Valdas Adamkus – 94: from an incredible love story to the position of head of state

The attitude of President Valdas Adamkus (who served as His Excellency in 1998-2003 and 2004-2009) – politician, citizen, head of state, just a human being – is still remembered as a certain point of reference. The culture of dialogue, which the President mentioned often and willingly, was an obvious effort to bring us, Lithuania, closer to a reality in which one speaks with calm, respect, argumentation and trust. Where to listen to the other.

The former head of state previously mentioned that his wife was one of his fiercest critics. “She used to say that ‘your speeches could be like this, not like this.’ I read all the speeches out loud to him at home. She advised what she could fix. He was not afraid to tell the truth, ”he praised his 69-year-old wife. V. Adamkus has repeatedly admitted that in 60 years they have not gotten angry or raised their voices.

On the occasion of the president’s birthday, we invite you to read an interview between him and his wife Alma Adamkienė. Alma and Valdas Adamkus spoke with Legendos together. The couple told journalist Laisve Radzevičienė about their childhood, emigration, return to Lithuania, and of course love. People.lt provides excerpts from this interview.

Alma and Valdas Adamkus, who lived in different refugee camps, met at the Eichstadt Gymnasium. One afternoon, the future president of Lithuania saw a blue blonde coming down the stairs. The girl, dressed in her own sewn skirt, looked lovely, the president repeated.

“I looked at her and decided: if I ever get married, it’s just this. Six years have passed since that day before I conquered her heart, “said V. Adamkus.

After graduations, everyone scattered around the world. Adamkus accompanied his future wife to the United States from Rosenheim, and his family had relatives in Illinois. Two months later, V. Adamkus himself left for the Atlantic, guaranteed by the family of President Kazys Grinius.

Adamkus was in Chicago and his love lived in Rockford, 100 miles away. The walks began and lasted until the wedding in 1951.

„The wedding took place on September 1. So we decided: we go to Chicago, I go to work and Valdas goes to university. We rent a room and a half with a shared kitchen. There was some such furniture in the room.

We work hard, we work for a private insurance company, we handle documents and we earn a little, $ 75 a week, ”Alma added.

From this money you had to pay rent, buy food, gasoline. On Friday, A. Adamkienė was going to collect his salary, so the two of them went through all their pockets in the morning, maybe they could find pennies for a bus ticket.

The president was never ashamed to admit that there was a time when Mrs. Alma passed both of them. The young couple and relatives of A. Adamkiene also helped.

“My sister came to us from Rockford every two weeks. She came with the biggest suitcase full of food: Mommy’s roast duck, chicken, cakes, muffins …

Mom used to say, “Don’t go with them, don’t bother the newlyweds,” and the sister wants to go to Chicago and says, “They are starving, they have nothing to eat!” And Valdas and I laughed, “Tetulus came from the village!” Mrs. Alma said.

Valdas: After a while we saw that let’s not go out. Alma went to Rockford.

Soul: I got a job in my previous job in a quality lab in a metal shop. I had to check that the quality of the items was covered in gold and silver.

In the summer, Valdas also drove, winning well. Then we decided we would handle it differently: we went back to Chicago, because there, science, Valdas sports, folks. Attend night courses at the university on weekdays.

Valdas: It was a difficult time for Alma. He couldn’t hold her hand: science, work, knowledge read on the radio, sports competitions on weekends and activities in public bodies.

When you live together, you cannot live just for you, someone who needs to give up.

And Ms. Alma never stepped on your leg?

Valdas: He did not stutter. But no one shed tears.

Soul: You just didn’t see …

Valdas: But I knew. Instead, we did our part, we achieved our goals by following each other, trusting each other.

Mrs. Alma, have you probably seen that your husband has the talents that his career is beginning to develop, that a great future awaits him?

Soul: I never thought about it. I only knew his great desire, visions, concern for Lithuania. I had a lot of communication with the old Lithuanians, that’s what we call the first wave of emigrants, and I was still working, studying … After all, I couldn’t be so selfish: don’t go, don’t do it, you better take me to the movies. When you live together, you cannot live just for you, someone who needs to give up. He had a great desire, as did his desire to graduate from college. To finish, I had to work, and myself, maybe at some point, later … Everything happened in such a way that it did not come “later”. I didn’t survive because I had enough of what he accomplished. I was satisfied and happy to hear people talk about Lithuania with their friends. She was always on Valdo’s mind.

At the time she ran the Environmental Protection Agency, Ms. Alma was working out of her country home, located 160 miles from Chicago.

