Lithuanian National Revival

The Lithuanian National Revival, also known as the Lithuanian National Awakening or Lithuanian nationalism, was a significant period in the 19th century for Lithuania, a time when most of the area where Lithuanians lived was under the Russian Empire. This era saw Lithuanians beginning to strive for self-determination, leading to the formation of a modern Lithuanian nation and eventually to the re-establishment of an independent Lithuanian state. Key figures in this movement included Vincas Kudirka and Jonas Basanavičius, and it happened alongside similar national awakenings across 19th-century Europe.

Before this revival, there was an early 19th-century "Samogitian revival" influenced by Vilnius University students like Simonas Daukantas and Simonas Stanevičius. A later wave of Lithuanian national revival occurred in the late 20th century, known as the Singing Revolution.

During the 19th century, due to long-term Polish-Lithuanian unity and Russification policies by the Russian Empire, Lithuanian language and culture were in decline. The Lithuanian language, mostly spoken by rural populations, faced the threat of extinction, especially as the nobility became Polonized and the general use of Lithuanian was limited. However, various factors, including scholarly interest in the language, the end of serfdom, and an emerging sense of Lithuanian identity, contributed to its revival. The Catholic Church also played a role by easing barriers for commoners to join the priesthood, which helped promote the Lithuanian language.

The revival of national identity was challenged by the Lithuanian press ban following the 1863 uprising but began to take shape among educated Lithuanians, leading to the publication of Lithuanian newspapers and literature that romanticized the nation's past. Despite Russian opposition, the movement towards independence grew, culminating in the Great Seimas of Vilnius and a significant rise in literacy among Lithuanians.

The first comprehensive study of the Lithuanian National Revival was by Michał Pius Römer in 1908, highlighting the importance of this period in forming the Lithuanian nation and its path to independence.

Category:History of Lithuania