Spaudos centras
Spaudos centras
“It may seem that talking for a minute is no big deal, but even a narrative as short as a minute or less requires me to be familiar with several historical sources, and sometimes to conduct my own research. There are times when I need to read three doctoral dissertations to answer what seems to be the simplest question,” says Kristina Petrauskė, who can rightly be called Lithuania’s most famous historian on the social media platform TikTok.
For several years now, users of this social media platform have been eagerly awaiting Kristina’s engaging stories about lesser-known facts of Lithuanian and world history. The woman, who boasts an audience of over 70,000 followers, says that her content creation was spurred by the coronavirus pandemic that closed down museums a few years ago. In an interview, Kristina Petrauskė discusses how she manages to balance her important duties at the Vytautas the Great War Museum with her work on social networks, and shares her journey to becoming a historian.
Parents were not fond of their daughter’s choice
Kristina says that she became interested in history after reading Vincas Pietaris’ novel “Algimantas”, which is considered the first historical novel written in Lithuanian, about Prince Algimantas and his quest for revenge. Although written in a language that straddles the 19th and 20th centuries, difficult for a modern person to understand, this novel ignited the imagination of the teenage girl to pursue exploring the past.
“While reading novels by both foreign and Lithuanian authors, I always wondered, ‘Could it really have been like that? Could Milady from ‘The Three Musketeers’ have had a tattoo?’ But those questions remained unanswered until I read “Algimantas.” At the end of this book, I found an article by historian Alvydas Nikžentaitis questioning whether this Algimantas really existed. That’s when I realised there are people like historians who, using not just their imagination but also historical sources, describe and analyse events of the past, and I knew I wanted to pursue this path,” Kristina recalls her initial fascination with history.
By the time she was finishing school, she was certain that history was the field where she wanted to deepen her knowledge. “I saw history as a very valuable and broad education, not just a profession,” says Kristina, who confidently opted for a Bachelor’s degree in History at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU). Nonetheless, her parents were not very fond of her choice.
“My parents’ generation is very practical – they lived through the collapse of the Soviet Union and experienced very tough economic times, so their main priority was the financial security of their children. And let’s face it, a degree in history does not promise that kind of security. Almost everyone in my generation went into law, economics, and management – fields that at that time were associated with a good salary in the eyes of their parents, and here I was, aiming to be a historian. I remember at that time my mother was lamenting to a friend about what would become of her daughter. But in this case, it must have been the ‘she’ll get a degree’ attitude that prevailed. And yet, I am grateful to my parents for not completely challenging my decision,” Kristina recalls her parents’ expectations.
The liberal atmosphere and high standards for students were the most surprising aspects at the University
Being a native of Kaunas, Kristina chose to study at VMU not only for the quality of the studies. At the university, she was particularly surprised by the studies based on the liberal arts model and by the informal interactions between teachers and students.
“I imagined that the teacher would be somewhere far away on a podium with a halo, but instead, there was a person who would say that today’s lecture would take place in an informal setting. It was this informality, this strong desire to help the student, to stimulate their curiosity, the push to strive for more, as well as the liberal atmosphere that revealed a completely different process of studies and study opportunities. Moreover, the teachers would involve receptive students in academic life early on. The very first scientific conference I attended was international and took place in Warsaw. So the level of trust the teachers had in their students and the high standards they set were astounding,” says Kristina.
Realises her full potential at work
Participation in various academic and project activities not only allowed Kristina to see behind the scenes of the academic world but also helped her find a job. Immediately after graduating, she was employed at the Vytautas the Great War Museum, where she continues to work to this day.
“That close bond between teachers and students brought out the students’ potential quite quickly. At least in my circle, students were immediately integrated into the labour market. Someone recommended me to the Vytautas the Great War Museum, and thanks to that recommendation, I have been working there for eight years now,” recalls the historian, who currently also serves as the Deputy Director of the museum.
According to Kristina, her background as a historian allows her to apply the knowledge she has gained at university to her work. Having started her career as a cultural and later as a political and military historian, she is now the Deputy Director of the museum, responsible for the representation and presentation of history and its science to the public.
