Alicja Klimaszewska is a laureate of the Saint Christopher award.

“I am very happy that my hometown assessed my social activity so generously. I am a citizen of Vilnius since I was born and issues concerning my city were always close to me”- said Alicja Klimaszewska, president of Social Committee of Care for Old Rasos during the festive gala. She became laureate of the most prestigious award in Vilnius- the statuette of Saint Christopher- the patron of the city.

The award was granted by the mayor of Vilnius Remigijus Šimašius during ceremony in the city hall of Vilnius.

“This award has got a special meaning to me because it is an award of my city, city where I was born, where whole my life has passed by, and to which I devoted 26 years of my life socially.”- said Alicja Klimaszewska.

Klimaszewska: Old Rasos is worth helping

Klimaszewska hopes that the statuette of Saint Christopher will bring prosperity to Social Committee of Care for Old Rasos.

“Maybe Saint Christopher will help people to understand that Old Rasos is worth helping in order to maintain our cultural legacy for next generations. Maybe thanks to this statuette more we will be able to find new sponsors because the money for saving Rasos is necessary”- emphasises Klimaszewska at the same time hoping that the mayor of Vilnius will keep his word that the renovation of Rasos will be priority issue.

Šimašius: I nominated this candidacy personally

In the interview with PAP mayor Remigijus Šimašius admitted that he nominated the candidacy of Alicja personally.

“Mrs Alicja Klimaszewska deserved that prize because she did special things for the city”- said mayor. He reminded that since almost 30 years Mrs. Alicja not only personally cares for the city’s oldest necropolis, but also she engages the society to work, she searches for sponsors who would renovate monuments.

Alicja Klimaszewska is in a group of this year’s  ten laureates of the prestigious city award being granted from 1998 for achievements in various grounds: science, business, culture, sport, healthcare, etc. She is also a second Polish woman who was granted the statuette of Saint Christopher. In 2014 the statuette was granted to s. Michaela Rak who is a founder and president of Vilnius Hospice of blessed Father Michał Sopocko.

The care for Rasos

Social Committee of Care for Old Rasos was founded in 1990. His founders were Alicja Klimaszewska and Halina Jotkiałło (who is already dead), Jerzy Surwiłło and Olgierd Korzeniecki.

During 26 years thanks to the Committee’s activity almost 100 monuments in Rasos were renovated. For the Committee’s initiative the big cemetery cleaning has its place two times a year. Also there are candles gathered that are lit on graves of Rasos during the All Saints Day, and since few years it is also a place of history lessons.

By her work Alicja Klimaszewska drew the attention to this oldest Vilnius cemetery- forgot and abandoned quarter-century ago- not only of the Polish society in Lithuania, but also Lithuanian media, and the authorities of Vilnius and the country.