Išeivių iš kaimo tapatybės paieškos: miesto folkloro sąjūdis

LTStraipsnio objektas – XX a. 7-ajame dešimtmetyje Lietuvoje kilęs folkloro sąjūdis, reiškęsis miesto kultūrai būdingomis formomis – įvairiais viešais renginiais, nors dalis jo veiklos buvo ne vieša, vykdavo nedideliuose rateliuose, tarsi kaimo bendruomenių susibūrimuose. Tyrimo tikslas – paaiškinti folkloro judėjimą kaip pirmosios miestiečių kartos kultūros reiškinį. Straipsnyje siekiama aprašyti folkloro sąjūdžio pradžią, remiantis jo pirmeivių – iš kaimo kilusių lietuvių inteligentų rašytais moksliniais tekstais bei prisiminimais. Metodai: aprašymas, interpretavimas, 7-ojo dešimtmečio šaltinių ir vėlesnių prisiminimų gretinimas. Išvada: nors Lietuvos gyventojų migracija buvo netolima, jie kėlėsi iš kaimų į didesnius miestus arba į sostinę, išeiviai iš kaimo jautė prarastos tėviškės ilgesį, tą ilgesį ramindavo keliaudami, nuolat atnaujindami ryšį su žeme, gamta, dainuodami liaudies dainas. Svarbiausi folkloro judėjimo uždaviniai buvo siekis įprasminti buvimą naujoje vietoje, miesto kultūros sulietuvinimas ir lietuviškos tapatybės kūrimas. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Bendruomenė; Fokloras; Tautosaka; Globalizacija; Išeiviai; Kaimas; Kultūra; Miestas; Miesto kultūra; Sąjūdis; Tapatybė; Tautosakos rinkimas; Vilnius; City; Collecting of Folklore; Community; Countryside; Culture; Emigration; Folklore; Globalization; Identity; Identyti; Lithuania; Movement; Urban Culture; Village; Vilnius.

ENAuthor describes the folk movement in Lithuania that began in the 1970s and manifested in ways characteristic to urban culture–various public events, although part of the activities were not public, took place in small circles, almost like in rural community gatherings. The folklore movement began because there was a need to express what many felt, knew, understood. Folk songs and music spoke in Aesop’s language, their metaphorical expressions were important for those who sought to preserve the national identity and encourage others to do so. The folklore movement emerged in the city, maybe even in Vilnius University. Its appearance was encouraged by students who listened to lectures, were inspired by their extraordinary experiences at concerts, get-togethers, hikes, folklore collection expeditions. The movement was also strengthened by folklore recordings, songs and stories, non-fiction and fiction books. The participants were able to recognize each other from their clothing, jewellery, the songs they could sing. Singing folk songs was a way of delivering a message, it pushed people to get involved in the movement. If someone knew a rare song, then they became part of the movement, they could be privy to information that wasn’t shared with the public. The folk movement, which manifested in the rebirth of traditional culture, the activities of folklore ensembles, was part of a broader ethno-cultural movement. This movement sought to grasp the deeper levels of human consciousness, it covered local history studies, the reconstruction of Baltic mythology, scientific and artistic works. The main tasks were the cities’ cultural Lithuanisation and development of the ever-changing national identity. The movement was especially pronounced in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, which in 1919-1939 was occupied by the Polish; in the Second World War it survived the Russian and German occupations; and later, until 1990, it suffered under Soviet occupation.The denationalized city especially needed a stronger base of Lithuanian culture. This began to be developed by the peasant children who moved to the city, by the descendants of free farmers who had gained an education under difficult conditions and had become city-dwellers. Although the 20th c. Lithuanian population’s migration was on a local scale (people moved from rural areas to larger cities or the capital), those emigrants still felt longing for their lost homeland, they dreamed of their native homesteads, the tall trees, the gardens, courtyards, trails. Folklore ensemble participants lessened that longing by traveling, constantly updating their connection with the land, nature, or they sang about it. Artists drew inspiration from their experiences in the villages, from their childhood memories; more than one of them immortalized their abandoned home in their works. Changing place of residence and the desire to give meaning to life in a new place, in the capital city, the cultural centre, was one of the most important trials of Lithuanian society; it was reflected in both spontaneous and professional artistic expression. [From the publication]