Šančiai during the Interwar Period

Marius: During the Interwar period, my great-grandparents and grandparents were living in Šančiai, an industrial district unique in the entire Lithuania. There is a lot of information about Šančiai in a book by Jurgis Vanagas called “Šančių praeities takais”. My great-grandfather Augustinas Kneipferavičius was born in 1881, Raseiniai county, Šidlava district, Naukaimis. In 1937, he moved from Kybartai to Šančiai, Drobės g. 36 with wife Morta Vanagaitė and their children. From 1940 to 1950, great-grandparents Morta and Augustinas Kneipferavičius were deported and imprisoned in Vologda Cherepovets lagers. Morta Vanagaitė came back to Lithuania in 1950. She was buried in Kaunas, Šančiai Cemetery in 1951. Augustinas spent 10 years imprisoned and was killed before his sentence was almost over. His burial place is unknown. My grandfather, son of Augustinas, Stasys Kneipferavičius was a demolitionist in the Lithuanian Military forces. He spent his time in Šančiai barracks. He exercised in Šančiai gym named Kovas. He was an active musician together with his brothers and brothers of grandmother Viktorija. During the Interwar period, he worked at the cinema mechanic in Lyra (later – Taika) and screened films during the war.  My grandparents Stasys Kneipferavičius and Viktorija Dobrovolskytė got married in Šančiai church on the day it was opened. (2018)