“Although the role of Deputy Director might sound more like administrative work, the area I oversee is scientific. So, even though I work in a war museum, the exhibitions and activities I oversee always include elements of the culture of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. For example, when presenting battles or discussing the 19th-century uprisings, we also show the cultural background that allowed them to arise and take shape,” Kristina gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse of her work and expresses her joy that the activities she is involved in – work, hobbies, and additional interests – all intertwine and help her grow and realise her potential.
Noticed a lack of historical content in Lithuanian
Although the global coronavirus pandemic that started a few years ago closed down museums, it opened up new avenues of activity for Kristina, specifically, content creation on the social media platform TikTok. Learning how other major European museums were utilising this platform to create educational content, she was inspired by curiosity to try it out herself.
“I noticed that there was hardly any educational content in Lithuanian. Initially, I also created my content in English. However, when my videos started to increasingly reach a Lithuanian audience due to the algorithm, I realised how odd it looked when I talked about Lithuanian history in English to Lithuanians, who in turn responded in English in the comments section,” Kristina explains her decision to start creating content in her native language.
Kristina chooses the topics for her stories based on what seems relevant and interesting to her, as preparing even a short video story often requires a considerable amount of time and knowledge. “Sometimes answering followers’ questions requires additional research, so I always try to provide historiographic sources, allowing people to find the information they are interested in on their own,” Kristina explains. She reveals that although working at the museum and creating content on TikTok make up the majority of her activities, she still finds time for hobbies. One such hobby is researching historical cuisine and cooking historical dishes.
“Historical cuisine truly surprises with its flavours and experiences. Its richness gives you a whole new perception of the past. It turns out that ordinary peasants did not just eat some grey gruel. Even with very limited resources, they managed to make quite decent food with the resources available at the time,” says the historian, who recently tried out an original cold beet soup recipe that, surprisingly, has nothing to do with beets or the pink colour but which contained milk, meat, and even fish.
Addresses concerns about history teaching in schools
Although Kristina’s activities on TikTok have made her more recognisable in public and have led to various job offers, including teaching history in schools, she insists that when it comes to teaching this subject, it is crucial to distinguish between two elements: history teachers and history curricula.
“I know quite a few history teachers who go above and beyond, trying to make the history curriculum, which is largely based on political and diplomatic history, as interesting as possible. The history curriculum was recently rewritten, adding more content on women’s history and the history of everyday life. However, this was achieved by removing other topics. This creates a dilemma about what content to discard and what to keep. For example, I would find it difficult to understand the interwar period without mentioning the artist and photographer Veronika Šleivytė. At the same time, we cannot exclude all the former presidents or key political figures,” the historian describes the current situation.
According to Kristina, the situation is further aggravated by the very limited number of history lessons. “On one hand, I understand that learning about various classical civilisations is essential because they form the foundation of our culture. But at the same time, we learn absolutely nothing about the history of our neighbours – the Poles, Latvians, or Estonians. Ultimately, there is also nothing about Ukraine,” she critically describes the history curriculum. She adds that too little attention is paid to the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the chosen focal points are not placed where they should be.
The path to success lies in the field where you feel most comfortable
Speaking about choices and her own decision to study history, Kristina firmly believes that everyone should pursue their future in the field where they feel most comfortable.
“I understand that the older generation is practical and pragmatic, but for me, it doesn’t matter whether my child wants to be a physicist or a nail technician. If they strive to be the best in their field, are satisfied with their earnings, and feel good psychologically, then they are on the right path. I believe that having studied history, I have much broader career opportunities than someone who has pursued a more narrow specialisation. To me, education always comes before profession, and a university should primarily be the institution that provides that broad education,” the historian is convinced.
Recalling her school days, she mentions that although she was not interested in education at the time and was often bored in classes, she graduated from university with top grades. “I believe that it’s most important to find the field you love and excel in it. My final years at school would have been easier if someone had told me that everything would be fine and that exams do not define, let alone end, your life,” says Kristina.
