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“You can’t race jaguars down the alleyways of history”
– Which of your country’s resorts, perhaps not very well known to us, would you especially recommend to Ukrainians?
– All the ones I listed. Or there is another very specific and peculiar place – Neringa, on the Curonian Spit. It is a narrow strip of land, from one and a half to three kilometers wide and up to 50 kilometers long, which once was just wind-blown “wandering” sand. Several villages are known to have been completely buried under the sand dunes there. At the end of the 17th century, a forester named Kuvertas appealed to people to help stop the sands. He began planting them, bringing special mountain pine seedlings that send roots 30-50 meters deep and thus strengthen the soil. Today a small section of those dunes has been specially preserved as a natural monument.
This is a unique resort place where the main thing is not so much treatment or entertainment, but a quiet, leisurely rest. Creative people love to relax there. There is a tradition of organizing plein airs for sculptors working with wood and granite; most of their works adorn this resort. As a result, the famous Fairy Tale Trail on the Witch Mountain appeared, an extremely interesting and beautiful place.
– Unusual forms of tourism are in fashion now. What’s new for you in this regard?
– I don’t know how unusual it is... For example, recently, so-called rural tourism has been developing very actively, especially attracting residents of industrial countries. Individual homesteaders are remodeling their estates into kind of rural small hotels. There you have a bathhouse, fresh steamed milk, bread from the oven, country food...
– Judging by the warmth with which you list all this, is this lifestyle close to you?
– Yes, I was born into a farmer’s family, not far from Druskininkai. There were six children in our family – two sisters and four brothers. But of the brothers, only I remain now. My sisters are alive – one in Klaipėda, the other in Vilnius. My father died long ago, and my mother will celebrate her 94th birthday in May.
– Did your father own land?
– My father had 27 hectares of land, and his pre-war business was breeding riding horses. He himself was a former cavalryman, and my grandfather also served in the cavalry. So we loved horses and dogs very much in our family. But we only kept purebreds: the dogs were hounds and guard dogs, and the horses were Trakehner breed. This is a very popular breed in Lithuania, it is hardy – a hybrid of Tatar horses and classic long-legged racehorses. A medium-sized horse, very jumpy, good under saddle. As a child, I also had to “walk” them a lot – run them so they wouldn’t get stiff. I remember how hard that work was. It seems like horse riding is entertainment for children, right? But for us it was work.
– Are you a good rider?
– Well, now, unfortunately, I can’t boast about it, but back then...
– And what is the state of your inheritance today?
– Only the land remains, without buildings, because in Soviet times the stables and the large barn were immediately requisitioned for the needs of the collective farm. In the end, everything fell apart and now there is no one to take care of it. And the land that belongs to us is used by neighbors – whoever wants to, farms there. In our family, no one is available to do it. Besides, everyone’s life has long been different.
– Are there any hobbies from childhood that you have managed to carry through your life?
– I was born under the sign of Capricorn. And, in general, what is attributed to Capricorns matches what happened to me in life. Nothing came by itself; everything had to be achieved through work. After finishing high school, I entered the Shipbuilding Institute. It was exactly 1962, when military departments were abolished in all universities of Lithuania, which was then part of the Soviet Union, and we students were called up for military service. Of course, now this can be assessed in different ways, but those were young, interesting years. I learned to handle many types of individual weapons. And young guys always like that.
Especially since in my family, my great-grandfather, grandfather, father, older brother, and I, as far as I remember, always went hunting. This hobby remains to this day, only, unfortunately, now, firstly, there is no time for it, and secondly, there are certain difficulties regarding the ability to bring your own weapons. And I, like every hunter, have my favorite guns. I don’t want to use others. Especially since I recently arrived in Ukraine, and I simply haven’t had time to deal with this issue. But I am sure – I will still find like-minded people here, I can go out into nature, perhaps not necessarily with the aim of getting some hunting trophy, but just to be in nature in interesting company. That’s very good.
– Are Lithuanians generally a sociable people?
– To present Lithuanians as people of a uniform character is a mistake. They are just as heterogeneous as Ukrainians. It is believed that we have four distinct ethnic groups. And in this regard, there is a parable. God, angered by the Lithuanians, put all four in a bag and beat them with a stick. Then he threw the bag on the road. The first one jumped out – and only a pillar of dust – ran away. That is a representative of the upper part of Lithuania – an Aukštaitian.
They are like that – on their own, not very friendly with neighbors, and they don't particularly mix in with the company. The second one comes out, circles around the sack, scratches his dented sides, but doesn't run away. God asks: "And why aren't you running away?" He replies: "I'm waiting for my other friends to get out, and we'll go together and drown our sorrows at the tavern." That's a Dzukian. From the very region where I come from. The third one crawls out, looking around, grabs the edge of the sack. God asks: "Why are you holding onto the sack?" He replies: "When the last one gets out, I'll take the sack." That's a Suvalkian. They, like the Gabrovtsi, are thrifty, frugal, and as a result, the richest. And the fourth one, as he didn't get out, still doesn't get out. God says: "Why are you sitting there?" "Eh-eh," he replies, "whoever shoved me in here, let him pull me out." That's a Samogitian. He is so stubborn, slow, but once he chooses a direction, he won't turn off his path. Even divine power can hardly force him to do that.
– In general, the talk about our historical closeness is not accidental. In Ukraine, such a bouquet of characters is also present in full measure.
– Over many centuries, everything has become so intertwined... For instance, in that part of Lithuania where I come from, the dialect contains many words that I now hear in the Ukrainian language. Our nations have always lived in the same space and mixed. I really liked the comparison made by one politician, although I might not convey it entirely accurately. Some want to drive through history as if on a brand-new highway, at high speed and without turning.
But history is like the old streets of Vilnius, like the ancient streets of Lviv, where it is dangerous and absurd to speed in a fancy car. You have to walk, look closely, feel it. After all, every corner, every stone is centuries that have compressed great events and passions. And you cannot rush along such historical streets either with a bulldozer or a modern Jaguar. You have to be very careful and gentle.
– And what can you say about the streets of Kyiv?
– Unfortunately, I cannot yet evaluate many cities in Ukraine. And Kyiv, like all capitals, is an administrative, economic, and cultural center, and this leaves its mark. Undoubtedly, it is a very beautiful city. I don't know for what reasons, but I think we have all suffered from this, some more, some less – such beauty does not always receive a worthy continuation. The biggest drawback of monuments and memorials of recent times is that they do not carry an aesthetic or cultural burden, but are rather laid down as ideological symbols. And against the backdrop of the Lavra and St. Sophia – monuments that have been restored with consideration for the authenticity of all elements – the creations of recent decades seem, in my opinion, a bit alien.
They, so to speak, do not feel comfortable in the historical surroundings, which exude centuries-old traditions and folk roots. All these new items (and this is not only in your country) are intended to preserve some memory, but as a rule, they do not cope well with that task either. Kyiv is being rebuilt a lot, becoming more beautiful as a modern administrative and cultural center of a great country with powerful cultural, economic, and intellectual potential. I have not yet had the chance to see Kyiv in green; they say it is very beautiful.
– Thank you very much for the meeting, Mr. Ambassador. We wish you success and pleasure in your work in Ukraine. We are confident that you will not regret your own choice.
– I want to emphasize that there is a very warm attitude toward Ukraine in Lithuania, and I dare say this feeling is mutual. Everywhere I have been so far, I have encountered exclusively benevolent attitudes toward my country, and therefore I feel quite comfortable here as a diplomat. I will work with love and interest.