Book review - Lithuanians roots in American soil

I think I have read every autobiography concerning Australian Lithuanians, and so thought I would give an American Lithuanian story a read. 

Lithuanian Roots in American Soil: A Memoir of the Barunas Family by Audrone Barunas Willeke      2014

 

The story reads like so many of the DP's who fled the Soviet invasion at the end of WWII.  The Barunas family, then consisting of Kazys, Jadvyga and baby Audrone left Lithuania in the summer of 1944. They expected to return home at the end of the war but instead had to move further west into war-ravaged Germany.

 

After miraculously surviving bombings and near starvation, they ended their flight in displaced persons' camps under American administration. In these camps three more children were born and a grandmother died.

 

Unable to return to communist-occupied Lithuania, they found the chance to start a new life when a helpful stranger invited them to the United States.

 

The book is compiled by Kazy's two daughters, using Kazys journal mixed with family memories written by Audrone.  The book is well written, includes lots of photographs, and family details.  It explains the historical time well giving the reader context.  It evokes the emotions of the families loss, of homeland and family left behind, but also the thankfulness of a new life in a country and the opportunities that arose from migration.  The Barunas family had close ties to the Lithuanian community, which helped them to feel a part of a community where otherwise one could easily not fit in anywhere. 

It was interesting for me to read of how the family moved about as adults, all living in different locations.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and quickly read it, so I could learn the fate of the family.  The sisters wrote the book mainly for their own family for those who no longer speak Lithuanian. I think they have given the family a fantastic legacy.

 

I purchased a new copy from the Book Depository for  only $15.00.

 

 

Australian Lithuanians - Litho's

If Lithuanian Jews are called Litvaks and Lithuanian Americans are known as Lugans, what are Australian Lithuanians known as?  Australians shorten everything so its no surprise that Lithuanian become Litho's.  While on the outside we look like any other Australian there are some things that make us different.  Here are a few.

 

The end of 1962

A special visit was made to Parkside hospital to visit the sick and give Christmas gifts.  On December 17^th, the Women’s society gained permission to present a Lithuanian folk concert to the 14 Lithuanians hospitalised as well as the other patients.  The Lithuanian choir sang 8 songs and the dancing group danced six Lithuanian folk dances.

The auditorium had over 200 people from all different nationalities. Two Lithuanians, Stanickiene and Kalibatiene-Vasiliauskiene worked at the hospital and were astonished that this was the first time that patients had been fearless enough to watch.  It may have been the colourful costumes or the care brought by the performers.

Combined Christmas Eve

The community shared much of their lives together, so it was not surprising that 189 people gathered at Lithuanian house to share in a traditional Christmas Eve.  Prepared by the Women’s society the occasion began with a prayer and breaking of the host.  After some Christmas songs, people gathered around the Christmas tree and together decorated the inside of the hall.  Vytas Straukas with his violin accompanied by his sister Giedre on piano played Tylioji naktis.  L. Ruzinskaite recited some Lithuanian poems.

On Boxing Day, the Vytis sports club began the journey to Geelong for the annual Australian Lithuanian Sports festival, from 27 December to January 1.

December 27^th, basketball game against Geelong men, table tennis against Hobart.

December 28^th women’s volleyball against Melbourne, men against Hobart. Mens basketball against Sydney, the women against Melbourne.  Table tennis, Adelaide men against Geelong and Sydney, the women against Geelong.  Tennis men against Sydney, women vs Geelong. Chess, first round against Geelong.

December 29^th Adelaide basketball women vs Hobart, men also. Table tennis, women and men play Melbourne. Tennis played Hobart and Sydney teams, and volleyball against Geelong.

December 30^th, Womens’ basketball played Sydney.  Volleyball me vs Sydney and then Geelong.

The poet from Panevezys

Jonas RACKUS

Born 1910 in Juskonis village in the Panevežys district. He wrote from a young age and published his first poem in 1936.   He and a friend Balys Gaidziunas published a book of poems Jaunyste arimuose.  A second book of poems was prepared book Laivai be Uosto. (Ships with out a harbour) From 1944 to 1949 he lived with his wife, Leokadija , also an agronomist and son in Osnabruecke DP camp. The family arrived in Australia on the Nea Hellas 24 Feb 1949.

Here are some of his poems that were printed the Adelaide Lithuanian newspapers.

Argi ne tu?

Žmogau didybėje apakęs
puikliausias žemės tvariny,
nuo ko apraibo akys,
kokiais keliais ir kur eini?

Žmogau, pavargęs ir nubalęs
tarp žemės ūkanų šaltų,
ar šviečia tau dar laimės šalys,
kai pūgos ūžčioja ratu?

Žmogau, kurs alkanas ieškojai
tiesos takeliais ir keliais
kokiais balsais prabils rytojai,
kokiais žiedais jie išsiskleis?

Žmogau, kurs viešpati nesykį
ant kryžiaus vieną palikai,
ar nežinai, ko paukščiai klykia
ko skausmu drumsčiasi laukai?

Ir siaubia žemę karas, badas
žmogau kūrėjau nuostabus!
argi ne tu, save praradęs,
statai ir garbini stabus?

Žmogau, puikybėje apakęs,
dangaus ir žemės tvariny,
nuo ko apraibo tavo akys,
kokiais keliais ir kur eini?

Kelias Į vakarus

Balta žuvėdra klykia,
Net sukasi galva
tena namai paliko,
paliko Lietuva.

