Chethma De Mel, Jadetimes Staff
C. J. De Mel is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Entertainment News
For nearly four decades, bold smugglers transported around 40,000 Lithuanian-language books across the border to Lithuania every year, in an egregious breach of a ban under Russian rule.
The Panemunė road, over 100 kilometres along the longest Lithuanian river, the Nemunas, traces a route which until recently constituted the frontier between Lithuania and East Prussia - nowadays Kaliningrad, Russia. Locals regard it as the most romantic road in the country, as it twists its way past 17th-century castles, Renaissance mansions, and villages that look like they are from another world. On the other hand, Panemunė is also famous for being at the center of a very important movement in the late 19th century that saved the Lithuanian language, believed to be the oldest still surviving Indo-European language.
Originally established in the 13th century as a line of defense against Teutonic invaders, by the 1800s Panemunė developed into a busy trading and travel route. These days, the historical attractions that dominate it include the 17th-century Panemunė Castle, now a luxurious hotel and an artist residence, and Raudone Castle, a 16th-century fortress offering horseback riding, archery, and cultural fairs. On the road are Veliuona's ancient city, and the scenery hilltop castle of Seredzius-a view that reaches far to the Nemunas river. Along the route, Raudondvaris Castle is a 17th-century estate located with a concert hall, museum, and park at the confluence of the Nemunas and Nevezis rivers.
The Panemunė road was often described as the "paradise road" because of the scenic beauty and cultural richness that lined it. Comparisons have often been made between it and France's Loire Valley. Trips by boat down the Nemunas and local wine tastings are on offer, while numerous cultural events are organized in historic mansions along the route. But it is more than a beautiful region: Panemunė played an important role in the survival of Lithuanian culture during times when its expression was suppressed.
It is said that from 1865 to 1904, under the Russian tsarist rule, a complete ban on the Lithuanian language was promulgated even against its usage in print. But instead of the consequence that had been expected--namely, an overall Russification of that country--there emerged a resistance movement. The publishers, smugglers, and distributors then organized a great network, which managed to smuggle more than three million Lithuanian-language publications emanating from East Prussia and the US. As one historian, Vytautas Merkys estimated, more than 40,000 copies of Lithuanian publications entered the country every year on the Panemunė road.
Located near the borders of East Prussia and Poland, Panemunė became a significant entry point for these publications. Many smugglers crossed the Nemunas river, often with books on their bodies or hidden in steamboats or wagons, risking their very lives. The city of Kaunas, at the end of this route, would become a hotbed of cultural resistance to Russian rule and one of the major distributors of smuggled materials.
According to historian Vaidas Banys, these book smugglers were crucial for their role in preserving the Lithuanian language. They carried as much as 80 pounds of printed material, often hidden in more innocuous cargo like hay or furniture. Peasants, merchants, priests, and even doctors joined in the smuggling network, all working in tandem against the ban on Lithuanian literature.
Border crossing was dangerous, with imprisonment, torture, or execution of smugglers upon capture. Punishments also varied in consideration of the contents of the smuggled materials: religious texts were less objectionable, while newspapers that spoke for freedom and national identity received much harsher sentences, including death or exile to Siberia.
These smugglers also faced persecution and death. The efforts of these smugglers were truly worth mentioning. This contribution to cultural survival is still remembered, and every year Lithuania celebrates Day of Book Smugglers on 16 March. Monuments to their memory, such as the Wall of the Book Smugglers in Kaunas, historical interest places along Panemunė road, are dedicated to the sacrifice of those brave men and women.
Today, the road to Panemunė provides an opportunity for the traveler to feel the richness of Lithuanian history and culture, while the memory of the book smugglers serves only as confirmation of the strong spirit and language of Lithuanians.
