Šaltojo karo ir sovietų okupacijos palikimas Žemaitijoje

In the central part of Klaipėda city.

Klaipėda is a region with a unique destiny. When the Soviets occupied Lithuania in 1940, the city and region of Klaipėda already belonged to the German Reich. In January 1945, the Red Army occupied Klaipėda. According to the registration data of the military commandant's office, at that time there were 28 civilians left in the city. Thus began a new Soviet phase in Klaipėda. One repressive regime was replaced by another.

The goal of the creators of the exhibition "In the Footsteps of the Soviet Era" is to encourage reflection on the Soviet era and the changes that began in the late 1980s, to discuss the complex space of the Soviet era. The story is about the new residents, the construction of "socialist" Klaipėda, the aspirations of Soviet ideology and propaganda, and resistance to the suppression of national, civic, and religious consciousness. Separate stories and themes are developed: an exhibition of the interior of a Soviet-era intelligentsia's living room illustrates the everyday life of people of that time; an improvised "red corner" and Soviet-era slogans tell about the methods and banality of Soviet propaganda; a computer terminal presents the construction of the Klaipėda Mary Queen of Peace Church and its fate in 1957–1963, etc.

In the city of Klaipėda.

The museum “39/45”, which belongs to the History Museum of Lithuania Minor, tells the story of the Second World War in the city and region of Klaipėda. The museum is located under the rampart, on the site of the former eastern curtain wall of Klaipėda Castle, where German military units had set up an explosives warehouse during the war.

The museum's exposition is modern and attractive to visitors - the exposition consists of 4 halls presenting different stages of the war era, and the exhibition halls are equipped with 13 interactive points. In the hall "Klaipėda on the Eve of the War", you can get acquainted with historical documents and photographs, and the cardinal changes of that time in Europe are depicted on an original animated map. The hall "Klaipėda Storm" presents the extremely tragic history of the city of Klaipėda and its inhabitants, while the other "Klaipėda after the War" exhibits an installation dedicated to the memory of the destroyed churches of the city. In the last hall, "Memory", a symbolic 6-meter-long carriage with a glass lid is placed, under which are many ordinary household items that once belonged to both German soldiers and Klaipėda civilians. The glass is filled with a layer of sand, so in order to see the exhibits, you will have to clean the sand with your fingers.

Klaipėda city's Royal Dane embankment, next to the Castle Bridge.

The ship belonging to the "Lindau" mine trawler class was built in 1956-1958. in West Germany. The purpose of these ships is to detect and destroy sea mines. Accordingly, the ship's hull was made of Brazilian oak, the decks were made of teak, and the devices were made of non-magnetic metal.

1958-1999 the ship belonged to the German Navy and was christened M1071 Koblenz. 1978-1979 from a minesweeper it was converted into a minesweeper (minehunter).

in 1999 the ship was handed over to the Naval Forces of the Lithuanian Army. The ships of these forces are traditionally named after the historical regions of Lithuania, so the new ship was christened with that name - M52 "Sūduvis". The ship served Lithuania for 22 years, participated in international and national exercises and operations.

in 2021 the ship completed its service in the Lithuanian Naval Forces and was handed over to the Lithuanian Maritime Museum. M52 "Sūduvis" was then adapted for museum and educational activities when it was opened to the public. A ship on display with authentic working equipment.

M52 "Sūduvio" displacement 463 t, engine power 4000 HP, speed 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h), crew of 42 people. Armament and equipment of the ship: 40 mm caliber cannon, acoustic system, minesweeper robot.

In Klaipėda city between K. Donelaičio, Liepų, Trilapio and S. Daukantas streets.

The Sculpture Park in Klaipėda is a multi-layered witness to the city's and the world's history. A cemetery, a park, a memorial, an art space - all this and more fits into this one space.

In 1944–1945, the Soviet occupiers reestablished themselves in Lithuania, and the city of Klaipėda was left without its old inhabitants. The once new, but now old city cemetery was abandoned, devastated and destroyed. Finally, it was abolished, and in 1977. the Sculpture Park was established in its place. Works of art began to be built. It is said that even during the years of Soviet censorship, “art strategies far removed from the canons of socialist realism were formed and implemented here: abstraction, surrealism, minimalism, localized art”.

Today, this park is called the Open-Air Gallery of Lithuanian Mature Modernist Sculpture. It exhibits 116 works created during the Soviet era (1977–1989). However, along with works of art and relics of old cemeteries, other layers and monuments also coexist here:

• A fortification device reminiscent of the Napoleonic Wars – a defensive chancel (1812);
• memorial to the 1923 Klaipėda Uprising (1925);
• memorial to the Soviet Union soldiers of World War II (1949–1980; part of the memorial was dismantled in 2022 after the start of the Russian war against Ukraine);
• a memorial stone for the old residents of the Klaipėda region – the Memelenders (1992).

Memorials also honor the French prisoners of war who died in the Franco-Prussian War, the soldiers of the German Empire in World War I, the soldiers of Independent Lithuania, and the Belgian, Polish, and French prisoners of war in World War II.

Since 2005, the Sculpture Park exposition has been maintained by the Museum of the History of Lithuania Minor.

Although it is a military facility, today the barracks are home to Klaipėda University, and the former barracks campus is full of signs testifying to their past.

