement, Dekanozov, with the Red Army to back him up. Lithuania was formally made part of the Soviet Union in August 1940 and most of the government was exiled or deported.

Under German occupation, the Lithuanians were considered to be heavily influenced by the Jews so were badly treated and virtually the whole of the Jewish population of 250 000 was killed and the remaining few were persecuted along with the ethnic Lithuanians by the post-war Stalinist regime of the Soviets.

Lithuania was rapidly industrialised under the Soviets and many Russian immigrants moved in although some guerrilla resistance continued until at least the 1960s. When Mikhail Gorbachev's policies of 'glasnost' and 'perestroika' relaxed the Soviet regime, the Lithuanian Popular Front was formed during 1988. Lithuania declared its sovereignty in May 1989 under Communist Party leader Brazauskas and rejected Soviet laws but despite being in favour of reform for the Baltic states, Gorbachev did not want to allow them independence and the breakaway was declared illegal with Lithuania being economically blockaded.

Despite this, the 'Sajudis' leader, Vytautas Landsbergis, was elected president in March 1990 with Kazimiera Prunskiene as prime minister and a joint declaration renewing the 1934 Baltic Entente was signed with Latvia and Estonia.

Lithuanian Names

Some of these may be in Polish forms as these were used for some written documents.

Male

Adolfas	Adomas	Aidas	Albinas	Aldas	Aleksandras
Aleksas	Alfonsas	Algimantas	Algirdas	Algis	Almal
Almantas	Amantas	Ambraziejus	Andrejus	Andris	Andrius
Antanas	Antavas	Arminas	Arnas	Arnold	Arturas
Arunas	Arvydas	Augustinas	Baltrius	Bartas	Benejaminas
Bernadas	Bronius	Budrys	Bukantas	Cesar	Cheslovas
Dainius	Dalius	Danukos	Darius	Daumantas	Dionizas
Donaldas	Donatas	Dzidorius	Edmunds	Eduardas	Erdvilas
Eugenijus	Evaldas	Feliksas	Gediminas	Gedymin	Gintas
Gintautas	Girdenis	Grigas	Gytis	Henrikas	Ipolitas
Irmantas	Jecis	Jeronimas	Jeska	Jonas	Juonele
Juozapas	Juozas	Jurgis	Juzos	Kadaras	Karolis
Kasparas	Kazimeras	Kazys	Keistutis	Kestutis	Kipras
Kristupas	Laimonas	Leonardas	Leonas	Leonidas	Letas
Linas	Liudas	Liutas	Marijus	Marius	Martynas
Mecislovas	Micha	Michalo	Mikaila	Mikalos	Mikelis
Mindaugas	Olgierd	Paal	Paulius	Petras	Pijus
Pinchas	Povilas	Pranas	Raila	Raimundas	Raulas
Remis	Ricardas	Rimantas	Rimas	Rimgaila	Rimvydas
Ringaudas	Risardas	Romas	Romualdus	Romulus	Rosertas
Samuelis	Sarunas	Saulius	Sharunas	Slovo	Solomonas
Songaila	Stasis	Steponas	Svitrigaila	Tanas	Tarvydas
Tomas	Tomelis	Tylenis	Ugnius	Vaclavas	Vaidotas
Valdas	Vicas	Vidmantas	Vilkas	Vincas	Vintilas
Virgilijus	Virmantas	Vizgirda	Vladas	Vladis	Vytas
Vytautas	Vytautus	Vytis	Yanush	Zenonas	Zigmantas
Zigmas

Female

Anele?	Annika	Annze	Asta	Birute?	Danute?
Elzbieta	Evalda	Gella	Ingrida	Judyta	Juliya
Kazimiera	Laima	Marcella	Ramune?	Rozele	Rozete
Sigita	Vida	Viera

Surnames

Surnames were first introduced to Lithuania when the country began to be Christianised and people were baptised with a Christian name, often in its Slavic form. They were established among the aristocracy by the early C15th but not adopted by the peasant classes until the C17th. Of the 50,000 surnames registered in Lithuania today, most are of foreign origin (Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Slavic, Germanic, Tatar) with a only a small number of Lithuanian or Baltic derivation.

