Zalučės ir Bareikiškių šeimininko Vladislovo Sirokomlės istorikos
Historiologies by Władysław Syrokomla, the Master of Zalucha and Bareikiškės

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this paper is to take a look at Władysław Syrokomla (real name Ludwik Franciszek Władysław Kondratowicz, 1823–1862) as a historian, and at the same time to discuss yet another so-called Lithuanian manor-archive – Bareikiškės (Pol. Borejkowszczyzna; Rukainiai parish, Vilnius County, Vilnius Province). The estate has been mentioned as an important intellectual island of that time, but it has never been discussed specifically as a workshop of accumulation of antiquities of the history of Lithuania and of writing the history of Lithuania. The compound ‘Syrokomla-historian’ may appear quite bold at first sight, but in this case the word ‘historian’ is understood in the meaning it was used when Syrokomla was writing, that is, bearing in mind the peculiarities of the historiography of Lithuania of the first half of the nineteenth century, when the boundary between the scientific and the fictional was still very fragile, and the professionalization of history was very poor. Yet no matter how complex this context might be, an attempt is made to ‘separate’ Syrokomla-historian from Syrokomla-poet. According to scholars, Syrokomla wrote all of his highly acclaimed lyrical works during the period of Bareikiškės. However, in this paper the focus is laid on those other, ‘not so glorious’ works. The intent of these works is important, but even more important are the sources that were resorted to while writing them. In other words, the gaze is directed not only at Syrokomla’s text, but also at its footnotes – particularly at them. Here a significant role is played by Syrokomla’s library, his archive, the collection of antiquities, and even of paintings. Therefore the research is not limited to Bareikiškės alone: the sources of those collections were sought in Syrokomla’s first manor, Zalucha (Pol. Załucze; Bel. Залучча, Minsk County, Minsk Province). Syrokomla’s views on history and the writing of history, his theoretical and even methodological attitudes, or what was even then defined by the word historiology, are also of importance.

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