92 years of Ice Hockey in Lithuania

[Justinov]

Kęstutis Bulota was very import and figure in that sense because he actually persuaded all the rest in Lithuania to better play Canadian hockey, because in all Baltic states, especially in Latvia and Estonia bandy was still more dominated.

Smart move that actually got Lithuania a head start compared to other countries. Very interesting WHERE they got their idea from playing icehockey as bandy was all dominant in Northern Europe at that time.

I seem to remember from your thread that the first games in Lithuania were played 1922/23, so it could fit somehow with the EC in St Moritz 1922?

[Ledo Ripka]

Steponas Darius was American Lithuanian. As Steponas Darašius he emigrated to the USA with his family in 1907 and lived there till 1917, when he joined the United States Army and went to war..

[Justinov]

Steponas Darius was American Lithuanian. As Steponas Darašius he emigrated to the USA with his family in 1907 and lived there till 1917, when he joined the United States Army and went to war..

So that likely explains, that he learnt about hockey in USA (or from army buddies) and then brought it “home“ after WW1.

[Ledo Ripka]

Here is some interesting fragment from the Lithuanian ice hockey history. In January of 1937 some ice hockey team from Sweden went on tour to Poland but their route went through Klaipėda port then. Swedes had to stay in Klaipėda for a day or so. So they were noticed by the local sportsmen.

In the first message about this Swedish team (completely unknown in Lithuania) local daily paper "Vakarai" ("The West") (1937 01 10, page #8 wrote that Swedish team (12 men) on the way to Poland with the boat Marieholm were in Klaipėda and stayed here more then one day. During this stay they were visited by the chairman of KSS club - (Lithuanian army) captain (Antanas) Saunoris*, who brought regards from the Klaipėda's sportsmen and there was preliminary agreement to organize the friendly Lithuanian-Swedish match, on their way back, on 17th of January with KSS, "if only ice will be at that time". It would be a big surprize to the Klaipada's sports fans. We have to note, paper says, that in this Swedish team are 3 "internationals" which represented Sweden National ice hockey team in Olympics.

(* during the first Soviet Russian occupation of Lithuania cpt. Antanas Saunoris was arrested in 14th of June 1941 and sent to Gulag, Norilsk camp)


фотохостинг бесплатный

[Ledo Ripka]

In the other issue (1937 01 14, page #4) of the same paper "Vakarai" ("The West"). There are another two interesting messages concerning the same match. The first one is called: "Finally we've got our ice" is written:

It looked like fans of the winter sports will not see the ice this year at all. But it freezed for they joy and there is thick enough ice on the scating ring already. Some of them already tried to skate yesterday evening. The only scating ring which is working now in Klaipėda is KSS, besides the army barracs, which freezes the first one always, so why it is attracting many skaters at the beginning.

Later paper says that the order will be different in that scating ring, they will try to keep good ice constantely, than last year when due to the changeable winter, it was not possible to do..

Paper also wrote:

It was written not a long ago, that via Klaipėda with the boat Marienholm on the way to Poland travelled Swedish hockey team to play ice hockey with Poles. They had to return via Klaipėda again on 17th of January, but because of the boat's delay, they are comming only on 19th. If till that date ice will stay good, Swedes promissed to play friendly match with KSS ice hockey players. It would be a real surprize to Klaipėda's ice hokey players and also to all sports loving society.

Still no information about Swedish team and it's players is given. Still no names yet.

The next message (or information) is called : "For the KSS ice hockey players"

Due to better weather conditions hockey tranings are started. This Wednesday and Thursday tranings will be from the 2 P.M.


