Job – realization of childchood dreams

“Probably, it’s not the best moment to visit us – says the author, manager and director of “Księgarenka” Genė Lazdans. – We are moving. On the other hand, you can see yourself how the move goes.”

I wouldn’t call myself a journalist if I didn’t want to see how looks an ordinary day of this agency which has been the first and only one bookshop in Vilnius district Lazdynai where people can buy used and, in the same time, much cheaper books. In Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, English etc. When I start a conversation with Genė (my relative by the way) and ask why she chose books, she answers immediately: “It had to be like this. Since childhood a book has been the greatest, most valuable gift for me. I never asked my mother for a toy, but for a book.”- says my relative.

She was talented and very versatile since childhood. She wrote stories that were published in many periodicals and magazines for children including “Płomyk”. She liked drawing. That is why, she went to the Vienožinskis Art School.

As she liked literature and art the same, for a long time she couldn’t decide what to choose. Especially that at school ( she graduated from the Władysław Syrokomla Secondary School with very good grades) she was very good at math. Whereas, other pupils after graduation are in a quandary: will I manage to get into university – she wondered: what to choose?

Fine art won. She applied for the Lithuanian Academy of Fine Arts. Unfortunately, because of the family issues, she had to resign from this prestigious university. But she didn’t resign from art.

She correspondence graduated from Moscow State University and she got an artist-designer diploma. She worked in this field till Lithuania regained its independence. As reminds my interlocutor, such speciality was very needed during Soviet time. She was responsible for banners, slogans, greetings. In short, for everything that is associated with calligraphy, artistic layout, and, well, creative output. Firstly, for a very short period, she worked in the Computing Machine Factory, then “Aliejaus riebalai” in Vilkpėdė and, for the longest period of time, “Vyno gamykla “ in Naujoji Vilnia. This 10 years spent in Naujoji Vilnia were, as she recollects, the best time in her life. She liked her job a lot, she was very good at it and she had time for books after work. She was buying all novelties that came to her hand. As we both laughing, books were her only dowry when she started a family.

– I’ve already had more than three thousands copies when I was getting married – says my interlocutor. – And, as I was about to find out, my husband (a pedagogue by profession) took pride in the same wealth. Thereby, their home library nearly doubled. And then the recovery came. Plants started to crumble, fall apart and people literally found themselves out on the street. The heroine of this publication shared a similar fate . Her profession, qualifications in this field were no longer required. She really had to start over. She tried everything. After all, she had a family (three girls), so both, she and her husband, had to retrain and think how to educate them. They are very proud of their children, especially Genė , because, as she says, they embody all her childhood dreams. All three daughters are hard-working and talented. They went to the same school as their mum – the Władysław Syrokomla Secondary School. The youngest is taking A-levels this year.

The oldest Diana, after graduation from Information science in Vilnius University, got into The Leon Schiller National Higher School of Film, Television and Theatre in Łódź  where she is a second year student of Master’s degree. Ewelina graduated from Art Department of Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences.

• Well, I think Laura will choose journalism – I’m laughing – you dreamed of such field of study by yourself, didn’t you?
• No, Laura has dreamt of Veterinary medicine since childhood. Who will ever know how many poor and sick animals she kept at home. She has been an active volunteer for quite a long time. She actively supports “SOS, gyvūnai” and currently helps in “Rainiukas”. So now we all hope that she will manage to get into Veterinary medicine.

We are talking about children instead of a bookshop she has been running for over three years already.

– As I said before, my current job is actually a realization of my dream to be around books on a daily basis and it gives me a chance to make some money for everyday needs – says Genė .

I am about to find out that this is a kind of business her friend (who also runs a bookshop) contributed to and, of course, Genė’s personal familiarity with the subject. In Lithuania books are very expensive. A new book is a rarity and it is not available for every buyer. That is why, she came up with an idea to open a bookshop with used books. What is more, in the former cinema “Lazdynai” there was a notice about renting rooms – she decided. She rented a small, 25 sq m room and firstly she took some books from home.

Today, as we mentioned before, the bookshop moved to a room that is triply as big as the previous one (but still in the same building) and has stock record of more than 10,000 books.

Firstly, books were imported from Belarus where they are much cheaper. Today, there are many ways to get them. Genė brings them from Poland by herself. She looks for interesting rarities, some of them are ordered by readers in advance. She has regular customers. And one more way of getting books- the donations from people.

What is the most widely read? Traditionally love stories and detective novels. She also has classical literature in Polish and books for children. She is well familiar with current market.

It would be wrong to think that it is a piece of cake. She has to constantly worry about the rent for the room or, at that moment, where to get shelves for books and how to pay for an advertisement. In short, daily life is difficult but at least she does what she really likes. She is surrounded by books that she treats like prayer books, she takes them in hands with great respect.

Source: http://kurierwilenski.lt/2013/09/06/praca-realizacja-marzenia-dziecinstwa/

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