During the period of Polish rule, many Lithuanians took Polish forms of their surnames. The '-auskas' ending became '-owski', or '-icius', the Latin form of the Polish '-icz', was added to the original name. Most of the village priests spoke in Polish so names were recorded in Polish forms even if they were not in daily use. This lasted until independence in 1918 when many people returned to Lithuanian versions. Names were also Russianised with the ending '-ovski'. Common Lithuanian suffixes are diminutive forms such as '-aitis', (son of) '-enas', '-unas', '-inis', '-ynis', '-onis', 'unas', '-elis', '-utis', '-ytis'. Female forms were '-iene' for a wife and '-yte' for a single woman. (Anelauskas would become Anelauskiene or Anelauskaite, Zarauskas would become Zurauskaite)

Abramavicius	Abrutis	Adomaitis	Alekna	Aleksynas	Alksninis
Ambrazas	Andraitis	Andriejauskas	Andriukaitis	Andriukevicius	Andriulis
Andrushaitis	Anelauskas	Antanaitis	Anuzis	Arbo	Arlauskas
Armanavicius	Asipauskas	Azhukas	Babravicius	Babrys	Bacanskas
Bagdanskis	Bagdonas	Bagdonavichius	Bagdzevichius	Bakanauskas	Balchunas
Balciunis	Balcius	Balcziunas	Balèikonis	Baliunas	Balkevièius
Baltaduonis	Baltakis	Baranauskas	Barniskis	Bartkus	Bernotas
Berzins	Bieliauskas	Bilaitis	Bilinkis	Bistrickas	Boguðas
Bopp	Borovskis	Brazaitis	Brazas	Brazauskas	Brengulis?
Brodovskis	Bucevicius	Buga	Bugailiskis	Bulavas	Burdulis
Burokas	Butkevicius	Butkus	Bylaitis	Ceicys	Ceporius
Chaliapinas	Cherkis	Cimermonas	Ciplys	Ciziunas	Cuplinkskas
Dailide	Daukantas	Degulis	Degutis	Diciunas	Didgalvis
Dirmantas	Dolgacius	Domarkas	Drobiazko	Drotvinas	Dukys
Dzemyda	Edykes	Eeieys	Eidziulis	Eidziunas	Eimutis
Ekaitis	Elsneris	Elvikis	Endrasius	Endriukaitis	Entin
Fedaravicius	Filipavicius	Gaidys	Gaigalas	Gaivenis	Gaizauskas
Gaizutis	Gajarsky	Galdikas	Galinis	Garastas	Gedgaudas
Genevicius	Genys	Gerulaitis	Gerulis	Giedrikas	Gilius
Ginaitis	Gintautas	Girdenis	Gitaitis	Gramauskus	Grazulis
Grienevicius	Grigaitis	Grigalis	Grigas	Grigelionis	Grinaveckienë
Grinaveckis	Grinkevicius	Griskevicius	Gudaitis	Gudas	Gudauskas
Gudeczauskas	Guleckas	Guleckis	Gunsilius	Guzauskas	Haack
Hiskauskas	Ignatavicius	Imbrasas	Indriulaitis	Isakovich	Iskauskas
Ivinskis	Jablonskis	Jakaìtìenè	Jakucionis	Jakus	Jancaitis
Jancys	Jankauskas	Jankus	Janulevicius	Janusis	Januska
Janusonis	Jasaitis	Jasas	Jasecicius	Jasinavicius	Jasinkas
Jaunius	Jocionis	Jonaitis	Jonaitytë	Jonauskas	Jonikas
Juðka	Juknius	Juknys	Jundulas	Juozapavicius	Jurgela
Jurgutis	Juska	Kabaila	Kabelka	Kadaras	Kajokas
Kalanta	Kalvaitis	Kalvis	Kaminskas	Kancecicius	Kanevsky
Kapsukas	Karalavecius	Karaliûnas	Karalius	Karazija	Karciauskas
Kardelis	Kartkus	Kasimieras	Kaslas	Kasparas	Katinas
Kaulakienë	Kaupas	Kazlauska	Kazlauskas	Keinys	Keleras
Kidykas	Kidykes	Kirvaitis	Kiskis	Kleiza	Klemas
Klimas	Klimavièius	Klumbyte	Kniûkðta	Kondrackas	Kondratas
