BioGraphy

The fate of her
father’s family (Original in Russian)

The fate of her
father’s family (French version)

Jews “saved”
by deportation (Original in Russian)

Jews “saved”
by deportation (French version)

Memories of her mother’s
despair 1/2 (Original in Russian)

Juliana’s mother fled Nazi Germany in 1937 and settled with her husband in Kaunas. She could speak neither Lithuanian nor Russian, which she eventually learnt, poorly, in Tajikistan.

During the interview, Juliana remembers how her mother felt foreign all her life, how she cried each time she spoke of Düsseldort. “We lived out of suitcases”, because her mother was always waiting for permission to go home. Juliana chose not to have any children for fear it would be yet another pretext for not allowing them to leave Lithuania.

Memories of her mother’s
despair 1/2 (French version)

La mère de Juliana a fui l’Allemagne nazie en 1937 et, avec son mari, elle et s’est installée à Kaunas. Elle ne parlait ni le lituanien ni le russe, qu'elle a fini par apprendre, mal, au Tadjikistan.
Au cours de son entretien, Juliana évoque comment sa mère s’est sentie tout au long de sa vie une étrangère, comment elle pleurait à chaque fois qu’elle parlait de Düsseldorf. «Nous vivions sur des valises», sa mère était toujours dans l’attente de pouvoir enfin obtenir la permission de rentrer chez elle. Juliana a choisi de ne pas avoir d’enfants de peur que cela soit un prétexte de plus pour ne pas les autoriser à quitter la Lituanie.

Memories of her mother’s
despair 2/2 (Original in Russian)

Juliana’s mother fled Nazi Germany in 1937 and settled with her husband in Kaunas. She could speak neither Lithuanian nor Russian, which she eventually learnt, poorly, in Tajikistan.

During the interview, Juliana remembers how her mother felt foreign all her life, how she cried each time she spoke of Düsseldort. “We lived out of suitcases”, because her mother was always waiting for permission to go home. Juliana chose not to have any children for fear it would be yet another pretext for not allowing them to leave Lithuania.

Memories of her mother’s
despair 2/2 (French version)

La mère de Juliana a fui l’Allemagne nazie en 1937 et, avec son mari, elle et s’est installée à Kaunas. Elle ne parlait ni le lituanien ni le russe, qu'elle a fini par apprendre, mal, au Tadjikistan.
Au cours de son entretien, Juliana évoque comment sa mère s’est sentie tout au long de sa vie une étrangère, comment elle pleurait à chaque fois qu’elle parlait de Düsseldorf. «Nous vivions sur des valises», sa mère était toujours dans l’attente de pouvoir enfin obtenir la permission de rentrer chez elle. Juliana a choisi de ne pas avoir d’enfants de peur que cela soit un prétexte de plus pour ne pas les autoriser à quitter la Lituanie.

Her escape from the
Kaunas ghetto (Original in Russian)

Her escape from the
Kaunas ghetto (French version)

Arrest and deportation (Original version in Russian)

Juliana remembers when the Soviet political police arrived at their house in Kaunas and her deportation to Tajikistan.

Arrest and deportation (French version)

Juliana remembers when the Soviet political police arrived at their house in Kaunas and her deportation to Tajikistan.

Arrival in Central Asia (Original in Russian)

Juliana remembers her first impressions on arriving in this foreign land in Central Asia and how the resettlers were sent to pick cotton on the kolkhoz.

Arrival in Central Asia (French version)

Juliana remembers her first impressions on arriving in this foreign land in Central Asia and how the resettlers were sent to pick cotton on the kolkhoz.

Tajik children (Original in Russian)

In these two extracts, Juliana remembers how the Tajik children called the deported children “Fascists” and threw stones at them, her feeling of injustice and relations between the deportees and the Tajiks.

Tajik children (French version)

In these two extracts, Juliana remembers how the Tajik children called the deported children “Fascists” and threw stones at them, her feeling of injustice and relations between the deportees and the Tajiks.

Relations with the Tajiks (Original in Russian)

In these two extracts, Juliana remembers how the Tajik children called the deported children “Fascists” and threw stones at them, her feeling of injustice and relations between the deportees and the Tajiks.

Relations with the Tajiks (French version)

In these two extracts, Juliana remembers how the Tajik children called the deported children “Fascists” and threw stones at them, her feeling of injustice and relations between the deportees and the Tajiks.

Identity and heritage (Original in Russian)

In this extract Juliana explains why she has felt different all her life and uses “they” to mean the Lithuanians, the Russians and the Jews. The only time she uses “we” is when she talks about the deportees.

Identity and heritage (French version)

In this extract Juliana explains why she has felt different all her life and uses “they” to mean the Lithuanians, the Russians and the Jews. The only time she uses “we” is when she talks about the deportees.

The day of
Stalin’s death (Original in Russian)

The day of
Stalin’s death (French version)

Before deportation

Juliana and her parents between 1937 and 1941

Resettlement

Juliana celebrated her seventh birthday in the cattle wagon taking her with her mother to Tajikistan, where she went to school and grew up. Not until 1962 did she finally return to Kaunas.