2010 03 03

K.Galaunienė. Photo by the author

In brief: The art historian Kazimiera Galaunienė tells about life in marriage with one of the most prominent personalities Professor Paulius Galaunė in moderation emphasising that one or another fact is the common property of their joint life.

K.Galaunienė remembers her husband P.Galaunė as a special person, who was loyal to his conscience and moral values. The starter of professional museology died twenty-tow years ago after forming the basics of professional national art history and criticism, after leaving graphical works, six albums “Lithuanian Folk Art”, almost five hundred publicist and scientific articles and studies on various issues of Lithuanian art and culture.

According to K.Galaunienė, they met several times with her future husband as colleagues and like-minded people. After K.Galaunienė was employed at Kaunas M. K. Čiurlionis Museum, where Professor P. Galaunė also worked, she was invited by the Professor to assist in forming albums of folk art.

The former student of the Professor became a member of the Galaunės family after five years from the death of the first wife of Professor, Adelė Galaunienė. The woman felt big respect to the entire family and understood with what great man she resolved to travel along the road of life.

“I am happy that I could help him as a close person. He was important to me by the wide cultural horizon and intellect. It was a man who never made compromises with his conscience and who remained honourable. When he was offered to help the authorities of those times or to go to the Siberia, he chose the latter road. He explained that he could not go against his conscience. He was very dear to me by these qualities. I admired his feeling of justice, love to Lithuania, dedication and seeing of other people, not only himself,” K.Galaunienė remembers.

She was the wife and the comrade-in-arms of P.Galaunė. She tried to register every important event, thought or conversation related with her husband. During the period of 21 years of their joint life, the woman wrote down important thoughts of the Professor when he communicated with friends. Now it is a testimony of culture facts, people and truth of those times. These notes have become the source for research for various students today.

Edita Gruiniūtė

UP weekly Šeimininkė