From the news of Ukraine, the music returned to Lithuania: the President held out his hand
Speaks in the Ukrainian Rada
Last year, on March 18, less than a year before Russia’s open aggression, President Nauseda visited Kiev and delivered a speech to members of the Ukrainian Rada.
H. and A. Rožė watched its live broadcast at home.
Henrieta is a former teacher of the Klaipėda J. Kačinskas Music School, now the head of the piano department of the Kamianskė Art School, her husband Albertas is a former director of the E. Balsys Arts Gymnasium and the artistic director and conductor of the boys’ choir Gintarėlis.
Albert’s former student on television was G. Nausėda, which caused great joy.
It was even more surprising when the President of Lithuania mentioned his teacher in his speech.
“The people of Ukraine deserve hopeful change. That is what the leader of my youth choir, deserved A. Roze, who chose Ukraine as his second home 35 years ago. ” – G. Nausėda finished her speech with such words at that time, her Rada members stood and applauded her.
It helped a little now, especially when he holds such a high post, despite his high employment, he remembers his teacher.
“It was a wonderful surprise for us. I was still joking, you see, Alberta, the whole Rada is standing up and applauding you. it is not yet clear that G. Nausėda will really give them a helping hand when it is needed.
Meeting: a few years ago, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the boys’ choir “Gintarėlis”, the long-term leader of this choir A.Rožė (in the middle) together with his former student President G.Nausėda and the then Lithuanian Consul General in St. Petersburg Dainius Numgaudis. Photo by H. Rožė’s personal archive
Unexpected phone call
Life in Ukraine has changed since March last year, when G.Nausėda’s speech was broadcast on television.
Two years ago, the terrifying coronavirus was nothing, linked to the bloody aspirations of the Russian military – the killing of civilians and the constant air strikes.
During those years, A. Rožė’s health deteriorated significantly, he no longer got out of bed, did not walk, could only look at the ceiling, and everything.
“When we heard the air alarm, it was no longer physically possible to descend into hiding, Albert could move out of bed. Then we put another blanket on our head and waited for our destiny. There was no possibility of safe hiding,” Henrieta said.
Two months ago, on April 13, the President of Lithuania returned to Kiev.
It seems that in addition to geopolitical matters, he is very worried about his former teacher, so advise to ask A. Rožė by phone.
Then G.Nausėda found out about the teacher’s lack of health, about how, like, he is simply doomed to death.
“The decision to leave home was first of all due to the man’s progressive illness. We were unable to call the local doctors because they have had more problems there since February. “a man who is small now, especially when he has such a high position, a very high employment, he is his teacher,” said H. Rožė, who only admitted at the end of the conversation that President G. Nausėda is helping them.
Return after 30 years
According to Henrieta, it was thanks to the President that the “green corridor” was opened, where the couple managed to reach Klaipeda at first, then the Palanga Rehabilitation Hospital, where they managed to regain their strength within two months.
“Now a man can walk, it is true, relying on crutches, but he is already standing on his feet. Here are wonderful doctors. We also have great doctors in Ukraine, but now they have a different job. Not as sick as my husband is now a priority. Now they themselves are almost on the front lines of the front, ”said H. Rožė when she returned to Lithuania.
During those months, H. Rožė visited J. Kačinskas School, where he worked for so many years, and organized a joint concert with his Kamianskė Music School students remotely.
“Not only is my husband cared for by a former student when we return, I am also taken care of by my former student, whom I taught 30 years ago, they call regularly, bring what is missing, ask if I need anything. I think I’m just a teacher, but me I didn’t forget, which means that I once sowed something in their hearts “, H. Rožė was happy.
Henrieta cannot admire the cordiality of Lithuanians, and her constant colleagues, with many communities, keep talking about Lithuania.
“I keep telling them, do you at least imagine that such a small Lithuania helps such a big Ukraine so sincerely? It’s amazing,” the woman rejoiced.
Ambassadors: for three decades, H. and A. Rožė nurtured Lithuanian culture in Ukraine, and in this photo they captured three years ago together with the then Lithuanian Ambassador to Ukraine Marius Yanukonis (third in the first row). Photo by H. Rožė’s personal archive
The main thing – Ukraine
Henrieta hails from Ukraine and decided to return there with her husband when her mother fell ill.
1992 they left Lithuania.
Arrived in Kamiansk, where, according to the United Nations, five years ago, 237 thousand people lived there. population.
The city is about 100 kilometers from Zaporozhye and very close to Berdyansk.
Here they gathered a not very large Lithuanian community.
And a large multinational choir was gathered at the Catholic Church in Kamiansk, with which he often gave concerts before the war, and Henrieta played in that specialist church.
“I know that I have two homelands – Lithuania and Ukraine. My husband and I speak Lithuanian. In fact, it is easier to learn Lithuanian than Ukrainian. By the way, in the Dnipropetrovsk region about 70 percent of people speak Russian, but now it does not matter, because it is to mobilize people so that the issue of language has been pushed aside, now the most important thing is to somehow save and save Ukraine. Those atrocities have ended us all. Can we ever forgive all the raped, tortured and murdered people? Henrieta poured her heartache.
Lithuania is an open country
Asked about February 24, the day the war broke out, the woman makes no secret of how terrifying and unexpected it was.
“The bomb didn’t fall on us that day. There was only news on the radio, and it was very quiet with us, not even the sirens were ringing. And then it started. to the army “, said H. Rožė.
At the beginning of this week, A. Rožė’s treatment in Palanga rehabilitation patient was completed, he and his wife Henrieta went to visit his brother in Vilnius.
He will wake up here for a while, and plans to return to Ukraine, where he will bring a warm feeling from Lithuania, where a helping hand has been extended to them at a particularly difficult time.
“You know what surprised me a lot in Lithuania? I met a lot of Russian-speaking people here, they are not Ukrainians, but they speak their native language in public and are not afraid of anything. So it’s good for them here that Lithuania is a modern, open country “, H. Rožė emphasized.