Konstancija ir Jonas Jablonskiai

JONO JABLONSKIO GYVENIMAS IR VEIKLA EGLĖ LUKĖNAITĖ-GRICIUVIENĖ National Museum of Lithuania KONSTANCIJA AND JONAS JABLONSKIS Jonas Jablonskis was born on December 30, 1860 (December 18 according to the old style). His father, Juozapas Jablonskis, a widower with three young children, married Agnieška Šipailiūtė for the second time. In addition to the eldest, Jonas, Agnieška and Juozapas Jablonskis had three more children: Antanas, in 1867; Jurgis, in 1870; and Marytė, in 1875. At the time, the Jablonskis family farmed in Kubilėliai*, near Naumiestis; later, the family moved with all seven children to Rỹgiškiai, in the parish of Griškabūdis. Jonas Jablonskis began attending primary school in Naumiestis in 1869, and the Marijampolė Gymnasium in 1872. His mother’s uncle, the priest Juozapas Šipaila, supported his studies at the gymnasium. His parents, too, dreamed of their son becoming a priest, but Jonas was not at all inclined toward the priesthood. The further he progressed, the more his talent for philology, and especially classical languages, became apparent. J. Jablonskis graduated from the gymnasium with a gold medal in 1881. Having decided to study classical philology at Moscow University, the young man lost the support of his benefactor, his uncle Šipaila, and set off for Moscow with barely enough money for the journey. In his first year he earned his keep by tutoring others, and from his second year onward he received a scholarship. In Moscow, something took place that had been too familiar, commonplace, and close to home—the love and interest in his native Lithuanian language, and Jonas Jablonskis’s own national awakening. He was greatly influenced by the philology professors who taught at the university: Fiodoras Koršas, an expert in classical languages, and the Balticist and Slavist * The Encyclopedia of the Lithuanian Language (2008) states that Jonas Jablonskis was born in Kubìliai. On the claim that J. Jablonskis’s native village was Kubilėliai, linguists Giedrė Čepaitienė and Algirdas Malakauskas of Šiauliai University write in “Where Was Jonas Jablonskis Really Born?”—see Mokslo Lietuva, No. 3, 2011 02 03. Editor’s note. E. LUKĖNAITĖ-GRICIUVIENĖ. Konstancija ir Jonas Jablonskiai 9 Filipas Fortunatovas. In Lithuania at that time, the official policy of Russification in some schools was counterbalanced by Polishness and Polonization—as if an intellectual ought to be ashamed to speak “like a peasant.” A turning point was needed in the consciousness of young scholars. Students, gathered together among strangers, began encouraging one another to cast off their “gentlemanly” Polishness. In 1885 Jonas Jablonskis completed his studies in classical philology at Moscow University. Disappointments awaited him on his return to Lithuania: as a humanities scholar—and not an Orthodox Christian—he was deemed unsuitable. There was no position for him in either the Vilnius or Warsaw educational district, nor in the gymnasiums of Kazan, Kharkov, or Transcaucasia. The only work left to a graduate philologist was tutoring. After beginning to teach the children of the landowner Tomas Zanas in Žemoji Panemunė, Jonas Jablonskis found success—Zanas recommended him for the post of clerk at the Marijampolė court. Having proved himself a great worker, he was recommended onward to the curator of the Riga educational district, who appointed him assistant “desk chief” in the chancery at Mintauja (now Jelgava), and in November 1889 a teacher of ancient languages at the Mintauja boys’ gymnasium. When the gymnasium teacher Jonas Jablonskis mentioned to his friend Gabrielius Landsbergis-Žemkalnis that he was looking for a wife who would speak Lithuanian at home, the latter reminded him of the sister of Adomas Sketeris, an acquaintance from his Moscow days, from Joniškėlis. Gabrielius said that Konstancija Sketerytė was more Lithuanian than a Lithuanian girl and very well educated. There was just one complication: the groom was Catholic, while the bride was an Evangelical Reformed Christian. At the time, this was a serious obstacle to starting a family. Konstancija Sketerytė married Jonas Jablonskis the very summer they met. The wedding took place on the bride’s side, at the Švobiškis Evangelical Reformed Church, on July 24, 1890, after all canonical and civil permissions