page_title: Povilas Višinskis
section_title: Russian Revolution and death
hierarchical_section_title: Povilas Višinskis / Biography / Russian Revolution and death
caption_attribution_description: English: Povilas Višinskis place, sculptor of monument Stasys Žirgulis, arc. Edmundas Makštutis, Valentinas Mazuronis, Šiauliai, Lithuania Lietuvių: Šiaulių Povilo Višinskio aikštė, paminklo autorius Stasys Žirgulis, architektai Edmundas Makštutis, Valentinas Mazuronis
context_page_description: Povilas Višinskis was a Lithuanian cultural and political activist during the Lithuanian National Revival. He is best remembered as a mentor of literary talent. He discovered Julija Žymantienė and advised Marija Pečkauskaitė, Sofija Pšibiliauskienė, Gabrielė Petkevičaitė, Jonas Biliūnas, Jonas Krikščiūnas, helping them edit and publish their first works.
  As a biology student at the Saint Petersburg University, Višinskis conducted anthropological research on Samogitians which included detailed anthropometric measurements. After the university studies, he returned to Lithuania earning a living as a private tutor in various locations. Višinskis directed and played the main role in staging the first Lithuanian-language play America in the Bathhouse in 1899. When advertisements for another play printed in Lithuanian using Latin alphabet were confiscated by police as violating the Lithuanian press ban, Višinskis sued and obtained a favorable judgment from the Governing Senate in 1903.
context_section_description: He published various articles in Varpas on the Russian Revolution of 1905 – he called for the abolition of the Tsarist regime and did not support the State Duma, but did not go as far as to support the revolutionary socialism. He was delegated by the Lithuanian Democratic Party as a representative from the Vilna Governorate to the congress of zemstvos, organized by Pyotr Dmitriyevich Dolgorukov in October 1905. Two other Lithuanian delegates were Kazys Grinius and Vaclovas Bielskis. His main task was to raise the issue of Lithuania's autonomy within the Russian Empire, but the organizers refused to discuss the issue. He did not find support among Polish delegates and only managed to get some ideas published in Novoye Vremya. He returned further convinced that Tsarist promises, including the October Manifesto, cannot be trusted and that the revolution needed to go on. However, did not support an armed struggle and argued for passive resistance.
  Višinskis was a member of the organizational committee of the Great Seimas of Vilnius, but resigned and was replaced by Jonas Vileišis when he disagreed with Jonas Basanavičius over the Seimas' agenda. Višinskis wanted to emphasize political and social issues, while Basanavičius was a lot more cautious and concentrated on cultural questions. At the Seimas, Višinskis delivered at least four longer speeches on Lithuania's autonomy and borders, on the congress of zemstvos in Moscow, on difficulties faced by Lithuanian schools, and other topics. He was also active in calming down raucous delegates and urging a compromise resolution.
  After the Seimas, he became editor of Lietuvos ūkininkas, sponsored by the Lithuanian Democratic Party, but his strong support to the revolution attracted criticism and after the first two issues he was replaced by Antanas Smetona. Such internal disagreements led to the spin-off of the leftist Peasant Union. Višinskis continued to work on publishing various works, including his own pacifist brochure on war and a lengthy calendar for 1906. However, his health worsened and in February 1906 he was sent to Merano in the Alps for treatment. On his way, he stopped for a few days in Tilsit to deal with various issues publishing Lithuanian books and periodicals. Feeling ill, he disembarked in Berlin and found refuge with Veronika Janulaitytė, Biliūnas' sister-in-law who was studying medicine. He died on 23 April leaving his wife with a two-month-old daughter. His body was transported to Vilnius and he was buried at the Rasos Cemetery on 29 April.
caption: Monument to Višinskis in Šiauliai
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