Šviesa

Šviesa or Szviesa (literally: The Light) was a short-lived

After the first national Lithuanian newspaper Aušra ceased its publication due to financial difficulties, Lithuanian students in Moscow and young priests, disappointed by secular Aušra, organized publication of Šviesa.^[1] They sought to take leadership of the Lithuanian National Revival and propagate Catholic ideals. Edited by priest Antanas Vytartas [lt] and Jonas Kriaučiūnas, Šviesa was geared towards a common villager and included many practical articles about farming, husbandry, forestry.^[1] Other articles explained Christianity, promoted education, developed nationalistic ideas. Šviesa did not protest Russification or other policies of the Russian Empire. It also had conflicting views of Polish culture: sometimes it would criticize Polonized Lithuanians and argue for distinctively Lithuanian culture, but in other cases common Catholic faith would take precedence against Russian Orthodoxy.^[2]

Contributors included Antanas Baranauskas, Jonas Jablonskis, Petras Leonas, Pranas Mašiotas, Maironis.^[1]