хостинг картинок без регистрации
http://s2.postimg.org/ppg64k40p/Vaka...enos_4_psl.jpg

[Ledo Ripka]

In 19th of January issue on page #6 there is another message called:

Swedish ice hockey players in Klaipėda

Few days ago Swedish ice hockey team traveled through Klaipėda. KSS invited travelling Swedes for one friendly match. Swedes accepted the invitation. They are comming with the boat Marieholm on 19th of January, Tuesday.
This is the real news for the sports loving society and the rare opportunity to see the first-line ice hockey players. It have to note that in Swedish line-up there are 3 internationals, who represented Sweden in Olympics. While playing in Poland Swedes won everywhere, and the Polish Students National team they smashed with high score. Such a players to see in Klaipėda is a rare happening, so it should not miss the only opportunity to see the high class play. KSS team will be reinforced with a couple of players from other teams.
The beginning of match is sheduled on 2:30 PM in the KSS scating ring, in front of the army barracks.

Still no more info about Swedish team, still no names yet.


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http://s15.postimg.org/tz836sevv/Vak...enos_6_psl.jpg

[Ledo Ripka]

And finally we've got the day 20th of January 1937 - the sheduled day of the very important international match for Klaipėda - some team from Sweden versus Lithuanian team KSS Klaipėda. On this day "Vakarai" (1937 01 20 page #8) printed the article with some information about Swedish team and the names at last:

Swedish ice hockey players are playing today

This morning from Danzig on the boat Marieholm The National Ice Hockey Team of Swedish Students arrived. They toured in Poland, Austria and Romania. Swedes performed perfectly everywhere. From 7 matches they won 5, and two games only they've lost with slight results. Here are the scores. Win against Wiener Eislaufverein 5:0, win against Students selection team of Lviv 2:1, against Students selection team of Bucharest - 1:0, against famous club Warszawianka in Warsaw - 2:0, against Lydia Lviv they won 6:3. They lost against National Team of Poland (not students) - 0:2, and against Silesian selection team 1:2.
In this National Students Team of Sweden three internationals are playing, which played for the National Team of Sweden in the Olympics a year ago. They are: goalkeeper Carlson and forwards Jansson I and Erikson. The line up of the team is: Carlson; Malenberg, Andersson; I forwards: Jansson II, Jansson I, Erikson; II forwards: Thufberg, Loef, Hagreen.

The following players will play in KSS team: goalie Brazauskas; defenders Gvildys and Vaškelis I. Forwards: Karalius, Briginas, Vaškelis II, Hofmanas, Musteikis and others.

The beginning of match at 2:30 PM, the ending approximately at 4:00 PM.

Concerning the KSS line up, I only can add, that Brazauskas possibly was Jonas Brazauskas, better known as KSS football player (died in USA).

Gvildys - Vilhelmas Gvildys, also better known as football player (fate unknown).

Vaškelis I was Valentinas Vaškelis - legendary Lithuanian sportsman, swimmer, diver water polo player and later coach and referee (boxing, aquatics and hockey) from KJK club in Kaunas. Valentinas Vaškelis by the way was also the first referee in the first ever official ice hockey match in the Russia's (then USSR) ice hockey history (championships), in Moscow, 1946. (V. Vaškelis lived and died in Kaunas, occupied Lithuania)

Karalius was Vladas Karalius, who also represented Lithuania in 1938 World Ice Hockey Championships in Prague, a year later. (fate unknown)

Briginas - Stasys Briginas also from KJK Kaunas (fate unknown).

Vaškelis II - was Vladas Vaškelis, younger brother of Valentinas, also from KJK Kaunas (after the second occupation of Lithuania lived and died in USA).

Hofmanas - I only guess was not the same A. Hofmanas which represented Lithuania a year ago in Prague, but well known football player from Klaipėda Fridrichas Hofmanas. Fridrichas Hofmanas at some night in summer of 1938 in Klaipėda was heavyly beaten by 3 nazie scums and landed in Klaipėda's Red Cross hospital unconscious. The blame of the hooligans was that he as German by origin is "too friendly with the Lithuanians". Lithuanian police in Klaipėda was good enough those days and 3 nazies were arrested soon. It appeared that those nazies were actually germanized Lithuanians (had Lithuanian surnames). I don't know the later fate of F. Hofmanas after German Nazies occupied Klaipėda, but it's more likely that he died somewhere in the Eastern front may be together with those three brainwashed Klaipėda's hooligans...

