Naujienos

Anna Krawczyk, a graduate of the Department of Baltic Studies at the University of Warsaw, spent part of her studies in Lithuania learning the Lithuanian language. According to her, ‘People in Lithuania tend to take care of each other, and Vilnius is a wonderful city to live in’. For Anna, translating poetry has become a bridge connecting the two nations.

Lithuanian language studies in Warsaw and Lithuania

Encouraged by her boyfriend to learn Lithuanian, Anna started studying the new language in 2017 at the University of Warsaw. Although the relationship ended, her interest in the Lithuanian language has not waned.

"Love for a man turned into love for a language," she smiled.

She is proud of her decision and emphasises the inherent beauty of the Lithuanian language. Later, Anna advanced her skills through summer schools in Klaipėda under various study programmes. She remarks that the focus of such summer courses was not solely on language learning, as you simply cannot gain enough knowledge in just a month; instead, the focus was on building a sense of community. In Klaipėda, she met people from all over the world who shared an interest in the Lithuanian language and culture.

Akira Takaki in Vilnius. Photo from personal archive

For one semester, Anna had the opportunity to study at the Faculty of Philology of Vilnius University (VU), where she enhanced her skills and knowledge.

"I particularly appreciate the fact that Lithuanian grammar, culture, and communication were taught separately – in my opinion, it is an excellent approach. The major challenge was mastering participles, half-participles, and adverbial participles. Some of these forms coincide with those in Polish grammar, but others seem very archaic and complex. Participles felt like a different universe to me! I also developed an interest in Lithuanian slang. I distinctly remember the word moralkė (moral hangover), which also exists in Polish. It perfectly describes those inner moral dilemmas after a night of binge drinking when you feel embarrassed about your actions the morning after. That is when we say that we "have moralkė"," fondly noted Anna.

During her studies, Anna found it challenging to make Lithuanian friends because of the international environment she was part of and her limited language proficiency. However, everything changed after the event "The Seimelis of Literature of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth" organised by the Lithuanian Writers Union. The Seimelis brings together Lithuanian authors and Polish translators to work together for a week. The participating poets involved Anna in their translation activities and gradually became her close friends.

Anna has heard the stereotype that Lithuanians are unfriendly and reserved but completely disagrees with it: "I was welcomed very warmly in Vilnius, perhaps because I spoke Lithuanian. I always felt part of the community and never like a foreigner. In this country, people seem to genuinely care about each other. For instance, bus and trolleybus drivers often wait a bit for late passengers, and if someone loses their wallet, at least ten people immediately step in to help. All this truly warms my heart – local people are attentive and care for each other."

"It’s true that the first impression might be the opposite, but even if Lithuanians seem unfriendly, they are still incredibly kind! For example, once in Klaipėda, I said viso gero (goodbye) to a cashier, and she replied, somewhat bitterly, with viso geriausio (all the best). I wondered if she was angry because I didn’t wish her the same," Anna laughed.

Poetry as a bridge between two nations

Anna spent two years as a project coordinator at the Polish Institute in Vilnius, where her responsibilities included teaching Polish language courses, organising educational activities for children attending Polish schools in Lithuania, hosting events like the Poetry Spring Festival, managing social media, and translating texts from Lithuanian to Polish. Anna started translating during her study years, and this activity became integral to her professional path.

At the Department of Baltic Studies of the University of Warsaw, a particular focus is devoted to translation skills – all the lecturers are professional translators. Over the course of four semesters, students work on different types of texts.

"Students translate film scripts in the first semester, poetry in the second, short stories in the third, and official documents during the final semester," listed Anna.

After completing her studies, she started translating content for social networks and event descriptions; she was even asked by a publishing house to translate the introduction to a bilingual anthology about Zbigniew Herbert. However, as Anna admits, the key challenge in translation lies in bridging cultural differences.

"For example, I struggled with the Lithuanian word profsąjunga. While I perfectly grasped its meaning in Lithuanian, the Polish equivalent, związek zawodowy, felt too lengthy and formal. I even asked my parents for help but realised there wasn’t a shorter alternative. It even made me question my poor Polish language skills!" joked Anna.

Currently, Anna is working on the translation of a theatre website and a book, though she is keeping the latter project under wraps for now.

From 20 to 21 May 2023, the University of Warsaw hosted the Poetry Spring Festival, which brought together renowned Lithuanian poets Antanas A. Jonynas, Gytis Norvilas, and Indrė Valantinaitė. For the students and alumni of the Department of Baltic Studies, this event is not only a literary festival but also serves as a valuable platform for beginning their acquaintance with the Lithuanian language through translating texts for the Poetry Spring almanacs. It is a great opportunity to try one’s hand as a translator.

"Poetry is like a bridge that connects us. We are neighbours, yet so few works have been translated," remarked Anna.

The Department of Baltic Studies at the VU Faculty of Philology is launching a series of five articles featuring alumni from foreign centres of Baltic studies. After graduation, they not only continue to deepen their knowledge of Lithuanian but also integrate the Lithuanian language, literature, and culture into their professional activities.

The University of Warsaw introduced Lithuanian Language Studies in 1990 when the Department of Baltic Philology was established at the Faculty of Polish Studies under the leadership of Prof. Dr (HP) Wojciech Smoczyński. Later, the department was restructured into the Subdepartment of Baltic Studies, which has been headed by Dr Joanna Tabor since 2014. Currently, the University of Warsaw offers Bachelor, Master, and doctoral study programmes that include courses on the Lithuanian and Latvian languages, grammar, and literature, alongside an introduction to the history and contemporary realities of the Baltic States. Students also have the opportunity to learn the art of translation.

The Baltic studies community in Warsaw actively organises various events, such as meetings with Lithuanian poets during the Poetry Spring Festival and translation workshops. Moreover, in collaboration with colleagues from VU and Tartu University, they host the international conference ‘Bridges in the Baltics’. For more information about the Baltic Studies programme at the University of Warsaw, please visit the Baltexnus website.

Prepared by Assoc. Prof. Dr Veslava Sidaravičienė, Research Assistant at the Department of Baltic Studies at the VU Institute for the Languages and Cultures of the Baltic.