Current Research Projects
1730-1733 diary of A. K. Sapiega: source publication
The main aim of the project is to translate and publish the second part of the diary of Antanas Kazimieras Sapiega, the elder of Merkinė, covering the period 1730-1733. In accordance with the requirements of scientific publications, the translation is supplemented with scientific commentaries, a scientific introduction in Lithuanian/English, indexes of personal names and place names, and a scan of the original.
The project is funded by the Research Council of Lithuania
Publicaton of scientific journal `Lietuvos archeologija`
Lietuvos Archeologija [Lithuanian Archaeology] is an international peer-reviewed scientific journal which is publishing articles on subjects in archaeology of Lithuania and around the Baltic region. The articles accept original, previously unpublished themes in diverse topics and various profiles (problem-oriented, theoretical, methodological, interdisciplinary, and history of archaeology, the publication of material and archaeological sources, discussions, polemics, reviews, ongoing projects, etc.) in Lithuanian or English. All articles are published with short, accessible abstracts in Lithuanian and English. The editorial board includes scientists from Lithuania, various European countries and the USA. The contributions are peer-reviewed anonymously and the descriptions of the peer-review process is publicly available. The journal is published annually and has an ISSN number. The contributors are provided with the guidelines for authors. An abstract of each volume in Lithuanian and English and a digital (PDF) version of the volume are publicly available on the LII website. The journal follows established ethical guidelines for publishing.
The purpose of the current project is publishing of the peer-reviewed scientific journal‚ Lietuvos archeologija‘ [‚Lithuanian Archaeology‘] (ISSN 0207-8694). Its aim is to disseminate Lithuanian Studies by regularly publishing the latest archaeological research and scientific information. Papers published in Lithuanian and English and topics analysed in them reveal recent tendencies in Lithuanian and Baltic-region archaeology and related disciplines. They also promote the development of archaeological science, interdisciplinary and international collaboration, scientific discussions, with a regard to the chronicle of Lithuanian archaeology.
The project‚ Publication of scientific journal ‚Lietuvos archeologija‘‘ is intended to maintain the current periodicity of the journal (1 volume per year), the size of volumes (about 25–35 relative printer‘s sheets), the technical quality of publication (colour illustrations, hardcovers), high scientific level.
The high qualification of the international Editorial Board, anonymous peer-review procedure as well as competence of scientists conducting researches and presenting their results for publication guarantee high scientific level of the manuscripts accepted for publishing. A long-term publishing experience (since 1979; financed by the RCL from 2010) ensures the smooth and timely process of compiling, editing, and publishing the journal.
In 2022–2024, with the support of the RCL, Vol. 48–50 of ‚Lietuvos archeologija‘, with a volume of 25–35 relative printer‘s sheets each, are intended to be published. The compilation of the Vol. 48 is currently in the process.
The project is funded by the Research Council of Lithuania
The Publishing of the journal `Lithuanian Ethnology: Studies in Social Anthropology and Ethnology`
This project seeks to continue the publication and traditions of the internationally reviewed annual research journal 'Lietuvos etnologija: socialinės antropologijos ir etnologijos studijos' (Lithuanian Ethnology: Studies in Social Anthropology and Ethnology) in a new way. Our goal is to represent and strengthen topical analytical research in the areas of ethnology and anthropology being conducted in the field of Lithuanian studies throughout the Baltic region and beyond. The journal seeks to become a forum for critical discourse in ethnology and anthropology theory on issues pertaining to both Lithuania and the world at large. The journal will revisit and debate innovative, interdisciplinary ethnographical studies methods, publish doctoral research work, and publicize book reviews in Lithuanian, and English.
Publishing of a periodical scientific journal "Lietuvos istorijos metrastis" (The Yearbook of Lithuanian History)
„The Year-Book of Lithuanian History“ is a reviewed and referenced in international databases scientific journal, which has been published since 1971. It publishes articles, historical documents, reviews, and a variety of scientific information. The purpose of the „The Year-Book of Lithuanian History“ is to publish articles on Lithuanian history prepared by lithuanian and foreign scholars, to encourage cooperation between researchers, to spread methodological innovations and new empirical data.
Publication of the academic journal “Lithuanian Historical Studies”
The main goal of this project is to secure financial support for the further publication of journal “Lithuanian Historical Studies” (LHS). The LHS is Lithuanian Institute of History academic peer-reviewed (double-blind), Brill publishers (represented by Ferdinand Schoeningh Verlag, Padeborn, Germany) distributed, Open Access, SCOPUS indexed periodical journal, published only in English since 1996. Its purpose is popularisation of historical research pertaining to the Lithuanian studies in Lithuania and worldwide. Thematically, the LHS’s published articles cover political, social, religious, economic and cultural aspects of the country’s and region's history starting from the Middle Ages and until the 21st century. Special attention is paid at the complicated and controversial historical issues like, for example: the 1569 union with Poland, the role of national minorities, the periods of occupations and resistances, etc. Therefore, in order to present different perspectives and at the same time encourage constructive scholarly dialogue, in parallel to the works of prominent and young Lithuanian historians, the journal welcomes studies written by foreign authors too. Moreover, besides the scientific articles, the LHS presents new or little-known source material, book reviews, notices, and other. In this way the LHS is an outstanding international academic platform that collects and disseminates historical research on the country’s and region's history, thus contributing to the popularisation of historical research.
