Ringaudas Songaila - Misplaced Pages

(Redirected from Ringaudas Bronislovas Songaila)

Soviet Lithuanian politician (1929–2019)

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	(1929-04-20)20 April 1929 Klaipėda, Lithuania
Died	25 June 2019(2019-06-25) (aged 90) Trakai, Lithuania
Political party	Communist Party of Lithuania
Occupation	veterinarian politician

Ringaudas Bronislovas Songaila (20 April 1929 – 25 June 2019) was an official of the Lithuanian SSR nomenclatura. In 1987–1988, he was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Lithuania or the de facto head of state.

Biography

Songaila was born in Klaipėda. 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. In agriculture, he worked on increasing the size of kolkhozs (collective farms), increasing centralization and specialization of agricultural production, elimination of khutors (single homesteads), and implementation of land improvements. Songaila was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Lithuania (1962–1981), Chairman of the Council of Ministers (1981–1985; equivalent to Prime Minister), Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR (1985–1987; de jure head of state), and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Lithuania (December 1987 – October 1988; de facto head of state).

He was described as a "bland" and indecisive but loyal communist who stayed away from political intrigues and showed interest only in agricultural matters. When Songaila ordered KGB and Internal Troops to forcibly disperse a rally of the radical pro-independence Lithuanian Liberty League on 28 September 1988, he was forced to resign one month later. He was replaced by Algirdas Brazauskas, who supported Sąjūdis movement and Lithuania's declaration of independence in March 1990.

After the resignation, Songaila retired from public life and died on 25 June 2019 at the age of 90. He was buried in the Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius.

References

Sužiedėlis, Saulius (2011). Historical Dictionary of Lithuania. Historical dictionaries of Europe. Vol. 80. Scarecrow Press. p. 280. ISBN 978-0-8108-4914-3.
^ Vaitelė, Tomas (14 July 2019). "Anapilin iškeliavusio sovietinės Lietuvos vadovo klystkeliai: po "bananų baliaus" tapo visų užmiršta praeities šmėkla" (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 15 July 2019.
"Ringaudas Bronislovas Songaila". Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras. 24 January 2020 .
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. Retrieved 15 July 2019.

Party political offices
Preceded byPetras Griškevičius	First Secretary of the Communist Party of Lithuania 1987–1988	Succeeded byAlgirdas Brazauskas

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 Gintautas Paluckas
Italics indicate acting prime ministers

v t e Leaders of Lithuania since 1919
Presidents (1919–1940)	Antanas Smetona Aleksandras Stulginskis Kazys Grinius Jonas Staugaitis Aleksandras Stulginskis Antanas Smetona Antanas Merkys Justas Paleckis Jonas Žemaitis
LKP first secretaries	Antanas Sniečkus Petras Griškevičius Ringaudas Songaila Algirdas Brazauskas
Presidents (since 1990)	Vytautas Landsbergis Algirdas Brazauskas Valdas Adamkus Rolandas Paksas Artūras Paulauskas Valdas Adamkus Dalia Grybauskaitė Gitanas Nausėda
Not recognized as a legitimate president De facto heads of state; de jure heads of state were chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR Was head of state, but not recognized as president Posthumously recognized in March 2009 Italics denote acting leaders

Categories: