Ringaudas Songaila
Ringaudas Bronislovas Songaila was an official of the Lithuanian SSR nomenclatura.
Songaila was born in Klaipėda. He graduated from a veterinary school and within five years became a deputy of the Minister of Agriculture. In 1962, at the age of 33, he became Minister of Production of Agricultural Products and Resources. Songaila was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Lithuania, Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR, and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Lithuania. He was described as a "bland" and indecisive but loyal communist who stayed away from political intrigues and showed interest only in agricultural matters. When Songaila ordered KGB to forcibly disperse a rally of the radical pro-independence Lithuanian Liberty League on 28 September 1988, he was forced to resign. He was replaced by Algirdas Brazauskas, who supported Sąjūdis movement and Lithuania's declaration of independence in March 1990. After the resignation, Songaila retired from public life and died on 25 June 2019 at the age of 90. He was buried in the Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius.
