简介：TadasBlinda(1846–1877)wasaLithuanianfolkheroofthe19thcentury. HewasborninthevillageofKinčiuliai,intheregionofŽemaitija(akaSamogitia),andinheritedhisfather's40hectaresattheageof20.Hethenmarried,hadthreedaughters,andbecamethevillageelder. Thereareseveralversionsoftheturningpointinhislifethatledtohislatercareer.Onestoryhasitthatheparticipatedinthe1863uprising,andwassentencedtoexileinSiberia.Anotherhasitthathislandlord,DukeOginskis,orderedhimtoflogsomeserfs,becameangrywhenherefused,andthenstruckBlindawithawhip.Blindarespondedinaflashbythrashingthenobleman.Inanyevent,hethenchosetoliveoutsidethelaw–hegatheredabandoffollowersinthedenseforestsnearByvainė. Accordingtohisadmirers,hewasalatter-dayRobinHood–hestolefromtherichandgavetothepoor.Hisdetractorsarguedthathestolefromthepooraswell.Otherstorieshavehimdisguisinghimselfasapriestandcollectingalmsthathethengaveaway.Manyofthetaleshavethispointincommon:heburiedtreasureintheforest,whichremainsundiscoveredtothisday. Thecircumstancessurroundinghisdeathhavealsobeenanobjectofcontention.Thepopularly-heldversionwasthatDukeOginskiswasfinallyabletogainrevengebyorganizingthelocalauthoritiesandmurderinghim.In1993anarchivistuncoveredpolicerecordsindicatingthathewaslynchedasahorsethiefonApril22,1877andburiedinanunconsecratedcornerofacemeteryinLuokė.Inanyevent,notracesofthisburialhavebeenfound. Hislifewasfirstformallydramatizedin1907bytheLithuanianwritersLazdynųPelėdaandGabrieliusLandsbergis-Žemkalnis.Theplay,entitled“Blinda,theLevelleroftheWorld”,presentedhimasachampionofthecommonpeople,battlingthePolishlandlordsandtheRussianEmpirethatgovernedLithuania,andwasenthusiasticallyreceived. Thelegendlivedon,andwasmadeintoapopularfilmin1973.Itfeaturedahandsomeleadingman,VytautasTomkus,dramatichand-to-handcombatandfeatsofhorsemanship,andthebeautifulsceneryofAukštaitijaNationalPark–itwasanimmediatesuccessandisstillshownintheaters.AlthoughthefilmwasreleasedwiththeapprovaloftheSovietgovernment,manyofitsviewersinterpretedthemovieasaveiledreferencetotheLithuanianpartisanswho,livingintheforests,continuedtoresisttheSovietoccupationduringthe1940sand1950s. Blinda'slifewasrecentlydramatizedinaneponymousrockmusicalbyAndriusMamontovasthatdebutedinVilniusin2004.[1]Alocalrailwaytourre-enactsatrainrobberybyBlinda,[2]andBlindosbeerbyŠvyturys-Utenosalusappearedinthe2000s.…