Lietuvių nacionalinis naratyvas šiandien: kultūrinė mobilizacija į globalius iššūkius ar provinciali modernybės baimė?

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Vidurio Rytų Europa; Tautiniai naratyvai; Nacionalinės istorijos; Tarpdisciplininiai tyrimai; Central Eastern Europe; National Narratives; National Histories; Interdisciplinary Researches.

ENTraditionally there are outlined two big historical campuses on Lithuanian national narrative that embrace fundamental difference in world-outlook: traditional, based on conservative nationalism (rooted in 19–20th century Lithuanian nationalism fighting for state independence) and liberal nationalism, based on moral individualism (originated from soviet dissident personalities Aleksandras Štromas and Tomas Venclova, and American diaspora organization “Santara-Šviesa”). Lithuanian conservative nationalism is now evidently being mobilized seeking to defend Nation’s sovereignty in a face of Europeanization. It usually goes against elitism pointing to alienation between state’s authorities and the people in the political and social-economic life. It resembles the claims to retain the Tradition. On the other hand, according to dominant view in the public sphere, Lithuania successfully integrates to European Union while the traditional nationalism accumulates disappointed views of the losers, who wish the strong leader (relict of soviet mentality) and are against Europe, freedom and rationality. This discourse of ‘Progress’ often is backed by the requirements of human rights to respect homosexual rights, follow the standards of European countries etc. It is also fueled by traditional Lithuanian concern on Russia, trying to sustain ‘Europe’ as zone for safety and prosperity.The author raises the question how we should understand this clash between ‘Tradition’ and ‘Progress’? Is this new recovery of Lithuanian traditionalism just antimodern provincial reaction that should be abandoned as soon as possible (as it would stand for the advocates of ‘Progress’)? Or legitimate cultural mobilization against unfair (European) globalization that state’s establishment now is fully engaged for? By referring to various authors on the issues of globalization and nationalism (Charles Taylor, Craig Calhoun, Manuel Castells, Shmuel N. Eisenstadt) author draws the conclusion that the Lithuanian traditionalists’ intellectual arguments express similar concerns with those in global world. The revival of Lithuanian traditionalism is actually of the same kind as the cultural mobilization against unfair political, economical, social consequences of globalization. Since traditional national identity still constitutes the source for identity, the newly mobilizing forces naturally refer to it. As showed unsuccessful “referendum of Land” in 2014, the cultural mobilization on traditional national identity is going on against the unjust political establishment – it clearly indicates elitism, exclusion of citizens, abuse the initiatives “from bellow”. It is not against Europe, but rather it is for the greater democracy.In this situation the consolidation of liberal version of pro-European narrative is forming out which at the same time oppresses the conservative nationalism in the name of “Progress”. While it is reasonably criticizing popular xenophobic, homophobic, anti-Semitic, racist attitudes, at the same token it disregards the legitimate claims by “Tradition”, especially those on elitism, alienation, bureaucratic nomenclature, national cultural needs. More abstractly, the lack of moral individualism seems to be the major constraint of Lithuanian conservative nationalism in the times of individualization, consumption, pluralism, and ‘narcissist culture’. By contrast, Lithuanian liberal nationalism offers moral individualism that is open either to participation in own national culture, or to multilingual world. However, sometimes Lithuanian liberal nationalism is unwilling to recognize cultural and political concerns on democracy raised by the ‘Tradition’, and subscribes to ‘Progress’ narrative perhaps too uncritically. [From the publication]