Monument to Motiejus Valančius

A monument to Motiejus Valančius near the seminary wall of Kaunas Priest Seminary

He served the Lithuanians by opposing the Russian government (particularly the Lithuanian Press Ban,which was a ban on all Lithuanian language publications printed in the Latin alphabet). He sponsored the illegal practice of printing Lithuanian books in East Prussia and smuggling them into Lithuania by knygnešiai, served to stimulate the emergence Valančius emerges was one of the most influential figures in 19th century Lithuania.