Petras Ciunis

Petras Ciunis (born 1898-06-26 in Perloja, Varėna district, Lithuania – died in 1979 in Vilnius) – Lithuanian army officer, educator.

Biography

In 1918 Petras Ciunis graduated from Voronezh teachers' seminary (a subsidiary of Tartu University at the time). In February of 1919 he volunteered for the 1st infantry regiment (Lithuanian army). In June of the same year he started education in the Lithuanian military academy. Upon graduation he was assigned to the 1st infantry regiment (Lithuanian army) as company chief. In July of 1925 he graduated from High officers courses and became logistics and (later) drill company chief in the 1st infantry regiment in Ukmergė. In 1926 he became a captain. In 1933 he was transferred to the Lithuanian riflemen union, and in 1935 to Trakai military district.

As the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in 1940, Petras Ciunis was chief of the 2nd company of the 2nd infantry regiment (Lithuanian army). The only opportunity to prevent Soviets form deporting the whole Ciunis family to Siberia was to donate most of the family estates to the state and join the Soviet military. In September 1940 he was assigned to Red Army (RA) 259 riflemen regiment 1 battalion as 2nd company chief. In December of the same year he was assigned to RA 184 riflemen division 619 artillery regiment, and became chief of the chemical warfare company.

In June of 1941 Petras Ciunis became chief specialist of RA 179 riflemen division for chemical warfare. As Operation Barbarossa started, Nazi army groups North and Center crossed Lithuanian territory. This gave an opportunity for an uprising and a brief Lithuanian 1941 independence. Petras Ciunis is reported to have not directly participated in the uprising, but helped by sabotaging the RA.

As the events of war progressed, Petras Ciunis found himself retreating to the depth of Russia with the remains of the RA 29th Riflemen regiment. In August 1941 he was sent to the Soviet officers academy „Bыстрел“ in Solonechnogorsk. Afterwards he became a professor in Omsk 2nd war academy. As the 'Lithuanian' division was formed, P. Ciunis was assigned to it as chief chemical warfare specialist.

In 1946 P. Ciunis was assigned to Vilnius University as the chief lecturer in military faculty. In 1950 he retired from military service as a lieutenant colonel. From October 1950 to 1964 he headed the Vilnius regional library (now the Vilnius county Adomas Mickevičius public library).

Petras Ciunis died in 1979 and is buried in Vilnius' Antakalnis Cemetery.

Decorations

* 1928 – Lithuanian independence medal, Volunteer medal
* 1929 – Lithuanian Magnus dux Gediminas order, Officer's cross
* 1939 – Lithuanian Rifleman's star
* 1944 – Soviet Order of the Red Star
* 1945 – Soviet Medal For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945

References

*lt icon [http://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petras_Ciunis] Lithuanian wikipedia
*lt icon [http://www.amb.lt/bibl_istorija] Vilniaus apskrities Adomo Mickevičiaus viešoji biblioteka
*lt icon V. Asevičius et al. „Lietuvos kariuomenės karininkai 1918-1953“, 2nd volume, 2006