Garšvių knygnešių draugija ir Anykščių krašto knygnešiai

LTLietuvos istorijoje yra daug pavyzdžių, kai prislėgta, dvasiškai palaužta tauta pasiaukojančiu susitelkusių idealistų darbu nugalėjo didžiausius pavojus. Spaudos draudimo metai (1864-1904) yra svarbus laikotarpis Lietuvos istorijoje, padėjęs suvokti, kad esame lietuviai, kad turime gyventi savoje nepriklausomoje valstybėje, kurios rytas išaušo 1918 m. vasario 16 dieną. Prūsijoje pradėjus spausdinti lietuviškus laikraščius bei knygas, raštai plito po visą Lietuvą, pasiekdami net mažiausius bažnytkaimius ir sodžius. Šalia Krekenavos miestelio, dabartiniame Panevėžio rajone, prie pat Vadaktėlių įsikūrusio Garšvių kaimo gyventojai panoro gauti daugiau spaudinių ir net patys juos platinti. Lietuviškų raštų platinimu ypač susidomėjęs Kazimieras Ūdra ėmė paslapčia aiškintis, kaip knygų parsigabenti tiesiai iš Prūsijos. [Iš straipsnio, p. 49]

ENThe time of ban of the Lithuanian press in the Latin alphabet (1864 - 1904) was an important period in the history of Lithuania. When the print of Lithuanian newspapers and books was started in Prussia, Lithuanian publications spread throughout Lithuania reaching even the smallest villages. Residents of the Garšviai village, located near the small town of Krekenava, in Panevėžys district, joined in the work of distributing the Lithuanian press. In 1885, there was founded the Garšviai Book - Carriers Society. The founders were Jurgis Bielinis, Kazimieras Ūdra, Vincas Kazanauskas, Juozas Neteckis, Jonas Račiūnas, Juozas Sakalauskas. The books, brought to Garšviai from Prussia, were distributed throughout the surroundings. From there the ways led to Anykščiai region, the Griežionėliai manor near Andrioniškis. The owner of the manor, Stanislovas Didžiulis, a descendant of the noble family, his wife, writer Liudvika Didžiulienė-Žmona, not only distributed the Lithuanian press, but also contributed to the "Aušra" (the Dawn) and other periodicals of that period. From Griežionėliai the books were spread throughout the surroundings, reached Kupiškis, Zarasai, Utena, Ignalina, Molėtai and even the Lithuanian communities beyond the borders of ethnic Lithuania. There were 60 book-carriers in Anykščiai region: farmers, retailers, beggars, priests. To take to such hard and dangerous work, they were first of all fostered by their national consciousness, their wish to resist against the oppression of the Czarist administration. Publications of a religious and of a secular nature were being distributed.The book-carriers used to hide them in the thatched roofs of buildings, under the hay in barns, in the piles of stones, in the shelters arranged in the dwelling - houses. An original shelter for the banned press has survived in the Didžiuliai farmstead-museum in Griežionėliai. The Garšviai Society operated successfully tor almost 10 years until on 13th June 1885 its initiator K. Ūdra and later other members were arrested. The Society was destroyed, but ihe transportation of Lithuanian publications didn't stop, each year their flow to Lithuania increased. The Czarist administration, infuenced by the democratic state of the public of that period, after the 40 years of ban. on 7th May 1904 restored freedom of language and press to the Lithuanians. Today, when we celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the regaining of the Lithuanian press, we are glad that the relations between the Garšviai land and Anykščiai region are still alive. [From the publication]