Lietuviai Rusijoje Pirmojo pasaulinio karo metais

LTPirmasis pasaulinis karas prasidėjo bosniui Gavrilui Principui 1914 m. birželio 28 d. Sarajeve nužudžius Austrijos–Vengrijos imperijos sosto įpėdinį Pranciškų Ferdinandą ir jo žmoną Sofiją Hohenberg. Austrija–Vengrija tuo apkaltino Serbiją ir, gavusi Vokietijos palaikymą, paskelbė Serbijai karą. Tuomet Rusija besąlygiškai parėmė Serbiją, paskelbdama kariuomenės mobilizaciją, dėl ko Vokietija rugpjūčio 1 d. paskelbė karą Rusijai, rugpjūčio 3 d. – Rusijos sąjungininkei Prancūzijai. Lengviausiu keliu Prancūzijos puolimui Vokietija pasirinko neutralią Belgiją, kurią užpuolus, rugpjūčio 4 d. Anglija paskelbė Vokietijai karą. Netrukus karas apėmė visą Europą, Artimuosius Rytus, o 1917 m. ir JAV. [Iš teksto, p. 156]

ENWith the outbreak of the First World War in August 1915, Lithuania became a frontal territory, through which the Russian army, after losing the battles to Germany in 1915, retreated to the East. It was retreating with people and animals, burning crops and houses on the way. At the same time, companies, schools and many refugees were evacuated to Russia. They were taken care of by the War Victims’ Committee established in Vilnius, the activities of which were coordinated by the Tsarist Tatjana Committee established in St. Petersburg. The Lithuanian representative in this committee was Martynas Yčas, a member of the Russian State Duma, through whose activities 80% of the funds for the assistance of Lithuanian deportees and refugees were received from the Tsarist Tatjana Committee. In 1915 the whole territory of Lithuania was occupied by the German military authorities. Most of the evacuated Lithuanian schools and teachers found shelter in Voronezh, which became the centre of Lithuanian education in Russia until the end of the war. Famous Lithuanian educators Jonas Jablonskis, Sofija Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė, Priest Mykolas Krupavičius, Pranas Mašiotas, Juozas Balčikonis, Zigmas Žemaitis, Leonas Bistras, Juozas Vokietaitis and others played active role there. After 1917, during the February Revolution, political parties were allowed to be established and operate in Russia, which Lithuanian refugees took advantage of. On November 16 – 19, 1917, on the initiative of Jonas Jablonskis, Pranas Mašiotas and Kazys Grinius, a congress of Lithuanian parties was convened in Voronezh. It elected the Supreme Council of Lithuania in Russia chaired by Pranas Mašiotas.The main issue discussed was the future of the Lithuanian nation. It was decided that Lithuanians must strive for Lithuania’s independence. This action of the Council was opposed in Russia on October 25, 1917 by the Bolsheviks who seized power, and in February 1918 the Council was banned, and its members imprisoned. Priest Mykolas Krupavičius was sentenced to death, but he managed to secretly leave Voronezh and cross the front line to Vilnius. Lithuanians began to return to their homeland from Russia only after March 3, 1918 when Russia’s peace treaty with Germany was concluded in Brasta, Lithuania. Lithuanians could return en masse from Russia only after a peace treaty between Lithuania and Russia was concluded on July 12, 1920 but priests living in Russia were still held in prisons by the atheist authorities. And only on October 19, 1933 ten priests, including Bishop Teofilius Matulionis (now blessed), were exchanged for 24 Bolshevik commanders who had carried out anti-state activities in Lithuania. [From the publication]