Almost completely unknown Irene Gut

If it were not for an accident, probably for a long time I would not know anything about Irene Gut. Precisiely if Dan Gordon did not write a play, if Michael Parva did not direct it and Tovah Feldshuh did not play a heroine and if accidentally I did not watch TV at proper moment I would not hear about Irene Gut – Polish woman who saved twevle Polish Jews.

During the World War II Irene Gut was forced to work as a housekeeper for a prominent German officer. For almost two years she had a courage to protect and give shelter fo twelve Jews. She hid them in a villa of her “employer” – mentioned above German. When he got to know her “mystery” gave her a dramatic choice – she could stay his mistress and save twelve Jewish lives or cause that her “charges” would be given away for sure death. For Irene Gut there was only one possible choice. She decided to sacrifice her dignity and purity to save people’s lives. For an ardent catholic woman it was a really dramatic decision, but she did not have doubts that her duty as a human being and catholic was to act on behalf of her neighbours.

It is a strongly impressive story, but In Poland only few heard about Irene Gut. Myself, tohugh I am Pole interested in contemporary and past relations between Poles and national minorities and ethnic groups, in Polish history, have not heard about courageous Irene Gut. I confess it is a shame. But I blame not only myself, there is a great negligence of Polish magazines, Polish press, Polish media at all, Polish schools, educational system, Polish Univeristies, etc. I have been always interested in searching and finding such stories like that about Irene Gut and have not come across even mention of her anywhere.

It is difficult to understand. Now in Poland we are witnesses of a wonderful rerbirth of interest in Jewish history and culture. Many exhibitions, many concerts, many books, articles, documentary films dovoted to Polish Jews, to Polish Righteous among the nations and almost complete ignorance with regard to Irene Gut.

I am a little bit ashamed.

Vilnius – my spiritual capital city

It is said that everyone should have his/her spiritual capital city. For me – apart from Budapest – it is Vilnius, Lithuanian capital city. Really European, beautiful, picturesque and phenomenal city.

3,5 – 4 hours drive from Bialystok. Across mysteious forests, picturesque fields and meadows, 140 kilometres across Poland, later on Lazdiai, Alytus and Vilnius. You can get on the car on Friaday eveninig, after work and in the evening, at 9 p.m. walk down the Vilnius streets.

City that gives me strength, energy, hope and dispell all sorrows, inspiring place, where you can hear people speaking in Lithuanian, Russian, Belarussian, Polsih, English. I do not mean tourists, but inhabitants of Vilnius. I still remember two charming girls met in restaurant speaking to each other in Belarussian, but talking to waitress in Lithuanian. I still remember all those smooth flows when I spoke to my friends in Polish, and after a while in Russian or English to young waitress. All those different languages, diifferent nations, religions, cultures account for uniqueness of the city. Undoubtedly it is a Lithuanian city, capital city of independent Lithuania, where there are visible traces of Polish, Lithuanian, Italian, Belarussian and Russian cultures. Catholic baroque enormous churches, impressing Orthodox churches, former Jewish district, monument of Gaon of Vilnius – Jewish intelectualist, adversary of chasidism; classical cathedral, Karaims’ temple (kienesa), Gediminas tower…

There are only 180 km to Warsaw, capital city of my country, but it is alwas traumatic for me to travel to this bleak city, popular Cracow is too stuffy and conceited for me. I would even risk the statement that in Poland we do not have a really European city not in the sense of architecture but also in the sense of amosphere created by people, so I am glad that Vilnius is only 300 kilometres form my native town – Bialystok. If it was possible to travel acroos Belarussia it would be only 260 kilometres. I hope one day Belarussia will become democratic country, join EU and there will be no need to posses visa to reach it and go further, for example to Vilnius.

The space, landscape, architecture, atmosphere of Vilnius give me a deep sense of freedom and happiness. It proves that architecture of the city, its inhabitants may be inspiring and hearteaning. Visit to Vilnius pose almost mystical experience.

I was suprised with its harmonic combinationf of modern architecture of Šnipiškės district and baroque, renaissance, classical architecture of the old town on the opposite bank of Neris river.

I also found my private, personal places, where it is impossible not to believe in God – Saint Nicholas gothic church, Divine Mercy Sanctuary with its deeply contemplative atmosphere.

I remember kind people, smiling charming girls with gentle features, only positive things and experiences. For the 2 last months I have visited Vilnius 3 times. There is a great possibility that my impressions are not full, that they are just impressions, illusions. But I am going to go there regualrly and explore this one of the most beautiful and original cities in the world. I am going to discover its postive and negative sides.

My pictures of Vilnius I placed here:

http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=1426391925#/album.php?aid=2004750&id=1426391925

http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=1426391925#/album.php?aid=2004289&id=1426391925

Here You can also find pictures of Vilnius churches:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Churches_in_Vilnius_in_alphabetical_order