With the suppression of the breakthrough in modern literature in 1972, literary life entered a gray period.  An oppressive, stifling atmosphere shackled both private and public life.

 

But it was also a time when the government began changing its tactics to deal with inconvenient persons. Many artists and cultural figures were sent to psychiatric hospitals for "treatment", while others died under strange circumstances (linguist Jonas Kazlauskas, Raimundas Samulevičius, Mindaugas Tomonis), and many others committed suicide (Bronius Radzevičius) or tried to emigrate, which was nearly impossible at the time. Yet a few succeeded: political scientist and philosopher Aleksandras Štromas emigrated in 1973, prose writer Icchokas Meras in 1974, theater director Jonas Jurašas and literary translator Aušra Marija Sluckaitė in 1974, artist Vladislovas Žilius in 1976, poet and literary translator Tomas Venclova in 1977, artist Algimantas Švėgžda in 1976, followed by the poet Edita Nazaraitė in 1984 and prose writer Saulius Tomas Kondrotas in 1986.

 

Public life became dominated by conformism, government harassment and a hunt for all types of scarce "deficit" goods – from apartments to automobiles to shoes, clothes...  Marcelijus Martinaitis wrote in his journal at the time about the destruction of human dignity, the deprivation of liberty and the transformation of man into a type of social function.

 

 

Authors of modern literature are excluded and silenced (Sigtas Geda even loses his position on the editorial board of Mūsų gamta (Our Nature)). The dissertation defense of Vytautas Kubilius, one of the most talented literary critics and a defender of an author's individual talents and subjectivity, is suspended. Fears are expressed among literary critics about stabilization, a new discussion arises about finding a balance between experimental works and the classics, while, behind closed doors, they complain about a lack of interesting manuscripts. During planning of their 1976 schedule, the entire editorial board at the "Vaga" publishing house deplores the complete absence of original Lithuanian literary works, especially novels and short stories. Authors become reticent to submit manuscripts.

 

Cultural life shifts, in part, to the underground press. The Chronicle of the Lithuanian Catholic Church first appears in 1972, followed by other, mostly religious, underground publications that sometimes provided a venue for the publication of literature.

 

Yet literary officialdom speaks in relieved tones about a newly achieved balance between innovation and tradition. Generally, they began speaking a lot and everywhere: in gatherings, meetings, conferences.  Resolutions repeating empty phrases and anonymous speeches – nothing more than vacuous fronts of an entrenched bureaucracy – abound.

 

From a recording of Martinaitis made in 1979: