Lithuanian music making in forced exile: fiddle and fiddling

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Liaudies muzika; Liaudis; Lietuviai; Muzikos reikšmė; Mėgėjų ir profesionalios muzikos kūrimas; Mėgėjų ir profesionalios muzikos kūryba; Sibiro tremtiniai; Skripka; Smuikas; Sovietinis laikotarpis; Amateur and professional music-making; Fiddle; Folk; Folk music; Forced exiles to Siberia; Lithuanians; Music signification; Soviet period; The fiddle; Violin.

ENDuring the Soviet times it was not possible even to talk about the political prisoners and other to Siberia deported people and their culture, musicmaking. The situation changed in the end of 1980s. Now we know that many musicians of several ranks, and even their whole families and kinships, were among approximately 280 thousand Lithuanians deported by the Soviet Union government to Siberia between 1940-1953. The aim of this article is to reveal how the fiddle or violin playing traditions were continued in the forced exile and what role they played in deporteeís lives. According to historical and typological methods, the article provides an overview of published and archival historical sources. The research shows that fiddlers or violinists played a great role in preserving and maintaining Lithuanian culture in forced exile. They usually were leaders of various ensembles, actively organized traditional feasts and other cultural events. Their music making was of great relevance to the deporteesí state of mind, and even physical survival. [From the publication]