Kunigo Petro Markevičiaus archyvas

ENPetras Markevičius-Markaitis - priest, poet, prosewriter, playwright, collector of folklore and painter - was born on 30 May, 1912 in Utena. He attended Utena Primary School, studied at the "Saulė" Gymnasium. After graduating from Kaunas Theological Seminary in 1938, he served as priest in Daunorai, Ančiškis, Dambava, Upytė, Kamajai, Biliakiemis. He died on 25 April, 1987 and was buried in the churchyard of Utena church. The presentation introduces the priest's rich archive: personal documents, photographs, correspondence, creative heritage. A large collection of photographs and creative works survived in manuscripts: leaflets and notebooks containing short stories, feuilletons, fairy-tales for children, fables, ethnographic material, short sermons, more than 4000 poems. In his youth Petras Markevičius signed his works under the pseudonym P.Markaitis. In the period of Soviet occupation the priests' creative works were not published. During the years of Independence there were published Petras Markevičius's posthumous collections of poetry "Tarp ūkanų ir saulės" (Between the Mists and the Sun") (1990), "Vienas žodis" (One Word) (1990) and "Viršukalnių aidas" (Echo of the Mountains) (1990). Priest Petras Markevičius found a kind of alternate way out — he began to paint. At first he painted in watercolours, then he took to oil painting. During 23 years spent in Biliakiemis he created more than 400 paintings, in which he perpetuated the environs of Biliakiemis, the farmsteads that now are already pulled down, old barns, the wayside shrines, cut down forests. After the priest's death exhibitions of his paintings were arranged in Utena, Vilnius, Panevėžys, Biliakiemis.