 Lithuania25.5. - 5.6.2000 |
Finally on the 25th of May 2000 we started. We had given my father this journey to
Lithuania as a present for his 60th birthday. And we were very curious what we would find there...
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First we went to Vilnius. Vydas had rented a nice apartment for us and guided us unrestingly
through the small lanes of the old town. I was surprised with this town in a positive way: there exists
a beautiful old city centre, where most of the old houses are already renovated. Around the city there are
so-called "dormitory towns", high-rise buildings, where many people in Vilnius live. The cathedral is
one of the town's landmarks (one can see the Gediminas in the background). When the Soviets were in
Lithuania, they stole most of the valuable treasures out of the cathedral. Today the walls inside are
painted white with many paintings hung on them. Just a small chapel shines in its original splendor.
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Of course, we had also come to Lithuania to learn more about our family and most of all about my grandfather
Alexander Medwedeff. So we visited the KGB-archive in Vilnius, which is situated in the former KGB-headquarter
on the Gedimino-Prospektas. The communication in the archive was a little bit difficult, because the officers
didn't speak either German or English. With bits of German, English, Lithuanian and Russian and a lot of
speaking with hands and feet, we managed to get across what we wanted. Finally we got the case of Alexander
Medwedeff, 80 pages of documents, partly written with a typewriter, partly by hand. Enrollments, questionings,
verdicts, rehabilitation. We were very struck as we finally held the original documents in our hands.
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At the parliament a monument still remains of the events taken place on the 13th of January 1991.
On this day the TV tower of Vilnius was occupied by Russians, and 14 people were killed. In this way the Russians
wanted to stop the independence movement of the Lithuanians. But the Lithuanians organized an unarmed
protest against the violence of the Russians. Around the parliament barricades made of concrete were constructed
(the remains can still be seen today), but around the clock, masses of people occupied strategically important buildings and
expressed in this way the validity of the declaration of independence.
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On our way to Kaunas we visited Trakai, the former capital of the principality of Lithuania. Trakai is situated
27 km west of Vilnius and is - without a doubt - the most popular destination not only for tourists but also
for the inhabitants of Vilnius. Trakai was built on a small island, which can be reached just over
an-other island. In the 1950's the castle was reconstructed at a great cost, before there were just remains of the
old castle. Today a historical museum has its place in the castle.
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From Kaunas we drove to the south to the region where my grandparents lived until the war and where also my
father (in Kalvarija) and my uncle (in Marijampole) were born. Marijampole is a small city which hasn't much
to offer. We visited the old cemetery and a Lithuanian family. They live in the former house of the
Kudriavceff family. Because of the poor communication the visit was quite scurrile...
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After a few days in Kaunas we left the city and headed north with destination "Hill of Crosses" near Siauliai.
Here thousands of crosses have been built out of different materials. This place is not only a symbol for the
Christian faith in Lithuania but also a place of resistance against the Soviet regime. Lithuanians who came back
from the Siberian banishment, thanked God with a cross, or relatives of displaced persons prayed with the
installation of a cross for the return of their relatives. Many times the Soviet occupying army demolished the crosses
with heavy bulldozers, but the faithful always established new crosses.
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Ramunas and Giedre had recommended that we visit the museum of absurdity of the family Orvydas (near Salantai).
From the street you just see a group of trees in the middle of some fields. When you go nearer, it is a
collection of old gravestones, crosses, carvings and other remains from Soviet times, like this tank which
is situated at the entrance of the museum.
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The last place we went to was the Curonian Spit, where we stayed in Nida. For me it was also the highlight
of our journey, the beauty and the immense size of the dunes near Nida cannot be described - you just have to
see it yourself. The dunes are up to 60m high and reach into the Russian territory of Kaliningrad. Today
many dunes are planted with pine trees, so that the dunes cannot drift any more and bury the Curonian villages. Near Nida we also visited the old gliding school of Gregor Heidrich-Radvenis. |
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Of course, we had to see the dunes in detail. It is allowed to walk on the parnida-dune. So
we spent a cozy afternoon on this dune. Barefoot we walked down the dune and found a quiet place in the sun. There
we enjoyed the warmth and the panoramic view.
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One day we made a trip to Juodkrante, to the witch hill. Built in the forest were 74 sculptures made of wood, which illustrate
different characters from the Lithuanian world of fairytales and myths. The
sculptures are larger than life and are very detailed and true to the original. Unfortunately we did not know the fairytales, but the witch hill was nevertheless extremely worth seeing! |
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This is one of the most important signs on the Curionian Spit. In every village there are huge numbers
of vendors of smoked fish. And the fish tastes marvelous! We bought an eel, a little piece of bread and
two bottles of beer and sat down at the shore under the last evening sun. It was one of the most
delicious meals I ate in Lithuania!
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