120 years ago, on December 4–5, 1905, the first Lithuanian congress was held in Vilnius. It was an event of great significance, demonstrating the strong desire and will of the nation to unite for a better political future. This event, which attracted an incredibly large number of participants, became a powerful incentive to work towards the complete independence of Lithuania.

According to contemporary accounts, the idea to convene a congress of national representatives in Vilnius came from Jonas Kriaučiūnas, who shared it with Jonas Basanavičius and Petras Vileišis. It was decided to convene the congress immediately, so on November 2, 1905, about 20 proactive compatriots were invited to the editorial office of Vilniaus žinios, where Basanavičius presented the idea and proposed to form an organizing committee for the congress. Fifteen prominent figures of various political views were elected to the committee, and Basanavičius was entrusted with the duties of chairman. With the committee’s approval, on November 11, 1905, Vilniaus žinios published “Atsišaukimas į lietuvių tautą” (An Appeal to the Lithuanian People), in which compatriots, at least one person from each district and parish, were invited to come to Vilnius on December 4–5 to discuss the current situation of their region and people and decide how to achieve a better future. The invitation to gather in Vilnius for a common cause was received with enthusiasm. On December 4, 1905, delegates gathered not only from all over Lithuania, but also from Latvia, Russia, Poland, and Ukraine. The congress of Lithuanian representatives, soon named the Great Seimas of Vilnius, worked for two days in the City House (now the premises of the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society). About 2,000 people of various classes and views participated in the Seimas. The main issue that caused the most controversy was the demand for autonomy for Lithuania with a democratically elected Seimas in Vilnius. Although the vast majority of participants supported the idea of autonomy, they disagreed on how to achieve it. Some proposed to obtain it by force of arms, while others believed that it should be pursued through peaceful political and legal means. Finally, after heated debates, the participants of the congress managed to reconcile the demands of the right and the left and unanimously adopted four main resolutions. They declared that Lithuanians must educate themselves and unite the forces of all existing political parties to fight against their current enemy, the tsarist government, and demand autonomy within the current ethnographic borders of Lithuania and its outskirts, where a significant number of Lithuanians live. It was also decided to demand that the native Lithuanian language be used in districts, churches, and schools, that schools be purely nationalistic, and that teachers be selected by the people. The Seimas resolutions, called Pirmojo lietuvių tautos atstovų suvažiavimo nutarimai (the Resolutions of the First Congress of Lithuanian Representatives), were printed by Petras Vileišis’ printing house. With a print run of 36,000 copies, they were distributed throughout the country. The political goals and expectations of the nation announced in them encouraged and inspired Lithuanian society to continue fighting for their rights.

After the Seimas, cultural and social activities intensified throughout Lithuania, especially in Vilnius, from 1906 onwards. Art, science, and education societies were established, Lithuanian newspapers and schools were founded, and Lithuanian plays, concerts, and evenings were organized. At that time, the first Lithuanian opera, Birutė, was composed. The premiere of the two-act melodrama written by Gabrielius Landsbergis-Žemkalnis took place on November 6, 1906, in the City House. The role of Birutė was played by Marija Piaseckaitė-Šlapelienė, Keistutis (Kęstutis) by Kazys Puida, and the music was composed by Mikas Petrauskas. The premiere of Birutė was a significant event in the history of the revival of Lithuanian theater, marking the beginning of national opera. It was staged again in Vilnius in 1909, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the first Lithuanian theatre performance, Amerika pirtyje (America in the Bathhouse), which was staged in Palanga.

The Great Seimas of Vilnius, bringing together various social groups, united the Lithuanian people for political purposes. The idea of Lithuanian autonomy raised at the Seimas was implemented on February 16, 1918, when the Lithuanian Council adopted a resolution proclaiming “the restoration of an independent, democratically organized Lithuanian state with its capital in Vilnius.”

The exhibition features photographs and documents from the collections housed in the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore, Vilnius University, the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, as well as the Lithuanian Theatre, Music and Cinema Museum, the Lithuanian National Museum of Art, and the National Museum of Lithuania.

Exhibition curator Jūratė Gudaitė
Architect Giedrė Narbutienė
Designer Jurga Karosaitė

Exhibition organizers: National Museum of Lithuania, Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society