Lecture | CMGI Brown Bag Seminar
Suicides in Lithuania in the late 19th − early 20th centuries
- Dr. Kseniya Tserashkova (Faculty of History, Vilnius University)
- Date
- Monday 24 November 2025
- Time
- Location
-
Johan Huizinga
Doelensteeg 16
2311 VL Leiden - Room
- Conference room (2.60)
This project investigates the phenomenon of suicides in Lithuania during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, based at the analytical concept of asymmetric dependence. It aims to enhance public awareness of the connection between suicides and socio-economic processes, religious and cultural traditions, crimes, access to medicine and other factors by examining its historical aspects. Kseniya Tserashkova will trace the transformation of legislation towards persons who have attempted or committed suicide, relatives and their rights for inheritance, and persons who have been accused of inciting suicide. The study will analyse causes and scale of suicides in Lithuanian society, as well as their specific features compared to other regions of the Russian Empire. It will focus on farewell rituals (suicide notes, conversations, etc.), preparation and methods for committing suicide. The author will also explore the public debate regarding suicides and attempts to prevent them by the religious and government institutions. The project “Suicides in Lithuania in the late 19th − early 20th centuries” is a part of the post-doctoral research “Pauperization of European population in the late 18th – early 20th century: Reasons, process and impact to societies”.