Klaipėdos universitetas

The article is devoted to the research of activities of illegal Polish culture organizations in Vilnius during the turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries. The author reminds that Vilnius city and the whole Vilnius land belonged to so-called North-West district of Russian Empire at the beginning of 20th Century. From the time of suppression of January Uprising (1863-1864) the Russian government introduced in this land a severe regime of ruling. They attempted in the same time to suppress the spirit of enslaved nations by means of destruction of their culture. In a consequence the Polish society in Vilnius hasn’t a possibility to act legally in the field of culture and science, therefore it begun to create illegal structures. As the first such attempt was the Committee for building of Adam Mickiewicz monument organised in 1897. It was a manifestation of patriotic stand and aspirations for a liberty of Polish people.