Svaja is a descendant of the DP generation – her family left Lithuania during WWII being afraid to be deported to Siberia. Her family was a part of Lithuanian intelligentsia, including even an interwar Lithuania minister of justice. Svaja was a teacher as well as a mother to 8 kids, and she still speaks Lithuanian fluently. She and her husband spend half of the year in New Mexico, and another half – in Alaska. This is where she decided to establish the “Little Lithuanian Museum” which she did and now everyone visiting Alaska may also visit this cute museum having booked an appointment here with Svaja in advance.
The interview is recorded during the "Destination Lithuanian America 2022" expedition by Aistė Žemaitienė and Augustinas Žemaitis. The aim of these expeditions is to create the online map of Lithuanian heritage in America map.truelithuania.com as well as the online encyclopedia of the Lithuanian heritage abroad global.truelithuania.com
