Remembering a Visionary: The Enduring Impact of J. Vitkus at Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius

Hundreds of people came to the Vilnius University Saint John’s Church and Antakalnis cemetery to say goodbye to the historical figure.

Vilnius native Ona Kavalčukienė told BNS that she came to pay her respects to one of the founders of the Lithuanian state. According to her, it was J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis with other partisans who laid the foundations for today’s independence.

“When such terrible things are happening in the world, such personalities, their actions must unite us, we must be focused, concentrated, and most importantly, not lose our minds,” she said.

Janina Daračiūnienė said that by participating in the funeral of J. Viktaus-Kazimieraitis, she wants to honor all the fallen partisans.

“There were no partisans in our family, but my classmate’s parents lived in Varėna, her father was a partisan liaison, he was shot in an ambush,” lamented the girl from Vilnius.

During the mass, Archbishop Kęstutis Kėvalas called J. Vitkė-Kazimieraitis a hero of the Homeland.

“He is considered the ideal of the partisans. He gained the love and respect of all the partisans and their commanders, he had a great influence, he renounced his personal well-being, he devoted himself endlessly to the causes of the movement (of the freedom struggle), he was extremely hardworking, fair, patient, sober and a very religious person,” said the archbishop.

Priest Gintaras Vitkus, grandson of the partisan, who gave the sermon, said that despite the tragic fate, the grandfather had reached the fullness of life.

“After 77 years, we are burying a person, a colonel, an organizer of a partisan war, a partisan Juoz Vitkės-Kazimieraitis, to whom we can legitimately give the name of a hero, to recognize that he reached perfection in all the most important aspects of life – as a person, as a man,” said G. Vitkus.

According to him, this man, whom the partisans called father, took care of the future of the homeland as a politician, and in the declaration he formulated the goal of the partisan struggle – the restoration of independent Lithuania, when he had only a couple of months left to live.

G. Vitkus said that looking at the geopolitical situation, it seems that history wants to repeat itself, but he emphasized that the ideals of J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis are alive.

Justice Day

Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, who participated in the funeral, said that the day of justice has dawned in the history of the state, which J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis himself prayed for, and it is an honor for the country to honorably accompany the highest-ranking officer to his eternal resting place.

“Although justice has won here, unfortunately, we are still praying and diligently seeking it in today’s Ukraine and elsewhere. Juozas Vitkus-Kazimieraitis, who swore his life to Lithuania, faithfully defended it, fought with dignity, gathered his brothers-in-arms with faith, together with Adolfus Ramanauskas-Vanagus, were the alpha and omega of our resistance. In today’s fight for justice, they are a source of inspiration and hope for society,” said the Prime Minister.

The first leader of the restored independent Lithuania, Vytautas Landsbergis, wished that this man’s life would enlighten the younger generations of Lithuania and strengthen the country in endless trials.

“Juozas Vitkus was, as it were, called by fate or heaven to take the helm when Lithuania stood up against inhumane violence, the ideology of hatred and plans to eliminate Lithuania in general, so that it would not exist in this world. Lithuania said “No”bet there „No” some special people were needed who were able and determined to sacrifice their personal life and family happiness so that Lithuania would be defended in the name of justice and humanity,” said V. Landsbergis.

Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anušauskas claimed that the goal of every occupier is to be forgotten – “so that those people are forgotten, so that their bones are not found”.

“Many years have passed, everything has been found, everything will still be discovered, not a single partisan is still waiting for those discoveries, not a single one is still in oblivion. I think Lithuania can do a lot to fulfill the hope of every freedom fighter who lived and died at that time, that they will be remembered and found”, said A. Anušauskas.

The remains were found in Leipalingi

J.Vitkus-Kazimieraitis is considered the main creator of the partisan resistance system.

The remains of a partisan who died in 1946 were discovered last October in Druskininkai Municipality, Leipalingi, in a building located on Dzūkų Street, where the Leipalingi Sub-Division of the NKVD-MVD-MGB was operating since 1944.

