Dianes Diary - Last Saturday some friends took us to Kaunas, the 2nd largest city in Lithuania. As it was a day trip we only saw a sampling of what this beautiful city has to offer. Both Jim and I said it has a different feel from Vilnius - not better or worse, just different. Think it was architecture. It is historically a leading center of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. This is the place where the Nemunas and Neris Rvers merge. The city is near the Kaunas Reservoir which is the largest body of water in Lithuania. From 1919 to 1939 Kaunas was the nations capital as Vilnius was part of Poland. Old Town has a beautiful boulevard which is over a mile long, a castle and several churches. We saw at least 4 weddings taking place. A Lithuanian tradition is for the groom to carry the bride across a bridge which we got to witness! The last picture of the decorated post was in Town Square. Dont know anything about it! During Soviet occupation churches were converted into factories, gyms, prisons, etc. Most, like ours, have been restored and are used for worship once again. We saw one church where the floor was left in place which made for a low flat ceiling in the sanctuary. You could tell it wasnt meant to be that way. The first place we went to was the IX Fort Museum. The Ninth Fort was part of the Kaunas Fortress which was constructed in the late 19th century. In 1902 construction began on the IX Fort and was completed on the Eve of WWI. From 1924 on it was used as a prison. During Nazis occupation the IX Fort was the place for the mass murder of Jews. At least 10,000 Jews from the Kaunas area were killed here. The books Ive read by survivors of Kaunas wrote about the IX Fort and how it meant they would never see those again who were taken there. Gave me a better understanding of their stories. During Soviet occupation it was used by the NKVD to hold political prisons being sent to labor camps in Siberia. In 1958 the fort became a museum. There is a field here which is the mass grave of so many victims. The 3 piece sculpture standing by the green ditch where the victims stood to be shot was erected in 1984. A. Ambraziunas, a Lithuanian sculptor, designed the memorial which is 105 feet high. The large engraved stone standing between the sculpture and place of execution reads: This is the place where Nazis and their assistants killed more than 30,000 Jews from Lithuania and other European countries. Interestingly the Soviet government didnt destroy it. We visited Christs Resurrection Church which has an elevator to the terrace at the base of the steeple complete with a chapel. A wedding was taking place in the large sanctuary and the wedding doves were waiting on the terrace! This church was the result of Lithuanias freedom attained in 1918. The people wanted to build a church that would express their thanks to God for their nations freedom. Since Vilnius was still occupied by Poland, Kaunas, the capital, was chosen for the site. The cornerstone was brought from Jerusalems Mount Olives in 1934. Lack of funding resulted in slow progress. It was almost completed in 1940 but work was suspended during WWII. The Nazis used the building for storage and the Soviets demolished the chapel and turned the church into a radio factory. With the resurrection of Lithuanias freedom once again in 1991, work began to renovate and complete the church. The church was finally consecrated in 2004. Since our friend is an artist who works for the Vilnius Academy of Art she had a special interest in the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum. He was a Lithuanian painter and composer in early 20th century. He is considered one of Europes pioneers in abstract art. He died of pneumonia at age 35 leaving about 400 pieces of music and about 300 paintings. It was a great day to experience a sampling of Lithuanias rich culture. Our hostess, the artist, apologized when she and her husband picked us up. Their 7 month old Lab was going along so we wouldnt have to hurry home. Also, she was taking a large painting to the Kaunas Art Institute for an exhibit. The problem was she and I would have the painting resting on our heads (when arms got tired) for the 1 1/2 hour car ride! Told her we were making memories!
Posted on: Sat, 31 May 2014 11:14:21 +0000