# Samogitian Cultural Society

Samogitian Cultural Society (Lithuanian: Žemaičių Kultūros Draugija; Samogitian: Žemaitiu Kultūras Draugėjė or ŽKD) is the largest Samogitian public cultural organization operating throughout Lithuania. Its based in the Samogitian Alka Museum [lt] in Telšiai.

## History

In 1987, the first Varniai archeological conference took place, dedicated to the decade of exploration of the Lake Biržulis basin. During the conference, Vaclovas Vaivada and historian Antanas Kulakauskas proposed forming a Samogitian cultural society. The founding meeting of the society took place on November 27, 1988, at the Alka Museum in Telšiai. The meeting was attended by 46 Samogitians and elected Stasys Kasparavičius as the first chairman.
On June 24, 1989, the society organized a commemoration of the 48th anniversary of the Rainiai massacre. It was one of the most important mass events of the society that contributed to the Singing Revolution. In summer 1991, the society built the Rainiai chapel-monument (architect Algirdas Žebrauskas who based his project on a 1942 sketch by Jonas Virakas). At the same time, the massacre site was cleaned up.
The first congress of the society took place on May 25, 1991.
In a short time, ŽKD branches and societies were established in almost all districts of Samogitia and larger cities of Lithuania: Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Alytus, Panevėžys. In 1994–1997, the activities of the society included Samogitians living further from Samogitia: new branches of the Society of Samogitians were established in Vilkaviškis, Rietavas, Druskininkai, Biržai, Panevėžys, Joniškis. In 1999, new branches of the society were established in Tauragė, Prienai, Švėkšna, Pabradė.

## Activities

The primary goal of the Samogitian Cultural Society is to raise the culture and historical self-awareness of the Samogitian population and to strengthen the independent state of Lithuania. The society is concerned with the restoration of Samogitian symbolism, research into the history of the region, ethnography, literature, the press, and the perpetuation of the memory of Samogitian luminaries.
In 1991, the first Samogitian newspaper A mon sakā? was published in Palanga. It was replaced by the first Samogitian magazine Žemaitija (later renamed to Žemaičių žemė) in 1993. Samogitian sections and separate pages in Samogitian language were published in regional newspapers of many districts and cities. In Klaipėda, the head of the Žemaičių alkierius collective Janina Zvonkuvienė took up organizing Samogitian television programs. In 1995, the editorial office moved to Vilnius. The ŽKD Information Culture Center was established in the editorial office of the magazine, and at the end of 1996, the Academic Samogitian Youth Corporation Samogitia was formed on its base.
On July 21, 1994, the Lithuanian Heraldry Commission approved the coat of arms and flag of Samogitia. In summer 1994, the Samogitian Art Museum was opened in the former Oginskis Palace in Plungė. In 1993–1997, the society mainly took care of the restoration of architectural and cultural monuments in Varniai. The reconstruction of the building of the Varniai Priest Seminary was completed, a project for a monument to the Bishop of Samogitia Merkelis Giedraitis and canon Mikalojus Daukša was created (sculptor Arūnas Sakalauskas). The cornerstone of the monument was laid in fall 1995, and donations for the construction of the monument began to be collected.