|
|
|
| Warsaw, August 27, 2003. | ||
|
Viktoras Vinikaitis [Wiktor Winikajtis]
|
) |
Many years ago, while I have had asked my retired teacher from Harlan city in Ohio: „Why did you start to study being so old, in edition, in the area not related to your profession?” (he studied history of art, being avionics specialist) – he answered very calmly: „Does exist anything, what I could take with myself for my last and long journey, besides the knowledge?” I understood, that hearts of surrounding me people are full of hard to understand feelings and desires. Many years later, when I already knew the pain of loosing friends, who have had gone for their last journey, I understood also, that we are very poor due to not understanding our friends. I understood, how reach we would be accepting the knowledge of our friends. I understood, how much we would learn from them, if we would accept their knowledge right on time – not too late. What a shame, we usually value them, when they are no longer with us. There is no doubt, that the biggest surprise of mine was to learn the history of somebody who I used to meet many times, but never suspected him to be such a great man. Little, lonely man, dressed in poor and gray clothing: Viktoras Vinikaitis. I thought, he might be a regular guide, like thousands of others who are servicing at historical places. I never suspected that his life was so unusual. I never could believe – if anybody would like to tell it me earlier – that this shy man, who have had no classes from any school, had such a lot of skills making him great sculptor and the painter. He was so good, he was allowed to participate in reconstruction of Camedolite Monastery after World War II destructions. He painted pictures included in the main altar. While he was walking with the set of keys, he used to talk to the tourists a lot about the Monastery history. With no delay he was able to answer any question – like he would be there as long as Monastery existed, but he never said even single word about himself and his activities. He was lonely and self learning man. He lived far from modern civilization. He did not know the value of money. His Polish and Lithuanian was perfect. I was told that he learned also French and German – to better support foreign tourists. I noticed that he passed away, during one of my subsequent visit in this lovely place, where he always awaited his unnamed tourist-friends – but this time nobody was awaiting me. The Monastery without him appeared to be anempty and strange place. People used to call him: “The Last Camedolite Monk.” Until today nobody is trying to perform the job of this very meaningful man. However I used to visit this Hermitage very often, I always come back with the very strange feeling. It seems to me, that I was attending the meeting on which nobody came. |
|
|
|
On the one of the walls surrounding the monastery, I found small and modest plaque, nothing else.
From the inscription we may learn: was living, working and creating here. 1927 – 1994 The guide at Wigry, called the last Camedolite monk. Self-trained, genuine artist.” |
) |
|
|
) |
He is buried at village cemetery, in the nearby Magdalenow, which is located on the small hill, from which you may look at the Monastery. |
) |
|
|
| With no signpost, somewhere in the middle of the cemetery, there is a hard to find small grave made of brown stone with just several sentences: |
) |
”Viktoras Vinikaitis born: 28.IV.1927. The one, who loved the beauty of Wigry. The charm of this area, the history of the hermitage, he described in very colorful language to all of the visitors – with the reach vocabulary, unique and puzzling personality – as the only and of long standing guide at Camedolite Monastery at Wigry. deceased: 31.XII.1994. The gift of prayer is our gratitude for his work of art made at Wigry.” |
) |
|
|
|
There are a lot of people whom I will never meet again
– I am very sad that Victoras Vinikaitis is among them, also. My deep search in the Internet led me to just several pieces of information mentioning the man who still is admired by so many people, who were lucky to meet him in the past. The great, even so little man. At below link there is a story about Camedolite Hermitage and short biography of the Last Camedolite Monk (at the end of the page) – unfortunately in Polish. http://www.punskas.pl/pl/p1/doc1/pet3.htm Please try to search more information using his name as keyword, as well as the name of the great lake Wigry and the village with the same name, where the Monastery was established by Camedolite monks several centuries ago. Please let me know in the case you would find anything valuable. In the very few publications I was able to find short remarks about Last Camedolite Monk. Non of known for me encyclopedias' has any entry concerning him, however there is no doubt that he deserves this. |
| Adam Wiktor Kamela |
|
||