In the course of implementing the project, 50 interviews were performed, producing over 100 hours of audio and video recordings. The respondents include people of different age, ethnic and social backgrounds, and characterized by rather diverse experiences of living in the post-war Vilnius.
Seven respondents have been born in the 1920s, three – in the 1950s. The majority of respondents have been born in the 1930s and 1940s.
Sixteen among our respondents are men, others are women. We interviewed five people of Polish nationality, four Jews and two Russians; all the rest are Lithuanians. Six interviews were carried out in Russian, others in Lithuanian.
Internet website presents the most interesting research materials: 10 transcribed interview texts in Lithuanian and English, 10 audio and 5 video recordings:
Barbara O. (born 1960) – a fifth-generation local of Vilnius, Polish by nationality. Graduated from the Vilnius Pedagogical Institute. Works as a coordinator of literary projects, an author of Polish students’ books, and a guide. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by R. Racėnaitė. Transcribed by R. Racėnaitė. Translated to English by A. Gedžiūtė. Translation edited by L. Būgienė).
Boguslav S. (born 1933) grew up in Vilnius, in the family of Polish officer. During WWII (after his father was mobilized and afterwards, at the end of the war, his mother was deported to Siberia) lived with his grandmother in the village at the outskirts of Vilnius (currently, it is Žirmūnai – a suburb of Vilnius). In 1948 came back to downtown Vilnius to learn profession. Worked as a master and foreman in the factory. Nationality: Polish. (Interview carried out in Russian by J. Jonutytė. Audio recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Bronė B. (born 1945) came to Vilnius from Biržai region in 1964. A former deportee. Graduated from the Vilnius University. An editor and translator. Worked in the publishing houses: “Vaga”, “Vyturys”, and afterwards, “Alma Littera”. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by L. Būgienė and R. Racėnaitė. Transcribed by L. Būgienė. Translated to English by A. Gedžiūtė. Translation edited by L. Būgienė).
Dita Š. (born 1922) – survivor of Kaunas ghetto and Stutthof concentration camp. After the war settled in Vilnius, worked as a teacher of German. Emigrated to Israel in 1972, but keeps returning to Vilnius for several months every year. Nationality: Jewish. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by R. Racėnaitė. Audio recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Gediminas K. (born 1950) moved to Vilnius together with his parents around 1950, when a printing-house was transferred from Kaunas along with all its employees (his father worked as a typographer). Family got a flat in Subačiaus Street. Graduated from the Art Institute of the former Lithuanian SSR; sculptor. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by R. Racėnaitė. Audio recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Gerda L. (born 1946) moved to Vilnius together with her parents in 1950. The family lived in Žvėrynas, but subsequently moved to Anykščiai. Came back to Vilnius for her studies. Graduated from the Art Institute of the former Lithuanian SSR; worked as a TV artistic director. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by R. Racėnaitė. Audio recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Gintautas D. (born 1944) came to Vilnius together with his parents from Panevėžys in 1959 (the family lived in Panvežys region until 1952). In Vilnius, graduated from a technical school and from a branch of Kaunas Polytechnical Institute. Profession: engineer of radio electronics, and researcher. Worked in academic institutions, later in business. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by J. Jonutytė. Transcribed by M. Lukošienė and R. Racėnaitė. Translated to English by A. Gedžiūtė. Translation edited by L. Būgienė).
Gražina J. (born 1940) came to Vilnius in 1957 from Nevarėnai (Telšiai region). Graduated from the Vilnius University, specialty of German philology. Worked as a teacher at the Vilnius University and as a German speaking guide in Vilnius; enjoyed singing in the choir. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by J. Jonutytė and M. Lukošienė. Video recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Ingrida K. (born 1938) was born in Biržai, until the war lived with her parents in Kaunas. During the WWII stayed with her relatives in northern Lithuania. Moved to Vilnius along with her parents in 1944. Profession: art critic. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by R. Racėnaitė and L. Būgienė. Audio recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Irina B. (born 1947) grew up not far from Vilnius, in what was then a Karoliniškės village (not far from Karolinka manor), attended primary school in Pilaitė village (now a suburb of Vilnius), and high school in the Vilnius center. Her parents had their own farmstead and worked in a farm. After marriage settled in Bukčiai, worked as a painter in a factory. The family moved to Lazdynai in 1971. Nationality: Polish. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by J. Jonutytė. Transcribed by J. Jonutytė and R. Racėnaitė. Translated to English by A. Gedžiūtė. Translation edited by L. Būgienė).
Irena Š. (born 1948) was born and spent her life in Pašvitinys township in northern Lithuania. At the turn of the 1950s and 1960s studied at the Culture School in Vilnius. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by R. Racėnaitė. Audio recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Jonas B. (1943–2017) came to Vilnius from Liškiava village, Varėna region, in 1964. Graduated from the Vilnius University. A researcher and lecturer. Subsequently a professor in philosophy at the Vilnius Pedagogical Institute. Author of research publications and a number of poems. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by L. Būgienė and R. Racėnaitė. Transcribed by L. Būgienė. Translated to English by A. Gedžiūtė. Translation edited by L. Būgienė).
