On Sunday, the urn with the deceased’s remains was laid out at the Visaginas funeral home “Memorija” (Santarvės St. 1, Visaginas). People gathered to say their final farewell to the deceased from 10 a.m.
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Next to J. Šuklinas’s urn, there was an abundance of large white roses, framed moments from the canoeist’s life in memory. White candles were also burning, honoring the memory of the deceased. The urn stood on a shiny table, creating the impression of water.
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Those who came to say goodbye were greeted by a portrait of Jevgenijus, radiating his characteristic broad smile.
Mass will be held on May 31, Sunday, at 12 p.m. at the St. Apostle Paul Church.
The deceased will be buried in the old cemetery of Visaginas city (Ažukalviškės village, Visaginas).
The news of the sudden death of the energetic parliamentarian J. Šuklinas was said by his friends and comrades to be unbelievable, and they still correct themselves when speaking about him in the present tense rather than the past.
J. Šuklinas was found collapsed at his home estate in the Zarasai district on Thursday evening; medics were unable to save him.
Colleagues who have been with him since the beginning of his political career, childhood friends, and business partners say that J. Šuklinas could not sit still for a minute, had countless activities, and pursued his goals sincerely and with great athlete’s passion.
After finishing his sports career, J. Šuklinas entered politics in 2014, when he became a member of the Visaginas council with the committee “Visaginas – that’s us” and held this position for a decade, at one point even serving as the acting mayor of Visaginas. In 2022, he joined the Liberal Movement, and in 2024 he was elected to the Seimas. He also ran for the European Parliament but was not elected.
E. Gentvilas: he had an important mission
Party colleague Eugenijus Gentvilas says he met J. Šuklinas while he was still working in the council.
“I visited Visaginas then, we inspected his business, the beer trade. We have also been in Zarasai when he was not yet a member of the Seimas, we sailed together with the Zarasai liberals – he already sympathized then. No, we did not race canoes – it was a recreational boat,” E. Gentvilas warmly recalled his colleague with a smile.
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The liberal says that J. Šuklinas had one essential political mission – to dispel the myth that Visaginas Russians are supposedly not loyal to Lithuania.
“Even then, I saw a great passion for Visaginas in him: Visaginas, Visaginas, Visaginas. He really loved that city.
He was Russian by ethnicity and, as I saw, wanted to turn Visaginas, a Russian city, into a reliable core. Because the myth about Visaginas is: oh, there are Russians, they don’t understand Lithuanian.
But he showed something else by his example. Yes, he spoke with an accent, but look, his Lithuanian is completely correct. Through his example, he wanted to show: we, the Russians of Visaginas, are for Lithuania (…), that Visaginas is a loyal, integral part of Lithuania,” E. Gentvilas recalled his colleague.
By the way, a lesser-known fact is that J. Šuklinas and his childhood friend founded a business, initially limited to a pizzeria, which later grew into broader ambitions: the so-called craft beer brewery.
About it, as an important activity of J. Šuklinas, which he had to somewhat abandon due to politics, 15min also spoke with his childhood friend and business partner I. Chomenko.
He said he used to communicate with J. Šuklinas every day.
“There really are no more people like him, I don’t know anyone else. Extremely open… he never looks out for himself, wants to help everyone. That’s why he was so popular, both in the council and in the Seimas.
He was always here. I have lived here since childhood, I was a council member for eight years myself. I know him from the inside, what he is like, not in front of cameras. There are no more people like him, I can say that with one hundred percent certainty. His priority was to help not himself, but someone else,” I. Chomenko recalled.
From good food to a brewery
He also told about the start of their joint business.
“The idea was born because Visaginas was quite a small city, there were no quality places where you could eat deliciously and so on. At first, we opened a pizzeria, bringing products even from Italy.
Then we opened a steakhouse (steak restaurant – ed.), we imported angus steaks from America, bought equipment. Then came the beer: we got interested in what craft is, fell in love, and opened a brewery. At first – small, now – big. Although Jevgenijus, now being in the Seimas, no longer participated in the business, only gave advice,” I. Chomenko stated.
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40-year-old J. Šuklinas unexpectedly died on Thursday at his home estate in Visaginas.