Kondratavicius	Konsavicius	Kotas	Krasauckas	Krasauskas	Kreve-Mickevicius
Krieinskis	Kriksciunas	Krisciunas	Kriskus	Kruopas	Kryzius
Kubilius	Kucinskas	Kudzma	Kulevicius	Kuliesius	Kumpys
Kuncaitis	Kundrotas	Kunigelis	Kupcinskas	Kuprys	Kupsys
Kurðaitis	Kuris	Kursius	Kurtinitis	Kuschat	Kuzminskas
Kvedaravicius	Labas	Laigonaitë	Landsbergis	Lape	Lapinskas
Latozaite	Latvszijnski	Laukys	Laureckas	Lauzackas	Leonavicius
Leskien	Levanavicius	Levickis	Lituanus	Lukosius	Lyberis
Maciejauskienë	Macionis	Maciulis	Makaiaite	Maksimaitis	Malyszko
Mankauskas	Marazas	Marceonis	Marchelonis	Markauskas	Markeviciene
Markevicius	Markunas	Marrus	Martinaitis	Martinkus	Masaitis
Masiokas	Masiulis	Masys	Maþiulis	Matthaeus	Matulewicz
Matulewiczshen	Matuliauskas	Matulis	Matus	Matusevicius	Mazeika
Mazutis	Meskauskas	Mickevicius	Mickus	Mielce	Mikaila
Mikalauskaitë	Mikalauskas	Milkus	Millerskofski	Mirvis	Misiunas
Moravskis	Mustaikis	Musteikis	Nazaroviene	Paaulauskas	Pabrëýa
Pakalka	Pakerys	Palionis	Palmaitis	Panavas	Paukikas
Paulauskas	Paulauskienë	Pazeimys	Petkus	Petraitis	Petrauskas
Petravicius	Pikèilingis	Piroèkinas	Poðka	Prunskiene	Pukstys
Puniskis	Puodzius	Pupkis	Racius	Rakauskas	Rask
Ravdenon	Razmukiene	Reisel	Rosinas	Ruigys	Rutkauskas
Sabaliauskas	Sabaliunas	Sabonis	Sakalas	Salys	Sanrkiene
Sapûnas	Sarka	Senkus	Senn	Sernas	Shulcas
Silkinaite	Simonaitis	Sirvydas	Skardþius	Skardýius	Slezavicius
Sliþienë	Smetona	Snieckus	Songaila	Suharevs	Sutkevièius
Szega	Szolkowski	Szylanski	Szymkowski	Tarulis	Terleckas
Thulys	Tubelis	Uleckis	Ulickas	Ulvydas	Urbnonvicius
Urbonas	Urbsys	Urbutis	Vaclaovas	Vaitekunas	Vaitkus
Valeckienë	Valeika	Valters	Vanagas	Vardys	Vartkus?
Vaskes	Venclova	Vidugiris	Vilkas	Vinewicz	Visokavicius
Vitkauskas	Vitkus	Vizulis	Voldemaras	Vosylytë	Wanagaitis
Wilkewiczuite	Wintelaiczuite	Wintilaitis	Yakaitis	Yakubaskas	Yankauskas
Yanush	Zelionka	Zemaiticius	Zemaitis	Zemkalnis	Zievys
Zilinskiene	Zinkevièius	Ziskind	Zujus	Zukauskas	Zurauskas
Zuyus	Zymonas

Rulers

Name	Reign	Family
Mindovg/Mindaugas	c 1251
Gedymin	1315-41
Olgierdo	1341-77	son of Gedymin, brother of Lubart of Hach
Jagiello (Jogaila)	1377-8
Kiejstut	c1381-2	uncle of Jagiello
Vitold	c 1395
Svidrigello	1430-2	brother of Jagiello of Poland
Sigismund	1432-40	brother of Vitold
Casimir	1440-92	brother of Vladimir of Poland

Religion

Gods

Name	Attributes
Perkunas	thunder
Bagputys	storms, sea
Dievas	rules Dausos, kingdom of the dead
Kalvaitis	smith, recreates sun daily
Menuo	moon
Upinis	rivers

Goddesses

Name	Attributes
Zemyna	mother Earth
Laima	fire, assoc me trees
Saule	sun
Gabija	fire, the hearth

Balts

Ungern

Sternberg

Return to Former Soviet Union index

Return to main index

This collection of names compiled by Kate Monk. Copyright January 1997, Kate Monk. Last updated February, 98. Copies may be made for personal use only.