Adolfas Šapoka, Raštai, t. 3 Lietuva ir Lenkija po 1569 m. Liublino unijos. Jų valstybinių santykių bruožai 1655 m. Kėdainių sutartis, arba švedai Lietuvoje 1655–1656 m., tekstus parengė, įvadą ir komentarus parašė Robertas Jurgaitis, Aivas Ragauskas, Vilnius, 2018.–680 p. ISBN: 9786094711381. (original) (raw)

Adolfas Šapoka, Raštai, t. 3 Lietuva ir Lenkija po 1569 m. Liublino unijos. Jų valstybinių santykių bruožai 1655 m. Kėdainių sutartis, arba švedai Lietuvoje 1655–1656 m., tekstus parengė, įvadą ir komentarus parašė Robertas Jurgaitis, Aivas Ragauskas, Vilnius, 2018.–680 p. ISBN: 9786094711381.

Adolfas Šapoka, Works. Vol. 3, Lithuania and Poland After the Union of Lublin 1569. Features of Their State Relations The Treaty of Kėdainiai 1655 or Swedes in Lithuania 1655–1656 One of the most talented, productive and famous Lithuanian historians of the 20th century Adolfas Šapoka (1906–1961) paid most of his attention to the research of political history and in his most important and mature works analyzed statehood development of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (further – GDL) in 16th–18th centuries. Besides The History of Lithuania (published in 1936), edited by A. Šapoka, the best known to general public and academic community are dissertations of this historian, defended and appeared in separate publications: Lithuania and Poland After the Union of Lublin 1569. Features of their State Relations (published in 1938) and The Treaty of Kėdainiai 1655 or Swedes in Lithuania 1655–1656 (prepared in 1939, first time published in 1990). They are one of the biggest and most important researches by A. Šapoka which layed foundations of 16th–18th centuries GDL statehood development estimation in Lithuanian historiography and are published in this third volume of Works. It can be said that many insights of this Lithuanian historian did not loose scientific value and relevance up to this day. Yet historian Zenonas Ivinskis in eighth decade of the 20th century seeking to evaluate A. Šapoka’s contribution to Lithuanian historiography paid attention that in his research A. Šapoka was concentrated on problems of GDL statehood – “Relations of Lithuania and Poland”, “Independence efforts of Lithuania and various other questions”, Republic of Both Nations, created by Union of Lublin, interpreting as federal state. Professor Antanas Tyla evaluating A. Šapoka’s historiographical heritage also noted that: “research about political society’s public efficiency of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in united state after Union of Lublin makes the bigger part of his creative legacy”. A. Šapoka was brave to undertake explorations of turning points, which were fatal to statehood development of GDL. At that time striving of yet rather young historian to solve essential problems of Lithuania’s statehood sources, 1385 Krėva Treaty and Lithuania-Poland political relations in juncture of 14th–15th centuries, especially after Union of Lublin 1569, 1655 Treaty of Kėdainiai, Four-Year Sejm (1788–1792) reforms and the Constitution of May 3, 1791, Vilnius city history, cannot be non surprising. In this aspect A. Šapoka differs from all in Lithuanian historiography. These fundamental themes often pointed to A. Šapoka sharp arrows of criticism. This A. Šapoka’s flash and rather big input into Lithuanian historiography is just started to be understood adequately. One may agree with insightful estimation of professor A. Tyla that A. Šapoka’s “creative heritage composed in Lithuania until 1940 is surprisingly big. No one Lithuanian historian of that time could be compared to him”. In the introductory article of the publication “The Grand Duchy of Lithuania’s Statehood in Adolfas Šapoka’s Research” the editors looked for an answer why did A. Šapoka undertake research of statehood development. In the article it was stressed that at the first half of 20th century when there were complications of state interrelations between Lithuania and Poland, it was relevant to look at the sources of these states’ relations also tendencies of their development. Furthermore, at the time of the young national Lithuanian state formation it could not be no interest in problems of early statehood development. Thus A. Šapoka undertook investigation of politically and historically important and very susceptible to the Lithuanian society historical questions that had (starting with the Union of Lublin 1569) little attention in Lithuanian historiography. The historian with his investigation incarnated Lithuanian search – widespread in Lithuanian culture, typical for national ideology, search of Lithuanian statehood in this case, historically based, politically important and from the viewpoint of historical consciousness relevant aspiration do not break a pen on the “kingdom” of Vytautas the Great at the beginning of 15th century or Union of Lublin 1569, but continue tradition of Lithuanian statehood until the very end of Republic of Both Nations existence, integrate in it the history of the lost historical capital Vilnius, reveal position of this city in “The life of Lithuania”. A. Šapoka wrote about political “Lithuanian nation” and contrasted it with the same political “Polish nation”. Of course, the historian did not mean ethnic (national) conception of nation, which, as he said, was not even known at that time. A. Šapoka explained that confusion emerged because both nations belonged to the same noblemen caste having common interests and concerns. Nevertheless, political Lithuanian nation after the Union of Lublin 1569 up to the end of the state existence kept separate organization of the state and interests. The brightest action of this sort A. Šapoka considered signing the Treaty of Kėdainiai. Yet, according to the historian, in 18th century continuous process of caste closing won, Lithuanian state idea fell into agony and at the time of Four-Year Sejm “flapped in small flames”. There were also another circumstances of choosing topics for research, related to academic environment, namely A. Šapoka’s personal acquaintanceship with professor Ivan Lappo. Although in study years chosen final works’ topics were connected only with the period after Lublin, it seems the final fatal decision to take up more exhaustive investigation of exactly this epoch took place in 1931, when A. Šapoka got a Czechoslovakia government’s scholarship and becoming actual student of Prague Charles University he had an unique opportunity to communicate directly with the most famous that time researcher of 16th – the beginning of 17th GDL statehood – professor I. Lappo. Editors of A. Šapoka’s Works, vol. 3, assoc. prof. dr. Robertas Jurgaitis (Vytautas Magnus University; Center for Studies of History of Parliamentarism) and prof. dr. Aivas Ragauskas (Vilnius University) wrote an introductory article for this publication, prepared and scientifically edited texts of the famous Lithuanian historian – two dissertations defended one after another in 1938 and 1939 Lithuania and Poland After the Union of Lublin 1569. Features of their State Relations and The Treaty of Kėdainiai 1655 or Swedes in Lithuania 1655–1656. According to settled publication tradition of A. Šapoka’s historiographical heritage, commentaries were also worked up as in previous volumes. At the end of the publication there are lists of used abbreviations and illustrations, also indexes of personal and geographical names which would facilitate readers to find person or locality. Translated from the Lithuanian by Virginija Dičiūtė