Edward Trusewicz: „This title belongs to the people who I worked with”

The interview with Edward Trusewicz, Deputy Minister of Culture, secretary of the Association of Poles in Lithuania and the winner of the 15^th competition for “The Poles of the Year 2012” organized by “Kurier Wileński”.

At the beginning I would like to congratulate you on the receiving this honorable award!

Can we come back to the way that led you to gain the title of “The Poles of the Year 2012”? It began in Trok…

Thank you so much! I also would like to thank every single reader of „Kurier Wileński” who voted for me.

And yes, everything started in Trok. There, I graduated from Academy of Fine Arts and started working in Vilnius Conservatoire where I became a conductor of a choir. Later on, I studied a choral conducting in Poland.

After the death of Wiktor Kowalewski – well-known musician from Trok- I had the pleasure to become the executive of the troupe “Stare Troki”. Then I started working as a teacher of music at a local Polish school. At the same time I was an organist in Stare Troki and Landwarów. I was also the conductor of the “Muza” choir.

It was the time when I found that social activeness may be nice. It started from the Association of Poles in Lithuania from the town Troki. Afterwards I was on executive board of APL and then I had the function of the secretary of the Association.

Then I became the councillor in Self-government of Troki. To put it in a nutshell, that’s all. I often come back with memories to that moments… I reminisce about people who I met and from who I learned a lot.

How do you think, what was the most important event that let you win the competition for „The Poles of the Year 2012”?

I was astonished when I got to know that I had won the competition of „Kurier Wileński”. Anyway, I was also surprised to see my name on the list, between so many well-known people. I did not think that I have any chances to win. When I got to know that I am a finalist (a few months ago), I wrote on Facebook the names of the people who I would vote for. However, the readers made their own decisions and voted in another way…

If you are asking about the activity, I will say that the readers from Vilnius decided not to „give away” the title of „The Poles of the Year”. I must admit that I’ve heard that the executive of Vilnius Association of Poles in Lithuania – Alicja Pietrowicz – asked her employers to vote for me. But did it really have so strong influence?

However, I would like to highlight that this title belongs to the people who I worked with last year.

If I won because of being the secretary of APL, then the winners are all the members of the organization. These people help others both in Vilnius and in the whole county (there are 15 subsidiaries).

If I won this title because of charity concert – „Piłsudski pamięcią przyzywa” which was recorded in Vilnius and broadcast in Polonia TV – or other artistic event, then this title belongs to the people who create Polish culture in our country: artists, folk bands and their executives.

If someone voted for me because I am Deputy Minister of Culture (and people probably think that I can regulate Polish situation faster) – then the title belongs to the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania and to the electors who believe in me.

What kind of a men, of a citizen, should be the Pole in Lithuania. Is it easy to be him?

It is very hard to define the „true Pole” in Lithuania but I think that the Polish society in our country is really organized and active. And that is what make us different from other ethnic minorities and from other Polish societies in the world.

We can be proud of being Poles in Lithuania. We can work and live in a country where we were born and, at the same time, have in a heart our home country that is very similar to us.

We have to meet the requirements, people wait for the results. It should make us stronger, mobilize us to work even harder. So that each of us have to show that we are the hosts in our country.

What are your ways of relaxing? And does the politician, social activist, actor, and conductor know such a word like “relax”?

Will you have time for such a luxury, like taking the baton into the hands of the conductor, as it was recently at the concert of Christmas carols in Troki?

Such projects are relaxing in some way. I like culture, good artistic event. So that is why I take part in concerts where there are amateurs band and a professional orchestra. APL has organizes several such projects so far. I believe that for bands it is unbelievable feeling to play with well-known orchestra.

As for the rest, I do not feel that I am tired because of what I do. And if it temporarily appears, it is satisfactory. Every day I do what I like.

Source: http://kurierwilenski.lt/2013/01/25/edward-trusewicz-ten-tytul-nalezy-do-ludzi-z-ktorymi-pracowalem/

Tłumaczenie Diana Omiljaniuk w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Diana Omiljaniuk the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.