had been obtained. The life journey shared by Konstancija and Jonas Jablonskis began in Mintauja, where the young family spent what were probably the most beautiful and happiest six years of their lives. Their eldest children were born there: their son Konstantinas, in 1892, and their daughters Ona, in 1894, and Julija, in 1896. In Mintauja, J. Jablonskis taught classical languages at the boys’ gymnasium. At the time, a third—and later even half—of its pupils were Lithuanian. “We, the lower-grade pupils, felt that J. Jablonskis was different from the other gymnasium teachers. He invites the older pupils to his home. When they return, full of some kind of serious secret, they meet more often and, shut away, discuss something. [...] From afar, we all loved Jablonskis and were proud of him.” (Mironas 1921: 536–537). 10 KALBOS KULTŪRA | 83 From Mintauja, J. Jablonskis wrote intensively for Varpas, attended to questions of language, and corrected articles by other authors, since by no means everyone was able to write well in Lithuanian. In the summer of 1894, under the pretext of the christening of the newborn Onytė (the godparents were Vincas Kudirka and Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė), a meeting of the Varpininkai was held in the Jablonskis’ apartment. These were the only home where Lithuanian students could gather and socialize. They celebrated weddings, christenings, and name days together, and marked other events. Evenings featuring plays and songs were held there, and papers were read. Antanas Smetona, J. Jablonskis’ student in Mintauja, wrote: “On holidays we would go to the Jablonskis’ home [...]. Everyone was touched by a sensitive Lithuanian spirit, by the warmth of the family [...]” (Smetona 1921: 534). Active Lithuanian intellectuals gathered in the Jablonskis’ home, united by a single ideal—the Fatherland. “In Mintauja they would hold secret meetings, timing them to coincide with religious festivals, when there were many people everywhere, so that the police would not notice; as a precaution, they would put beer snacks on the table. Kriščiukaitis, Bulota, Mašiotas, Liandsbergis-Žemkalnis, Rev. Tumas, and others would gather. They would hold their meetings during mass, since at other times it was unsafe. Jono’s brother Jurgis and sister Marijona, whom he taught, would take the manuscripts, letters, and parcels to the post office.” (Strimaitis 1921: 522). It was especially important not to remain silent during the press-ban years. Jonas Jablonskis also involved his wife Konstancija in his educational work. K. Jablonskienė wrote herself and copied texts edited by her husband. As the Lithuanian national movement, its press, and its contributors were persecuted, the authorities’ attention was drawn to the activities of J. Jablonskis, a gymnasium teacher. In 1896 the Jablonskiai had to leave Mintauja: the teacher was transferred elsewhere, to a place much more remote from Lithuanian life—Revel (present-day Tallinn). J. Jablonskis’ state of mind in Revel can be better understood from the recollections of his contemporaries. Kazimieras Jokantas, a former student of his in Mintauja, wrote: “When I began visiting more often, we would talk about one thing or another. One thing that struck me was his constant sadness. He would stand by the stove, lost in thought, and remain silent for a long hour, saying nothing, seeing nothing of what was happening around him. It was clear that everything here was foreign to him, that nothing pleased him, nothing drew him in. He viewed his transfer from Mintauja as a banishment.” (Jokantas 1921: 542). It should be noted that in tsarist times the work of civil servants, especially teachers, was watched very closely. His closest friend in Revel, Jonas Bulota, wrote: “Jablonskis’ work in Revel was sharply divided into two parts: as a teacher for the Russian authorities and as a Lithuanian activist. [...] He was the magnet that drew all the Lithuanian intelligentsia of the time to him. All those who had suffered or been wronged in one way or another would seek—and find—in him especially heartfelt sympathy and useful advice, and very often material assistance as well, particularly students, through lessons: when they came, they would usually stay right at his home.” E. LUKĖNAITĖ-GRICIŪVIENĖ. Konstancija ir Jonas Jablonskiai 11 (Bulota 1921: 