The Heroisation effect and the ethico-legal considerations behind the heritage of "Lituanica"

LTStraipsnyje aptariami jautrūs teisiniai ir etiniai aspektai, susiję su Kaune saugomu transatlantinio "Lituanicos" skrydžio materialiuoju paveldu, lakūnų asmeniniais daiktais ir ypač lėktuvo liekanomis. Šių vertybių pargabenimas į Lietuvą iškart po 1933 m. liepos 17 d. Vokietijoje įvykusios "Lituanicos" katastrofos, jų reikšmė ir vyraujanti samprata nagrinėjama heroizmo diskurso ir besiformuojančių heroizmo studijų (angl. Heroism Science) kontekste. Gretinant naujausius archyvinio tyrimo duomenis ir tradicinę herojiniu naratyvu grindžiamą paveldo interpretaciją, sprendžiamas klausimas: kaip amerikiečių privati nuosavybė virto Lietuvos viešuoju paveldu, ir kodėl jai prigijo veikiau relikvijos nei tirtinos istorinės vertybės statusas? Svarstomi trys etapai, kuriais reiškėsi heroizavimo įtaka: 1) prielaidas kūrė pasaulinis technologinis progresas, aviatoriaus įvaizdis nacionalinio herojaus diskurse ir patriotinių idealų steigtis Lietuvoje; 2) po katastrofos vertybės į Kauną perkeltos skubos tvarka, be aiškios strategijos, tik oficialiai suteikus lakūnams tautinių didvyrių statusą; 3) perkėlus vertybes, kolektyvinė atmintis susitelkė Kaune, ir herojinį idealą bei relikvijų statusą lėmė tautininkų, vėliau sovietų ideologiniai kriterijai. Kaip inertišką paveldo sampratą ir būklę įtakos heroizmo studijos ir diskurso kaita, mokslinis pažinimas ir atminties kultūros raida? Heroizavimo aspektas Lituanicos įvairialypę problematiką įtvirtina dar platesniame tyrimų lauke. [Iš leidinio]

ENThe scope, the impact, and the popularity of commemoration of the Lithuanian American pilots Stephen William Darius (1896-1933) and Stanley [Thomas] Girch (1893-1933), aka Darius and Girėnas, are considered to be unprecedented in the history of Lithuania and the Lithuanian diaspora. On July 15-17, 1933, Darius and Girėnas flew over the Atlantic Ocean and died in a crash in Germany (now Poland), en route from New York to Kaunas, the interim capital of Lithuania. From then on, regardless of (re-)occurring shifts of ideology and culture, the widespread presence of commemoration of Darius and Girėnas was mostly state-backed, steadfast or expanding (except for the suppression under the Stalinist regime and the early years of Soviet occupation in 1945-1958). Contemporary historiography provided a few, but solid notions of its synergetic sociocultural power, and emphasized political significance which lies in unifying strength. Several studies even contoured the formation of the heroic cult of Darius and Girėnas. Until recently, however, the general tendency has been to give a blind eye to the underlying contradictory trends in the hero-worship of Darius and Girėnas: the popularity of the heroic ideal, the scarcity of the historical facts, and also the unheralded legal inconsistencies and possible ethical controversies behind the material heritage related to the Lituanica flight held in Kaunas, Lithuania. How, precisely, does the American origin of the flight relate to Lithuania’s possession of the physical remains of both pilots, their private belongings and the remnants of the modified Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker aircraft, Lituanica? The latest empirical findings suggested that translocation of the remains and remnants from Germany to Lithuania was not entirely in accordance with the pilots’ will or with the consent of their families and supporters in the United States.It has been a public secret, and finally has become an established fact, that Darius and Girėnas were naturalized American citizens, certified American commercial pilots, and co-owners of an American-registered aircraft: it was acknowledged by the United States Department of Commerce, the State Department, and the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and also provided for by the Memorandum of Agreement by the pilots and by the Indenture between the pilots and trustees. Combining the archival revelations and the research approach inspired by the framework for the emerging heroism science, this article provides further insights into the underexplored aspects of the material heritage of the Lituanica flight. Keywords: Darius and Girėnas, heroism, heroisation, heroic ideal, heroic cult, Lituanica. [Extract, p. 107-109]