Vincas Mykolaitis, known by his

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

Putinas (literally '' Viburnum'') (6 January 1893 in Pilotiškės,

Suwałki Governorate Suwałki Governorate (russian: Сувалкская губерния, pl, gubernia suwalska, lt, Suvalkų gubernija) was a guberniya, governorate (administrative area) of Congress Poland ("Russian Poland") which had its seat in the city of Suwał ...

– 7 June 1967 in Kačerginė), was a

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or w ...

and

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, ...

. He was also a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

, but renounced his priesthood in 1935. Lithuanian Classical Literature Anthology
Biography
Retrieved on 2007-09-22

Biography

In 1909, Mykolaitis enrolled to the Seinai Priest Seminary, after few years he published his first poem. In 1915, he was ordained as a priest, however he questioned his mission as a priest. Later he continued studies at the

Saint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy The Imperial Roman Catholic Theological Academy (russian: Императорская Римско-Католическая Духовная Академия) was an institution of higher education preparing Roman Catholic theologians in the Russ ...

. In St. Petersburg, Mykolaitis published his first collection of poems in 1917. After St. Petersburg, Mykolaitis continued his studies at the

University of Fribourg The University of Fribourg (french: Université de Fribourg; german: Universität Freiburg) is a public university located in Fribourg, Switzerland. The roots of the university can be traced back to 1580, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisi ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, and received doctoral degree in 1922. After studies in western Europe Mykolaitis settled in Lithuania, teaching at the

University of Lithuania Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) ( lt, Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas (VDU)) is a public university in Kaunas, Lithuania. The university was founded in 1922 during the interwar period as an alternate national university. Initially it was kn ...

. During his stay in France, Mykolaitis started to work on his most famous novel — ' (''In the Shadow of the Altars''). The 3-part novel was published in 1933 and caused a scandal in Lithuania as it described a priest doubting and eventually renouncing his calling. In 1935, Mykolaitis renounced his priesthood. In 1940, he started to work at

Vilnius University Vilnius University ( lt, Vilniaus universitetas) is a public research university, oldest in the Baltic states and in Northern Europe outside the United Kingdom (or 6th overall following foundations of Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Glasgow and ...

, there he became professor. Other notable works of Mykolaitis were novel ''Sukilėliai'' (Rebels) (unfinished) and ''Tarp dviejų aušrų'' (Between Two Dawns). Mykolaitis died in 1967 in Kačerginė near

Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Traka ...

and was buried in

Rasos Cemetery Rasos Cemetery ( lt, Rasų kapinės, pl, cmentarz Na Rossie, be, Могілкі Росы) is the oldest and most famous cemetery in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is named after the Rasos district where it is located. It is separated in ...

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urba ...

Commemoration

There is Putinas's

house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a v ...

in his birth home in the village of Pilotiškės. In 2002, a memorial museum of Putinas was opened at Rygiškių Jonas gymnasium in

."MEMORIAL MUSEUM OF VINCAS MYKOLAITIS-PUTINAS"
/ref>

References

External links

* Lithuanian Classical Literature Anthology

Retrieved on 2007-09-22 * Lithuanian Classical Literature Anthology
''Altorių šešėly'' (In the Shadows of Altar) text
Retrieved on 2007-09-22 1893 births 1967 deaths People from Prienai District Municipality Lithuanian writers Lithuanian-language writers Academic staff of Vilnius University University of Fribourg alumni Academic staff of Vytautas Magnus University Soviet literary historians Soviet male writers 20th-century male writers 20th-century Lithuanian Roman Catholic priests Burials at Rasos Cemetery {{Lithuania-writer-stub