Ten rūpesčiais artojų
linguoja ąžuolai
ir tu, šalie artojų
Lig drobė nubalai.

Paliko sesės liepos
Močiutė obelė,
Giliai jausmus paslėpę
Ir ąžuolai žili.

Ten gluosniai nusiminę
ar saulę bematys?
Į vakarus vilkstinė
nusineša viltis..

Žaliuokit rūtos, mirtos,
siūbuok, pušie laisva,
speiguose kad nemirtų
mūs vargo Lietuva.

Kai vėjai tils užkimę
trauks paukščiai į namus,
gal būt, ranka likimo
pasuks atgal ir mus.

Balta žuvėdra klykia,
net sukasi galva..
tenai namai paliko,
paliko Lietuva.

 Aš tavęs nemyliu

Pasauli, aš tavęs nemyliu,
nors tui r viešpaties sutvertas!
tu nubloškei už šimtų mylių
žmogų nuo tėviškės jo vartų

Tu pastatei keliuos sargybas,
rubežių saugoja patrankos.
Iš baimės akys tavo žiba,
iš pykčio dreba tavo rankos.

Tu neapykantą pasėjai
ir žmogus žmogų plėšė, žūdė
tau amžiai rašė epopėją
ir gyrė tavo keistą būdą.

Tu pristeigei vergų kacetų
ir uždarei ten mirčiai žmogų.
pasauli, kaip tave mylėti
aistringą, purviną ir blogą?

Tu išblaškei tautas ir žmones,
sunaikinai pilis ir miestus.
Ne saulė! Ūkanos raudonos
pro sūtemas tau ima švisti.

Blaškais tu vėtromis užkimęs,
Nuo tavo dulkių raibsta akys.
Matau kaip dega Hirošima…
Ar ji tau nieko nepasako?

Pušis prie Nemuno

Žaliavo ant Nemuno kranto,
Žaliavo ir ošė pušis
Kas norą mylėt ir gyventi,
Kas skausmą širdies aprašys?

Skambėjo ji vėtroj kaip styga,
Su vėtromis žaidė jinai,
Nei oro, nei saulės nestigo,
Nei skambančio juoko jaunai..

Vainikais žaliais vis dabinos,
Vėjelis šukavo kasas,

Ir stebino savo kaimynes
Ji ūgiu ir grožiu visas.

Bet kartą, kai blaškė giružę
Atklydę gandai negeri,
Pušis neatlaikė or … lūžo
Jaunystės pačiam vidury.

Ir sukrėtė viesulas pirkią,
Subildo perkūnas kalnuos,
Ir ąžuolas senas pravirko
Pagailęs kaimynės jaunos.

Ir liūdna prie Nemuno kranto
Audrų nukamuotom širdims,
Bet noras mylėt ir gyventi
Atgis dar, liepsnos ir nerims!

 

Riauba takes on the Red Army

 

Juozas Riauba, born in 1910.  After withdrawing from Lithuania to Germany towards the end of WWII, he entered studies at the Munich Technical school.  At that time he also worked for United Nations Relief & Rehabilitaiton (UNRRA) in the garage as senior mechanic. 

In 1949, he made the long journey on the transport ship, Wooster Victory to Australia, docking in Adelaide where he stayed.  He arrived here with his wife.   

Juozas again entered university, this time in Adelaide in 1959.  He entered the public service and worked with the SA Electricity Trust on mechanical projects. 

Outside of work he was heavily involved with the Lithuanian community in Adelaide.  He was a founding members of the sports Club Vytis, a member of the Adelaide Lithuanian students association from 1959 – 1961, parents committee of Vilniaus scouts and teacher at Lithuanian school.

In 1962 he acted as Vice-President of the ‘Voice of Witness of Communist expansion” and later the Australian European Freedom Alliance.  In 1966 he was Vice-President of Captive Nations.

Juozas was concerned with how Lithuania was represented in printed material, newspapers and books.  He would write to publishers pointing out mistakes or misguided information. In 1969 he began to correspond with the State Library of South Australia, suggesting books that the Library could purchase about Lithuania.  He had compiled a list of books that the Library held, relating to Lithuania,  40 books in all on various aspects of Lithuania.  Juozas also appealed to the Lithuanian community in Adelaide to donate books that might better represent Lithuania in the State Library.  He went one step further; writing to Publishers seeking to purchase books which he would then donate to the Library.  Within a short time the State Library increased its collection of book on Lithuanian to 67.

In 1969, it was publicised that the Red Army choir would be coming to Adelaide to perform.  Juozas strongly opposed this and wrote numerous letters to politicians and newspapers expressing his disapproval.  To him it was “an insult to all of us, originally from the countries behind the iron curtain.  Our relatives and loved ones have suffered persecution.  We, the Australian citizen from behind the Iron Curtain now living in Adelaide have been forced to leave our homeland by the advancing Red Army and have lost everything, except our lives”.

He signed these letters as Ju-Ra, as he feared reprisals for his relatives still in Lithuania.
The Baltic Council of Australia and the Captive nations Committee of SA also sought to stop the participation of the Red Army choir from performing in the Adelaide Festival of Arts in 1970. The Baltic Council published an advert in the Advertiser (20 February 1969) which states;  The choir was symbolic of totalitarian regimes and that it was a propaganda unit which existed to glorify the Soviet in song and dance. 

The chairman of the Adelaide Festival of Arts J C Irwin defended the decision to allow the group to perform.  The Red Army Choir did not perform in the Festival of Arts.