rescuers of jews
Mikuličius Petras
ONA MIKULIČIENĖ ir PETRAS MIKULIČIUS
Ona and Petras Mikuliciai used to live with their three children in Kaunas, Lower Freda, 110 Minkovskiai st. During the war Jews from Kaunas ghetto were brought to perform forced labour; one of them was Klara Gelman. In the winter of 1942-1943 she gathered the courage to ask Ona and Petras Mikuliciai to take her two-year-old niece Julija Remigolskyte (later Flier). In spite of the risk, Mikuliciai agreed to take the little Jewish girl in and take care of her. Their son Vytautas was a great help when trying to save little Judita. The girl soon became fluent in Lithuanian, and the neighbours were told that she is Ona Mikuliciene’s deceased sister’s daughter As the front moved further west, misfortunes for Mikuliciai family began; they were evacuated by the Germans from Freda, their house burned down. Having returned several days later they found only a pile of ashes and a mother of the Jewish girl Julija-Birute sitting nearby.
Although Onute and Petras Mikuliciai had grown attached to the child, they returned her immediately to her mother Menacha Remigolskiene. Unfortunately, such terrible end of the war which left the family homeless resulted in deterioration of Petras’ health; he survived only a half year more after the war.Julija Remigolskyte-Flier studied in M.K.Ciurlionis National School of Arts, then continued her studies at Vilnius conservatoire, became an outstanding violinist; later she emigrated to Canada with her mother.
In 1995 Ona and Petras Mikuliciai were recognised as Righteous among the Nations by Yad Vashem. In 1996 when Tova Herzl, the ambassador of Israel at that time, came to award Ona Mikuliciene with this medal, Julija Flier also came to congratulate her. She said then that her real life had begun from the time she was saved, if she would die then as a little girl, her two daughters would never born.
Ona and Petras Mikuliciai used to live with their three children in Kaunas, Lower Freda, 110 Minkovskiai st. During the war Jews from Kaunas ghetto were brought to perform forced labour; one of them was Klara Gelman. In the winter of 1942-1943 she gathered the courage to ask Ona and Petras Mikuliciai to take her two-year-old niece Julija Remigolskyte (later Flier). In spite of the risk, Mikuliciai agreed to take the little Jewish girl in and take care of her. Their son Vytautas was a great help when trying to save little Judita. The girl soon became fluent in Lithuanian, and the neighbours were told that she is Ona Mikuliciene’s deceased sister’s daughter As the front moved further west, misfortunes for Mikuliciai family began; they were evacuated by the Germans from Freda, their house burned down. Having returned several days later they found only a pile of ashes and a mother of the Jewish girl Julija-Birute sitting nearby.
Although Onute and Petras Mikuliciai had grown attached to the child, they returned her immediately to her mother Menacha Remigolskiene. Unfortunately, such terrible end of the war which left the family homeless resulted in deterioration of Petras’ health; he survived only a half year more after the war.Julija Remigolskyte-Flier studied in M.K.Ciurlionis National School of Arts, then continued her studies at Vilnius conservatoire, became an outstanding violinist; later she emigrated to Canada with her mother.
In 1995 Ona and Petras Mikuliciai were recognised as Righteous among the Nations by Yad Vashem. In 1996 when Tova Herzl, the ambassador of Israel at that time, came to award Ona Mikuliciene with this medal, Julija Flier also came to congratulate her. She said then that her real life had begun from the time she was saved, if she would die then as a little girl, her two daughters would never born.