Stanislava Jakševičiūtė-Venclauskienė, known as the mother of Šiauliai, raised more than 120 orphans

VILNIUS — Stanislava Jakševičiūtė-Venclauskienė, widely remembered as the mother of Šiauliai, dedicated her life to raising over 120 orphaned children, according to historian and museum curator Jovita Vilimaitienė, who shared the story with LRT.lt.

“When you walked into her home, you never knew who you might find there or when, and for whom that extra bed would be made,” Vilimaitienė said.

Born into a noble family from Šiauliai, Jakševičiūtė-Venclauskienė was raised in an environment that fostered patriotism and a love for the Lithuanian language. Both of her parents had participated in the 1863 uprising, and her upbringing instilled in her a deep sense of national identity. She later attended a girls’ gymnasium in Riga and pursued acting courses, becoming an early figure in Lithuania’s national revival movement.

Jakševičiūtė-Venclauskienė co-directed and starred in the first Lithuanian-language play, America in the Sauna, which premiered in Šiauliai in 1904. Despite the cultural restrictions imposed during the Russian Empire, she continued to organize Lithuanian cultural evenings, direct plays, and act in them. It was during one such event that she met her future husband, Kazimieras Venclauskis, a young lawyer.

Together, the couple became central figures in Šiauliai’s intellectual and cultural life, participating in the city’s major cultural gatherings known as the Great Šiauliai May Festivals. These events were not merely social gatherings but platforms for serious discussions, with some historians suggesting that the idea of an independent Lithuania was first articulated during these gatherings, in which Stanislava and Kazimieras took part.

After Lithuania regained its independence, Jakševičiūtė-Venclauskienė became active in politics and public life. She served multiple terms as a member of the Šiauliai City Council, representing the Nationalist Party. Her husband, in contrast, was a committed social democrat, yet the couple maintained a strong and respected family life despite their differing political views.

Together, they had two daughters, Danutė and Gražbilė Venclauskaitė, and together they fostered and educated more than 120 disadvantaged children.