As the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of the Lithuanian Population announced, DNA tests confirmed that these are the remains of J.Vitkaus-Kazimieraitis, the commander of the partisan region of Southern Lithuania.

J.Vitkus, born in Mažeikiai County in 1901, graduated from the Kaunas Military School, later deepened his knowledge at the higher military technical courses in Kaunas, studied at the Brussels Military Command Engineering School, and after returning from studies abroad, served as the technical chief of the engineering battalion in Kaunas.

During the second Bolshevik occupation, he devoted all his energies to organizing partisan activities. As the highest-ranking officer in the partisan resistance, he played a special role – he established headquarters, prepared documents, and in 1946 he was elected commander of the Southern Lithuanian partisan area.

J.Vitkus-Kazimieraitis prepared important documents of the partisan struggle: “Partisan tactics and leadership”, “Partisan unit formation and leadership”, court-martial and award regulations, the text of the oath, etc., published the regional newspaper “Laisvės varpas”, wrote a war diary himself .

On July 2, 1946, J.Vitkus-Kazimieraitis was seriously injured during a clash with a detachment of Soviet MGB border guards near the village of Guobiniai and died soon after. The Chekists buried his body in the yard of Leipalingis MGB headquarters. After rumors spread about the death of an important underground participant, the arrested editor of “Laisvės varpo” Jonas Ivavičius was brought from Vilnius to confirm his identity, J.Vitkaus-Kazimieraitis’ body was exhumed for identification and buried again.

It is known from the documents of the Russian state archive that the then leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, was informed about the death of this fighter.

In 1997, J.Vitkus-Kazimieraitis was awarded the Order of Vytis Kryžius 1st degree by presidential decree. An engineering battalion of the Lithuanian army, a high school in his native town of Tirkšliai, streets in Vilnius, Kaunas, Varėna are named after him.

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#Vitkus #postwar #partisan #commanders #buried #Antakalnis #cemetery #Vilnius
2024-09-15 06:43:08

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– Who was J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis and what role did he play in Lithuanian history?

Title: Honoring a Hero: Vilnius Bids Farewell to Lithuanian Partisan Leader J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis

Meta Description: Hundreds gather at Vilnius University Saint John’s Church and Antakalnis cemetery to pay respects to J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis, a founding figure of the Lithuanian state and partisan leader. Read about the commemoration and tributes paid to this national hero.

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H1: Honoring a Hero: Vilnius Bids Farewell to Lithuanian Partisan Leader J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis

H2: Justice Day

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Article Content:

Hundreds of people gathered at Vilnius University Saint John’s Church and Antakalnis cemetery to bid farewell to J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis, a historical figure and one of the founders of the Lithuanian state. The ceremony was attended by prominent figures, including Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and the first leader of the restored independent Lithuania, Vytautas Landsbergis.

Vilnius native Ona Kavalčukienė paid her respects to J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis, recognizing his role in laying the foundations for today’s independence. She emphasized the importance of unity and focus in the face of global challenges. Janina Daračiūnienė, who also attended the funeral, wanted to honor all fallen partisans, including her classmate’s father, who was a partisan liaison and was shot in an ambush.

During the mass, Archbishop Kęstutis Kėvalas hailed J. Vitkė-Kazimieraitis as a hero of the Homeland. He praised the partisan leader’s selflessness, hard work, and devotion to the cause of freedom. Priest Gintaras Vitkus, the grandson of J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis, delivered a sermon, highlighting his grandfather’s remarkable life and legacy.

Justice Day

Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė noted that the day of justice has finally dawned in the history of the state, which J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis had prayed for. She expressed her honor in accompanying the highest-ranking officer to his eternal resting place. The Prime Minister also drew parallels between the struggle for independence during J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis’ time and the current fight for justice in Ukraine and elsewhere.

Vytautas Landsbergis wished that J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis’ life would inspire and enlighten the younger generations of Lithuania, strengthening the country in the face of endless trials.

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J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis

Lithuanian partisan leader

Vilnius University Saint John’s Church

Antakalnis cemetery

Independence

Freedom struggle

Justice Day

Lithuania’s history

* National hero

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