Memory Office: A. Baltuškevičius
Doctor Algirdas Baltuškevičius tells about his family, work, acquaintance with his father-in-law professor Tadas Ivanauskas - prominent Lithuanian zoologist and biologist - and his Obelynė farmstead established in Kaunas district.
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“During the fifth year of my studies, I‘ve met my future wife. My roommate - pharmacist Kazys had a sympathy for Birutė. She was friends with my future wife Eleonora. Once, Kazys said: my girlfriend, she keeps coming with company to our date, she brings a girlfriend. Maybe you want to keep me company? I want to introduce you to her, such a nice girl. “He didn‘t tell me, who she really was, he only mentioned, that she is studying agronomy. I agreed. We got introduced, got along, started dating, became friends.”
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"Only later, after a month or two, she confessed that her father was professor Tadas Ivanauskas. I had heard about him during the years at gymnasium, I‘ve loved a written description of him about his trip-expedition “Three months in Brazil”. I told her, I was so uncomfortable being a regular student from a rural village, while they were coming from such a respectable family, how can it be. But she told me, she wanted to get to know me anyway. Brought me to the apartment on V. Putvinskis street. He called me - Mister, Mister student, such an unusual term in Soviet times. We‘ve started talking and I said that I had heard about him, even read some quotations of expedition in Brazil. “Ah, so you are interested “, - answered. He went to his library immediately, pulled out a booklet, covered in snake‘s leather, told me I can take it and bring it home to read. Trusted me - I would bring it back. That‘s how we’ve met. He seemed like an ordinary person. In general, the professor had a very good and humane character. I've never seen him angry, always very polite, cultured. ”
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"The sixth course came; we were still friends. I‘ve introduced her to my parents in Marijampolė. She was very simple; they did like her a lot. Before we got married, my wife, Eleonora, told me she was adopted by Professor Tadas Ivanauskas, while her real parents had lived in Pypliai village of Kaunas. She comes from a large family of ten children and wanted me to meet her real parents. One day, during the wintertime, we have decided to walk to her former homeland. It is very close to the forest of Kamša, almost on the bank of Nemunas, opposite of Raudondvaris. Beautiful place. That farmstead was very well maintained, had at least 10 beehives. And I was interested in bees since childhood. And my father kept bees, and here the professor kept bees in Obelynė, and now her parents kept bees as well. It was a good stimulus to me. Professor Ivanauskas came with us as well.”
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“After the studies, I was offered a postgraduate degree. I‘ve agreed and got a relatively interesting new theme. At that time, ultrasound was extremely new, and Kaunas clinics had just recently received a new ultrasound device from the former GDR. Prof. Kupčinskas suggested me to research this machine, maybe it could be used for treating joint diseases. I‘ve started researching, while professor Ivanauskas would help me to obtain all the necessary literature from abroad. I‘ve finished my thesis on time, passed all the procedures, and the scientific council voted unanimously. A bit later, at Sanitas pharmaceutical factory, they have developed a medicine made from bee venom and brought me to test it, whether it can be used to treat joint diseases. Since I have defended my dissertation about joint diseases, I had to do it. After a while, I‘ve received an offer to go to the International Congress in Bucharest, Romania. I‘ve loved it there, it was my first time in such a congress, where they had simultaneous translation to several languages. Then I saw what is really happening with those bee products, not only in Europe, but also in the world - they are being researched and could serve much more than just prophylactically, it could also be used to treat some diseases. I‘ve bought some literature and came back, became involved in apitherapy, participated in various congresses, even now I still communicate with apitherapists. ”
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“And during the wintertime, and especially in spring, every weekend with family we would come to Obeliai. The professor knew how to ask for help in a very mannered way. He would say: “Algis, would you mind coming and helping me cut the branch of an apple tree? “; “Okay, with pleasure “. Not only we would cut that branch, but work for a couple of hours before he gets tired. I‘ve loved working in the garden, helped with bee care as well. We would get along really well.”
