After the third partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Lithuania was occupied and became part of the Russian Empire. The Tsarist authorities sought to eliminate everything Lithuanian: the Lithuanian alphabet was banned, Lithuanian-language schools were closed, the Catholic Church was persecuted, monasteries were shut down, Vilnius University was closed, and many Russian officials were installed. Deportations began, especially following the uprisings of 1831 and 1863, which were aimed against the Tsar’s Russification policies.
Such oppression encouraged resistance and efforts to preserve national identity. During the 19th century, a wave of revolutions and national movements swept across Europe, and the idea of the nation-state began to gain strength. In Lithuania, new phenomena emerged: the book smuggling movement (knygnešystė) and underground schools (daraktorių mokykla). These movements were also active in Molėtai region, particularly in Alanta, Balninkai, Giedraičiai, and Suginčiai.
At the same time, the occupation intensified ethnic tensions. A notable example was the conflict between Poles and Lithuanians in the early 20th century. Only Reformed Orthodoxy received official support. The Old Believers’ communities actively gathered in their places of worship, but because they opposed the reforms promoted by the Tsarist Orthodox Church, they were persecuted and often pushed to the margins of the empire.
Lithuanian towns were ethnically and religiously diverse. Jews, Russians, and Poles were prominent among the urban populations. In 1861, the Tsar issued a manifesto and accompanying laws that abolished serfdom. Peasants gained personal freedom, the right to purchase and use land, and the ability to choose their occupation or trade. Urban areas experienced accelerated capitalist development. The village and the manor represented two distinct worlds: the village was predominantly Lithuanian, while the manor was often Polonized or influenced by Russian or German culture.
Molėtai region also witnesses Napoleon’s campaign, the upheavals of World War I, the mobilization of refugees and locals into the Tsarist army, persecution and pogroms against the Jewish population, the German occupation during World War I, and the restoration of the Lithuanian state.