I still can't say nothing more about Musteikis and others from KSS line-up in that match.


хостинг картинок без регистрации
http://s12.postimg.org/83j9xab25/Vak...enos_8_psl.jpg

[Andris_Zelenkovs]

Great! Thank you!

[Ledo Ripka]

Concerning the KSS line up, I only can add, that Brazauskas possibly was Jonas Brazauskas, better known as KSS football player (died in USA).

I was wrong about the gollie Brazauskas first name. He was not the same football player Jonas Brazauskas, but Antanas Brazauskas . Previously played in Kaunas LGSF team. Noted from year 1932, 1933, 1935 and 1936. He also was referee in Lithuanian ice hockey championship matches. Antanas Brazauskas was brother of another outstanding LGSF ice hockey, football and basketball player Kazys Brazauskas-"Kiza", who was in Dachau (take a look at my previous posts).

Antanas Brazauskas missed somewhere in year 1944-1945, possibly in the Klaipėda region. Probably was killed by the Soviet "liberators", as hundreds of thousands of other Lithuanian and Prussian civilians during 'liberation" of Klaipėda (Memel) and East Prussia, possibly even in MV Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy...

Antanas Brazauskas as Klaipėda KSS gollie just minutes before 20th of January 1937 match with Swedish SSK.

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[Red Maple Leaf]

Any chance of finding the final tables of the Lithuanian Championship from 1940-1991?

[Ledo Ripka]

The day after the revue about match with Swedish team appear on "Vakarai" 1937, 21th January, page #4.

It is named: "Swedish students - KSS combination 20:0 (7:0, 4:0, 9:0)"

"On January the 19th we have a rare occation to see famous team from abroad - National team of Swedish students.
Our players were not able to match them. Swedish were much better and had left Klaipėda's hockey players far behind.
Swedish have passed by KSS deffence nicely and nearly every score made from the distance of few meters. Swedish are very fast and skates beautifully. They are perfectly contolling puck and playing good as a team."

Before the match - colonel Juozas Lanskoronskis (1893-1980 in Belgium) - chief commander of Klaipėda's military units said wellcome speach, also because he was the main host of the venue. Lithuanian diplomat and later well known (also in Sweden) writer Ignas Šeinius (Ignas Scheynius) (1889-1959 in Stockholm) said wellcome speach in Swedish.

In the middle of the third period the KSS golie Kazys Brazauskas have got serious head injury and was forced to be replaced by Grimas.

After the match all participants were invited to Klaipėda's Officers Club where Lithuanian-Swedish friendship party with col. J. Lanskoronskis, I. Šeinius and other Klaipėda's officials and KSS team supporters was held.


http://s12.postimg.org/4c9nyxw0d/Vak...enos_4_psl.jpg

[Ledo Ripka]

"Sweden smashed KSS 20:0 (7:0, 4:0, 9:0)"

Popular military magazine "Karys" (1937 No.5, page 145) also placed a short report from the same - the first Lithuanian-Swedish hockey match. And also made the same mistake calling the Swedish team - "National team of Swedish students".

In this article is said, that in this "student's team" there were "even 3 internationals - Erikson, F. Jonsson and Carlsson"

"Swedes had shown the true artistic and exemplary class of ice hockey. Such a result 20:0 could only be excused also by the fact that during all tour in Europe Swedish students have lost two games only". Later there are the names of rivals and the results given.

"The best Swedish player in this match was F. Jonsson who is also the best central forward of National team of Sweden". "From KSS - Briginas, Gvildys and Vaškelis I were good." - concluded Jonas A. Misiūnas.

It would be interesting to know if there were any articles or notes photos etc. about this match in Swedish press?



http://s1.postimg.org/7wc23jvof/Kary...SS_SSK_V_V.jpg

[partizanhk]

Any chance of finding the final tables of the Lithuanian Championship from 1940-1991?

It is not existing, becouse there was no Lithuania from 1945-1991...hahhahhaha

I just dont know why Ledo Ripka is angry on Russia?