544–546). While studying medicine at the University of Dorpat, Petras Avižonis often visited the Jablonskiai. “There was never a holiday when several students, his former pupils from Mintauja, did not come to visit him from Dorpat [Tartu] [...] we were happy to enjoy one another’s company between our studies in such a warm atmosphere. And Jablonskis, after entertaining us for a week or longer, would press something into our hands ‘for the road,’ apologizing that he had no more to give.” (Avižonis 1921: 532–533). The Jablonskis family always spent the summers in Lithuania, usually with relatives or friends. J. Jablonskis himself would travel to Lithuania to study dialects, taking his family along “so that the children, as he used to say, would grow fond of Lithuania and, when grown up, feel themselves to be Lithuanians wherever they were.” (Bulota 1921: 554). On February 16, 1899, another son, Vytautas, was born to the Jablonskiai in Revel. In 1900 J. Jablonskis prepared one of his most significant works, A Grammar of the Lithuanian Language, published in Tilsit in 1901 under the pseudonym Petras Kriaušaitis. In 1900, Lithuanian press carriers were caught near Palanga, followed later by distributors; a large chain of suspects was uncovered, searches were conducted, and these reached Revel as well. J. Jablonskis was, of course, also searched, and “evidence” was found. There were Lithuanian books, words collected for a dictionary, and gathered folklore in abundance; moreover, it was discovered who was hiding behind the pseudonym Obelaitis, who wrote for Varpas. J. Jablonskis spent exactly a year without an official job, and the family was left with no income at all. Then, a year later, came even worse news: J. Jablonskis was exiled to Pskov. In 1902 the family was separated for the first time; the eldest son, ten-year-old Kastukas, left with his father. After his petition for clemency was granted, J. Jablonskis returned from exile a year later, barred from visiting the capital. A period of unending family wanderings began, with the family settling in one place for only a few years at a time. In 1903–1904 the Jablonskiai lived in Šiauliai. J. Jablonskis had no government job and received only occasional work. In the autumn of 1904 the whole family moved to Vilnius. J. Jablonskis began working for the editorial offices of the first Lithuanian daily newspaper, Vilniaus žinios, and Lietuvos ūkininkas, for the “Aušra” book-publishing company; he corrected the language of various books being published and edited translations. The restoration of the Lithuanian press brought boundless joy, but also disappointments that things were not as one would wish. Political and public life was bustling in Vilnius. J. Jablonskis was a democrat, showing civic courage and principle through his writings and by signing collective protest letters. Once Lithuanian could be taught in schools, at the initiative of G. Landsbergis-Žemkalnis, a Lithuanian Language Teaching Committee was established, 12 KALBOS KULTŪRA | 83 who began to take care of the matter. After great effort, J. Jablonskis began teaching Lithuanian as an elective in several Vilnius schools, although there were difficulties with payment for the lessons. In the summer of 1906, the Jablonskis family welcomed another child—a son, Jonukas. In the autumn of 1906, J. Jablonskis obtained a position as a non-staff teacher at the Panevėžys Teachers’ Seminary and moved with his family to Panevėžys. The linguist and educator, concerned about literature in his native language, brought young people together to translate. He involved not only his wife and children in this activity, but also his students. Wherever J. Jablonskis lived, work followed him, and his wife was his closest assistant. In Panevėžys, a new misfortune befell the family—J. Jablonskis fell ill with kidney disease. The illness dragged on, and its insidious consequences apparently determined the subsequent state of his health. In 1908, the family was scattered once again. With great effort, J. Jablonskis obtained a full-time teaching position in Brest. His wife and five children remained in Panevėžys. They lived apart for two years. They saw one another in the summers, although the father devoted his free time to matters of the Lithuanian language or went away for treatment. In the spring of 