Slaves in gipsy camp
Artūras from Vilnius lived ten years with the momories about his girl-friend and promising boxer career. However he does not remind a young man or a potential sportsman. 32 years old man looks tired, his skin is yellow, his eyes are glazy and his eyebrow looks like injured.
The man confessed that he used to be an active sportsman in the past with the hopes to become a professional kickboxer. However he did not reached significant achievements as he was imprisoned nine years ago for the kommited robbery. Arturas lives in the abandoned house in the Upper Gipsy camp (tabor). There are no electricity in the room, but there is a mattress and a stove. Therefore the man is happy with the opportunity to sleep in the warm. Every day Artūras cuts firewoods, carries buckets full of water, cleans the house, scrapes potatos and, if needed – he goes to the shop for the products. He does everything what he is told to do by his so called owners. Most often homeless became such a slaves as they can't or don't want stealing and they need money. The Gipsies provide heroine, a bed and some food to their „slaves“. It is estimated that there are around ten such persons in the tabor. I met Artūras in few weeks after the interview. The dead man was found in the central square. Just another corpse from the dousens found here during the year. Now the jointed forces of the municipatility and police are demolishing the illegal houses. But with the vanishing tabor the drug dealers are relocating to the city center... |