| Lithuania The Fight For Freedom |
| Lithuania, together with Latvia and Estonia, were three independent countries, the Baltic States, which Stalin seized and incorporated into the Soviet Union after World War II. Their long quest for freedom and independence was finally victorious in 1991, and the Baltic States are thriving again. |
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| Lithuania's Parliament Building in the capital of Vilnius. It was here that Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. Above are portions of the barricades which Lithuanians later erected to protect their Parliament from attacks by Soviet troops. |
| Closer to Parliament is a memorial to the Lithuanians killed by the Soviets in clashes over independence. At the left are anti-tank obstacles. On the right is the formal memorial, including a cross and flowers. |
| The memorial honors and remembers these Lithuanians who died in the struggle for independence. |
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| The Hill of Crosses is near Lithuania's northern border. It is a national memorial and pilgrimage site. Ordinary people placed crosses here for hundreds of years. The crosses began as expressions of Lithuania's Catholic faith, evolving into folk art. Later they were recognized as symbols of Lithuanian nationalism and opposition to Soviet rule. |
| Soviet bulldozers destroyed the crosses at least three separate times, entirely clearing the hill of every cross. In acts of peaceful civil disobedience, the Lithuanians always replaced the crosses, defying the Soviets. Now, with Lithuanian independence, the crosses are perfectly safe, and the Hill of Crosses is saturated with them in all styles and sizes. |
| If you have a high speed internet connection, watch the Intrepid Berkeley Explorer's free video of this trip, "Tsar Trek", by clicking on AdventurePics.com . |
| Baltic States Table of Contents |
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| Lithuania |
| Latvia |
| Estonia |
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