Kulturos Barai
Eurozine
Kulturos Barai
2006-09-13
Abstracts for Kulturos Barai 8-9/2006
***
Discussion about the State of Humanities. Part I.
Politics of scholarship, its administrators and community of humanitarians. Group of scholars: linguists, historians, philosophers talk about the situation of humanities. After independence scholars in humanities felt a push from outside. The community stayed aside. Nobody raised a question why humanities are needed and what is their social mission. Thus humanities are treated negatively, they are not understood as meaningful part of the life of our society. A lot of imitations (models and rules) are applied in administrating humanities
Virginijus SAVUKYNAS
Political Community of Those Who Have No Honor and Shame
Today a national consensus has been reached. It is agreed that Lithuania is in political chaos and crisis. It is also agreed that the cause of this crisis is the fact that moral criteria were moved from political field. It seems that public servants maintain that it is more important to serve their institution, but not Lithuania. And this is a tragedy of Lithuanian society
Tomas KAVALIAUSKAS
Identity and Challenges of Consumer Morality
Contemporary Western civilization is capitalist and global and this implies that consumer system on which it is based is universal and just. However, as a matter of fact pure capitalism is a rarity, there are some elements of socialism, for e.g. in health-care and educational systems (though this is more typical to Europe than to U.S.) Despite of this, even the most social form of capitalism (Scandinavian one) cannot escape ideology of consumption, notes philosopher Kavaliauskas
Hektoras VITKUS
The Minor Genocide? The evaluation of events in Eastern Prussia during the end of 1944-1945
Those scholars who research the issue of Eastern Prussia should be annoyed by the pluralism in operating with the notion of genocide. A serious discussion of paradigms of genocide and ethnocide and their application is needed. Such a discussion would help to review all notions and change them providing scholars new prospects and enabling to avoid relativity of the problem discussed.
Algimantas GRAZULIS
How Cultural Values are Devalued
The cultural heritage of Lithuania Minor so far is insufficiently understood on state and, especially municipal levels. Many objects of cultural heritage that represent the development of Lithuania Minor still lack appropriate research and evaluation from the point of view of monument protection. Archeological heritage, on the contrary, is far better taken care of. The society at large and local communities in particular as well as non-governmental organizations and institutions should be urged to get more involved in heritage protection of this unique region, insists the author
Neringa CERNIAUSKAITE
New Generation of Lithuanian Painters
It would be difficult to name present generation of Lithuanian painters under the name of some distinguished artists, as some critics used to do, because there are no visible stylistic trends in contemporary art. The art critic focuses on some most prominent personalities of the younger generation of painters that are active now and discusses peculiarities and strength of their works
Vaidas JAUNISKIS
Toward Ithaca
Annual overview of theater season in which plays staged at Vilnius theaters are discussed
Jurgita STANISKYTE
Spaces of Wishes
Annual overview of theater season in which plays staged at Kaunas theaters are discussed.
Vlada KALPOKAITE
Calendar Enumeration's of Actors: Who is Going to Find.
Annual overview of season's roles, discussing the most important works of actors at Lithuanian theaters during 2005/2006.
***
Clocks Strike Everywhere
Loreta Uzdraite talks to artist Birute Zilyte about book illustration.
Vlada KALPOKAITE
The Matrix of Theatre Wanderers
An overview of the New Drama Action that was devoted to communication of artists of different countries as one of the critical ways of creating contemporary theatre.
Liudvikas POCIUS
Historical Pictures of Giedrius Kazimierenas
The author discusses why we feel the lack of historical paintings and analyses the newest diptych of Giedrius Kazimierenas "Coronation of Mindaugas. Lithuania's Baptism" and "The First Statute of Lithuania"
Tomas STANIULIS
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities. An essay based on the writer's visit to two Northern cities: Norwegian Kirkenes and Russian Nikel. The author contrasts cultural differences of these geographically close towns and it is based on material collected during symposium "Connecting Barents"
Elena URBAITIS
Autobiographic sketches
The renowned artist writes about her fate as war emigre, her studies in Germany, France and life in USA, she tells about the fate of her relatives who stayed in Lithuania after soviet occupation
Algirdas GRIGARAVICIUS
The Society of Lithuanian Farmers -- Defenders of Farmer's Interests
In the second part of the article, historian continues to analyze the political activities of Lithuanian farmers in Lithuania during 1920-1923 and the reasons of the dissolution of Political and Economic Society of Lithuanian Farmers
Antanas KNIUKSTA
Burning and Destroying Books
One of the most renowned Lithuanian publishers tells that during 1940--1950, during two - Soviet and Nazi occupations -- more books were destroyed than during 400 years (1547--1950)
Ramunas TRIMAKAS
The World of Vinnie-the-Pooh in the Soviet Folklore
Almost serious essay on not serious things. Anecdotes about Vinnie represent social realities of the Soviet Union of eighties and nineties. They also represent the crisis of the Soviet society at large
Dalia KLAJUMIENE
New Research into Cultural Life of Znemune
Review of the book "Znemune: visuomene ir dvasinio gyvenimo procesai" (Znemune: Society and Processes of Spiritual Life), edited by Skirmante Smilingyte-Zeimiene, Vilnius: Kulturos, filosofijos ir meno institutas, 2005.
Krescencija SURKUTE
The First Lithuanian Battle Epos
Ironical essay on Lithuania's political life