Lietuvos istorijos institutas

This article successfully identifies the manuscript, which currently is in the Manuscript Division of the Vilnius University Library and previously had been mistakenly ascribed to another author, as the draft of Mykolas Miežinis’s (1827–1888) quadrilingual Dictionary. To perform this task, it explores the history of assembling and editing the Dictionary and the structure of the handwritten text. Though Miežinis’ dictionary was far from perfection in many respects, this publication was an important lexicographic event for the epoch, becoming the only available dictionary of the Lithuanian language at that time and sparking interest in further lexicographic research (Antanas Baranauskas, Ignotas Šopara). We found that the marks in the manuscript correspond to the structure of the printed copy, which appeared in 1896 in Tilsit (today Sovetsk). The editions left by no fewer than three people who used several colours of ink resemble the complicated history of getting the manuscript ready for publishing (which is reconstructed based on contemporary correspondence and newspaper articles). The corrections included altering the Lithuanian spelling, choosing different synonyms for Russian and Latvian translations, adding Polish lexemes, and more. The character of the corrections and the sequence of languages allow dating the manuscript. The research concludes that this manuscript was a draft for the final copy, used by the typography. It could have been created before 1883, and no later than 1894.

The egodocuments (letters and diaries) provide historians and linguists with the rare opportunity to observe the everyday life of generations, who lived long ago. The Diary of Vytautas Civinskis (1887–1910), a young nobleman, tells about the years he spent abroad while studying in Leipzig, Berlin, and Dorpat in the first years of the 20th century. Along with other information, one can find rather scarce, but nevertheless valuable data about the societies of Lithuanians in Moscow, Berlin, and Dorpat which he described. In Moscow Civinskis attended Lithuanian parties, in Berlin he joined some meetings and a picnic, arranged by the local society of Lithuanians. Most closely he observed the life of the Society of Lithuanian Students of Dorpat. Civinskis became an active member of this society, and temporarily worked as a secretary, a librarian, and even one of its leaders. Spending his vacations in the Lithuanian estate Mituva, which belonged to his family, Civinskis also helped to establish the Agricultural Society of Skapiškis, arranged a theatrical performance and founded its library. This Diary, previously practically unknown, adds some interesting new details and trivia about all the mentioned societies, their activities and members. Many surnames of members are mentioned, the printed program of the party in Moscow adds to our knowledge of the cultural life of Lithuanians there, and previously unknown facts about women studying in Tartu are also published. This article includes some good quality photographs, taken by the diarist in Tartu.