Jonas Br. (born 1930) came to Vilnius in 1947 from a homestead near Dusetos in eastern Lithuania. Studied at the Vilnius Industrial School (situated at the current Pamėnkalnis Street). After graduating started working in the Vilnius furniture factory, which became his only workplace. Participated in an amateur artistic group, played an accordion and liked to dance. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by J. Jonutytė and M. Lukošienė. Video recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Jurgis B. (born 1937) came to Vilnius in 1945 from Širvintos, his family trying to escape deportation. Family was of noble descent. Lived in the current Barbora Radvilaitė Street in the heart of Old Town. Graduated from the Vilnius University. Profession: doctor. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by R. Racėnaitė and L. Būgienė. Audio recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Libė / Liuba (born 1930) comes from a Jewish family of 7 children from Utena. Part of the family retreated to Russia in the beginning of the war. After the war, came back to Utena and worked as a waitress. In 1953 she came to Vilnius and got a job as a worker in a footwear factory in Vilnius and worked there for the rest of her life. Nationality: Jewish. (Interview carried out in Russian by J. Jonutytė and M. Lukošienė. Transcribed by J. Jonutytė and L. Būgienė. Translated to English by A. Gedžiūtė. Translation edited by L. Būgienė).
Marija J. (born 1937) came to Vilnius in 1956 from Mielagėnai (Ignalina region). Graduated from the Vilnius University. Profession: researcher in botany. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by J. Jonutytė and M. Lukošienė. Video recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Meilė Š. (born 1939) came to Vilnius together with her mother in 1945. Graduated from the State Institute of Art (now the Vilnius Academy of Arts). A painter. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Written memoirs in Lithuanian. Translated to English by A. Gedžiūtė. Translation edited by L. Būgienė).
Ramunė V. (born 1949) came to Vilnius in 1960 from Varėna in southern Lithuania to study at the Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis’ School of Arts. In 1966–1972 studied at the Art Institute of the former Lithuanian SSR. Since 1972 – a freelance artist. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by L. Būgienė and R. Racėnaitė. Video recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Rimvydas R. (born 1934) was born in Eržvilkas (Jurbarkas region), in the family of a school teacher and a police officer. The family was deported on June 14, 1941; the father was separated from the family and executed a year later. Rimvydas undertook several attempts at escaping from deportation to Lithuania, but was caught and brought back. After the prohibition to return to Lithuania was abolished, came to Vilnius in 1958. Profession: engineer. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by R. Racėnaitė and L. Būgienė. Audio recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Rolandas G. (born 1934) came to Vilnius in 1958 from Krasnoyarsk, where his family had been deported since 1949. Before deportation family lived in Medingėnai (Telšiai region). Rolandas graduated from engineering studies still in Krasnoyarsk. Profession: furniture engineer. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by J. Jonutytė and M. Lukošienė. Audio recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Sigita B. (born 1939) came to Vilnius in 1948, her family trying to escape deportation. Graduated from the Vilnius University. Profession: researcher in botany. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by R. Racėnaitė and L. Būgienė. Audio recording edited by M. Lapeika.)
Stasė B. (born 1942) came to Vilnius as a child with her mother, brother and sister from a village in Ukmergė region in 1952 (when her father died in the end of the war). Finished school in Vilnius, graduated from the Vilnius University. Profession: mathematician. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by J. Jonutytė and M. Lukošienė. Transcribed by M. Lukošienė and R. Racėnaitė. Translated to English by A. Gedžiūtė. Translation edited by L. Būgienė).
Vladimir A. (born 1932) came to Vilnius together with his mother, foster-sister and his uncle’s family from a village not far from Romodan in Poltava region, Ukraine, on 10 01 1947. Vladimir grew up in a village in Rostov region. After the beginning of war, the family was evacuated from there to Samarkand; and subsequently moved to Ukraine. Graduated from the Vilnius University from Russian Philology. Professional sportsman, winner of medals in several branches of sport, initiator of the professional volleyball in Lithuania. Nationality: Russian. (Interview carried out in Russian with interruptions in Lithuanian by J. Jonutytė. Transcribed by J. Jonutytė. Translated to English by A. Gedžiūtė. Translation edited by L. Būgienė).
Vladislovas B. (born 1933) came to Vilnius from a village in Utena region on 27 04 1949. Studied in Vilnius and worked in agriculture not far from Belmontas. Having graduated from studies worked as an engineer, later – as a university teacher. Nationality: Lithuanian. (Interview carried out in Lithuanian by J. Jonutytė and R. Racėnaitė. Transcribed by M. Lukošienė and R. Racėnaitė. Translated to English by A. Gedžiūtė. Translation edited by L. Būgienė).