With the head of the Institute of Baltic History and Archeology of Klaipėda University, Vasilijas Safronov, we remember this couple and their role in 1923.
– We know the fact that Jonas Polovinskas-Budrys was the commander of the operation to join Klaipėda region to Lithuania, but we know little about his personality. Why?
– In fact, what we know about J. Polovinskas-Budris, what is written, are short fragments of his biography. To date, no book has been written that analyzes his biography.
So the picture of his personality has to be molded little by little from what he has written about himself.
Since he was a counter-intelligence officer, he hid some of the facts of his biography, and changed some of them more than once during his life.
So even when celebrating the year of the Klaipėda region, I think that many people in Lithuania, as well as in Klaipėda, still do not know who Jonas Polovinskas-Budrys was.
Photo of the Museum of the History of Little Lithuania/Klaipeda Uprising Commander Jonas Budrys-Polovinskas (seated in the center).
Especially since the operation of joining Klaipėda region to Lithuania has been surrounded by various tales for a long time and the facts about the role of J.Polovinska-Budris in it are mostly known from his own stories, not all of them are verifiable.
He told a lot about the events of Klaipėda to the diaspora audience, but not everything matches in his stories, but he created that story about his role and it was done for many years.
– Maybe that role is another fairy tale?
– No, we can check certain things based on certain documents, other testimonies. Certain things overlap.
The meeting of the Government of Lithuania, where it was decided to join Klaipėda region, took place in November 1922.
We know from the memoirs of other officers that more than one officer was offered to lead the Klaipėda Region annexation operation, but all of them refused. It was even started to be doubted whether it was really necessary.
We can truly say that even before the operation J. Polovinskas-Budrys was sent to the Klaipėda region to collect information about which of the locals would support the annexation to Lithuania and who would not. He did that work at the end of 1922.
Lithuanian History Museum photo/Jonas Budrys-Polovinskas and Regina Budrienė, 1958. From the newspaper “Dirva”
We know from the memoirs of other officers that more than one officer was offered to lead the Klaipėda Region annexation operation, but all of them refused. It was even started to be doubted whether it was really necessary. In other words, the matter was stuck.
Finally, the assistant minister of defense Papeckys proposed the candidacy of J. Polovinsko-Budris, everyone agreed.
It is known that J. Polovinskas-Budrys was confirmed as the commander of the operation only at the beginning of January. Therefore, all military tasks, the headquarters and the national team were formed just 4-5 days before the march.
– What personal qualities and merits led to J. Polovinskas-Budrys becoming the head of the operation?
– First of all, he was the head of counter-intelligence. He already knew the Klaipėda region well and was familiar with its people. In his memoirs, he mentions that Erdmonas Simonaitis was his almost constant companion during scouting expeditions.
In addition, he himself felt as if he was committed to the people of the Klaipėda region, while Kaunas kept standing still and delayed taking action.
– Why did the other officers refuse this mission?
– Because they were full-time officers of the Lithuanian army. If they entered the territory of another state disguised as civilians and pretended to be some kind of local rebels and were caught, they would be shot on the spot as rebels. No one wanted to take the risk.
Photo of the Museum of the History of Little Lithuania/The first Lithuanian directory of the Klaipėda region, operating in 1923. January 15 – February 14.
– Was J. Polovinsko-Budris’ consent a brave act?
– Yes, courage comes from necessity, assessing the situation.
– What was the role of Regina Kašubaitė-Budrienė?
– We don’t know much about her. We know that she was also an employee of the counterintelligence department, a full-time official. She was also sent to Klaipėda at the end of 1922 and apparently helped J. Budrii-Polovinskas as a clerk.
During the operation itself, according to her own words, she played the role of a telegraph operator. Thus, she participated in the operation of January 15, 1923.
It was also noted in the emigration that she was the only or one of two women in the special purpose unit that participated in this operation.
In 1923, when Klaipėda became part of Lithuania and everything calmed down, J. Polovinskas-Budrys wrote a letter to Kaunas with a request to leave Miss Kasubaitė in Klaipėda, because he needed her.
– So, it was during the annexation of the Klaipėda region to Lithuania that the romantic feelings of this couple started?
– We don’t know if it happened before, during or after January 15, but the fact is that since 1923, R. Kasubaitė has been moving everywhere together with J. Polovinskas-Budrius.
When J. Polovinskas-Budrys became consul in Karaliaučius, she traveled together. Their son was born there.
Lithuanian state archive/Wikimedia.org photo/Klaipėda rebels
In 1926, they officially got married. In the same year, J. Polovinskas-Budrys received an appointment to become consul in New York and they left together. Both ended their lives in the United States.
The reburial ceremony of the organizers of the annexation of Klaipėda region to Lithuania, the governor of Klaipėda region, diplomat Jonas Polovinskas-Budris and his wife Regina Kašubaitė-Budrienė:
On September 21, around 1 p.m., the urns will be brought to the Vilnius airport, relatives, politicians, and historians will be present. Around 3:30 p.m. – a ceremony of respect and remembrance in Kaunas, in the garden of the Vytautas Great War Museum. Klaipėda on September 22. 9-13 hours public farewell to the remains of the deceased St. Virgin Mary Queen of Peace Church. 1 p.m. Mourning St. Mass. at 2 p.m. Taking the urns with the remains out of the church and forming the funeral procession. 2:20 p.m. Funeral ceremony in the old cemetery of the Klaipėda Sculpture Park.
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Lithuania History Timeline
The Government of Lithuania decided to join the Klaipėda region in November 1922. Prior to the operation, J. Polovinskas-Budrys was tasked with assessing local support for annexation, and he gathered information at the end of 1922.
While several officers were offered leadership for the annexation operation, they all declined due to the risks involved, particularly the threat of being executed if captured while operating undercover. J. Polovinskas-Budrys was eventually chosen for this role after the assistant minister of defense, Papeckys, proposed him, and he was officially appointed as commander in early January 1923, just days before the operation commenced.
His familiarity with the Klaipėda region and its people, gained through his role as the head of counterintelligence, set him apart as a suitable candidate. His commitment to the region contrasted with the indecisiveness of the government in Kaunas.
Regina Kašubaitė-Budrienė played a supportive role in the operation, serving as a clerk and later as a telegraph operator. Her involvement during the annexation not only showcased her capabilities but also marked the beginning of a close relationship between her and J. Polovinskas-Budrys, which would continue in the years to come.
The annexation of the Klaipėda region occurred on January 15, 1923, as a significant event in Lithuania’s history, reflecting a blend of personal courage, strategic necessity, and emerging partnerships within the context of national objectives.