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from Ginutis Procuta to the Head Librarian of Dunedin Public Library regarding Lithuania in the 1940's
Details
DescriptionThe Head-Librarian
Dunedin City (Public) Library
230 Moray Place
Dunedin, New Zealand
Dear Madame / Sir,
I am Lithuanian born war refugee who at the age of 15 with older brother and our widowed mother in 1949 came to Dunedin under New Zealand Government’s resetelment plan. For which we are eternaly greatful.
Within first month I found Dunedin’s Public library. After the destrucion of Soviet and German occupation of lithuenia and five years in D.P. camps in Germany – was wonderfully glitering place or even palace! It was a perfect place to reflect and expend knowlege. But one Saturday on open shelfre, I can across Soviet Government published book in Moscow, full of praise and even worship of Stalin. I was shocked by the lies it contained, which could mislead many New Zealanders.
I could not allow this to happen. I as child of 7 years I clearly remember the deportation I personally witnessed in Vienius, Lithuania when on Stalin’s orders deportation of 30,000 Lithuanians (whole families with young children and even execting mothers where deported to Siberia and above above Arctic circle, by 1949 the deporations run over 300,000 lithuanians (about 10% of whole lithuania’s population. Similar deportation occurred on the same date – June 13 -15 in Latvia and Estonia.
The book was simply called – STALIN, with many illustration – photograph’s Stalin hugging children, Stalin, Molotov and others presiding at Lenin’s Musolemum of happy and cheering workers parades in huge kremlin’s squar.
I knew, I was doing something which is wrong but the alternative was much worse, this book would perpatuate big untruth – lie about Stalin, so without properly discharging the book from your Library I hid it among bundle of clothes took it out and once several streets away I destroyed it among several street rubbish bins.
I hope you will forgive and understand my action,
As restitution our daughter Eglé and her youger son Julien will bring a bilingual book (English & French) on Millennium of Lithuania as my gift.
Actually you may be surprised that later on in life after graduating from University of Auckland, moving to U.S.A and graduating in Soviet studies at the University of Chicago, and moving once more to Canada, to teach at Univ. of Ottawa, I became a major book donor to Univ. of Toronto and a patron of University of Vienius founded in 1579 with an important collecion donation of five thousand books
Between 1968 and now I have donated over 10,000 books (mainly in English) to over 20 Lithuanian Academic and Public Libraries. In my own field of studies – Sovietology and study of the Righteous peopled who risked their lives to save Jews, I have published – written several ground breaking papers, e.g. in Lithuania there were over 30,000 helpers to hide, make paper, collect money and medicine, not merely a “handful” as was portrayed in most of holocaust literature.
I also was very fortunate to get aquainted with three Noble price for literature laureats. Especially colse with Lithuanian born but Polish Czeslaw Milosz. He encouraged even in Soviet times to smugle in Western books to Lithuania. Later on in my life between 1986-1991 I had an antiquarian book – Baldwin Books in Toronto, close to Univ. of Toronto, and one quite afternoon Saul Bellow walks in my store and spends over 1 ½ hours chatting about French and Russian Literature. The third Nobelist was british Harold Pinter
I am also very lucky that our two grandsons are trilingual – French, English and Lithuanian. They are very interested in books the older one Antoine – colects first edition on beautifully bound books and writers poetry (he is 25) the younger Julien not only loves books (graduated with silver & gold medals from Univ. of Ottawa in 2015) he also wrote an essay on the significance of my books donated to Univ. of Vienius, which was publised in Globe & Mail newspaper our daughter besides her native born in Chicago liutanian speaker is a journalist and editor speaks English, French, Spanish and Italian.
Yesterday on Rememberance Day I turned 83 years old.
My health is deteorating but I have few younger friends in N. Zealand. Yvonne Carling somewhere in North Otago and more in Auckland at Ministry of Works: John Wilson, Jill Busbridge, Lorna Boon, at Univ. of Auckland Dinah Hoeman – Fairburn. French language lecturer Walter Polland, he is older and may not be alove. These and other individuals mean very much as my life in beautiful New Zealand between 1949 and 1963. Would it be possible to make some kind of news story – to say godby and to say once more to New Zealand thank you very much. Although culturary and spiritualy I am Lituanian, but New Zealand shaped me what I became and did for my native country, Canada & love for N.Z. our all family on my side though born outside family including our daughter, born in Chicago, was conceived in on our honeymoon in Kawau Island, larger part of our family was born and raised in New Zealand, they becon us our grandsons to New Zealand, to Auckland Hamilton and Cambridge to visit places like Dunedin where father & grandfather lived, herd bagpipes in the hills breathed the fresh air
Please forgive my spelling, I have been very sick & have no energy left. At night when I can not sleep I turn to people – individuals I have known in Lituania and New Zealand, also the historic architecture of Vienius, and beautiful nature scenery of Milford Sound and Ninety Mile Beach on the night view of glitering Auckland from Titarangi hills. Thank you N.Z
Sincerely Ginutis Procute also known as Genius in Lith. It does not mean Very talented.
Explanations:
The other side of my older brother Vacius wifes mother is Scotish – Greta Fox (my brother was an architect & his in Hamilton son Antanas is an architect too)
2 photos:
I at age 15 with my mother Aleksandra taken at Botanical Gardens probably November 1949 when I “pinched” Stalin’s book.
The other with my grandson after their first visit to Lithuania –specially Vienius, whe Julien aged 17 wrote the essay My Grandfather’s lessons about life, liberty & Libraries. Attached in the original printing in Toronto Globe and Mail, wher our daughter Eglé is sub-editor & contributor
Also –
A copy of University of Toronto Head Librarian (to Univ. of Toronto Libraries I donated over 3,000 copies / volumes of Lithuanian studies books, rare-books collecton of 300 book plates) to her counterpart at Univ. of Vienius Library Ms Irena Kievené
Also a copy of Eglé’s essay – A Baltic State Steeped in history and basketball stats.
I’m also including ex-librius / book plate by leading contemporary Lithuanian Artist Petras Repsys done for me in 1981. Eglé mentions him in the last column of her essay the artist cleaverly portrays me in a shadow if you turn the ex-listing upside dow my roots are in the place they should be but the whole construct became shaped like “victory” from my hands sprounds / spring joyous fruits my books which made through the border to the Univ. of Vienius Library. Writers, artists, play directors used various tricks to go throug censorship I knew the artist well by then I was in Soviet Lithuania 4 times & known for my success
p.s I should note that I was close aquitant with Lithuanian born Rudy Gopas, saw his first exhibit in your library & was in toch when he left for Christchurch saw him last time in 1962
DateBetween 1st January 1949 and 16th February 2017Geo location[1]
Dunedin City (Public) Library
230 Moray Place
Dunedin, New Zealand
Dear Madame / Sir,
I am Lithuanian born war refugee who at the age of 15 with older brother and our widowed mother in 1949 came to Dunedin under New Zealand Government’s resetelment plan. For which we are eternaly greatful.
Within first month I found Dunedin’s Public library. After the destrucion of Soviet and German occupation of lithuenia and five years in D.P. camps in Germany – was wonderfully glitering place or even palace! It was a perfect place to reflect and expend knowlege. But one Saturday on open shelfre, I can across Soviet Government published book in Moscow, full of praise and even worship of Stalin. I was shocked by the lies it contained, which could mislead many New Zealanders.
I could not allow this to happen. I as child of 7 years I clearly remember the deportation I personally witnessed in Vienius, Lithuania when on Stalin’s orders deportation of 30,000 Lithuanians (whole families with young children and even execting mothers where deported to Siberia and above above Arctic circle, by 1949 the deporations run over 300,000 lithuanians (about 10% of whole lithuania’s population. Similar deportation occurred on the same date – June 13 -15 in Latvia and Estonia.
The book was simply called – STALIN, with many illustration – photograph’s Stalin hugging children, Stalin, Molotov and others presiding at Lenin’s Musolemum of happy and cheering workers parades in huge kremlin’s squar.
I knew, I was doing something which is wrong but the alternative was much worse, this book would perpatuate big untruth – lie about Stalin, so without properly discharging the book from your Library I hid it among bundle of clothes took it out and once several streets away I destroyed it among several street rubbish bins.
I hope you will forgive and understand my action,
As restitution our daughter Eglé and her youger son Julien will bring a bilingual book (English & French) on Millennium of Lithuania as my gift.
Actually you may be surprised that later on in life after graduating from University of Auckland, moving to U.S.A and graduating in Soviet studies at the University of Chicago, and moving once more to Canada, to teach at Univ. of Ottawa, I became a major book donor to Univ. of Toronto and a patron of University of Vienius founded in 1579 with an important collecion donation of five thousand books
Between 1968 and now I have donated over 10,000 books (mainly in English) to over 20 Lithuanian Academic and Public Libraries. In my own field of studies – Sovietology and study of the Righteous peopled who risked their lives to save Jews, I have published – written several ground breaking papers, e.g. in Lithuania there were over 30,000 helpers to hide, make paper, collect money and medicine, not merely a “handful” as was portrayed in most of holocaust literature.
