1 8 5 1 ▁in ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁Pin sky ▁U ye zd ▁of ▁the ▁Min sk ▁Governor ate ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire ▁( present - day ▁St olin ▁District ▁of ▁Bel arus ). ▁Her ▁family ▁of ▁local ▁nobles ▁trac ed ▁their ▁line age ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁Her ▁mother , ▁Hel ena ▁Sk irm unt , ▁was ▁a ▁painter ▁and ▁sculpt or . ▁As ▁many ▁other ▁children ▁of ▁the ▁nob ility , ▁Sk irm un tt ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁home ▁by ▁tut ors . ▁Both ▁of ▁her ▁parents ▁supported ▁the ▁January ▁U pr ising ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁were ▁arrested ▁and ▁ex iled ▁to ▁Russia . ▁The ▁children ▁were ▁left ▁in ▁the ▁care ▁of ▁their ▁ag ing ▁grand m other ▁who ▁sent ▁Sk irm utt ▁to ▁study ▁in ▁K alis z . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁when ▁her ▁parents ▁were ▁released ▁from ▁ex ile , ▁Sk irm un tt ▁accompanied ▁them ▁to ▁Crime a . ▁She ▁returned ▁after ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁Pin sk ▁until ▁her ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 . ▁She ▁never ▁married ▁and ▁had ▁no ▁children . ▁ ▁Works ▁Her ▁first ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁Lith u ania ▁was ▁published ▁under ▁the ▁pen ▁name ▁P oj ata ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 7 – 1 9 0 9 , ▁she ▁published ▁a ▁three - volume ▁work