Her cousin, who wrote a play about Jakutien the beloved Diamond Bugavičius, is the only way I can speak about it.

M. Ivaškevičius: two children of equal growth, but with completely different destinies.

“It just came to our attention then. For the first time after quarantine, I will fly (Vilnius-Tallinn). Finally I will be in the theater again. The Vaba Lava Theater, of which I have been artistic director for several years, is launching a premiere postponed due to quarantine. And what a premiere. About Deimantas Bugavičius. Yes, the same young Lithuanian gangster who was shot five years ago was hired kilers (Lithuanian assassins).

The play “I had a cousin” was written by his royal cousin, the famous Latvian playwright Rasa Bugavičiūtė, who lives in Liepaja. On how they grew up together as children and how their paths finally parted ways.

The performance was presented by Valteris Silis, a Latvian director known to the Lithuanian public. The most interesting thing is that D. Bugavičius’s killers were from Estonia and one of even the famous Estonian theater family. So the stir in Estonia is huge. I hope that one day we will also bring him to Lithuania, ”the famous Lithuanian playwright expected on Facebook.

Delphi After contacting M. Ivaškevičius, he assured that the mentioned performance is exceptional for several reasons. One of them is that the work connects the three Baltic countries.

“Whether we will see this performance in Lithuania depends on the interest of our theaters. This is a performance by two actors. I really think we can take this to Lithuania to prove it. If not next season, then another. We will definitely notify you when we have news, “said the interlocutor.

When the playwright’s message appeared on social networks, Internet users were quick to express their opinion: some were very interested in the play, others assured that they would not set foot in such a performance. M. Ivaškevičius himself generally evaluates such human reactions.

“I don’t invite people who don’t want to see such performances, but I think it’s part of our history that they won’t run away from.” Another interesting aspect is that this is the story of the three Baltic countries, which is quite unique. I don’t think it is a forceful play or a play about the mafia and crime. I think it will be a story about a human path that turns in one direction or another. After all, these were two children of equal growth, from two related families, but with completely different destinies, “says M. Ivaškevičius.

The Lithuanian playwright got to know D. Bugavičius’s cousin better when creating the new program.

“We are both playwrights, I had to meet earlier. She works at the Liepaja Theater, which is a very high-level theater that competes with the theaters in Riga. Our paths are intertwined. When I was creating the show, my first thought was to invite V. Silius, who, in my opinion, is one of the most promising directors in Latvia. He began to offer me ideas about what he could do about my topic, which was to remember our thirtieth anniversary of independence. When he offered this idea, it went higher for me. I said “let’s do it”. Then he turned to Ras, she began to write the play and we will see the result immediately ”, the interlocutor expected.

So far, M. Ivaškevičius says that he does not know more about the work or about the life of D. Bugavičius from the lips of a relative: he will form the whole picture when he goes to Estonia.

D. cousin of Bugavičius: as a child we dreamed that we would be immortal

Delphi I had an exceptional opportunity to communicate with the author of the work “I had a cousin” who lived in Latvia and with D. Bugavičius’s relative, R. Bugavičiūtė. At the same time, the cousins ​​who spent their childhood communicated and grew, but then, according to the interlocutor, there was no place at their table to talk about the criminal world or the threat.

– Rasa, can you tell us how this work in general was born? Why did you write it?

– It seems to me that the most precise answer to this is that when you lose a loved one, you still live in a longing, in an endless dialogue with that person. You want to understand it, look for answers. But the only way you can answer the questions that arise is through your memories. You still want to repeat the conversation with that person, but that is no longer possible, so you are looking for ways to do it. And for me, this work became a way to interact with him again.

– You spent your childhood with Diamond, I understand, you were quite close, how do you remember?

– Well, yes, it seems to me that at this time, in the 21st century, when everyone advances, stronger, as fast as possible, we forget that behind each story there are real people with childhood, with dreams, with tenderness. . My only memory of him as a cousin is that he couldn’t have dreamed of a better one.

“Do you remember the last time you saw him?” Perhaps at that time, in his eyes, was it different than in childhood?

