It is the largest association of  Zemaiciu culture in Lithuania.

Samogitian Pasport - A Certificate of Samogitian Cultural Association

The association’s headquarters is in the Zemaiciu Alka Museum in Telsiai.

 

Address: Muziejaus g. 31, LT-5610 Telsiai, Lithuania. Tel. (8-294)53728
Chairman: Stasys Kasparavicius. Tel. (8-294)53728
Vice-chairman: Adomas Butrimas. Tel. (8-22)620025, 424444

The association’s Information and Cultural Centre and the Editorial Board are in Vilnius.
Address: A. Jaksto g. 5, LT-2600, Lithuania. Tel./fax: (8-22)614809.

The quarterly magazine Zemaiciu zeme (Samogitian Land).

The association consists of branches, societies and circles whose activities are based on the statute of the Samogitian Cultural Association adopted at the society’s congress.

The association’s branches:

Akmene ­ Leopoldas Rozga. Tel.: (8-295) 51474, 51050, 51667

Alytus ­ Birute Oriniene. Tel.: (8-235)34679

Biržai ­ Joana Kvederaviciene. Tel.: (8-220)52574, 52443

Druskininkai ­ Rimantas Markauskas. Tel.: (8-233)53181

Juoniškis ­ Tel.: (8-296)51487, fax: (8-296)51442

Kaunas ­ Petras Stanius. Tel.: (8-27)735525. Onute Auskelaite. Tel.: 735525

Kretinga ­ Vida Kanapkiene. Tel.: (8-258)53505, 52840

Klaipeda ­ Janina Zvonkuviene. Tel.: (8-262)14975, 96973

Mazeikiai ­ Adele Cholodinskiene. Tel.: (8-293)32637, 72433

Panevezys ­ Violeta Staisiūnienė. Tel.: (8-254)31092, 37660

Palanga ­ Augustas Narmontas. Tel.: (8-236)57518

Plunge ­ Stase Berzonskaite. Tel.: d. (8-218) 57616

Raseiniai ­ Alfredas Brauklys. Tel.: (8-228)52579, 48944. Staponas Miltenis. Tel.: (8-228)52951

Rokiškis ­ Algirdas Prusinskas. Tel.: (8-278)52994

Seda (Mazeikiu rajonas) ­ Griciene Genovaite. Tel.: (8-216)45747

Siauliai ­ Juozas Pabreza. Tel.: (8-21)432746, fax: (8-21)431417, 435459

Telsiai ­ Vaclovas Bartkus. Tel.: (8-294)52076, 51231

Vieksniai (Akmenes rajonas) ­ Aušrele Gurauskaite. Tel.: (8-295)36358, 36366, 36304

Vilkaviskis ­ Jurgis Kiunas. Tel.: (8-242)54480

Vilnius ­ Dalia Dirgeliene. Tel.: 751367

Zemaitiu Kalvarija (Plunges rajonas) ­ Edmundas Mickunas. Tel.: (8-218) 41862

Kelme ­ Algimantas Armonas. Tel.: (8-297)51675, 53530. Fax: (8-297)51675

Silale, Taurage ­ Kazimieras Juknius. Tel.: (8-269) 51118

 

Societies:

Simono Stanevičiaus society ­ Juozas Girdzijauskas. Tel. (8-22)775594, 728217

Šatrijos Raganos society ­ Adele Cholodinskiene. Tel. (8-293)32637, 72433

 

Circles:

History ­ Adomas, Butrimas. Tel.:(8-22)424444, 620025. Fax: (8-22) 619966

Language ­ Juozas Pabreza. Tel.: (8-27)432746)

Literature ­ Viktorija Daujuotyte. Tel.: (8-22)610897, (8-22)768956

Folklore ­ Zita Kelmickaitė. Tel.: (8-22)616323

Art and Architecture­ Algirdas Zebrauskas. Tel.: (8-294)51555

Information and Publishing ­ Danute Mukiene. Tel./fax: (8-22)614809

Ethnography ­ Laima Martinaviciene. Tel.: (8-294)53728

Museums ­ Adele Cholodinskiene. Tel.: (8-293)326637, 72433

Education ­ Zivile Banduoriene. Tel.: (8-22)779881, 231551

Folk art – Juozas Vysniauskas. Tel.: (8-216)51474, 51420

Business ­ Alfonsas Laukys. Tel.: 8-29925940

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• The national rebirth that started in Lithuania in the late 1980’s was especially distincctive in Samogitia. It was initiated and led in this area by artists, scholars and cultural workers who lived or had been born in Samogitia and never broke off their ties with the region.

