Sofija Kymantaitė (1886-1958) was born into a family of landless nobility in Joniškis. When the Kymantai family received an offer from Sofija's mother's brother, pastor Vincent Jarulaitis, to come and work on his farm to improve their financial situation, the family agreed. In 1893, when the girl was 7 years old, they all moved to Kuli, where the girl began her education with the help of her uncle. Here she picked up the Samogitian dialect and style.

In 1898, while attending Palanga elementary school for girls, she returned to Kuliai and met a young priest, Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas, who had recently arrived there and who diligently taught everyone to read and write Lithuanian, including Sofija Kymantaitė. It was Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas who took Sofija to the first Lithuanian play in Palanga in 1899. With her uncle financing her, S. Kymantaitė continued her studies in St. Petersburg's St. Catherine gymnasium, and in 1904 finished the gymnasium in Riga. In 1904-1907, she studied at the Baranecki Courses and the University of Cracow, and later philosophy and literature.

In 1909, M. K. Čiurlionis visited Kuliai with Sofija. Together they visited Sofia's parents.

More information: www.ciurlioniokelias.lt

The house where M. K. Čiurlionis' in-laws Elžbieta and Leonas Kymantas lived

The house where M. K. Čiurlionis' in-laws Elžbieta and Leonas Kymantas lived

Location