About the rescuer and the rescue story

Agota was the eldest member of the Tallat-Kelpša family in Kalnėnai – a wise, strong-spirited, and deeply religious woman, respected by her family and neighbors. She lived a long life, part of which was marked by the trials of war. During the German occupation, her home became a refuge for the persecuted Dora Kaganaitė. In August 1944, when policemen broke into the house demanding that the “hidden Jew” be handed over, Agota swore in the name of Christ that no one was hiding in her home, and they left.

The Tallat-Kelpša household also sheltered Hona Mulman, a Jewish Red Army soldier from Odesa. This fact bears witness to the family’s consistent determination to help anyone whose life was in danger. Hona Mulman was killed at the end of the war but was buried in Kalnėnai – a lasting reminder of the people whom Agota’s family gave shelter to.

The Tallat-Kelpša surname has been known in Lithuania since the times of Grand Duke Vytautas and is believed to derive from the Tatars who settled in the region in the 14th–15th centuries. The family spread throughout Lithuania, and many bearing the name today no longer know the exact kinship ties that connect them. On August 4, 1997, Agota, together with Stanislovas, Antanina, and Jurgis, was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations.