Dedicating a September 11th Memorial

It is early September in Vilnius, and the first hint of Fall is in the air. I have only been here for two weeks, but I've been told that the weather is at its most perfect during this time of the year. After evenings of wandering in Old Town Vilnius under a warm clear sky, I am inclined to believe it.

The evening of September 11, this year, happened to be one of these perfect late-summer moments, which I enjoyed in a truly unique place - the Hill of Crosses outside of the small city of Siauliai. A member of Seimas (parliament) from the region, Dr. Egidijus Vareikis, had organized a special dedication of two crosses erected in memory of the victims of the 9/11 tragedy. He had invited members of the American Embassy in Vilnius to make the trip out to Siauliai for the dedication, and Edgaras (one of the local interns) and I were happy to go.

The Hill of Crosses is a landmark unique to Lithuania and the people's rich history of Christianity. It dates back many hundreds of years to when people first started planting crosses on the small hill outside of town, as prayers and symbols of hope and remembrance. The number of crosses grew over the years, as did the place's legendary and holy status. In Soviet times, from the 1950s to the 1970s, the hill was bulldozed on several occasions by the Soviet government. People were arrested for planting crosses on the site, but small symbols of hope still appeared.

Today there are no restrictions or organization of the site whatsoever. The hill is covered in more than 100,000 crosses, of all sizes. Many are wonderful pieces of artwork, handcarved or painted, and a few are towering monuments of Christian faith. In the sprawling collection of crosses and crucifixes, a single wood-plank pathway makes its way up one side of the hill and down the other. From this path you can see small walkways, like game trails, worn into the landscape by thousands of people searching for a place to plant their contribution.

For anybody who travels here, regardless of religious faith or background, it is a moving experience. It is a intimate place, a look inside the heart of the Lithuanian people, which made the 9/11 event particularly special. The two very large memorial crosses had been set at the absolute top of the hill, on either side of the main trail. On the side of each there was placed a small plaque, announcing to any curious person that these crosses were for the United States, to remember their terrible loss. For me - standing in a place dedicated to people who have suffered for so many years, in a country that has experienced astonishing tragedy - the idea that these people cared enough to erect these monuments, which tower over their beautiful sanctuary, was truly humbling.

The ceremony was short and sweet. As the sun set, about 30 people gathered along the path, facing a microphone at the hilltop. Dr. Vareikis spoke a few words and a Father from the local parish gave a prayer, blessing the crosses with holy water. I was then asked to address the group, and stepped forward to thank them. In a few short sentences I tried to convey the feeling of thanks and humility that I felt, and to the few people who spoke English I hope that the message got across. After I was done speaking, a musician took the podium to play a song he wrote for the occasion. He strummed an acoustic guitar and Lithuanian words rang out in a true American country music style. It fit the ceremony very well.

Edgaras and I hung around just a little while after the ceremony was concluded, to thank  Dr. Egidijus Vareikis for inviting members of the America Embassy, and to shake hands with many others who had attended. A local television news station even asked me for a short interview, and I got a second opportunity to express my thanks to the people of that region (in English, for what it was worth). We took a final walk around the site, snapping photos for my and Edgaras' Facebook pages, and we were ready to go.

Trakai

For our first full weekend in Lithuania, J.T., Domenico, and I (aka the new American interns) went to Trakai with some of the diplomats from the Embassy.  Trakai is a city steeped in medieval history and dotted with lakes—and since it’s only about a half-hour car ride from Vilnius, it’s a popular lake resort too.  There’s evidence to suggest that Trakai has been settled since the first millennium AD, and during the reign of Vytautas the Great Trakai was the center of activity in the Lithuanian empire.  Once Vilnius began to grow, Trakai slowly lost its significance and was destroyed by the Cossacks during the 1655 invasion.  Still, even the ruins of Trakai served as a symbol of the national revival of the nineteenth century, and the city was never forgotten.  Ironically enough, it was under Soviet rule in the 1950’s when it was announced that the city would be rebuilt and restored—and it is because of these improvements that Trakai is the cultural attraction we see today.

Our first stop in Trakai was the Trakai Island Castle, built during the rule of Vytautas the Great (known as a national hero) and restored in 1987.  A long wooden footbridge connects the island on which the castle rests to the shore, and boats of all kinds are available to rent for use on Lake Galvė in between.  There’s a path that covers the circumference of the island, and a path to take into the castle—complete with a moat and bridge.  The castle is huge and houses a history museum that displays everything from clothes to medieval armor, most of which is older than America! (No big deal, right?)   You can climb all the way up to the Ducal Palace’s keep, which is 100 feet high and gives a great view of the rest of the castle as well as the lake surrounding it.  In one section of the castle there was even a contemporary art exhibit, an example that I think symbolizes Lithuania perfectly: the place boasts modern ingenuity even within its famed rustic historical exterior.

Next, we returned to the shore and walked along the main streets of the city.  Here, the multicultural nature of the town is seen in the types of restaurants we saw—with foods inspired by communities of Lithuanians, Polish, Russians, Tartars, and Karaims.  All of it looked good, and we were all hungry!  Cultural influences can be seen by looking at the construction of things as well; for example, in many areas that were settled by Karaim, the buildings have three windows that face the street, a popular tradition for the community.

