After speaking with Giedrė Mozūraitienė, I realized that she talks about Šilainiai much like one talks about books they’ve read. Her book reviews are not analytical dissections, but rather emotional responses and personal experiences triggered by the stories. Similarly, her account of Šilainiai is filled with tender memories and discoveries. Giedrė Mozūraitienė is a pediatric dentist, a bookstagrammer, and also a resident of Šilainiai with considerable experience in the district. Šilainiai first appeared in her life in 1996, and gradually became her home, familiar and safe, with a sea shimmering in Kaunas, hidden between the crowns of apartment buildings.
Giedrė, when did you move to Šilainiai?
I ended up in Šilainiai without even knowing it was Šilainiai, when my parents were looking for an apartment to move from our native Klaipėda in 1996. I had come to Kaunas to study, started a family, and decided to stay – and so did my brother. While helping our parents look for a place to live, we arrived in a remote district and viewed one of the apartments. My mother simply turned around and said, “It works for me,” and we left, having already paid the deposit. Although I lived separately, this place became my second home. This feeling was strengthened by the furniture my parents brought and my childhood things.
Later, when I had to look for a new place to live, there was no doubt – my parents had already passed away, and the apartment was vacant. Although I always claimed I would live in the Old Town, where life is buzzing and full of action, the first night I stayed in the empty apartment in Šilainiai, I felt peace – I slept without fear, which is unusual for me.
What do you associate this district with?
I associate Šilainiai with home, and not so much with specific places but with sensations. It smells of my father’s potato pudding and the first jam that I cooked by myself. At first, Šilainiai seemed like a typical apartment block district, but over time, it became a free and safe environment. Gradually, I began to explore the area, walking a lot. One of the most memorable experiences was winning a bowling ball in a contest. That encouraged me to visit the local bowling club and discover a new hobby right near home. Then it dawned on me that I could find like-minded people in the neighborhood, not feel lonely while bowling, and have fun without going to the city center or Old Town. Šilainiai became my strike. Now I no longer wish for a remote cabin or the city center – I am happy here.
I am a child of the sea. I have been seeing it every day through the windows in Klaipėda. During my first visit to Šilainiai, I was surprised to notice apartment blocks with crowns on top, which immediately reminded me of the fairy tale “Eglė, the Queen of Serpents”. After moving to Šilainiai, I noticed that the surrounding streets were named Žiemgalių, Baltų, and Jotvingių. While attending tours and reading, I learned that this district was originally designed to resemble a seaside neighborhood. The crowns on the apartment buildings symbolize the crowns of serpents, and the area itself was supposed to be covered in pine forests. During one tour, the guide Jonas Oškinis explained that Baltų Avenue was meant to be built on lower ground, with the sidewalks raised higher to evoke the feeling of walking toward the sea. It seems my intuition was right: Šilainiai is the sea in Kaunas.
How has the district changed over the years?
It has become livelier. New playgrounds have appeared in place of the old, empty, decaying ones. And it is nice to see children playing and teenagers reading or doing sports. I’ve also discovered old places I didn’t know about. For example, the 8th fort seems to be forgotten, but I was drawn in by events held in unconventional spaces. There, I realized that you could listen to music and read poetry in the fort; that’s where I first heard Aistis Žekevičius, one of my favorite poets. Young people are still drawn to the city center, but a few teens I spoke to told me a secret: the most beautiful sunset in Kaunas can be seen very close by – on Kėdainių Hill.
I’m just as curious to hear about how you spend your free time in Šilainiai. Do you find engaging activities here, or do you often head toward the city center?
I really enjoy events, concerts, book discussions, and festivals, but my trips to the city center have become much less frequent because more and more initiatives are popping up right here in Šilainiai. Artist Evelina Šimkutė has shown us a new side of Šilainiai – thanks to her, I discovered Šilainiai Radio and the Šilainiai Gardens. Last year, there was a project called The Living Microdistrict Archive, during which we photographed the neighborhood. I learned that once a month, early in the morning, pigeon keepers gather in Šilainiai, and that Šilainiai even has its own jazz academy. There are small communities like that, though not many, and they’re very local. I think there’s a lack of resident-driven initiatives and continuity. For example, I attend a book club at the Ąžuolynas Library, but if I found one in Šilainiai, I’d definitely join.
