Every 20th century The generation of Kaunas people grew up with their own idea of Vilnius. Now none of them can imagine their summer without the seaside, during the interwar period they couldn’t imagine the future without Vilnius. Their reluctance to “calm down without Vilnius” was cleverly used by the Kremlin, which turned the return of this city into a prologue to the occupation.
During the Soviet era, the rivalry between the two capitals turned into a multi-layered antagonism. Although young people used to fight with lyrics or fists because of girls or just to make out, the differences between people from Vilnius and Kaunas were really quite significant. The current capital, oversaturated with spectacles, and the temporary one, which imprisoned itself in the anti-marketing slogan “It is possible to live in Kaunas”, rediscovered each other only a good decade ago. Not at all because of the rosy idea of two cities fostered by politicians. The mutual dislike of the capitals was tempered by culture. The people of Vilnius began to be drawn to Kaunas because of the interwar architecture that had been here for decades, but which was suddenly discovered (in 2022, there will also be KEKS spectacles), events in the “Žalgiris” arena, people from Kaunas – to MO and all other Vilnius museums, theaters, very serious and very shallow entertainment places
Culture has united, culture seems to divide again. For ten years, the Kaunas City Council, advised by writers, has been selecting the laureates of the Maironis Prize, who also became laureates of “Poetry Spring”. When the Kaunas City Council distanced itself from the “center” of the Lithuanian Writers’ Union in this matter, what happened, what a poet from Vilnius said nineteen years ago (after his criticism, it’s true, he was crowned in Kaunas) – the capital city no longer has any reason not to think that Kaunas has the privilege of electing the Year songs.
The old pus of the feud between the capitals apparently did not disappear anywhere – it was quietly ponding. It broke this year.
The Union of Lithuanian Writers welcomed the beginning of the “Poetry Spring” with an innovation – by announcing its own, real, festival laureate. From now on, “only” the laureate of the Maironis Prize will be awarded in the garden of the Literature Museum in Kaunas. The main song of “Poetry Spring” will be honored in Vilnius, in the completely non-poetic city hall. What became the real reason for such a decision – the changed procedure for awarding the Maironis Prize, the name of this year’s laureate from Kaunas, her work, a common military background or old grievances – remains a mystery to poets. The more holidays, bonuses, creators honored (and supported) by them, the better for us readers. And for the citizens of Klaipėda, who are watching the new battle of the old war of capitals, it is time to come up with their own poetry festival.
