Proclamation of Kryžkalnis Partisan Memorial
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Lithuanian partisans fought for Lithuania’s freedom and paid for it with their lives: from 50,000 of them who took part, 20,000 sacrificed their lives and the remaining, though alive, came back to Lithuania from KGB prisons, Siberian and Kazakhstani camps, having lost their health (according to Lithuanian citizen and resistance research centre’s data). The partisans who are still alive hope to see a monument for their dead comrades and for the future generations to know the price of Lithuanian Independence.
Jonas Žemaitis-Vytautas, leader of all Lithuanian partisans and one who practically performed presidential duties of the occupied state, hoped: “If not now, then in fifty or a hundred years, Lithuania will have gained independence and will honour our aims and our work”.
With the centenary of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania, the centenary of the Lithuanian Army and Lithuanian and the 70th Anniversary of the Declaration of the Freedom Movement of Lithuania approaching (1944 – 1953 Lithuanian partisans were an independent Lithuanian army fighting against the occupants) Representatives of the Lithuanian Freedom Fighting Movement (Chairman Giedrius Gataveckas, members of the Board – Angelė Jakavonytė, Saulius Černa), Antanas Kliunka, Chairman of the Homeland Partisan Freedom Fighting Union, and Jonas Burokas, President of the Lithuanian Freedom Fighters’ Union, and sculptor Tadas Gutauskas) organized a meeting (please see the protocol of the meeting attached) regarding the commemoration of the whole of Lithuania’s partisans. In the opinion of the participants of the meeting, the best place for the monument is located in Kryžkalnis village, Raseiniai district, on the same plot of land where the chapel with the cross has already started to commemorate the memory of the partisans of the Kęstutis district.
The land plot is owned by the Lithuanian Freedom Fighting Movement and the Union of Homeland Partisan Freedom Fighting Celebration. The aforementioned organisations acquired these lands for the funds donated by Lithuanian people. The participants of the meeting agreed with the vision of the memorial to the Lithuanian partisans presented by sculptor Tadas Gutauskas and architect Saulius Pamerneckis (attached). The most important symbols of the memorial are the obelisk of a Lithuanian sword-form with a golden cross of Vytis at the top and the memorial wall with the grave of an unknown partisan, commemorating about 20,000 lost partisans.
Taking into consideration the fact that the land plot in which the memorial will be built will be managed by the Lithuanian Freedom Fighting Movement and the Union of Homeland Partisan Freedom Fighting Celebration, these organisations decided to join forces and the construction of the memorial to the Lithuanian partisans will be organized by the Lithuanian Freedom Fighting Movement led by Giedrius Gataveckas.
After implementation of the project of the Lithuanian Partisan Memorial and upon its completion, it will be transferred free of charge to the State of Lithuania and its supervision.
Our noble goal is supported by the Lithuanian Society of Political Prisoners and Deportees, the Lithuanian Union of Political Prisoners, the Lithuanian Freedom Fighters’ Union, the Lithuanian Armed Forces Association, the Coordinating Council of the Non-Governmental Organizations Assisting the Defence Capabilities of the Lithuanian State, the Reform Movement of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Riflemen Union, the Lithuanian Political Prisoners and Exiles’ Union, Lithuanian Liberation Army.
We invite all Lithuanian patriots in the country and abroad to support our noble goal, join the project and contribute financially to its implementation. You can donate at the donation page, or:
Lithuanian Freedom Fighting Movement (company code 2907706500), Respublikos str. 17, tel .: +370 65026474, Swedbank, A/S LT 327300010109448557 (please name the transfer “Support for the partisan memorial in Kryžkalnis”).
Support for the project was endorsed by the heads of all twelve public organizations with signatures:
Giedrius Gataveckas (Lithuanian Freedom Fighting Movement), Ernestas Subačius (Lithuanian Freedom Fighters’ Union), Vidmantas Samys (Society of Lithuanian Political Prisoners and Deportees), Juozas Listavičius (Union of Lithuanian Political Prisoners), Kostas Mickevičius (Lithuanian Armed Forces Association), Algis Narutis (Coordination Board of Non-Governmental Organizations Assisting the Defense Capabilities of the Lithuanian State), Vidmantas Žilius (The Reform Movement of Lithuania), Gvidas Rutkauskas (Union of Lithuanian Political Prisoners and Deportees), Gintaras Koryzna (Lithuanian Riflemen Union), Irena Giedraitienė (Lithuanian Liberation Army).
We sincerely thank you for your donations and support!
Vilnius
2017, 20-th of November.
Proclamation original (page 1), 2017. 20.