I also was very fortunate to get aquainted with three Noble price for literature laureats. Especially colse with Lithuanian born but Polish Czeslaw Milosz. He encouraged even in Soviet times to smugle in Western books to Lithuania. Later on in my life between 1986-1991 I had an antiquarian book – Baldwin Books in Toronto, close to Univ. of Toronto, and one quite afternoon Saul Bellow walks in my store and spends over 1 ½ hours chatting about French and Russian Literature. The third Nobelist was british Harold Pinter
I am also very lucky that our two grandsons are trilingual – French, English and Lithuanian. They are very interested in books the older one Antoine – colects first edition on beautifully bound books and writers poetry (he is 25) the younger Julien not only loves books (graduated with silver & gold medals from Univ. of Ottawa in 2015) he also wrote an essay on the significance of my books donated to Univ. of Vienius, which was publised in Globe & Mail newspaper our daughter besides her native born in Chicago liutanian speaker is a journalist and editor speaks English, French, Spanish and Italian.
Yesterday on Rememberance Day I turned 83 years old.
My health is deteorating but I have few younger friends in N. Zealand. Yvonne Carling somewhere in North Otago and more in Auckland at Ministry of Works: John Wilson, Jill Busbridge, Lorna Boon, at Univ. of Auckland Dinah Hoeman – Fairburn. French language lecturer Walter Polland, he is older and may not be alove. These and other individuals mean very much as my life in beautiful New Zealand between 1949 and 1963. Would it be possible to make some kind of news story – to say godby and to say once more to New Zealand thank you very much. Although culturary and spiritualy I am Lituanian, but New Zealand shaped me what I became and did for my native country, Canada & love for N.Z. our all family on my side though born outside family including our daughter, born in Chicago, was conceived in on our honeymoon in Kawau Island, larger part of our family was born and raised in New Zealand, they becon us our grandsons to New Zealand, to Auckland Hamilton and Cambridge to visit places like Dunedin where father & grandfather lived, herd bagpipes in the hills breathed the fresh air
Please forgive my spelling, I have been very sick & have no energy left. At night when I can not sleep I turn to people – individuals I have known in Lituania and New Zealand, also the historic architecture of Vienius, and beautiful nature scenery of Milford Sound and Ninety Mile Beach on the night view of glitering Auckland from Titarangi hills. Thank you N.Z
Sincerely Ginutis Procute also known as Genius in Lith. It does not mean Very talented.
Explanations:
The other side of my older brother Vacius wifes mother is Scotish – Greta Fox (my brother was an architect & his in Hamilton son Antanas is an architect too)
2 photos:
I at age 15 with my mother Aleksandra taken at Botanical Gardens probably November 1949 when I “pinched” Stalin’s book.
The other with my grandson after their first visit to Lithuania –specially Vienius, whe Julien aged 17 wrote the essay My Grandfather’s lessons about life, liberty & Libraries. Attached in the original printing in Toronto Globe and Mail, wher our daughter Eglé is sub-editor & contributor
Also –
A copy of University of Toronto Head Librarian (to Univ. of Toronto Libraries I donated over 3,000 copies / volumes of Lithuanian studies books, rare-books collecton of 300 book plates) to her counterpart at Univ. of Vienius Library Ms Irena Kievené
Also a copy of Eglé’s essay – A Baltic State Steeped in history and basketball stats.
I’m also including ex-librius / book plate by leading contemporary Lithuanian Artist Petras Repsys done for me in 1981. Eglé mentions him in the last column of her essay the artist cleaverly portrays me in a shadow if you turn the ex-listing upside dow my roots are in the place they should be but the whole construct became shaped like “victory” from my hands sprounds / spring joyous fruits my books which made through the border to the Univ. of Vienius Library. Writers, artists, play directors used various tricks to go throug censorship I knew the artist well by then I was in Soviet Lithuania 4 times & known for my success
p.s I should note that I was close aquitant with Lithuanian born Rudy Gopas, saw his first exhibit in your library & was in toch when he left for Christchurch saw him last time in 1962
DateBetween 1st January 1949 and 16th February 2017Geo location[1] Relates to
SubjectWorld War IIDunedin City - Libraries - PublicLibraryImageLetter to "The Head Librarian" from Ginutis ProcutaBook PlateStalin's BookFirst visit to LithuaniaVincas Kisarauskas Ekslibriailetter to Bernie Hawke Life, liberty and librariesThe Baltic state steeped in history and basketball statsOrganisationDunedin Public LibrariesPeopleGinutis ProcutaPlaceDunedin City Library
Dunedin City - Libraries - PublicLibraryImageLetter to "The Head Librarian" from Ginutis ProcutaBook PlateStalin's BookFirst visit to LithuaniaVincas Kisarauskas Ekslibriailetter to Bernie Hawke Life, liberty and librariesThe Baltic state steeped in history and basketball statsOrganisationDunedin Public LibrariesPeopleGinutis ProcutaPlaceDunedin City LibraryContributors
ContributorGinutis ProcutaEmma Milburn
Emma Milburnloading google map....
from Ginutis Procuta to the Head Librarian of Dunedin Public Library regarding Lithuania in the 1940's (Between 1st January 1949 and 16th February 2017). Dunedin Public Libraries, accessed 27/09/2026, https://dunedin.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/200904