Jurgis Baltrušaitis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jurgis Baltrušaitis
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Baltrušaitis c. 1914
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| Born | 20 April 1873 Paantvardys village near Jurbarkas, Russian Empire |
| Died | 3 January 1944 (aged 70) Paris, France |
| Occupation | Diplomat, poet |
| Nationality | Lithuanian |
| Alma mater | Imperial Moscow University (1898) |
| Genre | Symbolism |
Jurgis Baltrušaitis (born May 2, 1873 – died January 3, 1944) was a famous Lithuanian poet and translator. He wrote his poems and other works in both Lithuanian and Russian. He was known for his unique style, called Symbolism. Besides his writing, Baltrušaitis was also an important political activist and a diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in other nations. His son, Jurgis Baltrušaitis Jr., became a well-known art historian.
Contents
Jurgis Baltrušaitis: A Life in Words
Jurgis Baltrušaitis was born into a farming family. This was in a village called Paantvardys, near Jurbarkas, which was then part of the Russian Empire.
Early Life and Education
In 1885, Jurgis started attending the Kaunas gymnasium, which is like a high school. He finished there in 1893. After that, he went to Moscow University. He studied science and math, but he also loved history and languages. Baltrušaitis was very good at languages. He learned 15 different foreign languages during his life!
Becoming a Writer
Around 1895, Baltrušaitis started working with literary magazines in Moscow. This is when he began writing his own works in Russian. He joined a group of artists and writers called the Symbolist movement. Symbolism was a style where artists used symbols and ideas to express feelings and deeper meanings.
With a friend named Sergei Polyakov, he started a publishing company called Scorpio. This company published important Symbolist magazines. These included Vesy and Severnyie Tzvety. They also published collections of poems by famous Russian Symbolist poets.
Baltrušaitis was part of Moscow's cultural scene. He was friends with many famous Russian writers and artists. These included Anton Chekhov, Maksim Gorky, and Konstantin Stanislavsky. Even Boris Pasternak, another famous writer, taught Baltrušaitis's children at home.
Published Works and Translations
Jurgis Baltrušaitis published six collections of poetry. Three were in Russian, and three were in Lithuanian. He also translated many modern books into Russian. He translated works by authors like Henrik Ibsen and Oscar Wilde. His translation of Hunger by Knut Hamsun is still considered a classic. It has been printed many times, even today.
Jurgis Baltrušaitis: A Diplomat for Lithuania
Between 1900 and 1914, Baltrušaitis lived in Italy and Norway. He also traveled a lot in other countries in Western Europe. During World War I and the Russian Revolution, he was in Russia. He worked hard to help Lithuania become an independent country.
Helping Writers and Serving His Country
In 1919, he was chosen to be the President of the Russian Union of Writers. He was known for helping many writers and thinkers. He worked to keep them safe during the early years of the Bolshevik government.
After Lithuania became independent in 1918, Baltrušaitis was given an important job. In 1920, he became Lithuania's ambassador to Russia. An ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomat who represents their country in another. He held this job until 1939.
In 1932, he received a special honor. Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas gave him an honorary doctorate degree. This is a special title given to people who have achieved great things.
In 1939, Baltrušaitis moved to Paris. He worked as a counselor at the Lithuanian embassy there. After the Soviet Union took over Lithuania, his son, Jurgis Baltrušaitis Jr., continued to work as a diplomat. He represented Lithuanian interests in some Western countries. Jurgis Baltrušaitis Sr. passed away in Paris in January 1944. He is buried in Montrouge Cemetery.
Images for kids
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Baltrušaitis on a 2023 stamp of Lithiania
See also
- Three hares
