Eighty years after the liquidation of the Vilnius Ghetto, NARA launched the podcast series “We Too Are From Vilnius,” where we speak with young Jewish people from Vilnius, exploring their connection to a city scarred by immense loss, their identity, and a Lithuanian society navigating between multiculturalism and nationalism.
This is the second interview in the series. Listen to the first one with Vilnius native Naomi Koc here.
Vilnius residents might meet Ani Gandžumian in the corridors of the Vilnius Academy of Arts, where she is pursuing a master’s degree in object design. Ani is hesitant to call herself an object designer just yet, preferring to describe herself as a creator and explorer. You might also spot her working as a barista at the Vilnius cafe “Raštinė” or hear her curated music on her (link: https://radiovilnius.live/category/shows/hyper-moves-w-ani/ text: Hyper moves“ show on “Radio Vilnius.”
Ani never emphasizes her identity. If someone asks where she’s from, she says Lithuania, adding that her name is Armenian.
Ani grew up in Vilnius in a family with an Armenian father and a Lithuanian mother. Both her great-grandmothers were Jewish. Her father’s grandmother was from Ukraine, and her mother’s – from the United States. Her parents enrolled her in a Jewish kindergarten and school in Vilnius, where she learned Hebrew and actively participated in community traditions.
After finishing school, Ani distanced herself from the Jewish community. “My mom has mixed roots, and my dad isn’t fully Armenian. So, from this mix, I feel I’ve gained a stronger sense of worldliness,” she explains. For Ani, identity “is more about what you create around yourself.” In her case, that’s her creative projects and activities where she expresses herself.
In her work, Ani places significant emphasis on the principle of androgyny. She associates this with rebellion: “I was a bit rebellious toward stereotypes or rules that seemed unfair to me. I’m fascinated by how certain things, characteristic of certain genders, can provoke reactions.”
Ani’s relationship with her Jewish heritage is also an expression of her rebellious nature. But eventually, she embraced it. Listen to her story.
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