Vladislavas Montvilas lived in the village of Paragaudžiai, near Kvėdarna. He was a Seventh-day Adventist — a member of a Christian denomination that emphasizes faith, love for one’s neighbor, and responsibility for one’s actions. These values likely shaped his determination to help those who were being persecuted. Vladislavas managed a farm, owned land and a house where guests were often welcomed.

The Montvilas had no children, so Vladislavas devoted much of his life to work and caring for others. In late October 1943, a young Jewish man from Telšiai, Yakov Gurvich, who had escaped from the ghetto, was brought to their home. Although both understood the risk, Vladislavas and his wife Halina agreed to shelter him. They introduced Yakov to their neighbors as the son of relatives, using the name Albinas Gudžinskas, thus providing him with a protective cover.

Yakov lived in the Montvilas’ home almost openly, helped with farm work, and later, with their support, found employment as the head of the Kvėdarna civil registry office. Offering such refuge was extremely dangerous, yet Vladislavas, despite the threat, took responsibility for safeguarding another person’s life.

Vladislavas died in the postwar years, around 1950, when Lithuania was already under Soviet occupation. Since the Montvilas had no children, the exact dates of his birth and death are not known — such information has not survived. Local people remember him less vividly than his wife Halina, as he passed away earlier, but both are remembered for the noble humanity they showed during the war.

On September 28, 2006, Vladislavas Montvilas, together with his wife Halina Montvilienė, was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations.