Where is the hill of crosses in lithuania

In April , the entire site was bulldozed and burned down by the authorities. Even though the Hill of Crosses was destroyed four more times, each time locals risked political danger by defiantly rebuilding the site under the cover of darkness. Since gaining independence in , religion in Lithuania is practiced freely and openly. Still, a rural exodus from rural areas and villages means fewer young people learn the craft of cross-making. Today, no one really holds jurisdiction of the Hill of Crosses, with different organizations and individual volunteers pitching in to maintain the site.

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Polish and Lithuanian rebels revolted without much chance of success against Russian rulers in and These two uprisings are tied with the beginnings of the Hill of Crosses. As the families of many of the rebels have not found their bodies after battles, they erected crosses on a site of a former military fort, located on a hill in the area.

When the old political leadership of Eastern Europe fell apart in , Lithuania declared its independence for the second time. The Hill of Crosses was already famous as a place of prayer for the peace of the country and for the remembrance of heroes in the struggle for independence. Your email address will not be published. Name required. In the morning, the despairing man hurriedly carved a wooden cross and rushed to the hill. When he returned home, his daughter greeted him at the doorway, perfectly well again.

Ever since, people have been leaving crosses in hope their prayers will be answered. Yet not every cross has been left by an optimistic pilgrim — some are instead reminders of quiet rebellion. People who brought crosses to the hill were fined and incarcerated. But the crosses on the mound just kept multiplying, left in the dead of night as an act of defiance against religious oppression.

Now, more than a quarter of a century after the fall of the Soviet Union, the crosses still stand. In the years since, the site has become a magnet for pilgrims of all denominations — Christian crosses stand beside carvings bearing Jewish inscriptions and words from the Koran.

The Hill of Crosses, minimally maintained by the municipality of Siauliai and local Franciscan monks, is now covered in more than , crucifixes and other religious icons — and the number is constantly increasing.