What is the Šilainiai community like? Do residents form connections, gather for joint activities, and improve their surroundings?
I felt a sense of neighborhood in my childhood, but not always in Šilainiai. I get along well with my neighbors, but the relationship is not such that I could go to just anyone and ask for salt, leave the keys to the apartment, or ask them to water the flowers while I’m gone. I don’t see kids running around in the courtyards. Back in the day, they used to act as a link between the residents of the house. That said, my friend who also lives in Šilainiai has a great relationship with her neighbors – they organize clean-up events and beautify their surroundings. I believe that the community typically gathers around individuals with initiative, often united by shared activities or ideas. The aforementioned projects are a great example. Still, there’s a high turnover of residents in Šilainiai – perhaps the area seems uncomfortable, or there is no tradition of putting down roots.
What do you think would make life in Šilainiai idyllic? What do you miss the most?
The more I get to know the neighborhood, the more I realize that I live in an ideal place. I used to think this or that was missing, but it turns out I simply hadn’t discovered it yet. Now the connection with the rest of the city is really good, so I’ve basically given up on using a car and opted for public transport instead. It not only saves me from traffic jams but also gives me time to read. Still, when I heard the question, one thought immediately came to mind: I wish I could walk to a bakery in the morning, wearing slippers, and buy a fresh bun. I also miss spaces where people can gather for joint activities – cozy, small places where you can sit down with a cup of coffee, talk about the weather, about books, or just listen to music.
Imagine that readers gather for a tour called Giedrė’s Paths in Šilainiai. What would this route entail?
Šilainiai Gardens, Vytenis Jakas’ Unicorn, the garages painted by artists and locals in the Come and Paint art project, a few beautifully arranged courtyards, Santarvės Park, where I would definitely read poems by Rūta Vyžintaitė-Lajienė from Šilainiai (maybe I would invite her too). Then I would take them to the Linkuva Manor and finish the tour with the crown-adorned apartment blocks, which can’t be found anywhere else.
Giedrė, you are a member of the Ąžuolynas Book Club, you run a book-lover’s account on social media, and it seems like you read everywhere: at home, on trains, in cafés, parks, even while sitting in the Nevėžis River. What makes the world of books so magical? What have been your discoveries this year?
I’ve been reading all my life. I had two great teachers – my mother and my older brother – who each gave me their own, but equally essential, reading lists. My mother was a Lithuanian language teacher, so her list included the classics, while my brother introduced me to Jules Verne, Alexandre Dumas, Arthur Conan Doyle, and guided me into the worlds of science fiction and detective stories. When I started feeling like I couldn’t keep up with all the newly published books and was looking for recommendations, I discovered Instagram. By following other bookstagrammers’ accounts, I realized I wasn’t reading any less than they were. That’s when I grouped my favorite genres, authors, and writing styles and created my own account. Reading teaches me to speak more fluently, think more broadly, see more clearly, and it gives me the ability to transport myself anywhere, anytime. Books help me disconnect and recharge. I choose certain authors for certain moments in life. I’m incredibly fond of poetry and especially happy to have discovered young Lithuanian poets.
I want to thank the publishing house Kitos knygos for reissuing Julio Cortázar’s Hopscotch this year. It was one of the first nontraditional genre works I read in my late teens, and I rediscovered it this year. I’m really glad for small publishers that focus on lesser-known literature. One recent book that left a strong impression was Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro, published by Rara Publishing House. I never recommend books or rate them with stars because I believe taste is subjective and not up for debate. You won’t find professional analyses on my bookstagram, but you will find my emotions and my love of reading.
