Where I am not

“It would be interesting to publish (these memoirs). With photographs. Especially since, while writing, I did not focus on my own personality. About myself – that is just in passing. Rather, about events, about Belarusians who always visited our home, whom I knew. That is why they are interesting, these memoirs.” – Halina Vojcik (2007, Radio Svaboda)

“Who am I? I never liked it when I was introduced as: ‘daughter of Zośka Vieras’, ‘wife of Lavon Luckievič’ – that is not my achievement. I always wanted to be myself, to earn not a position – that did not interest me – but respect and esteem for my work, first as a doctor of sciences in the field of German studies, and in recent years in the field of Belarusian culture. Let others judge what I have managed to accomplish.” – Halina Vojcik, “Where I Am Not”

Halina Vojcik (1927–2007) was a Belarusian and Lithuanian Germanist, publicist, writer, and translator. An activist of the Belarusian community in Vilnius. Author of historical studies and portraits of Belarusians of the Vilnius region. Since 1997, she was the editor-in-chief of the Belarusian cultural and educational program on the Lithuanian National Radio.

“Over the last years of my acquaintance with Halina Vojcik, I joyfully discovered an interesting author in her. She wrote a whole series of portraits of Vilnius Belarusians, primarily from the pre-war period. These are short sketches, but quite vivid: she revealed the essence of a person and outlined their character. I consider this a very significant service to the memory of these people. She had a wealth of material, much of which had been accumulated by her mother. I also read with interest the manuscript of her memoirs, titled ‘Where I Am Not’. A distinctive testimony of her time. These memoirs, I hope, will be published as a separate book.” – Arsień Lis (2007, Radio Svaboda)