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Liudas GiraLithuanian poet, literary critic, playwright, publicist, translator, public figure.
Date of Birth: 27.08.1884
Country:  Lithuania |
Content:
- Liudas Gira: A Multifaceted Lithuanian Icon
- National and Political Involvement
- Military Service and Independence
- Artistic and Literary Achievements
- International Connections
- Later Years and Legacy
Liudas Gira: A Multifaceted Lithuanian Icon
Education and Early CareerLiudas Gira was a renowned Lithuanian poet, critic, playwright, publicist, translator, and public figure. He studied at the Vilnius Real Gymnasium before passing an external exam for four gymnasium classes in Kazan and entering the Vilnius Theological Seminary. From 1905, he worked as an editor for newspapers such as "Vilniaus žinios" and "Lietuvos ūkininkas."
National and Political Involvement
Gira's involvement extended beyond literature. He participated in the Union of Lithuanian Teachers, served as secretary of the presidium of the Great Vilnius Seimas (1905), and assisted in establishing the Lithuanian Scientific Society (1907). He edited literary almanacs and journals from 1911, compiling anthologies of Lithuanian poetry.
Military Service and Independence
In 1918, Gira became the military commandant of Vilnius and led a detachment of Lithuanian volunteers. Captured by the Bolsheviks, he was exchanged after six months for captured Red Army soldiers. In Kaunas, he headed the intelligence department of the Ministry of Defense and played a role in suppressing a Polish military organization conspiracy.
Artistic and Literary Achievements
Gira served as director of the State Theater in Kaunas from 1922 to 1926, and edited the literary journal "Skaitymai" in 1923. He authored a "Russian-Lithuanian Grammar" in 1924, which was reissued in 1925. From 1926 to 1936, he was secretary of the Book Publishing Commission of the Ministry of Education.
International Connections
Gira maintained an active correspondence with the Russian poet Konstantin Balmont and promoted his work in Lithuania. He played a key role in organizing Balmont's visit to Lithuania in 1930. In the mid-1930s, he fostered literary and cultural ties between Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
Later Years and Legacy
From 1936 to 1937 and 1938 to 1939, Gira served as chairman of the Lithuanian Writers' Society. He edited the literary newspaper "Literatūros naujienos" from 1937 to 1938. In 1940, he visited the USSR and advocated for Lithuania's inclusion in the Soviet Union.
Gira returned to Lithuania gravely ill in 1945 and was buried in Vilnius at Rasos Cemetery. After Lithuania's independence was restored, Vilnius's Vilnius Street (Vilniaus gatv?) was renamed after him but later reverted to its original name. A memorial to Gira was erected in Vilnius in 1977, featuring a granite relief portrait of the poet.
