OPEN ARCHIVES OF KAUNAS

*Asija:* “The most important place for me was the Sobor. Pretty much all of the most significant memories were associated with this building. I remember when a whole bunch of children ran to the Sobor, as a neighbour from a nearby house was getting married there. It was my first encounter with Lithuanian traditions and with the God in the church. I remember when we ran up the stairs and saw the bride with a veil, long white bridal gown and a church decorated with flowers.

Robertas Antinis: Orbita was a superb club. It was special.

Sculptor Robertas Antinis sharing his memories about  people of Laisvės avenue and Kaunas (2014).

Konstantinas: “My childhood passed here, about 80 years ago. I was the youngest of three sons. My parents were farmers. I remember I had no one to hang out with. After elementary school, I got transferred to Išlaužas School. I used to walk about 10 kilometres every day. The horse was harnessed only in case of a snowstorm, but rarely. We would leave and return in the darkness. During the post-war period, we were moved outside the fence, behind that aerial field. We were forced to leave our house and moved into the homestead of deported people. I remember how German prisoners would build houses. We would run around construction with other kids. They had built aerials as well; made of copper, on a wooden pole. Germans had an orchestra of mixed instruments. There was a very good violinist. He conducted the orchestra. Soldiers and their families spoke and sang Russian and German. Soldiers had a huge house of culture; would screen movies there.” (2019)

*Alvydas: *Some time ago, before the monument for Darius and Girėnas, there was a “singing fountain”. Everyone really liked it... (2014)

1 photograph Povilas (first to the right) and Vandas (second to the left), Tarnauskas, restaurant "Versalis" shareholders, festive visit to Nemunas. 4th decade. From the family archive of Ludza Riaukienė.

*Audronė:* „Namas priklausė Zabielų rūmams. Ir pats namas – dabar jis supaprastintas – buvo labai įdomus, ypač architektūra apačioje, visur – skliautai, didžiuliai praėjimai, sraigtiniai laiptai. Dabar nieko nebeliko. Rekonstravo.

*Lili Kristina Vaičekauskaitė-Čepauskienė:* If someone is collecting historical material, there is an interesting episode. Photo (see photo No. 2) pictures mother of the Lithuanian partisan Kazys Veverskis (pseudonym Senis). Our family became acquainted with her under very interesting circumstances. This one time, my mommy went to the post office to run some errand and found a crying woman there. She came to send a parcel to her relatives imprisoned in Siberia, but she could not write their address. Then my mother brought her home to Vasario 16-osios Street, and my father packed everything nicely, wrote down the address and posted it for her. And this acquaintance was the one that lasted. I remember this woman visiting us for many years in relation to this matter. I called this woman my granny Veverskienė. (2014)

*Audronė:* „Pilis dabar atrodo visai kitaip. Nebuvo tokio bokšto. Tada buvo apvalus kuoras, aišku, labai jau apgriuvęs, ir likusi siena, kuri dabar uždengta. Nuo jos labai gerai matėsi kunigų seminarijos kiemas. Mes nusiimdavome nuo pamokų, bėgdavome į tą kuorą ir žiūrėdavome, kaip klierikai su sutanom žaidžia krepšinį. Dar eidavome per tiltą, į Skriaudžių gatvę, į šlaitą. Sėdi ant šlaito ir žiūri, kaip mokyklos kieme kūno kultūros pamokas kas nors atlieka...“ (2019)

*Audronė:* „Katedros šventorius buvo atskirtas plačia tvora, viduje buvo parduotuvytės. Smetonos laikais, pasakojo, buvo vien tiktai religinė atributika, o tuomet, žinau, ir mūsų namų valdybos poskyris. Ir įėjimas iš kampo, didžiuliai vartai. Šaligatvis daug mažesnis, Vilniaus gatvė – tokia suspausta, bet judėjimas vyko ir autobusais, ir priešpriešinis. Eismą uždarė gal 1973 m. Buvo keista.“ (2019)

*Liucija: *I remember, when my friend and I, we would go to the Picture Gallery to visit the exhibitions. Back in those days, we liked ceramic works very much. We used to buy large vases and bring tiny ones from other republics for ourselves or to give to our friends. Back in those times, food to nourish our souls on weekends were only exhibition halls or theatre. We would bring our children there as well. When the times changed and all sorts of events and travelling abroad became available, we visit picture gallery on a very rare basis. (2015)* *

Memories about Oakwood Park by people of Kaunas.