Post date: Dec 11, 2013 12:46:16 PM
Owner of underground press, which existed for a decade in Soviet-controlled Lithuania, reveals his secrets.
SALIAI, LITHUANIA (DECEMBER 6, 2013) (REUTERS) - Vytautas Andziulis eluded the notorious secret police KGB for a decade in Soviet -controlled Lithuania while he ran an underground press, printing literature banned by the Communist regime. The operation was able to exist undiscovered thanks to a series of deception techniques, such as disguising the entrance to the printing room inside a greenhouse.
From his house in the village of Saliai in southern Lithuania, Andziulis together with his friend Juozas Bacevicius, printed a number of local publications reinforcing Lithuanian opposition against Soviet rule.Andziulis, a professional printer, and Bacevičius started the illegal printing operation in 1980 under the name "AB", which comes from the initials of their last names.
"23 titles (publications) were printed here, and it was in operation from 1980 to roughly 1990. My wife helped me to fold and stitch the books, also Mr. Bacevicius who was receiving (books) in the Sakiai region," Andziulis recalled while showing the small underground rooms where he used to work.
The operation lasted far longer than expected, with illegal printing houses usually discovered within two years by the secret police, which cracked down on any form of dissent against the countries' Communist leadership.
"To be frank, I lasted 10 years because I wasn't caught, even though the priests, both Tamkevicius and Zdebskis who visited me told me that I would not be working for more than two years. That didn't happen; the KGB were probably busy with other business," he said.
"I and my husband were both assigned tasks. He was printing, and I was protecting him. For that I had a bell installed, with which I would warn him of any impending danger. I also helped him to prepare books and would also travel with the books to Mr. Bacevicius, who was distributing them," said Andziulis's wife Birute - one of the three people who knew details of the operation.
The printing of banned literature and anti-Soviet pamphlets took place in two rooms located 3 meters underground.
Publications contained patriotic as well as religious content, having their own significant importance for Lithuania's resistance movement.
"The AB printing house, by printing national literature, was forming the wish for freedom. The Catholic literature helped preserve the faith, to fight for human rights and the rights of the believers, and helped to strive for freedom," historian Algirdas Jakubcionis said.
"The AB printing house is unique because it printed 23 underground publications. There were a total of about 50 publications of underground press in Lithuania. It could have only worked thanks to keeping it very secret, not even the closest relatives of the printers knew of their activities," he added.
Printed publications and books played an important role for democratic resistance movements in countries which were incorporated into the Soviet Union or under Soviet influence after World War II.
Reading, printing or distributing banned content was met with harsh repressions, such as torture, imprisonment or death.