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Juozas Žitkauskas

TO STOP CRYING AND BEING CELEBRATING

  (The works of Vytautas V. Landsbergis are marked by post-war resistance)
  (...)It is virtually the most important topic in his sung poetry. By looking back at this period of Lithuanian history, by showing interest in the life and songs of post-war partisans, Landsbergis distinguishes himself from the top 10 of Lithuanian bards. His songs about partisans can be heard in the film When I Was Little (Kai aš mažas buvau), the play Bunker (Bunkeris), as well as the CDs Countryside Mantras (Kaimiečių mantros, 2004), Dream (Sapnas, 2007) and Thirteen Brothers (Trylika brolių, 2009). Those who enjoy sung poetry, but have a narrow understanding of the genre, may question whether Landsbergis’ consistent efforts in promoting the topic of resistance are truly following the tradition...

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Vytautas V. Landsbergis

THE SINGING ONES

I
Lithuania’s path to independence in the public space of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Lithuania began with a few seemingly non-political and non-ideological phenomena – basketball and sung poetry. Basketball united everyone wishing to defeat Moscow: the court offered stage for both refining the national team play and for rehearsing March 11. Meanwhile the metaphorical songs of Vytautas Kernagis were too hard to crack for the Soviet censors. Such poetry promoted intellectual, civic forms of resistance, cheered the lovers of Aesopian language and gave the feeling of freedom. Most of the readers of that time had no problem understanding what kind of Lithuania was described in the poem written by Marcelijus Martinaitis during the Soviet occupation:

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