Partizanų fotografija Aukštaitijoje

LTPaskutiniu metu nemažai išleista knygų, kuriose užrašyti daugelio Lietuvos laisvės kovotojų prisiminimai, iš kurių galima susidaryti gana tikrovišką anų dienų kruvinos kovos vaizdą. Tačiau prisiminimai po daugelio metų dažniausiai esti subjektyvūs, nes žmogaus atmintyje lieka tai, kas jam buvo brangu, skaudu ar svarbu. Autentiškos fotografijos padeda susidaryti tikrąjį vaizdą. Apie tai pratarmėje kalba ir nuotraukų albumo apie Rokiškio krašto laisvės kovotojus sudarytojas Algis Kazulėnas: „Partizaniškos fotografijos – labai svarbus istorinis dokumentas, liudijantis masinį ginkluotą pasipriešinimą. Reikia dėkoti partizanų vadams už tai, kad jie suprato ir fiksavo savo kasdienybę“. Tai buvo be galo pavojinga, net pragaištinga: fotografijoms patekus į represinių struktūrų rankas, daugeliui įsiamžinusiųjų tose nuotraukose, grėsė Sibiru ir lageriais. Kaip pažymėta LGGRTC išleistame partizanų nuotraukų albume „Už laisvę ir tėvynę“, 1944–1946 metais partizanai fotografuotis vengė, todėl to laikotarpio nuotraukų praktiškai nėra. 1946 m. keitėsi veiklos taktika, prioritetu tapo konspiracija, smulkėjo būriai. Paradoksalu, bet būtent beveik tuo pat metu pastebimai padaugėjo nuotraukų, ypač nuo 1947 metų. Buvo fotografuojami vadų sąskrydžiai, susitikimai. Fotografavosi tiek vadai, tiek eiliniai partizanai, ryšininkai. Ypač mėgo su partizanais įsiamžinti jų kovos ištikimiausios draugės, seserys, kurių broliai, sužadėtiniai tuo metu kovojo partizanų gretose. [Iš straipsnio, p. 108]

ENPartisan photographs in Lithuania are very important historical documents arguing about armed mass resistance. In 1944-1946 the partisans shrank of being photographed, therefore there almost aren't photos of that period. The tactics of partisan movement was changed in 1946 and then priority was given to conspiracy. Paradox is that exactly at that period greatly increased the number of photo prints. Taking photos became one of entertainment of partisan's sad and poor life. The partisans' photographs and negatives made in postwar time people preserved in very well closed utensils: bottles or pots buried under the ground somewhere under the sill or windowsill of the house in order to find them easily in the future. Common people preserved the biggest part of partisan photographs. Comparatively very small part of partisan photos was kept in official institutions, but at the same time thousands of these photos were preserved in chekists personal archives. The photographer Tadas Bajarūnas lived and worked in Krekenava. In postwar period the chekists gave the order to Tadas Bajarūnas to take photos of people murdered by the NKVD members. Murdered people were usually brought from the forest to the towns and were laid down straightly on the streets. Nevertheless the chekists had special control over Tadas Bajarūnas work and they picked all photos and negatives from the photographer, but the son of the photographer Vytautas at the peril of his life has preserved some of these photocopies till nowadays. According to live stories of partisans they avoided to bring strangers to their group, so they used to borrow the photo cameras and used to take photos by themselves. Later on they gave cameras back and other people developed and made photos from their negatives. Partisans usually carried photos in their pockets or clothes and when they perished the chekists took their photos. Some partisans used to leave their photos at their relatives for preserving.While traveling round Lithuania and recording partisans' recollections there was quite frequently recorded that many people had destroyed large part of partisan photos by themselves during the last decade of movement for freedom. The people were afraid of their destiny and they didn't want to be taken to prison or expatriated to Siberia if somebody would find partisan photos during a domiciliary visits at their homes. The chief of partisan team of Salamiestis district (Kupiškis region), the former captain of Lithuanian aviation Albinas Tindžiulis-Dėdė was fond of taking photos before. But when he became a partisan in occupied Lithuania he refused to take photos at all and what's more - he prohibited posing for photos for the others. The photograph was the most hazardous document for a partisan. This document exactly identifies the personality of the partisan, of the signalman or of close person to partisans. Partisan photographs should be analyzed in the future, because through the medium of these photos a lot of people was brought to Siberia banishment, a lot of Lithuanians suffered the hard torments in prison houses, sisters were forced to give up their brothers, young ladies gave up their betrotheds, etc. A lot of Lithuanians sacrificed their lives on the Altar of the Native Land Freedom. [From the publication]