[ad_1]
But these huts stood directly on the slope of Žaliakalnis, so their inhabitants, although they struggled, could admire the impressive view. The appearance of the district, poor huts on the hillside, was reminiscent of a Brazilian favela, which is why the district was called Brazilka.
Now Brazilka is already part of the history of Kaunas. The old inhabitants were almost gone and the old slums were gone. The slopes of Žaliakalnis were occupied by private houses of wealthy people. Its residents are often unaware of the exceptional history of an area characterized not only by poverty but also by a strong local community.
About Brazil for the portal 15 minutes said Kaunas Austra historian Meidutė-Drigotienė, who researched this area and wrote a scientific paper about it. Read the interview with her below.
Photo from personal archive / Astra Meidutė-Drigotienė
– Why was Brazil called Brazil? I found two versions on the Internet, one says that Lithuanians who had previously emigrated to Brazil but did not find happiness there, and the other, that it was determined by the similarity of the district itself with the poor districts of Brazil. What is more fair?
– There is such a myth that people who returned from Brazil moved to Brazil, but it is not very justified. Well, maybe each other could have passed, but they really weren’t the majority.
Basically, the district got its name from its appearance. Here houses were built on the slopes, built of any material, cardboard, slate, sheet metal … Like the Brazilian favelas. What they found dumped or abandoned, they built houses from there.
And the lifestyle was reminiscent of a Brazilian favela. People were united, they supported each other, they were quite friendly. They interacted with each other, they had meeting places where women prepared dinner together, men played cards, children always threw parties. So both appearance and lifestyle determined that name.
I also heard the legend that a ship had to reach Kaunas to transport emigrants to South America: Brazil, Argentina. But something happened, that ship did not arrive or it broke down, and those people simply dispersed and settled on the slopes of Žaliakalnis.
Eriko Ovcharenko / 15min nuotr./Zaliakalnis
Thus, the district was called Brazilka. But there is no real confirmation of this legend, as far as I know.
– Where were the boundaries of the district of Brazil? When was Brazilka established in the minds of Kaunas residents as a separate part of the city?
– You see, it is not quite possible to pinpoint the specific area where Brazilka exactly started and ended. Because the people of Kaunas understood that concept differently and each person defined their limits differently.
I think the term ‘Brazilka’ itself is best used not so much in a geographical sense as in terms of a certain way of life: poor sloping huts made of any material, a strong sense of community.
However, if we talk about geography, we can say that the main street in Brazilka was the then Mažoji Darbininkų street, which today is called P. Dovydaičio street. Brazilka also covered Anykščiai Street and the surrounding slopes.
It was in this area that Brazil began to develop around 1930. Farmer Jonas Sabaliauskas, who lives here, inherited a large tract of land from his father in Žaliakalnis.
Because he was unable to maintain a parcel of that parcel, he divided it, divided it into small parcels, and began to lease them to those in need.
Then there was a big apartment crisis in Kaunas. Kaunas was the temporary capital of Lithuania, many people from all over Lithuania came to the city in search of a better life. Many of them had nowhere to live. There were very few state-provided social housing, and not all could fit.
So the only way out for people was to rent a very cheap piece of land and build their own house on it. This is how Brazilka gradually developed and developed. Because the cabins were cheap, assembled from any material, the area was similar to a Brazilian favela.
Initially, this area was called Sabaliai village after the farmer’s name, but eventually the name Brazilka took root.
Brazil started from the streets that I mentioned. But when it comes to Brazilka, opinions already differ.
Let’s say a teacher told me that, in her perception, Brazil is all the slopes of Žaliakalnis heading towards the Neris. And Kalpoko, Žemaičių, Biržų street and all the other tracks that lead to Jonava street.
Photo by Ugnius Antanavičius / P. Kalpoko Street Slope
However, my grandmother, who lived in Brazil for a long time, highlighted only P. Dovydaitis and Anykščiai streets, where people who rented land from J. Sabaliauskas lived. Then, he said, it was no longer Brazilka. Širvintų st. the tracks were called Argentinka.
And some other Kaunas residents I spoke about pointed to not only Brazil but also Argentina as a separate district. There was a person named Alfonsas Česnakavičius who also had a large plot around present-day Širvintų street. He, like Jonas Sabaliauskas, divided the plot and similar neighbors settled there. And many Kaunas residents called it Argentinka.
But not all people talk about Argentina, they haven’t even heard a word like that and they don’t consider Argentina as a separate district.
– If I understand correctly, was such confusion caused by the fact that Brazilka was never an official administrative term, like other names of districts, elders? Just a common name in colloquial speech.
– Yes, administratively Brazilka was never defined. But in the newspapers, in the interwar press, even the representatives of the municipality itself called the area by the name of Brazilka. Because at that time the residents of Kaunas really knew what it was.
And practically any resident of Kaunas, asked on the street where Brazilka is, could point in the right direction. That term was known to both the residents of Kaunas and the municipality, but it was not official.
The term Brazil can be compared to, say, Slabodke; It is also not the official name of the district, but Kaunas residents, after mentioning Slabodke, will understand what is said without any problem.
By the way, there were more unofficial names. For example, the Camino de Lima, the Escalera de Lima, where Žaliakalnis workers arrived at the Lima factory on Jonavos street. These are the official names, this place is in the so-called “Compote”.
Kompotas was on the other side of Savanorių Avenue, seen from Saulės Gymnasium. There is Vaisių Street, Vyšnių Street, Serbentų Street and the like. So compote. Jews lived more there.
There are those who say that this territory should also be called Brazilka, but I would not treat it that way myself. And the unofficial Lima Trail is in Argentina. This path ran between the houses, practically through the patios of the inhabitants. He also brought people to the Lima factory.
Eriko Ovcharenko / 15min nuotr./Limos tako laiptai
– Tell us in detail about the life of the population. What materials were used to build the houses? Where does the water come from? How did the residents not freeze in the winter?
– The people of Brazil were quite poor. Their professions were simple: builders, factory workers, road workers, auxiliary workers, some of them were unemployed, retirees living on benefits.
[ad_2]
