Riva Smerkoviciene and her family

Riva Smerkoviciene and her family

This is my family. From left to right - my granddaughter Diana, I, Riva Smerkoviciene, my grandson Karolis, my daughter-in-law Alina, her daughter Laura and Laura's husband Deinis. The picture was taken in my apartment in Kaunas in 2004 during Diana's visit from Germany, where she lives.

My son finished a Russian school, where his sister Lena had also been studying. Upon finishing it, he entered the Vilnius Polytechnic Institute and graduated from the sanitary faculty. Ilia married a Lithuanian when he was a student. Thus, our family happens to be international. In 1970 Alina gave birth to a daughter, Diana. Diana married a Lithuanian, Deinis, and left for Germany in the 1990s. My great-grandchildren were born there: a boy, Kapolis, and a girl, Camilla. Ilia’s younger daughter Laura was born in 1986. She is currently studying at the Polytechnic Institute. In 1994 my dear son suddenly died at the age of 48. He had an extensive heart attack. It was a great sorrow.

The employees of the library, where I had worked for over 20 years, often come to see me. In spite of my being the only Jew there, they loved me. They are still inviting me to attend all their events. Recently I was invited to go to the cathedral, where the service had been ordered to commemorate all the deceased employees. I couldn’t attend as I felt rather unwell on that day. But still, my life wasn’t futile. People have always been nice to me. I raised two wonderful children. My daughter is the closest person to me. She comes from the Far East rather often. To my regret, I saw her children only once in my lifetime. Alina, my daughter-in-law, also treats me kindly. I would like to have a longer life, in spite of getting senile.

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