Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas
Encyclopedia
Viburnum
Viburnum is a genus of about 150–175 species of shrubs or small trees in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. Its current classification is based on molecular phylogeny...
; January 6, 1893 in Pilotiškės – June 7, 1967 in Kačerginė
Kačerginė
Kačerginė is a small town west of Kaunas. The town of Kačerginė is located in Kaunas County, central Lithuania. Kačerginė was officially proclaimed a health resort in 1933. The only in Lithuania motor racing circuit Nemuno Žiedas was opened in 1960...
) was Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n poet and writer. He was also a priest, but renounced his priesthood in 1935.
Biography
In 1909, Mykolaitis enrolled to the Seinai Priest Seminary, after few years he published his first poem. In 1915 he was ordained as a priest, however he questioned his mission as a priest. Later he continued studies at the Saint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological AcademySaint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy
The Saint Petersburg Roman Catholic Theological Academy was an institution of higher education preparing Roman Catholic theologians in the Russian Empire. The Academy granted master's and doctorate degrees in theology and was designed to prepare officers for senior positions in the Catholic Church...
. In St. Petersburg, Mykolaitis published his first collection of poems in 1917. After St. Petersburg, Mykolaitis continued his studies at the University of Fribourg
University of Fribourg
The University of Fribourg is a university in the city of Fribourg, Switzerland.The roots of the University can be traced back to 1582, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisius founded the Collège Saint-Michel in the City of Fribourg. In 1763, an Academy of law was founded by the state of Frobourg...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and received doctoral degree in 1922.
After studies in western Europe Mykolaitis settled in Lithuania, teaching at the University of Lithuania. During his stay in France, Mykolaitis started to work on his the most famous novel – Altorių šešėly (In the Shadow of the Altars). The 3-part novel was published in 1933 and caused a scandal in Lithuania as it described a priest doubting and eventually renouncing his calling. In 1935 Mykolaitis renounced his priesthood. In 1940 he started to work at Vilnius University
Vilnius University
Vilnius University is the oldest university in the Baltic states and one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. It is also the largest university in Lithuania....
, there he became professor.
Mykolaitis died in 1967 and was buried in Rasos Cemetery
Rasos Cemetery
Rasos Cemetery is the oldest and most famous cemetery in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is named after the Rasos district where it is located. It is separated into two parts, the old and the new cemeteries, by a narrow Sukilėliai Street. The total area is 10.8 ha...
, Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. Among other notable works of Mykolaitis were novel Sukilėliai (unfinished), Tarp dviejų aušrų and others.