https://www.mitka.life/blog daily 0.75 2021-09-15 https://www.mitka.life/blog/2021/1/6/mitka-featured-in-newspaper monthly 0.5 2021-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1610351560787-VG6DOF3ODH4U34067C37/Mitka+Becomes+An+American+Citizen.jpg Blog - Mitka Becomes an American Citizen - Featured in Newspaper TRANSCRIPT [Title] Dimitri "Mitka" Kalinski, 53, emigrated from Germany in 1951 [Body] Dimitri Kalinski doesn't know his birth date, his nationality or where he was born. He doesn't even know his real name. But he does know what freedom means. "I can tell you by the seconds how the freedom began," says Kalinski, nervously folding and unfolding his hands on the kitchen table in his Sparks home. Liberation began when he was handed tennis shoes, socks, underwear, toothpaste and a toothbrush in a United Nation refugee camp in Germany in 1949. Freedom began an inalienable right in October 1984 when the Russian child-slave became a naturalized American citizen. " I wanted to be an Ame3rican citizen so bad," Kalinski says, leaning forward. "I can tell the world what freedom really is. The bottom line there is nothing better than right here." When 17-year-old Kalinski arrived at the refugee camp, it had been seven years since he owned a pair of shoes. He couldn't remember ever wearing underwear. And he promptly ate the toothpaste, not knowing what else he was supposed to do with it. As an 8-year-old boy living in the Ukraine near Kiev, Kalinski became separated from his parents during a Nazi air attack. Grabbed by SS officers, he was shoved in a railroad cattle wagon crammed with other prisoners. As people tried to escape, they were machine-gunned down. "I still see this with my eyes, open or closed. I can still see them lying by the railroad tracks," Kalinski says. Taken to a concentration camp in Germany, called Pfaffenwald, Kalinski was shoved in to line with women, stripped and sprayed with disinfectant. "To this day I'm still in the room with the women all naked, " he says, looking down at his hands. A husky, balding man who looks comfortable in a T-shirt and work pants, Kalinski becomes embarrassed [End of body] [Image caption] Taste of Freedom: Dimitri Kalinski of Sparks, a child slave of a German Nazi officer for seven years, holds his U.S. citizenship certificate. Pictured with Kalinski are his grandsons Steven, 8, left, and Michael, 11. [Subheading] Jean Dixon Alkin/Gazette-Journal https://www.mitka.life/blog/2021/1/6/exciting-news monthly 0.5 2021-04-01 https://www.mitka.life/blog/2021/1/16/mitkas-secret-official-release-date-and-book-cover-revealed monthly 0.5 2021-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1610784236660-H8AMWFCBG242I7GSFMSC/Mitka%27s+Secret+Book+Cover Blog - Mitka's Secret Official Release Date and Book Cover Revealed! - Available July 20! Pre-order your copy today! https://www.mitka.life/blog/2021/2/17/clgotz8etycldll1s419w7y6u6vsta monthly 0.5 2021-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1613672562118-8VZXDRJD789R4JZW9B4X/Lynn+%26+Adrienne.jpeg Blog - Author Spotlight: Lynn Beck reflects on the impact of Adrienne, Mitka's wife In 2017, the Reno Philharmonic honored Mitka by performing “My Name is Mitka,” a beautiful musical piece by composer Jordan S. Roper. Adrienne (right) and Lynn (left) are pictured together at a reception after the performance. https://www.mitka.life/blog/author-spotlight-steve-brallier-shares-his-experience-writing-mitkas-secret monthly 0.5 2021-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1616019213891-DMFZ2D9MT9GH45R1XZOL/mitka+and+team.jpg Blog - Author Spotlight: Steve Brallier shares his experience writing Mitka's Secret Team Mitka - Back row (from left): Steve Brallier, Bob Lucchesi, Joel Lohr. Front row (from left) Lynn Beck, Mitka and Adrienne Kalinski. https://www.mitka.life/blog/2021/4/1/film-composer-scores-song-inspired-by-mitkas-life-story monthly 0.5 2021-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617319453227-O6U3BX5TZ8D0IXZ6L36H/Jordan-Roper-and-Mitka-Kalinski.jpg Blog - Film composer scores song inspired by Mitka's life story Mitka (left) & Jordan Roper (right) with sheet music for “My Name is Mitka” https://www.mitka.life/blog/author-spotlight-joel-lohr monthly 0.5 2021-07-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1625521638120-E1064Z0M5Q5GTZBWH0T5/MitkasSecretAuthorsCopies.JPEG Blog - Author Spotlight: Joel Lohr remarks on the years leading up to the release of Mitka's Secret - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.mitka.life/blog/an-excerpt-from-mitkas-secret monthly 0.5 2021-08-10 https://www.mitka.life/blog/mitkas-secret-out-now monthly 0.5 2021-07-20 https://www.mitka.life/blog/save-the-date-speaking-engagement monthly 0.5 2021-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1627504498708-O1TTY19Q0QSPVOKHEHVP/Mitkas+secret+Nashville+Voices+Hope+Hartford+Seminary+book.jpg Blog - SAVE THE DATE: Speaking Engagement with Mitka's Secret Authors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.mitka.life/blog/mitkas-secret-audiobook-available-now monthly 0.5 2021-08-10 https://www.mitka.life/blog/register-for-virtual-speaking-engagement monthly 0.5 2021-09-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1631674069001-0FMJCIHZFV5O72O4LQY9/Mitkas+secret+Nashville+Voices+Hope+Hartford+Seminary+book Blog - Register for Sunday's Virtual Speaking Engagement with Mitka's Secret's Authors! