rescuers of jews
Juodagalvienė Emilija
Vincas Juodgalvis, Emilija Juodgalvienė, Marija Juodgalvytė-Kiselienė
During the German occupation, the peasants Vincas and Emilija Juodgalvis lived in the village of Rimšėnai with their daughter Marija. Juodgalvis had met Samuil Gilinsky, a storekeeper in the adjacent town of Ignalina, before the war, and since he was one of Samuil’s steady customers, they had even become friends. In May 1944, Gilinsky’s entire family was murdered near the town of Vidzy. Gilinsky himself managed to escape from the killing pit and reached Juodgalvis wounded and bleeding. The Juodgalvis family welcomed him warmly into their home and Juodagalvytas prepared a hiding place for him in the barn, while his wife and daughter provided for all his needs. At that time, the Germans were looking for local young men to send into forced labor in Germany. When Juodgalvis learned that the Germans were about to search his village too, he decided to take Gilinsky to a neighboring city, where Soviet partisans were already present. Juodagalvis hid Gilinsky in his wagon and drove him there. After the war, the Juodgalvis family was hounded by local gangs of nationalists seeking revenge against them for supporting the partisans and helping Jews during the occupation. After being beaten and severely hurt, Juodgalvytė-Kiselienė found shelter with Gilinsky, who was living in Ignalina.
During the German occupation, the peasants Vincas and Emilija Juodgalvis lived in the village of Rimšėnai with their daughter Marija. Juodgalvis had met Samuil Gilinsky, a storekeeper in the adjacent town of Ignalina, before the war, and since he was one of Samuil’s steady customers, they had even become friends. In May 1944, Gilinsky’s entire family was murdered near the town of Vidzy. Gilinsky himself managed to escape from the killing pit and reached Juodgalvis wounded and bleeding. The Juodgalvis family welcomed him warmly into their home and Juodagalvytas prepared a hiding place for him in the barn, while his wife and daughter provided for all his needs. At that time, the Germans were looking for local young men to send into forced labor in Germany. When Juodgalvis learned that the Germans were about to search his village too, he decided to take Gilinsky to a neighboring city, where Soviet partisans were already present. Juodagalvis hid Gilinsky in his wagon and drove him there. After the war, the Juodgalvis family was hounded by local gangs of nationalists seeking revenge against them for supporting the partisans and helping Jews during the occupation. After being beaten and severely hurt, Juodgalvytė-Kiselienė found shelter with Gilinsky, who was living in Ignalina.