– The last meetings with him were after a long absence. I think everyone knows that feeling when you don’t see something for a long time, and when you see it you can speak again, then you are so elated that it’s finally close, that’s enough.

– Did you have the slightest idea that your loved one’s life will change so much?

– Certainly not.

– You grew up in a similar environment, maybe you noticed a break in Diamond’s life when he was still in that criminal world?

– In fact, he didn’t say anything about what or what he was doing. My game is precisely about the fact that even if I hadn’t been interested in him, he wouldn’t have told me anything. He was very careful. There was no break either. In my fantasy, I think maybe it is the case that when we are born, we already have the direction of our destiny and we cannot do anything. Or maybe it’s something we choose? I have no answer for that and I never will.

“Wasn’t it clear what Diamond was doing because he didn’t tell you himself?”

– yeah

– Do you think he wanted to protect the family in this way?

– Yes, really yes.

“Do you remember the time you found out that Diamond was killed?”

– I remember very well how my mother called me early in the morning and said it all. I know at first I thought I would be calmer now. I tried to explain to myself that I would find peace. I think it’s like a protective reflex.

When we were little, we dreamed that we would be immortal. It seems to me that most people dream about it at some point in their lives. And then something happens that you never thought of in your life. None of our family members had suspicions. We always hope everything was fine.

– When you found out about death, you immediately thought that he would finally be calm, so even if Diamond didn’t talk about the threat, did you still feel that something was wrong in his life?

– It is difficult to explain. He didn’t see what environment he was in, he didn’t spend time in his other environment. Our lives only intertwine during summers.

All I have written is my imagination, it is my conversation that will never happen again and it is the only option I can talk about. I can’t answer the other questions because I have to fantasize again because I don’t know how it was, so it seems unnecessary to talk about it.

– How did the family receive the message that you are writing this work?

– Oh … it’s difficult to answer that question. It seems to me that the message sounded completely different from what I wanted. I speak it during the play.

– Rasa, if you had the opportunity to speak to Diamond again, what would you like to say to him?

– I would say that I love him very much, that I miss him very much. That sounds pretty banal, but it already is. I would say it was like a brother to me that I miss him. Thinking better, if that possibility really existed, maybe he wouldn’t say anything. It would be better to just sit together.

– Did you know anything about Diamond’s personal life? He spent the last days with Vita Jakutienė.

– I know he was really in love. I think that’s good because he managed to feel those feelings.

– Until now, your game is presented only in Estonia, but it also receives attention in other Baltic countries …

– Yes, I just want people to understand my message. I don’t want to hurt anything. I really don’t want to make any scandals or upheavals. It’s not about that at all.

I really want everyone to understand that this is art. This is a theater. I really would like people to see this as a poetic expression.

Killed in the presence of a loved one

Delphi Remember that D. Bugavičius was assassinated on November 6, 2015 before midnight in Kaunas, Šilainiai district, when together with his beloved V. Jakutiene, known in the entertainment world, he returned to a rented cabin.

The killer waiting for the ambush, who arrived at the stopped Mercedes B Savi20 Mercedes Benz S320, fired at least 12 shots. A shadowy world figure in Kaunas died instantly from his injuries.

“We came to the patio and were attacked. It was a silver car, a person with a gun in his hands got out of the passenger side and stopped right in front of us.

He was covering his lower face with a scarf, with a hood, I noticed some features of his face, the man was standing a couple of meters away and the shots were isolated, not all together, “said V. Jakutienė in court.

The woman clarified that just before the loved one was shot, she was sleeping in the car on D. Bugavičius’s shoulder, and when she woke up, she saw an imminent murderer. He went straight with a gun, shooting multiple times.

“I will never forget the video in my life. After the second shot, I leaned over and told him to hit the gas and drive from here, but he didn’t react,” recalled V. Jakutienė.

“I really had a state of shock,” added the woman.

At court V. Jakutienė also confirmed that D. Bugavičius was the father of his young daughter.

D. Bugavičius began his criminal career by “eliminating” small debts, and later, in association with influential bandits, drove around Kaunas and introduced himself to the best “Vierch” in town.

You can read more about D. Bugavičius by clicking here.