Historian puts 'equal sign' between Lithuania's ex-president Adamkus and his wife

  • 2023-05-22
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS – Egidijus Aleksandravicius, a professor of history and the author of a biographical book about Valdas Adamkus, says that he remembers a "phenomenal harmony" between Lithuania's former president and his wife Alma Adamkiene and that he can place an equal sign between the two personalities. 

"I would put many equal signs between Alma Adamkiene and Valdas Adamkus," Aleksandravicius told BNS on Sunday, following the announcement of the former first lady's death.

"In other words, in education, erudition, books read, topics and concerns raised, and artistic taste. Finally, in the beauty of everyday life that they created together and the beauty that will always be in harmony with the good," the historian said.  

"There was a clear harmony between beauty and goodness. This creates an aura of humanity to everything that Adamkus did (...). The harmony between Adamkiene and Adamkus is just phenomenal," he added. 

Aleksandravicius' biographical book, titled Adamkus, was published in 2021 to mark the former president's 95th anniversary.

Although the book focuses on Adamkus, it also reflects Adamkiene as a person and her role in her husband's life.

"Adamkiene emphasized: 'I will not have this man in body and spirit, because he will belong to society, to action; he will be in the hustle and bustle'," the historian told BNS. "From the very beginning, she was aware of this and appreciated it, something that very few people in post-Soviet Lithuania did." 

In his words, Adamkiene had "a strong personality structure of her own; on the other hand, she very clearly chose the path of helping her husband's career".

Adamkiene died at the age of 96 in Vilnius on Sunday after a serious illness.

Adamkus served two terms as Lithuanian president between 1998 and 2009.