Helena Kutorgiene
By Dr. Binyamin Blodz, Kovno Diary (1941-42) from Yalkut Moreshet, 17, February, 1974 pp. 31-72, 1/02/1974
Dr. Helena Kutorgiene, who kept the diary, was born in Lithuania. She was renowned as a doctor/woman who regarded helping others as her main objective in life. She was recognized as one of the Righteous among the Nations.
Helena, whose father was an army doctor, was born in Siauliai in 1888. She inherited her manner and humane approach from her father. She used to tell a story that her father was offered a promotion to general in the army on condition that he converted to the Russian Orthodox Church. He responded that, in fact, he was an atheist but registered as a Catholic and, in his opinion, converting for the sake of a career, was despicable!
In Kaunas, Lithuanian doctor Elena Kutorgiene-Buivydaite, author of a diary that set an example of dignity and civil passion, kept in touch with the Jews; she hosted them in her home, she found safer shelter for them or helped them expatriate, she kept precious goods for them or she helped their Jewish owners sell them. She also provided healthcare inside the city ghetto, and almost every day she was able to send the food that she received by her patients, and she cooperated with the clandestine organisation. She was exposed by neighbours and she was subjected to searches during the night and interrogations, but she managed to be released after signing a document in which she declared that she would not have any contact with the Jews. After that she carried on her dangerous relations.
After liberation, in August 1944, she worked for court of inquiry of German war crimes. In 1982 she was declared Righteous, with her son Viktoras.
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