Publication of vol. 24–26 of annual scholarly journal "Archivum Lithuanicum"
Scholarly journal Archivum Lithuanicum has a well established position and reputation among the Lithuanistic journals in Lithuania and in the world; it mostly publishes articles on external history of Lithuanian (i.e. cultural, social history of language), on Lithuanian manuscripts and printed texts, and on their textual criticism. Therefore this periodical is unique. It is being prepared by few scholarly institutions (4 universities and 2 research institutes). Archivum Lithuanicum is large in scope, since it is issued once a year in a single volume instead of traditional separate issues. Archivum Lithuanicum is the major journal for the history of external Lithuanian linguistic thought, and it continues shaping concrete research trends in the field. Archivum Lithuanicum was successfully published for over 20 years by now (vol. 1–23, 1999–2021); the Research Council of Lithuania supported its publication four times (2010–2012, 2014–2015, 2016–2018, and 2019–2021; 11 years in all). In this new project we plan to continue preparation and publication of Archivum Lithuanicum for three more consecutive years (vol. 24–26, 2022–2024).
Right-Wing Radicalism in Lithuania, 1918-1940
The goal of this project is thorough analysis of the interwar Lithuanian radical right-wing movement. Starting from the wars of independence, the so-called “white terror” and formation of the specific “veterans” sociopolitical group, the research will investigate the evolution of radical right groups, their periodisation, ideological constellation, proceedings, social composition, various public and clandestine organisations, impact on society, political parties, government and so on.
In parallel to the empirical analysis of archival sources and historiographic studies, the research will also investigate the place of the interwar Lithuanian radical right within the wider European context, explore its international activities, relations with other ideologically similar organisations and movements, their cooperation, similarities and differences, and so on.
From the point of view of the history of ideas, the research of this still little-known sociopolitical movement will allow not only cast a deeper and wider look on the history of the Lithuanian right-wing radicalism, but also reveal the political trajectories of the interwar Lithuanian political system.
The expected outcome of the proposed project is a monograph.
Edition and publication of the 16th century manuscript books of Kaunas municipality (3 stage)
The object of the project are manuscript books of municipal institutions of Lithuania. There is a number of manuscript books extant both at the archives in Lithuania and abroad which derive from the old municipal chanceries of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. They represent native history and local traditions. The bulk of the material, however, originates predominantly from the mid-17th century, which is considered by many historians the beginning of the decline in the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Kaunas is the only town in Lithuania whose Council and Vogt office books have been preserved starting from the 16th century. These volumes are unique in the context of the whole Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Otherwise than in Western Europe, where similar books have been published since the 19th century, very little indeed has been done in Lithuania to date.
The project aims to bring Kaunas' municipal sources from the second half of the 16th centure to wider circulation, as they are unaccessible to a broader group of researchers due to linguistic and paleographic obstacles. The aim of the project is to edit for press and publish the Kaunas Vogt book of 1580-1583.
The triennial project sets three main objectives for itself:
1. to prepare the transcription of the text of the book written in Polish and Latin (approx. 1.2 million symbols in total);
2. to complete a critical edition of the book by creating an introductory study, adding text and factual commentaries, and compiling indices of names and subjects;
3. to present the progress on works of the project and its results at academic meetings held both in Lithuania and abroad, and in mass media to wider public as well.
As a result of the project, the following volume is scheduled to be published in 2023:
Kauno vaito 1580–1583 m. knyga=Liber advocatialis 1580–1583, parengė=ediderunt Darius Antanavičius, Algirdas Baliulis (series: Kauno miesto aktų knygos XVI–XVIII a.=Acta civilia Caunensia saec. XVI–XVIII) Vilnius: Lietuvos istorijos institutas, 2023
Vilnius citizens in the 16th-18th centuries
During the occupation of Vilnius by the Moscow army in 1655, the city's archive was destroyed. Therefore, a base of historical sources that reflects the history of the city and its inhabitants until the middle of 17th century, is very poor. To date there is not much known about accurate data of the city population, especially about Lithuanians. As a result, the majority of Polish historians tended to regard Lithuanians or Lithuanian-speaking citizens as a minority of the city, which was finally polonized in the middle of 17th century. Some historians believe that it was unusual to hear Lithuanian language in the city, much like the newcomers Scots, Dutch and Italians. However, the discovery of new sources has brought new changes. Here is a recently discovered and published fragment of Vilnius city pillow tax of 1566, which contains a number of Lithuanian personal names that indicate the abundance of Lithuanians in the Lukiškės suburb. Every similar source and especially its publication, makes it possible to refine the conclusions of historians about Vilnius residents in old Vilnius. St. John Church marriage and baptism metrics from the early 17th century have long been known in historiography, but have not yet received the proper attention of historians. This project proposes to publish 5 very important documents, among which the most important place occupies St. John Church marriage (1602-1615) and baptism (1611-1616) metrics. These publications will form a series under the title „Vilnius citizens“ dedicated for the upcoming 700th anniversary of Vilnius (2023). These marriage and baptism metrics consist of 36-38 000 list of individuals, who will be studied using statistical analysis and will resume discussions about the Vilnius population in 1st half of 17th century. Publications will be a great help for historians, demographers, genealogists, linguists of Lithuania and other countries. Also, it will encourage new qualitative research of Vilnius city residents.