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“It turned out that the professor comes from Belarus, near the southern border of Lithuania, where his father's manor called Lebiodka used to be. We were already married when once he said: “I want to introduce my real homeland to you, let‘s go“. It was hard to get to Belarus, the roads were very poor, but we found the former mansion, terribly abandoned in those days, maybe in 1967–1968. It turns out that there was already a home for mentally ill children in that house. Those kids surrounded us, looking, who came. When administration saw the car with Lithuanian plates, had started asking - who were we. The professor did not admit he comes from here, told, that we wanted to look around, that a mansion used to be here. The principle of the children's house started explaining that Ivanovski had a mansion here once, there was a 20-hectare garden, several sons grew up in the mansion, one became Belarusian during the war, and burgomaster of Minsk during the German occupation, and the other became a scientist living in Lithuania, working as professor there. While the professor listened. It seemed that someone from the old staff started staring at the professor, he had recognized him. Then he said: "Sit in the car, let‘s go, I don't want to be recognized."
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“When the first son was born, we called him Tadas. When the child was growing up, they were best friends, he would only call him Tadelis [little Tadas]. When the first son was 5 years old, in spring, the professor brought the oak (about five years old), called me and Tadelis. Saying, - “Let‘s go, we will plant your tree“. That tree is still growing, for almost 60 years now. He was so proud to have his own tree. While he was still alive, had remained very close to his beloved second grandson, my Raimundas.”
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"One of the last expeditions of Professor Ivanauskas, which I remember very well (it was in 1962), when he was 80 years old - to the mouth of Ob. As a doctor, I was already concerned about this age, I wanted to accompany him, but that year the second son was born, and I was uncomfortable leaving my wife with a little child. A neighbor – doctor - offered himself to accompany the professor. Said, that the expedition was quite good. Of course, he would get tired, mosquitos would bite a lot, they went down into the mines...”
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"Apparently, Ivanauskas also had a relationship with the artist Šimonis, as there is a painting-vignette" Lithuanian Anthem "created by Šimonis. We considered it to be a historical value, kept it throughout the Soviet period. When we were arranging excursions after professor‘s death, some parties suggested to remove it, saying it could provoke, since Vytis was depicted on the top. My wife would say – it wasn‘t me who hung it there, it won‘t be me to take it down, it‘s an exhibit, if you do not like it - do not look at it. And no party said it needs to be removed. While Latvians would stop and even sing the old anthem of Lithuania.”
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"Obelynė was bequeathed to my wife, and when she got sick, me and my wife decided to write a testament leaving it for both sons, but noting, that particular attention should be paid to the park and memorial museum, allowing excursions. It is a subdivision of Kaunas District Museum and the director did not want to assign any other person to the memorial museum, so he had asked me, if I would agree to work part-time and accept excursions. I‘ve agreed. Now I am retired, and I can do it, and when my wife got sick, I would cover. We have spent so many years together; I already knew her part. Currently I am a museum historian and a sponsor of this homestead, a custodian. As long as I can, I will live and look after it with a support of my family.”
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Algirdas Baltuškevičius
Algirdas was born in 1933, in Marijampolė district, Liepynai village, in a family of farmers. Graduated from Kaunas Medical Institute (current LSMU), defended his doctoral dissertation and continued to work in scientific research, in rheumatology and apiterapia (treatment methodology using bee products and preparations). In 1958 he married Eleonora Vaidelytė-Ivanauskaitė (an adopted daughter of professor Tadas Ivanauskas), had two sons - Tadas and Raimundas. Professor T. Ivanauskas has left Obelynė for his adopted daughter in his will, who, together with her husband founded a memorial museum. Currently, Obelynė is a subdivision part of Kaunas District museum open for visitors, while Baltiškevičiai family continues to take care of the old farmstead and its surroundings with the help of the museum staff.
Date of the interview: 2018-10-09