"I Still Feel Like I'm Fifty" – Vecumnieki Resident Antonina Zālīte Celebrates 90th Birthday
Antonina Zālīte, who was born in Ukraine and now lives in Vecumnieki, celebrated her 90th birthday, saying she still feels young. Her life story includes moving from Kharkiv to Latvia after marriage and learning Latvian.
Last week, Vecumnieki resident Antonina Zālīte celebrated her 90th birthday. On July 17, she gathered with her family – children, grandchildren, and other relatives – at the "Aveņi" tavern in Bauska for games and reminiscences. On Monday, July 20, representatives from Bauska Municipality, including Vecumnieki Parish Head Lauris Mediņš, visited to congratulate her, presenting a monetary award and flowers.
Zālīte was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and worked in the mines of Kazakhstan in her youth. There she met her future husband from Latvia. They married in 1959 and moved to Latvia in 1960. Initially living in the Nereta area, later in Misā and Beibeži, they built their home in Vecumnieki in 1971, where she still lives. One of her greatest wishes upon moving to Latvia was to learn Latvian, which she accomplished, working her entire career at the Vecumnieki grocery store and becoming a well-known figure.
The celebrant is proud of her family: a son, a daughter, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. She says she feels 50 years old inside. A particularly meaningful moment was in 2020 when her children gifted her a trip to Ukraine to meet relatives. However, she sadly notes that her childhood home in Kharkiv is gone. Zālīte expresses gratitude for living in Latvia with peaceful skies and tries to maintain a positive outlook each day.
