Jonas Kadžionis – Biography
J. Kadžionis-Bėda, 1961 J. Kadžionis-Bėda, 1957 Malvina Gedžiūnaitė-Kadžionienė-Sesutė
J. Kadžionis-Bėda, 2011
Biography | The Baby Born in the Bunker
Jonas Kadžionis was born in 1928 in Piktagalis, Anykščiai district, Lithuania. His
parents Aleksas and Petronėlė Kadžioniai were farmers. There were 11 children in their
family. In 1936-1940 Jonas went to Pieninių primary school (Anykščiai distr.), he finished 4
grades. Jonas lived and worked in a family farm. At the beginning of the second Soviet
occupation in the spring of 1948 his parents were exiled to Siberia. Jonas Kadžionis wanted to
avoid military service in the Soviet Army so; he joined Lithuanian Freedom Fighters
Movement and became a partisan.
In 1948-1949 he was fighting in Tigras troop, Šarūnas pick of the army, Algimantas district.
His nom de guerre was Bėda (adversity). In 949-1953 Jonas Kadžionis- Bėda was fighting In
Laisvės (Freedom) district, he was one of three the last partisans in that district, he was hiding
in different dugouts in Kavarskas – Dabužiai – Traupis area. In 1949 Jonas Kadžionis got
married to Malvina Gedžiūnaitė. His wife Malvina Gedžiūnaitė-Kadžionienė-Sesutė (little
sister)(1923-1992) was a Freedom fighter, volunteer and an exile. In 1950 while Jonas and
Malvina were hiding in the dugout, their son Antanas was born. On the 22nd of May in 1953
Jonas Kadžionis –Bėda and his wife, partisan, Malvina Gedžiūnaitė-Kadžionienė –Sesutė by
guile were ensnared into an ambush and caught by the exterminator agents. In 1953 by the
Baltic Tribunal Jonas Kadžionis and his wife were sentenced to 25 years imprisonment and to
5 years exile. Jonas Kadžionis refused to appeal for pardon or admit that he was deluded, so
he was in prison in Russia the whole time of his punishment. At the beginning he was kept in
Omsk where he worked in the wood manufacturing factory, later he was building oil
conversion factory in Taishet, was in prison in Mordovia and in Perm, worked in the timber
mills.
After fulfilling his sentence in May, 1978 Jonas Kadžionis returned to Lithuania and settled at
his wife in Pajūris, Šilalė district, he worked as a cleaner in the church. The Soviet authorities
started pursuing him, he had been hiding for some time, was accused of freeloading and in
1983 exiled to Kaliningrad area, Russia, worked in the timber mill, in 1989 he retired. During
the years of Lithuanian Revival Jonas Kadžionis was allowed to come back to Lithuania and
in March 1989 he returned home.
On the 14th of April 1998 Jonas Kadžionis was recognised as Lithuanian volunteer, on the
13th May 1998 he was granted the degree of lieutenant. Presently Jonas Kadžionis is the
commander of the revived Algimantas district, retired captain and takes care of partisan war
monumentalization. He initiated the creation the memorial for Traupis district freedom
defenders, and marking partisan battle, death and burial places in Kavarskas area. He managed
to find the place of his former dugout in Dabužiai forest and in 2009 together with the other
enthusiasts reconstructed it. Nowadays the dugout is used for educational purposes.
Jonas Kadžionis was awarded the Cross of Commander (Third Class Order). In his free time
Jonas Kadžionis writes reminiscence, poetry and songs.
+ 1928 was born in Piktagalis, Anykščiai district, Lithuania
+ 1948 joined the partisans
+ 1949-1953 Jonas Kadžionis- Bėda was fighting In Laisvės (Freedom) district, he was one of
three the last partisans in that district, he was hiding in different dugouts
+ 1949 Jonas Kadžionis got married to Malvina Gedžiūnaitė. His wife Malvina Gedžiūnaitė-
Kadžionienė-Sesutė (little sister)(1923-1992) was a Freedom fighter, volunteer and an exile
+ 1953 Jonas Kadžionis –Bėda and his wife, partisan, Malvina Gedžiūnaitė-Kadžionienė –
Sesutė by guile were ensnared into an ambush and caught by the exterminator agents
+ sentenced to 25 years imprisonment and to 5 years exile
+ was imprisoned in Russia: Omsk Taishet, later in Mordovia and Perm (Russia)
+ 1983 exiled to Kaliningrad area, Russia
+ 1989 he returned to Lithuania
+ managed to find the place of his former dugout in Dabužiai forest, takes care of partisan war
monumentalization
+ awarded the Cross of Commander (Third Class Order)