On May 7, Lithuanians celebrate Press Recovery, Language, and Book Day — a celebration of the Lithuanian book and the perseverance of the Lithuanian nation. On April 24, 1904 (May 7 according to the modern calendar), after 40 years of Russification and the Lithuanian press ban, Tsar Nicholas II once again permitted Lithuanian publications printed in the Latin alphabet.
After the uprising of 1863, Lithuanian publications in Latin script were prohibited. The Tsarist authorities allowed books printed in Cyrillic script, known as “graždanka,” but Catholic prayer books often included Orthodox holidays and prayers, so many Catholics refused to buy them.
Despite the harsh persecution of the Lithuanian written word, publications in Latin script continued to grow during the ban thanks to book smugglers and secret teachers. After the ban was lifted, Lithuanian publishing expanded rapidly: by 1914, around 3,600 publications had appeared, with another 1,100 issued during the war years. Most were relatively small publications, but they reflected a remarkable public interest in books and reading.
In the exhibition space near the Long Reading Room, visitors can explore not only a brief history of the press ban, but also the contrafactual publication Kaip nuspakajiti sumene, the Lithuanian Album published in America, and other rare books from the period.