[Ledo Ripka]

By the way, one of the players from that Lithuania's 1932 team - Kazys Brazauskas,
(picture from the book about resistance in occupied Lithuania: Evaldas Burokas "Pūtėme prieš vėją")


was also a good soccer player for LGSF and during the Socialist occupations was active in Lithuanian ressistance movement, helping to issue underground paper "Laisvės kovotojas" ("Freedom Fighter") in Kaunas.. Survived the war, emigrated to USA from DP camps in West Germany and died in the free country.

Evaldas Burokas made a mistate in his book "Pūtėme prieš vėją" identifying Kazys Brazauskas-"Kiza".

I've visited Kiza's daughter, living in Kaunas. After the second Lithuanian occupation by the Soviet Russia and the end of WW2, she with her mother were forced to stay on the dark side of Iron Curtain, while Kazys Brazauskas - after been freed from Dachau, stayed in the Free World. Daughter gave me this original photo picture of Lithuanian resistance unit, where real Kiza is another guy. They all had nearly the same style of beards due to underground conspiracy.

http://s14.postimg.org/vsgz6xpsx/K_B...tentai_001.jpg

Here is the Kazys Brazauskas-Kiza

[Ledo Ripka]

An Oldest Lithuanian sports veteran Jonas Murauskas (deffender from LGSF Kaunas, born in 11th of August 1913) during his Official Tribute by the Lithuanian Sports Museum in Kaunas, yesterday (18th of August, 2018), after missing some throws, when was forced to score 10 from 10 (in +27 C midday sun heat), but, unfortunatelly in basketball, sadly admints:

"Sorry, I'm just ice hockey player"

[Ledo Ripka]

Actually the oldest Lithuanian sportsman ice hockey player Jonas Murauskas was 3 times Lithuanian Champion: in 1935, 1936 and 1937 (with LGSF), and once was the Champion of occupied Lithuania in 1948 (with "Žalgiris" Kaunas).

Here is more videos from the a.m. event:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...lqCyADL0m7ZFpw


http://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/spor...a-ranka-706204

[Justinov]

By the way, one of the players from that Lithuania's 1932 team - Kazys Brazauskas,
(picture from the book about resistance in occupied Lithuania: Evaldas Burokas "Pūtėme prieš vėją")


was also a good soccer player for LGSF and during the Socialist occupations was active in Lithuanian ressistance movement, helping to issue underground paper "Laisvės kovotojas" ("Freedom Fighter") in Kaunas.. Survived the war, emigrated to USA from DP camps in West Germany and died in the free country.

It is interesting to see how many Lithuanians kept fighting a very active partizan war against the Sovjet's EVEN after the end of WW2.
The British (+ Swedish and Danes) tried to help the Baltic countries inserting émigré Baltic people (especially soldiers) back into their countries through Operation "JUNGLE" and the CIA through Project "REDSOX".

I have found lots of interesting stuff about the Danish hockey player Jørgen Alfred Hviid's role as a recruiter of Latvians for these operation and the use of a Fast Patrol boat - bringing agents back and forth - under the West-German Hans-Helmut Klose working for British Intelligence under JUNGLE/REDSOX.
http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh...1750187&page=2

So I'm wondering how many of these Lithuanian hockey players, that became involved in these projects (it is even known in Lithuania these days?).
It seems some Lithuania sportspeople were either partizans in Lithuania or were fighting as airmen and the like for the allies. So if you have some names I will be happy to help making a search through the CIA files....

[Ledo Ripka]

It is interesting to see how many Lithuanians kept fighting a very active partizan war against the Sovjet's EVEN after the end of WW2.
The British (+ Swedish and Danes) tried to help the Baltic countries inserting émigré Baltic people (especially soldiers) back into their countries through Operation "JUNGLE" and the CIA through Project "REDSOX".