Valdas: I only made it on the weekend. I sorted out the accounting and left, and I had fifty employees and constantly, about two hundred guests who needed to make breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dinner!

Soul: There was no job he hadn’t done, both painting the walls and washing the floor.

Valdas: Our complex was one of the most popular. Cabins, golf courses, pool, cocktail bar … Business was great, no ads, all summer Exhausted. Only Alma completely surpassed during those works, only the shadow remained …

Soul: Dad and Mom lived with me in the summer. It became especially difficult when the father died. It helped me a lot. One morning we ran out of milk for breakfast, he sat in the car and told us to drive. On the way back from the side street, a boy came out with a stacked van, without rights, he was run over, his father died on the spot.

Valdas: It was a difficult time for Alma and her mother in particular. It’s been five more years and so have we Tabor with a farm we sell.

Soul: He wouldn’t have said anything: usual, work, etc. However, I started to feel a little strange, even though I had never had any health problems. Valdas says, “Go to Chicago, you need to get checked out.” The doctor examined him and said, “If you don’t change your lifestyle, I won’t treat you anymore!”

I must say out loud and to the whole world that Alma was the toughest man next to me during the election campaign.

Tell us about the day you decided to go to Lithuania.

Soul: We say – come back. After all, we were forced to leave Lithuania, we returned to Lithuania.

Valdas: I visited Lithuania for the first time in 1972. Upon arrival with the delegation from the United States, I gained a few days to stay in Vilnius. Through tears, I say frankly, few have seen it immediately. A dreamy edge. And the joy is endless, and a great disappointment … I go to Lenin avenue (now Gediminas avenue – Red. past.), I only listen to Russian. Stayed at the Neringa hotel, security guards were built at the bottom. I go to bed, warm, the sweat runs down the streams, the window opens, I don’t want to sleep, everything is mixed up inside. At midnight I suddenly hear a noise: “Dog, drunk, damn it!” And it was also adorned with bad words in Russian. I was happy that someone spoke Lithuanian, from the bed I was dancing, I fell through the window …

Soul: Then he raced in Lithuania every two years. You helped Stasys Lozoraitis during his election campaign.

Valdas: Already when I was traveling through Lithuania with him (in 1993 S. Lozoraitis participated in the Lithuanian presidential elections, but without success, Algirdas Brazauskas won them – Red. past.) asked me why I was speaking on his behalf and I was not a candidate myself.

When Algirdas Brazauskas, in his memory, announced at the end of his term that he would not participate in the presidential elections, squeezed – Egidijus Bičkausskas, Romualdas Ozolas, Vidmantas Staniulis. Alma was strictly against it. I knew their attitude. I say, “I don’t know, maybe I can try.” I thought, I would call her, say she was leaning against the wall and I almost said “yes”. However, my friend Remigijus Gaška caught up with me.

He called Alma in Chicago and greeted him. Oh Soul – crashes.

Soul: I called Valdas and said, “You want to run, run, but I’ll stay in Chicago.”

Valdas: So we agreed that it was necessary.

Soul: When they live together, they cannot think selfishly, they cannot cross the street. If this happened, both of them would be unhappy. What is the point?

Valdas: I must say out loud and to the whole world that Alma was the toughest man next to me during the election campaign.

Mrs. Alma, did you imagine what it would be like to be the president’s wife?

Soul: And who will explain this to me? After all, there was no literature. I did everything as I felt, as my heart said.

Valdas: He had a high position in America, we had to attend various receptions. We saw what the level is, the protocol, how everything is organized and how people behave there. Alma and I did not fall from the sky.

Soul: We participate in balls In the White House, in Congress. And with long dresses and tuxedos. The farm had to receive foreign delegations, we often invite guests home.

Valdas used to drive a lot. I rarely accompanied him on those trips, we were together in Lithuania several times. He also had no holidays, neither in Lithuania nor in Lithuania. They used to tell me, “You’re going somewhere with your friends.” That is what I did.

The great world tour began when Valdas became President of Lithuania. Friends often told me: “How good you are, the foundation of the world.” But there was always tension in those trips, from hotel to hotel, from plane and back. Go home as if a stone fell from your shoulders: everything went well, you did everything necessary, everyone felt good.

Valdas: If you ask us today how we could live together for so many years, the answer is one: we have to trust each other. I love Alma as I loved the first day I saw him. I felt it for her all those years deep infinite respect and trust in her. She will confirm that we have never insulted, angry or raised our voices.

Soul: And it really wasn’t difficult.