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.mitka.life/blog/category/News+and+Events monthly 0.5 https://www.mitka.life/blog/category/Media monthly 0.5 https://www.mitka.life/blog/category/Author+Spotlight monthly 0.5 https://www.mitka.life/blog/category/Announcements monthly 0.5 https://www.mitka.life/blog/tag/featured monthly 0.5 https://www.mitka.life/landing-page daily 1.0 2021-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617311932921-14LCU1XJECZGDX23IAW0/Mitka%27s+Secret+Book-02-01.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617312730493-0Q48C7XN7EIHAAJPS0A0/Mitka-Kalinski-smiling-by-levi-allan-photography.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617313214524-6RSWA50VO5EHNTDNDE7P/Mitka-speaking-by-Levi-Allan-Photography.jpg Home Levi Allan Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617312730493-0Q48C7XN7EIHAAJPS0A0/Mitka-Smiling-by-Levi-Allan-Photography.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617314076133-RSLII4IJ4Z9FDAZIMSSP/steven-brallier.jpg Home - Steven W. Brallier Steven W. Brallier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617313969150-84AIKUISAQW12R5IBTW2/Joel-Lohr.jpg Home - Joel N. Lohr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617313888492-I473JPCSCPSS7QQMM3M0/lynn-beck.jpg Home - Lynn G. Beck https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617324483732-TMFKWL0XPQIFIE419QC6/MitkaWebsiteColorTheme-Sepia03.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617324660680-ZBSUORQW3S8QPFNT4EVF/MitkaWebsiteColorTheme-Sepia03.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617324792692-DAVLF4N8OT34RG1RK565/MitkaWebsiteColorTheme-Sepia02.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617681240735-BB9EUAO4RZ2HD24NTRFI/Mitka%2527s%2BWebsite%2BBanner.jpg Home https://www.mitka.life/media-links daily 0.75 2021-07-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617317693330-F809SMZ25P2S7VDSJV4A/image-asset.jpeg Media - News Mitka was invited to speak at the Sparks, Nevada Rotary Club, where his talk caught the hearts and minds of the audience and the local news station. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617317693330-F809SMZ25P2S7VDSJV4A/image-asset.jpeg Media - News Mitka was invited to speak at the Sparks, Nevada Rotary Club, where his talk caught the hearts and minds of the audience and the local news station. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617317898110-1NV35AKGGBFPPA8IHDP7/Rotary+Club+-+Mitka+Interview+Screenshot.png Media - Speaking Engagement Mitka’s full interview with the Sparks, Nevada Rotary Club. Watch Mitka move the large audience as he shares his experience as a child slave to a Nazi SA Officer and his family. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1619802143523-8D42Y41BYJ0BKOY08TV1/image-asset.jpeg Media Mitka gets interviewed by Michelle Franzen in this 3-part segment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617318287732-7MDUQLVU4EORBLIZ7GE5/perspective+podcast+abc+news.jpg Media - Podcast (24:30-29:30) Mitka speaks about his journey to freedom, finding his family, and a message he wants everyone to remember in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Week for ABC News Perspective Podcast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617318134297-GSONW0D5YMRJ2M8HBRB9/documentary+screenshot.png Media - Documentary Rabbi Anchelle Perl, who performed Mitka’s Bar Mitzvah on August 20th, 2001, posted this 1997 documentary about Mitka’s life. Discover a 60-year-old secret that Mitka discovered while filming the documentary. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617318407479-FHZ8YPNLWJLJXB0S0891/Screenshot+Someone+2+Know+Mitka+Kalinski+-+Holocaust+Survivor+KTVN+2+News.png Media - News Someone 2 Know: Mitka Kalinski interviewed on KTVN 2 News, alongside his wife, Adrienne Kalinski. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617318641107-K1YQC6B63KY9DGDM7JF4/mitka+on+ktvn.png Media - News Mitka shares his story on News 2 for International Holocaust Remembrance Day. #WeRemember #NeverAgain https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1617318779661-TGHB5FW83WZ2ZZJRPPTN/Holocaust+Survivor+Speaks+to+5th+Graders+screenshot+resized.png Media - News Mitka speaks to class of 5th Graders, featured on 2 News https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1627501548094-AEGG0G4VP03T823XRSHL/Screenshot+%287%29.png Media https://www.mitka.life/meet-the-team daily 0.75 2021-07-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1554078259071-PFNT160GWL8PWIHYJIW5/steven-brallier.png Meet the Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1556214492486-IF83YDE7KHYK3TMLM65H/JoelLohr.jpg Meet the Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1554077022111-W0PM5KR89XL6R38PSV2E/lynn-beck.png Meet the Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1554077148349-29Z5ZESE9EA9QELOBB3F/Robert-Lucchesi.png Meet the Team https://www.mitka.life/biography daily 0.75 2021-07-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59fb4e632278e71401f182b8/1609989070625-5AG9W5ZK1O7KWGY2H2OP/IMG_0340-2.jpg Mitka Kalinski's Biography