Lithuanian national revival was born in Sejny Priests’ Seminary, now marking 200 years

The Sejny Priests’ Seminary in Poland is celebrating its 200th anniversary, honouring its legacy as a cradle of Lithuanian cultural revival and resistance during the 19th-century press ban, reports LRT.

The Lithuanian parliament has declared 2026 the Year of the Sejny Priests’ Seminary, recognising its pivotal role in preserving Lithuanian identity. The institution, housed in a former Dominican monastery, trained clergy for the Suvalkija region, with most students coming from Marijampolė Gymnasium. Among its alumni were key figures of modern Lithuania, including poet Antanas Baranauskas—author of The Forest of Anykščiai—as well as Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas, Justinas Staugaitis, and Mykolas Krupavičius.

A new book, From the Walls of Sejny Seminary to the Altars of Veisiejai by Sigitas Birgelis and Albinas Jarmala, documents the seminary’s history, including its secret student organisations that distributed banned Lithuanian publications. “This was the forge of our heroes—this is where the Lithuanian revival was born,” said Birgelis, director of the Aušra publishing house in Puńsk. “Figures like Basanavičius, Kudirka, and Jablonskis were shaped here. Clerics studied Lithuanian history, nurtured their identity, and fostered Lithuanian spirit.”

The book also profiles 33 priests who, after graduating, returned to serve in Veisiejai parish, spreading Lithuanian language and culture. “Silvestras Leonavičius was the first in Suvalkija to preach in Lithuanian, breaking the ban on the language,” noted Jarmala. Students smuggled Lithuanian texts by hiding them inside Russian newspapers to evade censorship, he added.

Today, the seminary’s buildings host a Polish museum, with little remaining to commemorate its Lithuanian heritage beyond a small exhibition of Lithuanian art. A monument to Baranauskas stands near the church where he is buried, serving as a reminder of the site’s historical significance.