1909, the eldest son, Konstantinas, graduated from Panevėžys Gymnasium and left to study in Saint Petersburg. At the end of the summer of 1910, Konstancija set out with the children to join her husband in Brest. Life in a new place brought new worries. It was not easy for the children to adapt to an unfamiliar environment either. The mother’s letters to her son reveal J. Jablonskis’s steadily deteriorating health: “Dad is still working just as much; now he is preparing an article on matters of language. His legs seem weak; this year he is much worse than at this time last year.” (Lukėnaitė-Griciuvienė 2009: 91). In 1911, J. Jablonskis published his second major work under the pseudonym Rygiškių Jonas, Lietuvių kalbos sintaksė, and a year later another booklet, Rašomosios kalbos dalykai. After J. Jablonskis obtained a teaching position at the Grodno boys’ gymnasium in 1912, the family moved closer to Lithuania. Julija Žymantienė-Žemaitė visited the Jablonskis family in Grodno more than once. Žemaitė’s writings were being published at just that time, and J. Jablonskis edited them. The linguist once remarked: “From Žemaitė’s writings I myself learned the most living, most beautiful language of the people.” (Rimantas 1956: 127). What caused the greatest concern was J. Jablonskis’s visibly worsening health: “[...] Dad should start taking something to strengthen himself, because he seems very worn out; he can hardly eat and sleeps poorly [...]. When he is not writing some little article, things are more or less all right, but if he starts writing something, then goodbye to both food and sleep.” (Lukėnaitė-Griciuvienė 2009: 97). E. LUKĖNAITĖ-GRICIUVIENĖ. Konstancija ir Jonas Jablonskiai 13 In the autumn of 1914, J. Jablonskis was transferred to Veliž. The family moved to a distant backwater in Vitebsk Governorate, far from the railway and far from their loved ones. Whatever hardships weighed on the Jablonskis household, there was always money for charity or some noble national cause. J. Jablonskis was not stingy in this respect. In his letters to his son Konstantinas, we read: “My dear boy! I am sending you 25 rubles, 5 rubles for a hungry day, and 10 rubles for your society’s needs.” (Lukėnaitė–Griciuvienė 2009: 122). They stayed in Veliž for only a year. When the First World War began and the Germans occupied Lithuania, many Lithuanians retreated into the interior of Russia. The Lithuanian Society for the Relief of War Victims sent many Lithuanian young people to Voronezh. At the initiative of Martynas Yčas, with the support of Tsar Nicholas’s daughter Tatjana, two Lithuanian gymnasiums—one for boys and one for girls—were opened in Voronezh in the autumn of 1915, and Pranas Mašiotas was appointed director. J. Jablonskis was officially invited to teach Lithuanian. Although seriously ill, J. Jablonskis’s work in Voronezh was highly significant and much needed. “His work among his people, teaching the native language to pupils and teachers in a place where so many young people had gathered, was extraordinarily fruitful and beyond price. Teachers, writers, linguists, and groups of pupils began to gather around him. Terms were established, textbooks for schools prepared, and books published. Every more important matter was discussed with Jablonskis taking part, and every substantial text or book was published only after he had edited it. In the gymnasium itself, among pupils and teachers, his authority as an experienced educator stood very high...” (Yčas 1921: 570). In 1917, because of his health, J. Jablonskis had to give up his teaching post at the gymnasium, but remained a member of the board of trustees of the boys’ gymnasium, edited textbooks, and corrected language. In the summer, the first “Saulė” courses for Lithuanian teachers were organized, and J. Jablonskis was also invited to lecture. In Voronezh he prepared and published Lithuanian reading texts Vargo mokyklai (1916), the textbook Aritmetika. Mokslo pradžia ir terminai (1917), and Mūsų žodynėlį (1918). The Jablonskis family returned to Lithuania with the entire Lithuanian colony in June 1918. The whole Voronezh gymnasium fitted into freight cars or third-class passenger carriages (because of the husband’s illness, the Jablonskis family travelled first class). The journey was long and exhausting. They reached Vilnius after two weeks. J. Jablonskis no longer got out of his wheelchair. Grįžęs į Vilnių, jis išleido Lietuvių kalbos gramatiką (1919). Tų pačių metų balandį Vilnių užėmus lenkams, dalis lietuvių inteligentų pasitraukė 14 KALBOS KULTŪRA | 83 to Kaunas. Only after several months did J. Jablonskis and his family receive permission to move to the temporary capital. Life for the Jablonskis family in Kaunas was modest, and they continued to move from one apartment to another. J. Jablonskis’s health had deteriorated so much that he not only could no longer walk, but was not always able to write with his own hand. In the autumn of 1919, he was invited to head the Lithuanian language courses for teachers at the “Saulė” Society’s higher courses and to teach there. When the University of Lithuania was established in Kaunas in 1922, J. Jablonskis was elected its honorary member and professor. He gave lectures in his apartment (now Jablonskis Street), where a larger room had been converted into a lecture hall. He thus worked at the university until the autumn of 1926. Meetings of the faculty council, consultations, and meetings of the Spelling and Terminology Commissions were even held in that home lecture hall. During the last decade of his life, J. Jablonskis worked very intensively. In 1922, his Lithuanian Grammar (a new, expanded edition) appeared; in 1925, A Lithuanian Language Textbook; and in 1928, Cases and Prepositions. During that period he wrote as many as 234 articles on questions of language. He no longer wrote his articles himself, but dictated them to his wife, son, or students. There was more than one volunteer scribe. “Jablonskis usually worked from morning until noon. He ate lunch in the adjoining room, where his wife or a student would wheel him up to the table (the student-scribe was often invited to eat with them). After resting, the professor worked intensively again until evening, sometimes until late.” (Masiliūnas 1974: 21–22). The last decade was especially difficult for Konstancija Jablonskienė, living with her husband, who was partially paralyzed. After living for a time on A. Mickevičius Street, in 1928 they moved in with their daughter, the ophthalmologist Ona Landsbergienė, on Kęstutis Street. Although his mind remained clear and his spirit unbroken, J. Jablonskis’s physical condition deteriorated completely. Every summer, K. Jablonskienė took her husband to Palanga. The journey was complicated: they traveled by medical train to Klaipėda and then by car. He needed considerable assistance; a maid was hired, and later a nurse as well. In February 1930, Jonas Jablonskis came down with the flu. On February 23, in the hospital, “he peacefully and forever fell asleep, surrounded by his family” (Vaičiūnas 1930: 67). Three years later, after one of Jonas Jablonskis’s comrades-in-arms, Juozas Tuma-Vaižgantas, had been buried, composer Jonas Nabažas wrote in his diary: “the most beloved man drew the largest crowds and all the organizations, but even so, Jablonskis’s funeral in Independent Lithuania has thus far not E. LUKĖNAITĖ-GRICIUVIENĖ. Konstancija ir Jonas Jablonskiai 15 vienas dar neaplenkė, nes, be Kauno, ir provincija jose dalyvavo“ (Nabažas 2007: 118). Konstancija Jablonskienė died on April 19, 1948, and was buried beside her husband in the Kaunas city cemetery. Incidentally, a decade later the Jablonskis family’s remains had to be moved to Petrašiūnai Cemetery. The Jablonskis’ daughter Julija wrote in a letter to her brother Vytautas in Cleveland: “I think you should know that we had to move our grandparents from the city cemetery to Petrašiūnai. They’re going to make a park in the old cemetery.” (Lukėnaitė-Griciuvienė 2009: 42). LITERATŪRA Avižonis P. 1921: Jablonskis Mintaujoj, Revely, Pskove. – Lietuvos mokykla 12, 530–533. Bulota J. 1921: Jablonskis Mintaujoj, Revely, Pskove. – Lietuvos mokykla 12, 544–547, 554. Yčas M. 1921: Vėl už Lietuvos sienų: Breste, Gardine, Veliže, Voroneže. – Lietuvos mokykla 12, 565–573. Jokantas K. 1921: Jablonskis Mintaujoj, Revely, Pskove. – Lietuvos mokykla 12, 540–543. Lukėnaitė-Griciuvienė E. 2009: Konstancijos ir Jono Jablonskių šeima, Vilnius: Lietuvos nacionalinis muziejus. Masiliūnas K. 1974: Atsiminimai. – Mūsų kalba 7, 21–22. Mironas V. 1921: Jablonskis Mintaujoj, Revely, Pskove. – Lietuvos mokykla 12, 536–537. Nabažas J. 2007: Dienoraščiai 1922–1945, Vilnius: Typoart. Rimantas J. 1956: Žemaitė gyvenime ir kūryboje, Vilnius: Valst. grožinės lit. 1-kla. Smetona A. 1921: Jablonskis Mintaujoj, Revely, Pskove. – Lietuvos mokykla 12, 533–536. Strिमaitis J. 1921: Iš jaunystės laikų, mokslo ir pirmųjų darbo metų. – Lietuvos mokykla 12, 516–522. Vaičiūnas V. 1930: A. a. Jablonskį atsimінus. – Kalba 1 (2), 67. Gauta 2010 11 05 16 KALBOS KULTŪRA | 83 THE FAMILY OF KONSTANCIJA AND JONAS JABLONSKIAI Summary Jonas Jablonskis was born on 30 December 1860 in Kubilėliai near Naumiestis. Besides their eldest son Jonas, Agnieška and Juozapas Jablonskiai had another three children: Antanas, Jurgis and Marytė. Soon after Jonas’ birth, the family moved to Rygiškiai. Jonas Jablonskis attended the Naumiestis elementary school, then continued his schooling in the Marijampolė gymnasium which he finished in 1881 with distinction and was awarded a gold medal. His interest in languages encouraged him to choose Classical Philology for studies at the University of Moscow. Professors Fiodor Korsh and Filip Fortunatov had a major influence on Jablonskis’ growing interest in his native Lithuanian language. In 1885, J. Jablonskis graduated from the university but it took him another four years to get a teacher’s position in the Mintauja boys’ gymnasium where he started teaching ancient languages. In 1890 Jonas Jablonskis, a Catholic, married a very well-educated Konstancija Sketerytė who belonged to the Reformed Church. Their first children were born in Mintauja: son Konstantinas (1892) and two daughters, Ona (1894) and Julija (1896). The other two sons, Vytautas (1899) and Jonas (1906), were born in other places to which the family moved from Mintauja. J. Jablonskis was extensively writing on language. His articles were published in the Varpas and the liberal Russian press. The Jablonskis’ family home was frequented by the activists of the Lithuanian intelligentsia who shared a common future vision of their motherland. In 1896, teacher J. Jablonskis was transferred to Revel (currently Tallinn) which was far away from Lithuania and the ideas of freedom. The Jablonskis family could only visit their homeland during summers. In 1900, J. Jablonskis completed one of his most significant works, Lietuviškos kalbos gramatika (Grammar of the Lithuanian Language), which came out in 1901. Yet soon after this he was trialed and charged in a notorious case related to the violation of the Lithuanian press ban. As a consequence, in 1902 Jablonskis was deported to Pskov in Russia. Upon his return, Jablonskis lived in Šiauliai (1903–1904), Vilnius (1904–1906), taught part-time in the Panevėžys teachers’ seminary (1906–1908). His second major work, Lietuvių kalbos sintaksė (Syntax of the Lithuanian Language), came out in 1911 and a year later Rašomosios kalbos dalykai (On the Written Language) appeared. When two Lithuanian gymnasia in Voronezh for war immigrants were opened in 1915, J. Jablonskis was officially invited to teach Lithuanian. It was during this period that he prepared and published a reader in Lithuanian titled Vargo mokyklai E. LUKĖNAITĖ-GRICIUVIENĖ. Konstancija ir Jonas Jablonskiai 17 (1916), a textbook in mathematics Aritmetika. Mokslo pradžia ir terminai (1917) and a dictionary titled Mūsų žodynėlis (1918). 1918 saw the return of the whole Lithuanian colony, the Jablonskis family included, from Russia to Lithuania. In Vilnius, J. Jablonskis published Lietuvių kalbos gramatika (The Grammar of Lithuanian) (1919). When Vilnius was occupied by Poland, the family moved to Kaunas. J. Jablonskis’ health was getting weaker, he could hardly walk and sometimes could not even write. As a sign of recognition, the linguist was awarded the title of professor and honorary member of the University of Kaunas, which was established in 1922. During the last ten years of his life he intensely worked and published the following books: Lietuvių kalbos gramatika (1922), Lietuvių kalbos vadovėlis (A Textbook of Lithuanian) (1925), Linksniai ir prielinksniai (Cases and Prepositions) (1928). He also prepared 234 articles on language which were dictated to his wife, son or students. In February 1930, Jonas Jablonskis got the flu and died in hospital on 23 February. EGLĖ LUKĖNAITĖ-GRICIUVIENĖ Lietuvos nacionalinis muziejus Arsenalo g. 1, LT-01100 Vilnius [email protected] 18 KALBOS KULTŪRA | 83