Povilaika — Association of Jews of Vilna and vicinity in Israel

In 1944 Konstancija Povilaikaitė (17), later Babinskienė, has studied in the 7-th form of the Vilkaviškis Gymnasium. She lived in some rented apartment shared with other gymnasium students, in Vilkaviškis, Sodų Str. 9.
Once the owner‘s relatives have arrived from Kaunas bringing the 2 years old toddler-girl who spoke only Yidish. They explained that they‘ve found the girl laying in some basket, left close to their home. They considered it was dangerous to hold the girl in Kaunas, therefore they‘ve brought her to Vilkaviškis. When Konstancija Povilaikaitė saw that they didn‘t plan to set the girl in Vilkaviškis but intended to give her to gestapo, she decided to rescue the girl and took her without any hesitation.
The next day she took the girl in her arms and brought her 10km to her parents‘ house, in the Kuosiai village close to Linkeliškiai village. Konstancija‘s parents, Petras and Ona Povilaikas,– poor peasants, supported their daughter‘s decision Although they understood clearly the level of their risk and responsibility, they took the Jewish girl and cared about the little Vitutė with love, motivated only by their humanity. Konstancija returned to Vilkaviškis for continuation of her studies.

Later on when the front border approached they‘ve learned the true Vitutė‘s name and her parents‘ names: Vitutė – Aviva Tkach, the Kaunas advocate Tkach‘s daughter.
After the war relatives from Kaunas took rescued Aviva Tkach back and soon all of them left Lithuania. Recent years Aviva lived in USA, she didn‘t forget her rescuers. This is the part of Aviva‘s letter to Konstancija Baginskienė (Povilaikaitė):
„I am the same Vitutė, the little girl whom you‘ve rescued and cared about her tenderly. I‘m thinking frequently about this time that I‘ve spent in your home, especially thinking about your mother. I don‘t remember much because the period was horrible and I was small. I don‘t speak and don‘t understand Lithuanian. But I‘ll never forget your care, love and pain at the moment we had to separate. I‘m thankful to you immeasurably that I‘m alive.“

From: Rescued Lithuanian Jewish Child