Our last stop was the Medieval Festival held at the old Trakai Peninsula Castle right nearby.  We had to rush to the fair after eating because the guys wanted to catch the last of the battle reenactments.  It’s funny to think about though, because here these duels are like our Civil War reenactments at home—they’re not scripted to look like something out of a movie, but instead are actually a part of the history and culture of the country.  At this fair, the “soldiers” were actually beating each other with axes and shields (something JT and Domenico found really amusing) which made it more like a history lesson and less like Disneyland.  In the meantime, we also got to look at all of the traditional handcrafted goods for sale and more, you guessed it, food.  In the center of the fair we found a couple guys pushing an archaic-looking wooden horse in a circle for kids to ride—but Domenico and JT wanted to ride too.  The guys working the ride laughed when JT and Domenico paid, and I can’t say what was more amusing: watching them ride a horse made for kids under the age of ten or watching everyone else at the fair’s reaction.

All in all, it was a really nice visit, and I think that the pictures alone would make the trip worthwhile!

Makaiya: "Lab’ukas!"

So, I want to introduce myself:  I’m a senior at New York University studying Human Rights and Literature – although I’ve taken this semester off to intern for the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania.  In preparing to come here, it was a bit of a challenge to find English information about Lithuania, so I wanted to write a bit down, in hopes that any potential travelers can pick up a few tips.

When I first flew into Vilnius, I remember being a little shocked.  I looked out the plane window and saw this flat landscape, stretching for miles and miles, with SNOW absolutely everywhere.  Then I got off the plane, actually felt how cold it was outside – when I left my hometown it was 26º Celsius (78 º Fahrenheit); when I arrived in Vilnius, it was -8º (17 º Fahrenheit).  This past winter, weather got as low as -30 ºC (-22 ºF)!


Needless to say, I’ve gotten used to the weather here and now, seven weeks later, I am completely, utterly, head-over-heels in love with Lithuania.  Yes, the snow can be daunting at first, but it can turn this city into such a beautiful wonderland.  (Just remember to layer!)  I’m looking forward to warmer weather, too.  I hear that Vilnius really comes alive sometime during late spring and that the Old Town (the old part of Vilnius) suddenly fills up with people strolling around, and eating at outdoor cafes.

For any potential visitors to Vilnius, I would recommend Gediminos Prospektas, which is basically the epicenter of Vilnius.  It’s a beautiful, historic street running through Old Town.  (On February 16^th, one of Lithuania’s Independence Days, 16 bonfires lined this street in celebration, and groups of Lithuanians were gathered around them, singing Lithuanian folk songs.  If you’re around Vilnius during that time, you should definitely go.)  Also, there are some great coffee shops along Gedimino.  My favorite thing to have is the “Winnie-the-Pooh” at Coffee Inn.  It’s a latte with honey!  Yum. Plus Coffee Inn is a cool little place that’s always full of students, and local artists have their work up.  It’s a chain, and sometimes the bigger venues even have musical performances.

Lithuanian food is pretty great.  There’s this great desert called šakotis, which you’ll see everywhere, it’s this big spiked cone of a cookie, basically.  And you should definitely try the kepta duona (fried bread with garlic and cheese), gira (a Lithuanian drink made out of fermented bread), and kibinai (a pastry with meat inside.  Technically, it’s not from Lithuania, but the Lithuanians seem to have perfected them!).  If you’re feeling a bit healthier, I’ve found the seafood and salads here to have been consistently amazing.


--Makaiya

Ellen: "Labas! Hello!"

My name is Ellen and I am currently interning for the US Department of State at the embassy in Vilnius.  I have already been in Lithuania for almost 7 weeks and only have 3 weeks left until I’m back home in the States.

If you want to know a little bit about myself, here are some quick bullet points!

- I am 21 years old.

-  I was born and raised in the Southeastern part of Virginia right by the beach, but I now attend a university in Northern Virginia (NoVa for short) about 20 minutes outside of Washington, D.C.

- When I return home I’ll be entering my last year of college.  Wow, how the time flies!  It’s weird to think about.  I’m definitely not ready to graduate yet!

- At school I study History – mainly European, but I’ve also taken several courses in U.S. history and some in non-Western history.

- This is not my first time in Europe; I’ve been to Germany, Poland, and Hungary.  It is, however, my first time to Lithuania and to the Baltic’s!  Since coming here I’ve gotten to see Riga, Latvia.

I was excited to find out that I would be interning in Lithuania.  If not for this opportunity, I do not know if I would have ever made it to this part of the globe.  For a history major, I was disappointed in how little I actually knew about Lithuania, but being able to see and learn, in person, about a country with such a rich and proud history has been an experience that I never would have been able to receive from pages in a textbook.  

Although this is the first time that I have been to Lithuania, it is not the first encounter I’ve had with Lithuanians.  The school that I attended from the 1^st-12^th grade used to receive several Lithuanian exchange students.  Before I even knew about the popularity of the sport here, this is where I began to associate Lithuania with basketball.  Our Lithuanian exchange students ALWAYS played on our basketball teams, and the majority of the time, we would win!  Several of them even continued on to play basketball at different U.S. universities!

One event in Vilnius that left me speechless was the Kaziukas Fair.  We have festivals in Virginia and across the rest of the United States, but I have never witnessed anything to this extent. 

People came from across Lithuania, the Baltics, Poland, Belarus, and other locations just to shop at the fair.  Another intern and I ventured to Gedimino in the early afternoon thinking that we would be able to casually walk around and look at each booth.  If you’ve been to the Kaziukas Fair, you know that’s impossible.  

Walking room is limited because of the sheer amount of people in attendance, and if you stand still for too long, you’ll probably get pushed around, not because someone is dying to get you to move, but because the Kaziukas Fair is like river - the current is constantly sweeping you forward.  I can’t think of anything comparable in the United States.  We eventually managed to stop and find souvenirs for friends and family back home.

I think that’s all for now, but please let me know what you are interested in hearing about, whether it is life in America or what I have experienced, so far, in Lithuania!

--Ellen