Vairas (literally:steering wheel; also translated ashelm orrudder) was aLithuanian-language political and cultural newspaper published byAntanas Smetona and theLithuanian Nationalist Union, the ruling party in Lithuania in 1926–1940. It was published three separate times.Vairas was first established in January 1914 when Smetona departedViltis; it was discontinued due to World War I. The newspaper was briefly revived in September 1923 when Smetona andAugustinas Voldemaras harshly criticized their political opponents and the Lithuanian government. Due to the anti-government rhetoric, their newspapers were closed by state censors one after another, but they would quickly establish a new newspaper under a new title.Vairas was closed in February 1924. The newspaper was reestablished as a cultural magazine in 1929 with the backing of the authoritarian regime of Smetona. In 1939, it became a weekly political magazine that pushed an agenda of radical nationalism and openly sympathized withNational Socialism. The magazine was discontinued after theSoviet occupation of Lithuania in June 1940.
Vairas was established by Antanas Smetona with financial backing ofMartynas Yčas [lt] on 5 January 1914 inVilnius.[1] After a conflict with conservative clergy, Smetona departedViltis and establishedVairas to continue its original mission of uniting Lithuanians, regardless of their religious or political beliefs, and promoting theLithuanian national identity.[2] Initially it was a monthly, and in 1915 became a weekly. The publication was discontinued in summer 1915 due toWorld War I.[3]
It was frequently illustrated with reproductions of paintings and photos by Lithuanian artists, includingMikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis,Petras Kalpokas,Antanas Žmuidzinavičius,Adomas Varnas,Juozas Zikaras,Petras Rimša.[1]
Vairas was reestablished as a weekly inKaunas in September 1923. Smetona, the firstPresident of Lithuania in April 1919 – June 1920, andAugustinas Voldemaras, the first Prime Minister in November–December 1918, relentlessly criticized their political opponents, the Lithuanian government, and theSecond Seimas.[4] Their publications were closed one after another by the government censors. Using a loophole in the law, they would establish a new publication under a slightly different name. ThusLietuvos balsas (Voice of Lithuania; April–October 1921) turned intoLietuvių balsas (Voice of the Lithuanians; November–December 1921) which becameTautos balsas (Voice of the Nation),Tėvynės balsas (Voice of the Fatherland), and eventuallyKrašto balsas (Voice of the Country; October 1922 – June 1923).[2]
In September 1923, they revived the pre-warVairas. It was double the size ofKrašto balsas and was illustrated with works byPetras Rimša, but it also did not last long.[2] In November 1923, both Smetona and Voldemaras were imprisoned for two months for their criticism of the government.[4]Vairas was discontinued on February 24, 1924. It was replaced by one-time publicationsSkeveldrų rinkinys (Collection of Fragments; February 28) andIrklas (Oar; March 7). Renamed toTautos vairas, the newspaper was published from March to fall 1924 when it was replaced byLietuvis (The Lithuanian).[2]
Vairas was once again reestablished as a monthly magazine in 1929 in Kaunas. It became a biweekly in 1938 and weekly in 1939.[5] The magazine was edited by Domas Cesevičius, Bronius Dirmeikis, Vladas Nausėdas, Izidorius Tamošaitis, Stasys Leskaitis-Ivošiškis (1938), and Kazys Dausa (1939–1940).[6] The magazine was discontinued after theSoviet occupation of Lithuania in June 1940.[6]
TheLithuanian Nationalist Union was the ruling party in Lithuania since theDecember 1926 coup and published its official dailyLietuvos aidas. Therefore,Vairas returned to its roots and published articles on issues of culture, philosophy, science, literature, etc. as well as on questions of social, political, and economic life.[5] It also published works of fiction and their reviews. Its contributors includedJuozas Balčikonis,Jonas Balys [lt],Liudas Gira,Valentinas Gustainis [lt],Pranas Mašiotas,Balys Sruoga,Petras Vaičiūnas [lt],Augustinas Voldemaras.[5]
Vairas became more radical in 1938–1939, and switched from a cultural monthly to a political monthly.[7] A group of members ofYoung Lithuania, the youth organization of the Lithuanian Nationalist Union, took editorial control ofVairas and became known asvairininkai. The group pushed an agenda of radical nationalism. They were openlyanti-semitic, anti-democratic, anti-communist,totalitarian and sympathized withNational Socialism. They believed all political parties to be a hurdle towards creating a monolithic state with an unquestioned absolute leader at the top (cf.Führerprinzip) and sawdemocracy as a "psychosis" which the young generation should rid itself of.[8] For example, the magazine published articles proposing economic policies to "review" property of foreigners and impose special taxes or fines to employers who hired non-Lithuanians with a clear goal of diminishing the economic power ofLithuanian Jews.Vytautas Alantas published an article inVairas arguing in favor of anethnic cleansing in theVilnius Region after it was returned to Lithuania according to the terms of theSoviet–Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty – he citedNazi Germany as an example writing that "the Germans turned the city ofGdynia into the most German city in their country through a fully mechanical process – people were moved out and other people were moved in".[8]