Matilda Olkinaite
Matilda Olkinaitė (1922-1941) is a young Lithuanian Jewish poet who created in the Lithuanian language and was murdered during the Holocaust. She was born in Panemunėlis town (Rokiškis district), in the family of a pharmacist. Graduated from Rokiškis J. Tumas-Vaižgantas gymnasium. Studied French language and literature at Vytautas Magnus and Vilnius universities. Since 1932 published poems and prose in the Lithuanian press, prepared her debut collection of poetry. 1941 July 10 was brutally murdered in the Kavoliškis forest near Rokiškis together with other Olkin and Joffe families by lithuanian shooters. The book of Matilda's poems was saved by the priest Juozapas Matelionis in 1941. hiding it in Panemunėlis Church, in a hiding place under the altar. It was discovered in the 1990's by a dissident, organist Alfredas Andrijauskas, who handed it over to Professor Irena Veisaitė for safekeeping. Among the papers, the professor managed to discover her diary written between 1940-1941 a document of her inner life, a tragic historical year. In July, 2018 Professor Irena Veisaitė handed over these manuscripts to the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore, entrusting them with the preparation and publication of Matilda's book."Unlocked Diary" is the poet's work that emerges from oblivion for the first time. The book consists of Matilda's diary, poems and small prose, biographical material and photographs collected from various state and personal archives.
From: Atrakintas Dienora
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