VILNIUS-NATIONAL POET- SCULPTURE UNKOWN

VILNIUS – NATIONAL  POET – SCULPTURE UNKNOWN

 

 

”… You have to go to Vilnius …” said Leon Bodd to me when I met him at his office in Oslo about twenty years ago . He was making an attempt  leaving his office carrying an old brown suitcase. I had done some work with Leon Bodd during the annual television arrangement to collect money for a charity goal. He was driving the car and I carried the collected money . We drove from Nordstrand to the center of the city of Oslo with the money.He was very devoted to support Lithuania. I must admit that my knowledge of the country was very limited at that time. It took me some years before Vilnius was a goal for my travellings. The Board of the  Baltic Audiovisual Archival Council (BAAC) had decided to set up a seminar in 2007 in the city . I did not contact Leon Bodd about the matter but  the Norwegian Embassy took part in the opening of the seminar. ”… Go to Vilnius…” he said years ago, and so I did .I returned to Vilnius in 2009 and 2013. Vilnius is a beautiful city. The old Town was included in the UNESCO World Culture Heritage list in 1994. Attending  a conference  is hard work. My legs want to move out of the conference room too often. Therefore I make my own walkings around in old cities like Vilnius to get a feeling of the city and to observe sculptures and memorial signs on the walls. Sculptures and history signs on the walls – targets for my walking alone. I passed him many times without paying much attention to the man, the sculpture: Adam Mickiewicz. I had no knowledge of the man, but I was fascinated by his face. A photo was taken. His face expressed a feeling of passion, a strong will,  and self- confidence . I have passed the sculpture many times during my  visits to Vilnius. He was not mentioned among my friends in Vilnius. When I came home from Vilnius in October 2013, I decided to get to know the man better. What a man to meet! What a personal history! The venue of the conferences of BAAC in Vilnius was the Vilnius University which was founded in 1579. The Vilnius University is one of the oldest universities in Central and Eastern Europe. Adam Mickiewcz and I have some common interests: The old university, politics, literature and travellings . So far, I had not read any of his books. His life is interesting. He enrolled at the Imperial University of Vilnius ( in Polish, Wilno)in September 1815 studying to be a teacher. He enjoyed the life of being a student. After graduating from the university, he was a teacher at Kaunas from 1819 to 1823. I am not going to tell you the whole story of his life. I leave that to you to study for yourself. My mission is wake you up when you pass a sculpture unknown next time you walk alone in a foreign city- somewhere .Take a photo and study the person later on. I promise you an interesting experience. Adam Mickiewics was a Polish national poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator, professor of Slavic literature and above all: political activist. He was born in 1798 and died in 1855.

He fought for an independent Poland. The Crimean War gave him an opportunity to be politically active again. Polish forces were organized by him to be used under Ottoman command against Russia. He died fighting against Russia. Like Lord Byron , he devoted himself to fight for a cause he believed in. He died in Istanbul in year 1855.

For your information only: Leon Bodd , a Norwegian liberal politician, businessman and advocate, fought for the liberation of Lithuania in 1990. His familiy came from Lithuania to Norway. He was the Honorary Council General for Lithuania in Norway for years. Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas ( Didziojo Lietuvos Kunigaikscio Gedimino Ordinas) was given to Leon Bodd in 1994.(In Norwegian: Storhertug Gediminas av Litauens orden) .
Additional information about labour immigration from Lithuania to Norway:
In 2003 the number of Labour immigration from Lithuania was approximately 756. In 2013 the number  of Labour immigration from Lithuania is 30.798.