He Was Blind, She Could Barely Walk: An Unusual Love Story from 18th-Century Vilnius
History is full of love stories—some famous, some forgotten. From monarchs and poets to revolutionaries and ordinary people, love has always shaped human lives in ways both grand and humble. While the world remembers legendary romances like that of Napoleon and Josephine or the ill-fated Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, love among society’s most marginalized rarely finds its way into historical narratives.
Yet love is not the privilege of the powerful. It flourishes even in the harshest conditions. This is the case of Pilypas and Sofija Herbačevskiai, a couple from 18th-century Vilnius who found each other despite poverty, disability, and societal neglect. He was blind; she struggled to walk. Together, they were each other’s eyes and legs—an extraordinary bond uncovered in historical records by Rūta Miškinytė, a PhD candidate at Vilnius University’s Faculty of History.
The Invisible Poor of 18th-Century Vilnius
Miškinytė studies beggars and poverty in 18th-century Vilnius, combing through the archives of charity institutions that once provided relief to the city’s most destitute. She has found traces of people otherwise lost to history in these records—individuals whose struggles were rarely documented in detail.
Unlike other marginalized groups, beggars were unique in that they relied on alms. In a deeply religious society, particularly within Catholic communities, giving to the poor was an act of piety. Those who donated often expected prayers in return, treating beggars almost as a special category of pilgrims.
"People fell into poverty for various reasons—illness, natural disasters, the loss of family members, or social conflicts that stripped them of their wealth and status. However, written records rarely reveal the deeper personal histories behind their suffering. Officials mainly recorded financial transactions, such as donated sums, rather than the lived realities of those forced to beg for survival," says the historian.
Pilypas and Sofija: A Marriage Forged in Hardship
Among these forgotten figures were Pilypas and Sofija Herbačevskis. Their story comes to light thanks to a 1792 register from a Vilnius almshouse. At the time, authorities were trying to reform the city’s welfare system, aiming to reduce visible poverty by relocating beggars into institutions or assigning them to work.
"Pilypas was in his late 30s and had been blind since childhood. He did not know where he was born—suggesting a life spent in poverty from the very start. His wife, Sofija, was nearly 20 years older than him and had only been living on alms for the past 12 years. Before that, she may have had a more stable life, but illness or injury had left her with a severe mobility impairment," explains Miškinytė.
According to a historian, little is known about Sofija’s life before 1780. It is possible that her marriage to Pilypas was not her first. Her financial decline was likely influenced not only by health problems but also by the loss of a husband. In early modern times, widowhood was a common cause of poverty for women.
A Love Story Beyond Privilege
Sofija and Pilypas met under challenging circumstances. In the spring of 1792, Sofija was 56 years old, while Pilypas was 37—a 19-year age difference, according to historical records.
"The register of St. Joseph of Arimathea and St. Nicodemus Almshouse states that neither Sofija nor Pilypas had children. It is unclear when they married, but it is likely that Sofija was already beyond childbearing age. However, their marriage—a union between an older woman with a disability and a blind man who had lived in poverty since childhood—reveals a deeply human need: the need for companionship. People who had no support sought out someone who could be that support, and they found each other," says Miškinytė.
Given the times, their marriage was unusual. Couples with such significant age gaps were not unheard of, but what stands out is the sheer practicality of their union. They depended entirely on each other without children or family to support them. Pilypas could not see, but he could move. Sofija struggled to walk, but she could guide him. Together, they formed a partnership that allowed them to survive.
The Fate of the Forgotten
By 1798, major changes were taking place in Vilnius’s charity system. A new commission sought to relocate the city’s poor and enforce stricter regulations on public begging. This year, Pilypas was recorded in a different almshouse, but Sofija was missing from the register. There is no record of what happened to her.
"In 1798, 179 beggars housed in six almshouses and several rented buildings were registered in Vilnius, but Sofija was not among them. At that time, Pilypas was living not in St. Joseph of Arimathea and St. Nicodemus Almshouse but in St. Jacob’s Almshouse in Lukiškės. Interestingly, another woman with the same surname—a woman of the same age as Pilypas named Marijona—was also listed there. The register noted that she was fit to work, meaning she was healthy. However, there is no mention of whether she and Pilypas were related in any way," Miškinytė explains.
Miškinytė concludes that by February 1799, another registration of the city’s poor took place, but neither Sofija nor Marijona appeared in the records—only Pilypas remained. At that time, Pilypas was housed in a building that did not belong to any almshouse. It seems that Vilnius’ almshouses could no longer accommodate all of the city’s poor. Likely, in the summer of 1799, Pilypas was moved one last time—to the newly established General Almshouse of Vilnius.
Pilypas and Sofija’s story is one of many hidden in historical archives. While rulers and nobles had their romances recorded, the lives of beggars and the disabled often went unnoticed. In an era of constant struggle, Pilypas and Sofija found in each other what society denied them—support, companionship, and dignity. Their story is a reminder that love is not just a privilege of the fortunate but a fundamental human need that endures even in adversity.