• In 1987 the first Varniai Conference dedicated to the first decade of Lake Biržulis exploration was held. During the conference the idea of establishing a Samogitian Culture Association (SCA) was first expressed by Vaclovas Vaivada and historian Antanas Kulikauskas.

• At the Alka Museum in Telšiai on 27 November 1988 46 Samogitians, concerned with Samogitian cultural heritage, its past and future, gathered together and the SCA was founded. Stasys Kasparavičius was elected chairman. The SCA is an independent public organisation. Its primary purpose is to promote culture and historical identity of Samogitians and strengthen the independent state of Lithuania.

• One of most important public events from this period was the commemoration of the 48th anniversary of the Rainiai tragedy that took place on 24 June 1989. The event was widely discussed and it united Samogitians for the rebirth.

• SCA took care that in the summer of 1991 of a chapel was built with the funds donated by the public near the site where the killings took place in 1941.

• From the very beginning SCA continued the traditions of the society founded by Pranas Genys in the years between the wars.

• The association hekped to restore Samogitian symbols, explored history, ethnography, literature and the press as well as immortalised the memory of Samogitia’s persons.

• Throughout a short period of time SCA branches and societies were founded in almost every Samogitian region as well as in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Siauliai, Alytus and Panevezys.

• In 1994-1997 more and more Samogitians who lived far away from Samogitia became interested in the activity of the association – it resulted in establishing new SCA branches in Vilkaviskis, Rietavas, Druskininkai, Birzai, Panevezys, Joniskis.

• The first congress of the association was held on 25 May 1991. The S. Stanevičius Society , founded in 1989 and led by Professor Juozas Girdzijauskas, has actively participated in the activity of the association right from the start. It develops its activities in southeast Samogitia, arranges conferences, issues annals Aitvarai.

• The association is concerned with the issues of Samogitian language and its return to public life.

• The first Samogitian newspaper A mon sakaa? (Editor Danutė Mukienė) was issued in Palanga in May 1991.

• Columns and even pages in Samogitian were included in most local papers.

• Janina Zvonkuvienė, manager of Žemaičių Alkierius, initiated samogitian television programmes.

• The first Samogitian magazine Žemaitija was issued in the autumn of 1993. The name of the magazine was changed to Zemaiciu zeme (Samogitian Land) starting from the issue. It replaced the newspaper A mon sakaa?.

• The editorial office moved from Palanga to Vilnius in 1995 and the SCA Information Centre was established. In 1995-1997 the association published: the quarterly Samogitian Land magazine, several books.

• Samogitian radio programme initiated by journalist Jurate Grabyte became very popular.

• The Lithuanian Heraldry Commission approved the Samogitian emblem and flag on 21 July 1994.

• The Samogitian Art Museum was opened at the Oginskiu Palace in Plunge in the summer of 1994.

• In 1993-1997 the association was mostly concerned with the restoration the architecture and cultural monuments in Varniai. The seminary has beenrebuilt. A project of a monument for Bishop Merkelis Giedraitis and Canon Mikalojus Daukša has been designed (sculptor Arūnas Sakalauskas). The foundation stone was laid in the autumn of 1995 donations for the monument are collected.

• The third SCA congress was held in Telšiai on 6 January 1996 with delegates from 27 branches and societies partipating. The regulations of the association were supplemented, and 11 branches were established. For the first time the restored Samogitian flag was hoisted above the Zemaiciu Alka Museum on the day the congress was held.

© Samogitian Cultural Association Editorial Board, 1998. Page updated 2000.05.08. Comments to: samogitia@mch.mii.lt