I have found lots of interesting stuff about the Danish hockey player Jørgen Alfred Hviid's role as a recruiter of Latvians for these operation and the use of a Fast Patrol boat - bringing agents back and forth - under the West-German Hans-Helmut Klose working for British Intelligence under JUNGLE/REDSOX.
http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh...1750187&page=2

So I'm wondering how many of these Lithuanian hockey players, that became involved in these projects (it is even known in Lithuania these days?).
It seems some Lithuania sportspeople were either partizans in Lithuania or were fighting as airmen and the like for the allies. So if you have some names I will be happy to help making a search through the CIA files....

Thank You for Your possible help, but unfortunately I've no other names of ice hockey players that were involved in these projects detected yet. Those better known to me, who left the country in 1944 before reoccupation by the Soviets, after the war in the rest of Europe, renewed their sporting activities in DP camps and later in emigration. Those who stayed in the country were arrested by the Soviets shot dead in prisons or in temporary Soviet NKVD camps in Lithuania, or were sent to GULAG, and shot there, as Kęstutis Bulota. Some survived even there, as for example Aleksandras Kapleraitis from "Kauno audiniai" factory club, but he lost his health in Russian Communist camps of Vorkuta.

[Justinov]

Thank You for Your possible help, but unfortunately I've no other names of ice hockey players that were involved in these projects detected yet. Those better known to me, who left the country in 1944 before reoccupation by the Soviets, after the war in the rest of Europe, renewed their sporting activities in DP camps and later in emigration. Those who stayed in the country were arrested by the Soviets shot dead in prisons or in temporary Soviet NKVD camps in Lithuania, or were sent to GULAG, and shot there, as Kęstutis Bulota. Some survived even there, as for example Aleksandras Kapleraitis from "Kauno audiniai" factory club, but he lost his health in Russian Communist camps of Vorkuta.

Thanks for your attempt!
So it's very much an "either or" (quoting Kierkegaard). You got out before 1944 or you likely ended up dead.
Maybe also hockey players would be to high profile to send back as agents? It's possible that some Lithuanian hockey players became recruiters among the émigré Lithuanians, but it is off course secret knowledge and only a few CIA files have been opened to the public.

PS: In 1999 the Danish Journalist Samuel Rachlin (born 1947 in Pokrovsk) made a documentary where he retraced his family's deportation by the (for being capitalists) from Lithuania in 1941 (19th of June) to Bykov Mys in the Lena River Delta at the arctic sea. 3 days later (22nd of June) the Germans took Kybertai and all the Jews were shot. So the family was strangely saved by being deported. They were allowed to move to Denmark in 1957 after 16 years in Siberia after having been forced-moved around 20 times!
The documentary is called "Rejsen tilbage" (The journey back).
Sadly I'm not able to find it online.
It seemed some Lithuanians were send to the Lena area in 1941 and that is really really far away from everything!
The Rachlin's were the first two years in Bykov Mys and be then 40% of the deported (Lithuanians?) had died.
Source: (DANISH) http://www.b.dk/kultur/barndommen-i-sibirien

His parents Rachel & Israel Rachlin wrote a Danish bestseller called "16 år i Sibirien" (16 years in Siberia) about it and it had sold over 200.000 copies by 2004 in Denmark.
It should be translated into German, English, French and even Russian.

Source: https://www.saxo.com/dk/16-aar-i-sib..._9788702134148

[Ledo Ripka]

Here is the place in Kaunas, Lithuania, where the true history of Soviet (Russian) ice hockey really started.


https://s18.postimg.org/dtjo6v61l/20...144049-001.jpg

The same place possibly in 1946-1948. Photo by Jonas Murauskas (HC Kaunas LGSF)

https://s10.postimg.org/mxt79g5bd/J....1946-1948m.jpg

Birthday of ice hockey in Russia is considered to be 22 December 1946, when in Moscow, Leningrad, Arkhangelsk and two cities of occupied Baltic states – Riga (Latvia) and Kaunas (Lithuania) were played the first matches of the first championship of the USSR. All 5 matches mainly due to Communist propaganda started at the same Moscow time - at 1:00 p.m.

