The Note from Kazimiras

As I mentioned in this post, Chute's brother wrote a note on the back of a photo shortly after he was abducted by the Soviets.

Kazimiras Kisielius with fellow soldiers, Lithuania probably winter 1940/41.

He was in the Lithuanian military and, as I understand it, he disappeared after the first Soviet occupation that began in June 1940. I showed the photo once to a military historian from Lithuania, and he said it was likely from the winter of 1940/1941 because he was able to identify Russian army tabs on their Lithuanian uniforms. I guess that means the Soviets conscripted or at least subordinated the existing Lithuanian soldiers prior to getting rid of them. I don't know the history well enough to know what is most likely to have happened to him, but I've always assumed he was deported and/or executed. During the first Soviet occupation, thousands of dissidents and potential resistors were sent to Siberia and suffered terribly (read the incredible Between Shades of Gray for more). But there's a chance he was enlisted to fight the advancing Nazi army. I really don't know the fate of these soldiers.

On my trip to Lithuania, however, I asked at the Lithuanian Special Archive (Lietuvos Ypatingasis Archyvas) if they might have information about him. They said it was possible, but that I needed documentation showing direct relation in order to obtain it. Since it was easier to document the connection between Chute and Kazimiras, I helped her to write a request when I saw her over Christmas. I received a bill for €12.52 shortly after the request was submitted, so I know they're working on it.

In the mean time, I've tried my hand at translating Kazimiras's note on the back of his photo.

Reverse side of photo above, written by Kazimiras.

Here's the transcribed Lithuanian to the best that I was able to decipher it:

Pivonija ukmergei

Mano Brangieji!

Su liūdešiu, širdyje aš tariu jums paskutinė sudiev! Nes jau skaitydami šias eilutes, manes tuo metu nebus___. Kaip norėjau, nors valandėls pamatyti jūsu brangius veidelius, bučiuoti jūsu rankeles ir karštai, karštai prispausti prie savo krūtinės bet likimas nubloškė mane, ir tik vien atminimas manasis pasiliks jūsu širdyse. Ne liūdėk, žuvau ar žusio, kaip kariui pridera žūva milijonai, o [ka?/ko?] mano [rieno?] gyvybė proče tai. Sudiev, sudiev mano Brangiausiejs.

Likimas lėmė man gerai ir esu gyvas sveikas.

And this is what I was able to translate with the help of google:

Pivonija [a village?] Ukmergei [a region?]

My dear ones!

With sadness in my heart, I said my last farewell to you! Because you're reading these lines, [manes tuo manes neb___]. How I wished for a while to see your precious [smiles?], kiss your hands and be pressed against your warm, warm chest, but fate threw me and only a mere memory will remain in your hearts. No sorrow, [if I] die or perish, as death befits millions of soldiers, and what [rieno?] my life [proče?] that. Farewell, farewell my dearest.

Then the ink changes color and he adds:

Good fortune I am alive an healthy. 

It's a REALLY POOR translation, I'm certain! But it's really hard to work out hand written cursive when you don't have a base vocabulary to help. And I still can't really make sense of what he was saying. It's almost as if he was writing a message before going into battle that was to be sent if he was killed. But the final line, in the other ink, suggests he survived. I don't know why he would then still send it with all the rest on there. It must have been really upsetting to receive. It was the last the family ever heard from him though, so things must have turned for the worse afterwards.

I really hope the Special Archive is able to tell us something. I think it would mean a lot to Chute to know what actually happened. Here she is talking about when he was taken away and how important he was to her: