The guests who fly the news about the Dzuks around the world: a deep Greek Dzuk does not love

I started talking to those who really know what “the Griekas dzūkės do not love” and most importantly – “Koznu dzien”. And please, “Don’t think I’m bitter.” As the guests say: “True press čystay drakay”.

So ciesiai, ciesiai, ciem, everyone wants more paint, I tell Milda Staugaitienė: “I don’t know what you’re drinking here besides cekava.”

Here are the phrases in quotes: Dzūkija inscriptions, which adorn the clothes of the brand “Viecinis” created by Milda and Justinas Staugaičiai from Alytus.

Swedes in pots

This is how sweaters, hats and T-shirts, packed in dialectical phrases, have been circulating around the world for three years.

“We really weren’t expecting such popularity and support. Although we liked it ourselves, we did not know how others would react. We just wanted to remind you that speaking dialectically is not a shame and it does not mean that you are a villager at all. After all, these are our roots, our past, which need not be ashamed, ”says M. Staugaitienė.

Lately, the couple is intensively packing their goods, after all, Christmas is not beyond the mountains. In addition, they both work in their own direct jobs: Milda runs the social media communication agency Justinas, the Pramus company, which supplies technical components to the industry.

And “Viecinis” in black is called a sentiment project for Dzūkija.

“Rotate between those activities and find a formula for happiness”, laughs the interlocutor.

Grew up in Alytus, joined Kaunas

Milda and Justinas are Dzuks, they grew up and studied in Alytus, and darts living for over a decade and chisel Beautiful.

Studies in that city brought them together. Both actively worked in various business and financial projects, organizing events. They both studied at Kaunas University of Technology, Milda at the Faculty of Design and Technology and Justinas at the Faculty of Electrical and Control Engineering, and then at the Faculty of Chemistry for a couple of years.

Both actively worked in various business and financial projects, organizing events.

“We started cooperating from the second year. The term in the student body changed and Justin became the new president and I was invited to join the team. I liked his ideas, but Justin did not. But when we started working together , everything changed ”, laughed M. Staugaitienė.

“Viecinis” appeared in the couple’s life unexpectedly. According to M. Staugaitienė, all big cities have some kind of advertisement, project or brand, so Alytus and Dzūkija needed it.

“I think we have already freed ourselves a lot, we switched to dialects that were not in fashion before. Now we are starting to be proud of that. We are increasingly turning to the legacy of our grandparents. Rustic has now become fashionable. This is demonstrated by both the “Festive Bankuchen” and Dzokas Rokas Kašėta, which was filmed under the apple tree. Even Telia had launched a plan for guests. Our wish was to encourage ourselves to do so, and I can be glad that we are a kind of standard bearer, because now it is rapidly gaining ground. We love Dzūkija very much and we just realized that love in exactly this way, ”the young woman smiles.

Walking through Lithuania and beyond

The idea for “Viecinis” was born while the couple was walking. “Our first trip was when Justinas finished her degree and we walked from Kaunas to Alytus. It was a symbolic return for my mother after school, ”said M. Staugaitienė about the two-day trip.

Subsequently, the couple marched 350 kilometers to St. El Camino de Jacob in Spain. Then, while walking, they talked a lot, made different plans, generated various thoughts.

“As we talked, we came up with an idea that I had to translate into dialect, speech, culture, all values, because these things are very close to us,” recalls M. Staugaitienė.

The first inscribed garments were created by the Dzuk during their honeymoon in Iceland, where they wanted to do a photo shoot of their collection. After creating designs at night and decorating various garments with them the next day, they set out to implement the new project.

Another thing that motivated them was the “Entrepreneurship Mania” project at Alytus. He submitted his idea, won the contest, and was a great incentive to keep going.

This year, on the occasion of Milda’s thirties, the family had planned a trip to the Ivory Coast, but the pandemic that shook the world forced her to abandon it. However, the couple stayed true to their travels in Lithuania.

Milda says they try not to travel the routes that everyone takes, but rather by heading to smaller or larger towns. They talk to the people who live there, sometimes they spend the night. According to Milda, several stories happen on those trips, but she concludes that Lithuanians just need to be tamed: “People are careful at first, they are not willing to communicate much, but when they talk for a long time, they get warm. Lithuanians are good and willing to help, only it may be difficult for them to get that message across for the first time. But if you give a person more time, talk about yourself, ask questions, he opens up too. We only asked the woman who was tending the garden once for a menu of onion and cucumber sandwich, she did not give, and most of them share and invite you to come in. “

Kas gi toji brush, grandmother?

According to Milda, she remembers the Dzūkija dialect best from childhood, when she and her sister spent summers with their grandmother in Miroslav village: She did not understand, she was asking what was the problem that we could not stay. And we said we didn’t understand what Grandma was talking about. She used to say, “Take brushes“And we didn’t know what it was brush. Even after his loss, we had family reunions every year. Approximately 30-40 people sat at a table. Then we notice that most of the relatives start speaking Dzūkija only upon arrival. But he just puts things in the car, leaves and immediately forgets the dialect, speaks only in a common language. The grandmothers did not stay and there is no one who remembers that dialect. My husband and I started to get more interested, to ask questions, to write about it, because although there are still people who speak dialect, they wanted to bring it all to the surface. We do what we feel. We share what we hear, and when we see people’s reactions, we understand how one word or another is lost. “

This is how ideas for new notes are born.

M. Staugaitienė is convinced that every person should mature for dialects, because at school she did not understand their true value: “At school, it also seemed to me that dialect is silly. Now I see things differently. For this reason, I want to emphasize that Viecinis is a business project, but it was born from feelings and ideas. “

Real prauda

Customers often buy Alytus products as gifts: to local Alytus residents who have gone to another city, as well as to expats. These people especially appreciate that gift.

“It just came to our knowledge then. The sister was waiting for a flight at the Berlin airport and was dressed in Viecinis Swedish. She noticed a guy looking at her a lot and at the same time he took off his jacket and showed something. It turns out that he was also wearing the same dress “, laughed the interlocutor.

Young entrepreneurs have been repeatedly offered to prepare clothes for regions other than Dzūkija: “But so far we have abandoned this idea. It is the same as learning another foreign language. However, Viecinis is open to any ideas. We would not be opposed to being joined by a Highlander, Samogitian or Suvalkian. “

Having developed a family business, Alytus residents are now focusing on a new project. Stork will soon be visiting his family. I was waitingwhat a joy – daughter or son – will call invited the door, alia it remains minkle. Those who also have waiting, real press will find out next year.