Pranas Navikas (1855-1933)

Rokiškis

Pranas was born in family of serfs in 1855 in Pakriaunys village (Rokiskis r.). History of his surname is very interesting. His parents moved to Sileikiai I village. Population of the village, maybe, did not accustom to move from one village to another and live seein movers to their village. Appearance of new population with surname Smalinskas or Smalikas was a very big event. Sileikiai I population began to call them „Naujas“(new one), „Naujikas“. During life in this village they became Navikai. Pranas father was even a monitor of the village.
When railroad Daugavpils – Siauliai was traced near Sileikiai village youth Pranas Navikas got a job there: he manufactured poles and posts for marking the railroad line. He was complimented for good work.

Building Rokiskis church (1868-1877) Pranas made various works. After looking at saint’s sculptures that were present in the church contemporary he took some home with parson’s permit, he tried to whittle similar ones. Parson of Rokiskis church valued his work very much and even sanctified them.

He whittled sculptures mostly of Christ and St. John Baptist. He used linden wood for whittling sculptures only. He used to buy working tools – various chisels – in the shop. He painted sculptures by himself. He made paints at home using bought powder. He had special little mill for milling the paint.

Later P. Navikas began to cast „cult-figures“. He used to get originals from church and made forms under them. He was also manufacturing various economy implements: winnowers, grain threshers, linen stepping machines and coffins. In 1906 the master left for Petersburg to look for better paid work, but he only succeeded in getting keeper’s job in Putilov’s factory. After a year he returned home. Pranas Navikas had 10 ha of land in Silaikiai I (now - Sileikiai) village. Adolescent sons made all field works and father used to work in woodworker’s craft at least. There are no survived crosses built by the master. Cross built by him stood in his own homestead as well.

In about 1925 Adele Naginskiene ordered a cross for her mother Roze Mikenaite-Dirziene at Pranas Navikas. This cross stood in Rokiskis cemetery, but it fell in the beginning of XXIc. Pranas Navikas whittled a cross, resurrected Christ sculpture and little cupboard for Rokiskis church.
Pranas Navikas was of bigger than average height, massive, dark haired and turned gray in senility. He was not able to write, only to read. He could write his surname in „drukas“(capital) letters. Pranas Navikas liked singing, participated in neighbors’ weddings, christening and other entertainments. Till his death he was a marshal of Rokiskis church.