WE HAVE NEVER LIVED BETTER THAN

NOWBy Giedre Virbalaite

2013

“We have never lived better than now” – is a social documentary project of a Lithuanian family of eight (two parents and six children) from the small hamlet of Kurkliai in northeastern Lithuania. The photographs depict the family’s humble existence, living on the edge of what could be described as “modern” poverty, which itself is shaped largely by the social, economic and political aspects of Lithuania. Together with the other two Baltic States, Estonia and Latvia, Lithuania regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. All three Baltic countries, often termed the “Baltic sisters”, joined the European Union in 2004 along with a number of other countries which formerly lied east of the iron curtain.

Lithuania’s independence over two decades ago brought freedom from the USSR’s communist ideology, but also heralded a long period of struggle ahead for many young families in the country. Šniuikai’s family was no exception. Both parents lost their jobs in the collective farms, which following independence were disbanded and privatized. Valentas, the father, had been earning a meagre income working on his tractor, though began to drink heavily with friends who shared a similar fate, leaving Birute, the mother, to look after their children. Growing social concern for the plight of young families prompted the new independent government to establish some form of welfare, providing benefits for families like Šniuikai’s - benefits that the family continues to survive on till this day.

“We have never lived better than now” – is a celebration of the family unit, where members are held together in this “golden age”, long before it’s over and the reality sets in. Today, having put the hardest times behind them, the family faces the new challenge of emigration. Since independence, roughly 600,000 Lithuanians, almost 20 precent of whole population, have left the country in search of a brighter and easier future. Social and economic insecurity combined with high youth unemployment forced many educated young Lithuanians to look elsewhere, often choosing between the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain or Norway to forge their new home. They go to work and save, as was planned, but end up planting roots in their foreign land too. Kestutis, the oldest son of Birute and Valentas, has been working in Sweden for the past three years, one of the less popular destinations for the Lithuanian diaspora. Being only 23 years old, the oldest brother and son in the family, Kestutis took on the responsibility of supporting his big family back home in Lithuania. There is a national joke that has been going around for a number of years already - saying that Lithuania is the only nation where its citizens emigrate to earn money in order to be able to have holidays in Lithuania. However, the nation laughs tearfully, such is the truth in its meaning. Every year Kestutis returns to Kurkliai twice - so far without the prospect of returning permanently in the near future.

Despite the damage created by emigration that is continually raised by the government and media, Kestutis’s decision to move abroad improved the Šniuikai family’s quality of life far more than they ever could have anticipated. There is no central heating in their little wooden house, but they have a new fridge, washing machine, wide-screen plasma TV, a PC, laptop, mobile phones - items which typify the belongings of a modern western family. Despite the modern technology that fills the house, there is a strong sense of the poverty they had been living in previously. However, Birute can not be happier: “We do live well, we have never lived better than now. We are happy: the kids are doing alright at schools, they help me out at home, my husband drinks less frequently, and most importantly – we receive our salary on time.”

This documentary about the Šniuikai’ family provokes some profound questions – what is the future of the family unit, living in rural provinces, faced with education troubles and living with a life of constant struggle. More importantly – what is the future of the younger generation, growing up in rural areas without the same access to many exciting things their peers are enjoying elsewhere. Hopefully by having access to technology, kids would feel encouraged to use it in a way to get the most out of it for their education. “I wish Gitana, our youngest one, would become a nurse or social worker, as there are always jobs for them. Though she should start studying harder” – asserts Birute. Despite her wishes, the future of children in rural areas is statistically said to be poor – fewer opportunities to take on extracurricular activities at school, a general lack of motivation, a lack of parents’ attention towards their kids’ achievements, constant distractions at home which are mostly troubled by parents’ fights or drinking, and endless poverty.

However, Birute knows everything will be fine as well as she knows each corner of the home. Birute is one of those strong-willed women who took on the responsibility for their families when in the beginning of Lithuania’s independence, men gave up feeling too much pressure in the struggle to feed their families. The lines on Birute’s face perhaps allude to how harsh those two last decades have been – she turned 48 this year, but the stress has added at least another twenty years on her appearance – years of constant struggle and troubles with her kids, ensuring their wellbeing while dealing with an alcoholic husband. However, it is a face that also shows that she knows how to stand up for her family and for herself.

Birute has a part time cleaning job with the local council while looking after everybody’s problems at home, and also taking care of her mother. She jokes that she has seven, not six kids, the most demanding one is like that for many Lithuanian women – her husband, Valentas. Lately he has been doing “quite alright” – not drinking (but only because of the pain in his back). A combination of hard work and injuries in the past has made him unable to work full time in

order to support his family. If he does get jobs using his tractor – all the money is given straight to Birute. Unlike the other majority of Lihuanian men, Valentas has never been an aggressor, and Birute is more than proud of him. “He just has to listen to me and when he does not - I tell him off, I shout a lot too, but he does not care” – Birute giggles. The future of her part time job in the local council, where she has been working for the last couple of years, is not guaranteed as many changes are ahead within the government. Despite the situation with work, her youngest kids and what is in store for them – Birute stays calm, she has a plan ready for them.

Gitana, the youngest one, is only 11 while Gediminas, the youngest son, is 12 years old. They both go to the local school but when they will turn 16 and finish secondary school, both will have to move to the nearby town of Ukmerge and attend college in order to gain a qualification. The middle daughters, Genute, 19, and Janina, 20, both are studying there already. Genute is training to become a chef and Janina – will soon graduate from a decorative landscaping business course. Before moving to Sweden, Kestutis also studied there. Mindaugas, the second oldest son at 21 years of age is the only one so far to have returned to live in the family house after graduating. Birute knows it is better for him to be with the family, where he can look after his parents and she can look after him. The house is always full on weekends as both girls return to help around. “I am very proud of my kids, none of them are interested in partying, drinking and other activities that usually occupy the time of people their age. They are always around whenever I need their help, my kids are my hands and my support” – Birute sincerely admits. Their positive attitude and pride in being who they are, the way they are is contagious. It seems there is nothing worse what could crush this family. Probably because they have never lived better than now and the worst is still in the past. The times Šniuikais’ family is outliving now is a precious present – they have each other and every moment together is filled with noise, a happiness’ one.

Text and photographs By Giedre Virbalaite