In any written history about Russian ice hockey you can find that Russian player-coach Arkady Chernyshev (Аркадий Чернышев) from "Dynamo" Moscow scored the first ever goal in the history of the Soviet (Russian) championships. It was already don on the 7th minute (1.07 a.m., Moscow time) in Arkhangelsk, where local HC "Vodnik" met HC "Dynamo" Moscow and lost 1:5 (1:1, 0:1, 0:3).

But it's fake history (as the most of official histories in this country).

The true story is, that goal of Arkady Chernyshev was only 3rd (the Third!) in the history of Soviet (Russian) hockey championships.

Lithuanians from Kaunas and Latvians from Riga were not only the first teachers of Russians in Canadian ice hockey, but here in Kaunas, occupied Lithuania, forward from Kaunas team (selection) scored the first ever goal in their history.

Here, on the eastern part of the legendary Kaunas Sports Hall (designed in 1938 by engineer Anatolijus Rozenbliumas) build in 1938-1939 for 3rd European Basketball Championship in 1939 (where Lithuania became the European Champions second time in the raw) even before the Soviet occupation was the main venue for all the major ice hockey games held in Kaunas (from the winter of 1939). As have benn mentioned above, Lithuanians started to play ice hockey in 1922, but the first National championships started on 30th of January 1926. So we had more than 20 years of experience in the past, when Russians only started their history.

So at 1.0 p.m., on the 22nd of December 1946 some ice hockey players from the closed and restricted by the Soviet occupants former Lithuanian ice hockey clubs, who survived the Soviet, German and Soviet again occupations, genocides, not sent to the East (Gulag) not fled to the West, started to play in the first Soviet Championships against team from Ukraine – HC „Spartak“ Uzhgorod.

The first goal was scored already at the 2nd (Second) minute of that game (1:02 p.m., Moscow time) by Vladas Danilevičius (from former HC Kaunas LGSF). Just within the nex minute Ukrainians scored equaliser, documented for R. Martinek from HC „Spartak“ Uzhgorod. So the Second Goal in the Soviet (Russian) ice hockey history goes to Ukraine. (1:03 p.m. Moscow time).

Author of the first goal in the history of Soviet (Russian) ice hockey championships - Lithuanian Vladas Danilevičius (Kaunas team, former HC Kaunas LGSF). Picture from 1946.

https://s14.postimg.org/a37l1jgc1/Vl...anda_1946-.jpg

The area on the East part of famous Kaunas Sports Hall is the place where those two major moments in the history of Russian (Soviet) ice hockey happened in the eyes of 3000 spectators when Lithuanian Kaunas team beat Ukrainian HC "Spartak" Uzhgorod 12:1 (2:1, 6:0, 4:0):

[Ledo Ripka]

The First Winter Olympian of Lithuania, was shot dead by the Soviet Russians

Engineer Kęstutis Bulota who was playing for Hertha BSC in Berlin (1929-1931) was very importand figure in the history of Lithuanian ice hockey, because he actually persuaded all the rest, when returned from Berlin to Lithuania, to better play Canadian hockey, because in all Baltic states, especially in Latvia and Estonia bandy was still more dominated then.

After the Soviet occupation of Lithuania (in 15th of June, 1940) Kęstutis Bulota was arrested on 14th of June 1941 by the Russian NKVD (which is older name of KGB/FSB) and was sent to GULAG (North of Ural), as tens of thousands of other Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians. He was killed by Russian NKVD guards during his attempt to escape from Sosna Concentration camp. Exact place of his final rest (grave) is still unknown.

Here is the new article in Lithuanian about him, with some pictures - snapshots from the video (it‘s attached in the centre of the article), made by The National Olympic Commetee of Lithuania. You can find some interesting footage of 104 years old Lithuanian Ice Hockey Vet – Jonas Murauskas (from Kaunas LGSF) in that video who is filmed in Ice Arena of Kaunas with the red jersey made specially for him.

"Pirmasis Lietuvos žiemos olimpietis, nušautas sovietų" ("The First Winter Olympian of Lithuania, shot dead by the Soviets")

https://www.delfi.lt/sportas/kitos-s....d?id=76230361