Edward Trusewicz the Pole of the Year 2012

Last Sunday, in the Polish Community Centre in Vilnius, the winners of the readers’ plebiscite of “Kurier Wileński” – “The Pole of the Year 2012” – were honoured. The secretary of the Association of Poles in Lithuania and the vice-minister of culture Edward Trusewicz became the winner of the 15th edition of the popular competition in Lithuania. The readers of the daily cast 4,000 votes on “The Pole of the Year”.

In the ten of the most meritorious, famous and popular Poles in Lithuania the following people were included as well:
the director of the Institute of  Labour and Social Research in Lithuania, prof. Bogusław Grużewski, the poet and guide Józef Szostakowski, the president of the Sports Club “Polonia” Stefan Kimso, the rector of the parish of Pavilnys the priest Rusłan Wilkiel, the rector of the parish of  Mejszagola the priest Józef Aszkiełowicz, the singer Katarzyna Niemyćko, the president of the Gymnastic Association “Sokół”  Michał Sienkiewicz, the founder of the first hospice in Lithuania the sister Michaela Rak, the vice-chairman of the Lithuanian Parliament Jarosław Narkiewicz.

The winner of the plebiscite Edward Trusewicz after receiving a prize in the form of the cut glass cup told “Wilnoteka” that he treats this victory first of all as a challenge. “Even if someone from the readers cast a vote on me because I became a vice-minister of culture, it poses a great challenge for me and motivates me to work”.

This year the editorial staff of “Kurier Wileński” received over 10,000 of coupons on which the readers cast their votes on candidates. Another record was broken. The editor-in-chief of the daily Robert Mickiewicz told “Wilnoteka” that initially such an impressive number of coupons frightened the chapter a bit, but taking into account the fact that within two months – the period in which the competition lasts – about 80,000 of copies find their way to the readers, it can be assumed that the readers surprise the organizers with their activity many times.

Because “we, Poles of the Vilnius Region, there is a lot of us here …” –  Katrzyna Niemyćko and the priest Józef Aszkiełowicz, the winners of this year’s edition of the plebiscite, sang spontaneously, out of the scenario.

Source: http://www.wilnoteka.lt/pl/artykul/edward-trusewicz-polakiem-roku-2012

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