Atminties biuras kategorija: Interview with ethnic communities in Kaunas

Izraeli Zohar Chessakov tells a story of his mother and her experiences in Lithuania during the war, where she was born and lived. He shares his thoughts on why it is important to come back to the places, which touched the destiny of his family. – – – “We came here in order to seek […]

Julijana Zarchi, member of Kaunas Jewish community, tells a story about her multicultural-Jewish and German origins, missing her father whom she had lost very early in her life, the ever-present nostalgia for Düsseldorf felt by her mother and hardships suffered in childhood when deported to the heat of Tajikistan. – – – “In my opinion, […]

Gercas Žakas, chairperson of the Kaunas Jewish Community, tells us about his family, career as a sportsman and the cultural amateur Jewish activities in the Trade Union Palace of Kaunas (now Kaunas Cultural Centre) during the Soviet times. – – – “There was a Russian elementary school next to my home and I was brought […]

Jonas Ridzvanavičius, member of the Tartar community of Kaunas District, tells us about Tartar gatherings in Raižiai Mosque during the Soviet times, the establishment of Lithuanian Tartar Community, the recovery of Kaunas Mosque after 1990 and other things important to the memory of Lithuanian Tartars. – – – Please tell us about your origins, family […]

This is a story by Jaroslavas Okulič-Kazarinas, who has Russian roots and whose family lived in Kaunas since the end of the 19th century. He tells us about his great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, the life of the Lithuanian armed forces, WW2 in Kaunas that he saw back then just as a little child from up close. […]

German Siegfried Gronau tells us about his native Königsberg, and the war that came, changed the life of his wonderful family beyond recognition and turned him into a weak orphan begging for bread in a strange land of Lithuania, the language of which he did not know. Despite all the difficulties, Siegfried calls this country […]

Belarusian Galina Vėželienė tells about her childhood in a small village in Belarus and her first impressions when coming to live in Kaunas. – – – ”During the war, I was living in a small village in Belarus before I came to Kaunas. In fact, it was really fun, I had a lot of friends. […]

Crimean Tartar Asija Kovtun remembers life in a house in Laisvės Avenue together with other families, who found refuge in Lithuania after the 2nd World War. She tells about a poor but fulfilling childhood in the city’s backyards, a skating rink in Dzeržinskio Square, Sundays in the Zoo and elegant Kaunas’ families walking in a […]

‘ Kaunas Jewish community member, Fruma Kučinskienė, tells about warm family gatherings at her grandparents’ home in the Town Hall Square during traditional celebrations, the pre-war landscape of Kaunas seen from a small car window while sitting on a pile of socks her father was delivering to citizens, and a suddenly changed world with war […]