Klaipėdos universitetas

The article seeks to emphasize peculiarity of reception of the oeuvre of Prussian Lithuanian philosopher and writer Vydūnas. The author represents analysis of the literary polemic between Lithuanian writers Balys Sruoga and Julijonas Lindė-Dobilas. This polemic arose from B. Sruoga’s sharp review written for Vydūnas’s mystery play Jūrų varpai. Subsequently Vydūnas involves himself in to polemic with B. Sruoga which developed into direct literary controversy. The article discusses not only question about intricacy of Vydūnas’s works but seeks to answer the question: why B. Sruoga rejects professional critical evaluation of the play and insistently holds an opinion that Vidūnas’s oeuvre is unacceptable for Lithuanian reader. The article also introduces how after a few years changed B. Sruoga’s attitude in respect to Vydūnas’s personality and his oeuvre.

This article critically discuss and analize the predominant conception of Vydūnas as a representative of neovedantism. This predominant interpretation of Vydūnas religious identity was popularized by the most productive researcher of Vydūnas Vacys Bagdonavičius. Analysing methodological approach of V. Bagdonavičius and basing on hermeneutical view to fenomena of Vydūnas religious expression, it is indicated that the prime influence to Vydūnas religious identity formation was made by the junction and tension between Germanish liberal protestant theology and local, conservative ,,gathering crowd“ tradition, which impel Vydūnas to universal, confessionally neutral and sincretic interest for religions. Article reveals hypothesis, that Vydūnas creative- religious espression could be perceived as a development of basic liberal protestantic belief principles and its adaptation to concrete historical-cultural also political East Prussia lithuanians situation, in order to avoid confrontation between this two different religious traditions and politically consolidate nation.

The article analyse Vydūnas reception in Lihuanian cultural memory, its features and problems of a topic after restoration of independence in Lithuania. Investigation reveals ambivalentic tendency of Vydūnas reception, which in caused by cultural “distance” of Vydūnas – his reflective and creative work relations with Indian and German cultures. Vydūnas in his creative work links Indian east with mythological identity of Lithuanian culture and religion, so that in reception this eastern cultural component in transformed as one’s own. German – protestantic part of Vydūnas identity, which is marked only as separate element or historical episode, come into public attention field very rarely. Article talks about couses, reasons and meaning under such circumstances and analyse its meaning for Lithuanian cultural memory formation.