rescuers of jews
Anužis Ignacas
Chasia Grinaite was born and raised in Sirvintai. In 1941 she finished the Antanas Smetona gymnasium in Ukmerge. In June 1941 Chasia’s parents were deported to Siberia. Chasia also would be deported but this time she was hiding at her cousin in Kaunas.
When the war started, Chasia Grinaite together with all Jewish people of Kaunas including her relatives became the prisoner of the Kaunas Ghetto.
After the Great action on October 29, 1941, when 10000 Kaunas Jews were murdered, Chasia missed all her relatives and the majority of her acquaintances.
Then she decided to escape from the Ghetto immediately.
She told about this wish to the Ghetto guard who suggested her to go to his apartment possessed in Laisves Aleja. But after two weeks, when he returned home drunk, he decided to pass Chasia to gestapo. She hardly managed to escape and to reach the 1-room apartment in Zaliakalnis rented by Ona Buzelyte, whom Chasia knew. Ona Buzelyte lived with her friend and they hid two seminarians who escaped from Vilnius. Ona Buzelyte was a decent woman, she was bothered because of cruelties happening around.
But it was very dangerous to be at her, because the neighbors around began to be interested what Chasia was from.
Onute received the Birth certificate for Chasia from the priest she knew and she farewelled her to St. Kazimieras monastery in Vilnius. Chasia reached it after 5-6 days of her way. The nuns met her very warmly but she couldn’t be there any longer, because the persecution and arrests of Polish priests started.
Citation from Memoirs of Chasia Grinaite Geselevich:
One evening nuns took me to Anuzis family. They met me as a sister, hugged me, kissed and comforted me, calmed me saying – everything would be well. Mr. Anuzis removed my old tear shoes , sewed several pieces of leather and began to repair my shoes. Mrs. Anuziene was an aristocratic, spiritual, beautiful woman, and they both, like the sent angels, turned around me, calmed me and Onute. I thought, what a happy fortune to know such people. Anuzis family lived in Vilnius, 3 people in one small room, with no kitchen. In the corridor there was a small table and they prepared food on it. Before the Soviet occupation the Anuzis family used to live in Kaunas. They escaped from Kaunas, leaving their apartment arranged excellently, in Putvinsky street. They managed to bring with them only the piano that was important for Mrs. Anuziene, who had finished the conservatoire.
Both Anuzises shared with me the food received for three people, according to their food-cards. They divided it into four parts. I was very nervous because of such circumstances, worried not about myself but about them, the danger that threatened to them. I wept frequently. They calmed me. Mrs. Anuzis used to kiss me and say: “Don’t weep, child, it will end soon and God will punish all the cruel people who shed innocent blood “.
With the Anuzis’s help Chasia Grinaite received a passport and with it she used to go to Kaunas, when the danger of rummage appeared. She went to her benefactors’ son Ceslovas and his wife Elenute. There she was presented by them as a cousin came to babysit their child.
When the war front approached Vilnius, Chasia’s rescuers decided to leave Lithuania because they guessed that the soviet government will persecute Ignas Anuzis, who served in Russian Tsarist army fighting the Bolsheviks.
Chasia also left Vilnius, she hid in the village close to the Latvia’s border. There she was liberated. When she returned to Vilnius, she didn’t find her benefactors’ family any more.
Chasia immigrated to Israel, and only in 1990, visiting USA, Chasia Grinaite-Geseleviciene found the Anuzis’s decsendants.
Ignas and Elena Anužis, Česlovas and Elena Anužis in 2000 were recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations” – by Yad Vashem.
When the war started, Chasia Grinaite together with all Jewish people of Kaunas including her relatives became the prisoner of the Kaunas Ghetto.
After the Great action on October 29, 1941, when 10000 Kaunas Jews were murdered, Chasia missed all her relatives and the majority of her acquaintances.
Then she decided to escape from the Ghetto immediately.
She told about this wish to the Ghetto guard who suggested her to go to his apartment possessed in Laisves Aleja. But after two weeks, when he returned home drunk, he decided to pass Chasia to gestapo. She hardly managed to escape and to reach the 1-room apartment in Zaliakalnis rented by Ona Buzelyte, whom Chasia knew. Ona Buzelyte lived with her friend and they hid two seminarians who escaped from Vilnius. Ona Buzelyte was a decent woman, she was bothered because of cruelties happening around.
But it was very dangerous to be at her, because the neighbors around began to be interested what Chasia was from.
Onute received the Birth certificate for Chasia from the priest she knew and she farewelled her to St. Kazimieras monastery in Vilnius. Chasia reached it after 5-6 days of her way. The nuns met her very warmly but she couldn’t be there any longer, because the persecution and arrests of Polish priests started.
Citation from Memoirs of Chasia Grinaite Geselevich:
One evening nuns took me to Anuzis family. They met me as a sister, hugged me, kissed and comforted me, calmed me saying – everything would be well. Mr. Anuzis removed my old tear shoes , sewed several pieces of leather and began to repair my shoes. Mrs. Anuziene was an aristocratic, spiritual, beautiful woman, and they both, like the sent angels, turned around me, calmed me and Onute. I thought, what a happy fortune to know such people. Anuzis family lived in Vilnius, 3 people in one small room, with no kitchen. In the corridor there was a small table and they prepared food on it. Before the Soviet occupation the Anuzis family used to live in Kaunas. They escaped from Kaunas, leaving their apartment arranged excellently, in Putvinsky street. They managed to bring with them only the piano that was important for Mrs. Anuziene, who had finished the conservatoire.
Both Anuzises shared with me the food received for three people, according to their food-cards. They divided it into four parts. I was very nervous because of such circumstances, worried not about myself but about them, the danger that threatened to them. I wept frequently. They calmed me. Mrs. Anuzis used to kiss me and say: “Don’t weep, child, it will end soon and God will punish all the cruel people who shed innocent blood “.
With the Anuzis’s help Chasia Grinaite received a passport and with it she used to go to Kaunas, when the danger of rummage appeared. She went to her benefactors’ son Ceslovas and his wife Elenute. There she was presented by them as a cousin came to babysit their child.
When the war front approached Vilnius, Chasia’s rescuers decided to leave Lithuania because they guessed that the soviet government will persecute Ignas Anuzis, who served in Russian Tsarist army fighting the Bolsheviks.
Chasia also left Vilnius, she hid in the village close to the Latvia’s border. There she was liberated. When she returned to Vilnius, she didn’t find her benefactors’ family any more.
Chasia immigrated to Israel, and only in 1990, visiting USA, Chasia Grinaite-Geseleviciene found the Anuzis’s decsendants.
Ignas and Elena Anužis, Česlovas and Elena Anužis in 2000 were recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations” – by Yad Vashem.