Ringaudas Songaila

Ringaudas Songaila
Ringaudas Songaila
	Songaila in 1983
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Lithuania
	In office; 1 December 1987 – 19 October 1988
Preceded by	Petras Griškevičius
Succeeded by	Algirdas Brazauskas
Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR
	In office; 24 December 1975 – 16 January 1981
Preceded by	Antanas Barkauskas
Succeeded by	Lionginas Šepetys
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Lithuanian SSR
	In office; 16 January 1981 – 18 November 1985
Preceded by	Juozas Maniušis
Succeeded by	Vytautas Sakalauskas
Personal details
Born	20 April 1929; Klaipėda,Lithuania
Died	25 June 2019(aged 90)[citation needed]; Trakai,Lithuania[citation needed]
Political party	Communist Party of Lithuania
Occupation	veterinarian; politician

Ringaudas Bronislovas Songaila(20 April 1929^[1]– 25^{[citation needed]}June 2019)^[2]was an official of theLithuanian SSR nomenclatura.In 1987–1988, he was the First Secretary of theCommunist Party of Lithuaniaor thede factohead of state.

Biography

Songaila was born inKlaipėda.He graduated from a veterinary school and within five years became a deputy of the Minister of Agriculture. In 1962, at the age of 33, he became Minister of Production of Agricultural Products and Resources.^[2]In agriculture, he worked on increasing the size ofkolkhozs(collective farms), increasing centralization and specialization of agricultural production, elimination ofkhutors(single homesteads), and implementation of land improvements.^[3]Songaila was a member of the Central Committee of theCommunist Party of Lithuania(1962–1981), Chairman of theCouncil of Ministers(1981–1985; equivalent to Prime Minister), Chairman of the Presidium of theSupreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR(1985–1987;de jurehead of state),^[4]and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Lithuania (December 1987 – October 1988;de factohead of state).^[2]

He was described as a "bland" and indecisive but loyal communist who stayed away from political intrigues and showed interest only in agricultural matters.^[2]When Songaila orderedKGBand Internal Troops to forcibly disperse a rally of the radical pro-independenceLithuanian Liberty Leagueon 28 September 1988, he was forced to resign one month later.^[5]He was replaced byAlgirdas Brazauskas,who supportedSąjūdismovement andLithuania's declaration of independencein March 1990.

After the resignation, Songaila retired from public life and died on 25^{[citation needed]}June 2019 at the age of 90.^[2]He was buried in theAntakalnis CemeteryinVilnius.^[6]

References

^Sužiedėlis, Saulius (2011).Historical Dictionary of Lithuania.Historical dictionaries of Europe. Vol. 80. Scarecrow Press. p. 280.ISBN 978-0-8108-4914-3.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^eVaitelė, Tomas (14 July 2019)."Anapilin iškeliavusio sovietinės Lietuvos vadovo klystkeliai: po" bananų baliaus "tapo visų užmiršta praeities šmėkla"(in Lithuanian).Retrieved15 July2019.
^"Ringaudas Bronislovas Songaila".Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija(in Lithuanian). Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras. 24 January 2020 [2012].
^Zinkus, Jonas; et al., eds. (1985–1988). "Songaila, Ringaudas".Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija(in Lithuanian). Vol. 4. Vilnius: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. p. 72.LCCN 86232954.
^Beissinger, Mark R. (2002).Nationalist mobilization and the collapse of the Soviet State.Cambridge University Press. p. 175.ISBN 978-0-521-00148-9.
^Jockus, Arvydas (28 June 2019)."Mirė" bananų baliaus "organizatorius R.Songaila"(in Lithuanian). Alfa.lt via Vakarų ekspresas.Retrieved15 July2019.

Party political offices
Preceded by Petras Griškevičius	First Secretary of theCommunist Party of Lithuania 1987–1988	Succeeded by Algirdas Brazauskas

[suzie-1] Sužiedėlis, Saulius (2011).Historical Dictionary of Lithuania.Historical dictionaries of Europe. Vol. 80. Scarecrow Press. p. 280.ISBN 978-0-8108-4914-3.

[vaite-2] Vaitelė, Tomas (14 July 2019)."Anapilin iškeliavusio sovietinės Lietuvos vadovo klystkeliai: po" bananų baliaus "tapo visų užmiršta praeities šmėkla"(in Lithuanian).Retrieved15 July2019.

[vle-3] "Ringaudas Bronislovas Songaila".Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija(in Lithuanian). Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras. 24 January 2020 [2012].

[zinkus-4] Zinkus, Jonas; et al., eds. (1985–1988). "Songaila, Ringaudas".Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija(in Lithuanian). Vol. 4. Vilnius: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. p. 72.LCCN 86232954.

[beis-5] Beissinger, Mark R. (2002).Nationalist mobilization and the collapse of the Soviet State.Cambridge University Press. p. 175.ISBN 978-0-521-00148-9.

[jockus-6] Jockus, Arvydas (28 June 2019)."Mirė" bananų baliaus "organizatorius R.Songaila"(in Lithuanian). Alfa.lt via Vakarų ekspresas.Retrieved15 July2019.

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v t e Prime ministers of Lithuania
1918–1940	Augustinas Voldemaras Mykolas Sleževičius Pranas Dovydaitis Mykolas Sleževičius Ernestas Galvanauskas Kazys Grinius Ernestas Galvanauskas Antanas Tumėnas Vytautas Petrulis Leonas Bistras Mykolas Sleževičius Augustinas Voldemaras Juozas Tūbelis Vladas Mironas Jonas Černius Antanas Merkys
Lithuanian SSR	Mečislovas Gedvilas Motiejus Šumauskas Juozas Maniušis Ringaudas Songaila Vytautas Sakalauskas
since 1990	Kazimira Prunskienė Albertas Šimėnas Gediminas Vagnorius Aleksandras Abišala Bronislovas Lubys Adolfas Šleževičius Laurynas Stankevičius Gediminas Vagnorius Irena Degutienė Rolandas Paksas Irena Degutienė Andrius Kubilius Rolandas Paksas Eugenijus Gentvilas Algirdas Brazauskas Zigmantas Balčytis Gediminas Kirkilas Andrius Kubilius Algirdas Butkevičius Saulius Skvernelis Ingrida Šimonytė
Italicsindicate acting prime ministers

v t e Leaders of Lithuaniasince 1919
Presidents(1919–1940)	Antanas Smetona Aleksandras Stulginskis Kazys Grinius Jonas Staugaitis Aleksandras Stulginskis Antanas Smetona Antanas Merkys¹ Justas Paleckis¹ Jonas Žemaitis⁴
LKPFirst Secretaries²	Antanas Sniečkus Petras Griškevičius Ringaudas Songaila Algirdas Brazauskas
Presidents(since 1990)	Vytautas Landsbergis³ Algirdas Brazauskas Valdas Adamkus Rolandas Paksas Artūras Paulauskas Valdas Adamkus Dalia Grybauskaitė Gitanas Nausėda
¹Not recognized as a legitimate president ²De factoheads of state;de jureheads of state were Chairmen of the Presidium of theSupreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR ³Was head of state, but not recognized as president ⁴Posthumously recognized in March 2009 Italicsdenote acting leaders