| Abstract [eng] |
Semigallians – one of the tribes mentioned in the oldest historical sources about the Balts. In the 13th century Semigallians inhabited contemporary central Latvia and north-central Lithuania and had their own language, territory, political structure, material and spiritual culture. The object of the thesis – identity and cultural memory images of Zemgale region in Lithuania and their construction and functioning in the region of north-western Aukštaitija. Therefore, the object is examined in those cultural discourses, which have been attributed to cultural memory (organized, institutional and ceremonial communication, expressed through such forms as a ritual, festival, text and specialised bearers of tradition) by Jan Assmann. Zemgale region of Lithuania has not been legitimized as an ethnographical region or a subregion in Aukštaitija, therefore problemical questions have been raised – how historical-cultural Zemgale region in Lithuania could be defined and how its images of cultural memory could be identified? The main objectives were formulated: a) to represent the concept of identity and cultural memory theories that were employed in the thesis (the concepts of Manuel Castells’ identity, Jan Assmann’s cultural memory and Clifford Geertz’s interpretation of culture); b) to define historical-cultural region of Lithuania’s Zemgale; c) to reveal the ways in which identity and cultural memory of Lithuania’s Zemgale are (re)constructed; d) to present the cultural memory of Zemgale region in Lithuania as one of the dominant collective memories in the region. The theoretical part of this thesis is devoted to methodology and presents the concepts of Manuel Castells’ identity, Jan Assmann’s cultural memory and Clifford Geertz’s culture interpretation. The research revealed that the formation of collective identity and cultural memory images of Lithuania’s Zemgale reaches the Soviet period and gained clear identifications and (re)constructions only after the independence of Lithuania was restored, by the actualization of the territory’s local exceptionality and its cultural significance as unifying and providing stability. The chapter “Historical and Cultural Reception of Zemgale in Lithuania” demonstrates that a great number of research conducted by scientists in different fields of study and their publications led to historically valid formation of cultural region of Zemgale in Lithuania, underlying conception of Zemgale’s myth and identity of Zemgale. The chapter “(Re)construction and Expression of Identity and Cultural Memory in the Region of Lithuania’s Zemgale” reveals the ways in which it happens, also, the relation of identity and cultural memory is demonstrated. Attempts to legitimize the region, the input of non-governmental organizations, the role of specialized and local press, literature, cultural practices and individual mediations are analysed. Collective identity of Zemgale has been actively and single-mindedly formulated by “Žiemgala” association, which unites several subdivisions. This association acted in the centres of the country as well as in the periphery and united academic communities in Lithuania, artists and cultural activists who originated from this territory. This identity is usually reflected during political changes (after restoration of independence or after joining the European Union) as a legitimizing or defensive identity while competing with other identities. Therefore, the hypothesis that historical discourse of Lithuania’s Zemgale and collective memory transformations of north-western Aukštaitija’s residents in the 1990s determined actualization of Zemgale’s project identity and cultural memory was affirmed. Identity and cultural memory of Lithuania’s Zemgale has been constructed by periodically held events of different kinds, initiated by the association of “Žiemgala,” creating the symbols of Zemgale region, rituality of activities, giving prominence to the landscape and memory places in the region. Collective identity of Zemgale was constructed also by consolidating with the identity of Aukštaitija. Identity and cultural memory of the region have been created and established by specialised or local periodicals, which (with a few rare exceptions) convey the abstract cultural memory image of Lithuania’s Zemgale through various discourses of collective memory. The analysis of literature suggests that identity of Lithuania’s Zemgale has been constructed on the basis of imaginary mythical homeland. Literary images presuppose that unifying identity of Zemgale was determined by territory, extinction drama of historical tribe of Semigallians, dialect, periphery, contemporary cultural practices and famous people of the region. Identity of Zemgale is mediated also through individual practices – reconstructions of Zemgale’s heritage, their demonstrations, etc. This is how project identity appears, that is grounded on different life project, constructed in the forms of resistance or defence identity, but is oriented to the transformation of society. The results of the analysis also implicate that the identity and cultural memory of Lithuania’s Zemgale could be considered still as one of the most dominant only in the districts of Pakruojis and Joniškis. Elsewhere it is supressed by globalisation, popular culture and other identities, which are actualized by locality and determined by the changes of time. Their further analysis could extend the research of cultural memory in the future. |
