Guest Post – Kryžių Kalnas (Hill of Crosses) in Lithuania
In this guest post Brooke Allen, author of the Rambling Brooke blog, takes us beyond the usual tourist attractions in Lithuania.
“A trip to Lithuania is sure to include a visit to Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital and largest city. During my first trip to this country, I remember exiting the plane after an exhausting trip, wandering down Gedimino prospektas (Gediminas Avenue) struggling to keep my eyes open, and drinking a Švyturys beer and eating kepta duona (fried bread) under Gediminas castle. Six years and five extended visits later, these things are all still great and an absolute must-do, but they are also easily found and researched on any travel or personal website. For this post, I’m going to take you somewhere that is slightly off the beaten path, yet still popular with locals and tourists alike.
About 10 kilometers north of Šiauliai, the 4th largest city in Lithuania, there is a tree-lined road with a sign pointing to the Hill of Crosses. No one can directly pin point when the first cross was placed on this small hill, but it is thought to have started after an 1831 uprising. The hill took on special meaning during the era of Soviet occupation. Lithuanians continued to leave crosses on the hill to signify their religion and heritage. It became a spot of peaceful resistance to the Soviet regime. Soviets diligently removed or bulldozed the crosses, but new ones continued to replace them. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Hill of Crosses continued to grow and was visited and blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1993.
I first visited the Hill of Crosses during my second trip to Lithuania. I returned for the first time in four years yesterday. During that time, the hill has sprouted more crosses and the facilities (parking, souvenir stands, etc.) have been modernized with funds from the European Union, but the focal point still remains the same. Upon entering the hill, the first thing you notice is, of course, crosses. Not only single crosses, but crosses adorning crosses. The smaller crosses hanging on the crosses are decorated with even smaller crosses. After three generations of crosses, the youngest and smallest are topped with rosaries. The inscriptions on the crosses range from permanent marker to ornate plaques professionally adhered to beautifully carved works of art. The reasons for the crosses vary from company donations to a child hoping that his daddy is okay with Jesus. There are pictures of young lovers, separated too soon, stapled to crosses, while others are adorned with messages of thanksgiving or a simple, “We were here.”
The brochure I picked up at a souvenir stand says that the Hill is everyone’s, that is transcends boundaries, and it does. Inscriptions are written in many different languages, and among the crosses, you can find Stars of David. The largest Star of David is now adorned and decorated just like the crosses it stands between. The Hill of Crosses is much more than a religious symbol. It brings people together and is a sign of hope. No matter the language or the religion, it shows that others are also dealing with loss and wishing for a better future.
Beyond the symbology, the visual aspect of the hill is powerful. It is truly an ornate monument and sculpture created by the hands of thousands of visitors over more than a century. I tried to find the cross I placed on the hill four years ago for my lost loved ones, but time has weathered the permanent marker and crosses marking newer losses and celebrations have slowly crowded the walkways. It is there, though, amongst the masses, celebrating what was and looking forward to what will be.
If you ever get the chance to visit, do it. It is slightly inconvenient to Vilnius if you don’t have a car and don’t care for buses, but the hill is powerful and there are some great roadside restaurants along the way.”
