Second half of the 19th century, Lithuania. The seal as a means of national resistance
This seal is testimony of the unique history of national resistance in the difficult years Lithuania experienced in the Russian imperial context, soon after repressions were enacted against the 1863–1864 insurgents. Michał Ogiński (1849–1902), a prince and grandson of Michał Kleofas Ogiński, upon becoming the marshal of the Telšiai county nobility, organised the production of new symbols for the city. At his initiative, instead of the official imperial seal, the earlier Telšiai coat of arms with the image of Saint Stanislaus, conferred back in the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, came to be used everywhere. Circumstances suggest that the reinstatement of the Telšiai coat of arms was a conscious act, a test of political influence and boundary assertion.
Ogiński was betrayed as being disloyal to the authorities, leading to a public scandal, while local officials took this as an opportunity to subdue an uncomfortable figure and quash his initiatives in Žemaitija. Ogiński lost his office as marshal of the Telšiai county, yet avoided greater sanctions. Artefacts with the early Telšiai coat of arms were taken out of circulation after this event, most likely being destroyed. The fact that the seal survived at the LNMA was likely due to personal circumstances – Michał Ogiński was the chairman of the Firefighting Society and the founder of firefighting teams.
Michał Ogiński, like his predecessors, actively supported culture and artists. The prince was the main sponsor and patron of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis – without him the Lithuanian artist and composer is not likely to have become such a prominent artist. It was none other than Michał Ogiński who brought M. K. Čiurlionis to Plungė, allocated him a wage and a position in the manor orchestra, and later financed his studies. Incidentally, the Plungė manor orchestra, M. K. Čiurlionis’ first place of employment, was called “the firefighting team”. This interesting historical fact suggests some kind of connection to the Firefighting Society chaired by Ogiński, on whose seal we see the early Telšiai coat of arms. It cannot be dismissed that the activities of this society were not limited to firefighting, being more extensive than would first appear from its title alone.