The barracks were built in 1904–1907 after the Klaipėda magistrate concluded an agreement with the Prussian War Office. The built barracks complex (architect unknown) consisted of eight main (brick) buildings, of which six have survived to this day, and auxiliary wooden buildings. Two main buildings were intended for soldiers to live in. In front of the wing of each barracks residential building were brick toilets, a one-story building with a turret housed a kitchen, and canteens for non-commissioned officers and soldiers. Non-commissioned officers and lieutenants lived in the buildings located along the current Herkuus Manto Street. The eighth two-story building, located in the northwestern corner of the plot, housed stables and a warehouse. The architecture of the barracks reflects the combination of historicist and reformist searches that appeared in the architecture of Prussian government institutions at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries.

In 1907–1914, the 3rd Battalion of the 41st von Boyen Regiment was stationed in the barracks, which fought on the Eastern Front during World War I and in 1916 in the famous Battle of Verden. In 1919–1920, the volunteer battalion of the 41st Infantry Regiment of the Prussian Volunteer Corps, which was being formed, was stationed in the barracks, as well as one battalion each of the 223rd Regiment and the 103rd Regiment, which were transferred to Klaipėda. In 1920–1923, the barracks belonged to the 21st Infantry Rifle Battalion of the French Army, in 1923–1934, to the 7th Infantry Regiment of the Duke of Samogitia Butigeidis of the Lithuanian Army, and in 1934–1939, to the 6th Regiment of the Duke of Pilėnai Margis.

The barracks are now home to Klaipėda University. The former military campus can only be viewed from the outside.

in the central part of the city of Palanga.

The museum operates in one of the smallest wooden villas of the Palanga resort "Vaidilute". It was founded in 1993. Initiative of the Palanga branch of the Union of Lithuanian Political Prisoners and Deportees. Even today, the department takes care of the museum on public grounds. The volunteers of the department have adapted the villa for museum activities, and they lead tours themselves.

The exhibition tells about the participation of Lithuanians in the resistance and the exiles that broke people's destinies. A separate part of the exposition is dedicated to General Jonas Žemaičius-Vytautas (1909–1954), a Lithuanian partisan commander from Palanga. in 2009 By the decision of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, the general was recognized as the leader of Lithuania, which fought against the Soviet occupation, and actually served as the president. in 2009 he was also given the title of honorary citizen of the city of Palanga. in 2004 A monument to the general was built in the center of Palanga.

Near Salantai, on the right side of the Salantai–Plungė road (KK169) (there are information signs).

This space was started more than 40 years ago by stone masters father and son Kazimieras and Vilius Orvidai (1905–1989; 1952–1992). During land reclamation, they brought stones of more interesting shapes and centuries-old trees from the surrounding area to their homestead and created monuments with religious themes from them. It is said that this museum was born out of grief over the nature being destroyed by Soviet land reclamation and the desire to breathe life into the condemned stones, to resurrect them for a second life. The works created by the Orvidai themselves and other artists that appeared on the Orvidai homestead did not comply with Soviet ideological and artistic canons: the works created from stone, wood, metal and old agricultural implements intertwined symbols of various religions (Catholic, pagan, Buddhist). The homestead was also a gathering place for people who did not fit into the Soviet reality of life, and it became a place of refuge and gathering for those who thought differently. The Soviet government had repeatedly planned to destroy this space, but it was nevertheless saved. The Orvidai homestead became extremely popular during the period of the Lithuanian Renaissance.

Visitors to the farmstead-museum are greeted by the IS-2 tank. This tank was developed by the Soviets during World War II as a response to the German Tiger I. The name of the tank series IS is an acronym for the Soviet tyrant Joseph Stalin. Previously, this tank stood in Salantai, was part of the memorial to the burial site of Soviet soldiers of World War II. In 1991, it was transported to the Orvidai farmstead and became its exhibit.

The exposition is arranged in the former ballistic missile launch complex of the Soviet Union, which is the only well-equipped facility of its kind in Europe. The Plokštines missile base was completed in 1962. on December 31. It was placed in the largest forest massif, east of Lake Plateļi. There were 4 SS-4 "Sandal" medium-range ballistic missiles equipped with 2-megaton thermonuclear warheads, aimed at Western European countries. 1978 after the base was discovered by US intelligence, it was closed with the removal of armaments. 2012 after reconstruction, an exhibition of relevant content was opened here.

in 1962 "Dvina", one of the first underground R-12 ballistic missile launch complex in the Soviet Union, started operating in the Ploštinė forests (Plungė district).

A military town has been established 0.5 km from the missile launch base. On the territory of 12 hectares, about 30 buildings of various purposes were built: residential houses (barracks), officers' headquarters, 2 canteens, a boiler room, a power plant, a medical station, a club, a pig farm, warehouses, garages and other buildings.

The platform's underground missile launch complex operated until 1978. June 18 The soldiers left the area, taking only their weapons with them. in 1979 the management of the former military complex was handed over to the Association of Republican Agricultural Recreational Institutions of the Plungė district, and the Platelia Pioneers' Rest Camp "Žuvėdra" was established in the military town. The area was remodeled and adapted to the needs of the camp, which operated until 1990. After Lithuania regained its independence, the Pioneer Camp was closed.

Since 1993 the facility is managed by the Žemaitija National Park Directorate. Many buildings of the military campus were demolished in 2017 due to their state of emergency. Currently, there are about 10 buildings left in the area, which can be viewed from the outside by visitors. There are information stands that tell about the former buildings and their purpose.

The Freedom Monument on Laisvės Alley in the city of Plungė began to be built around 1928 by the artist Kleinauskis to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Lithuania. The project was completed in 1931 and recognized as the tallest (18 m) Freedom Monument in Samogitia.
The idea of the monument did not satisfy the Catholic community of the city, as the main figure of the monument – a plaster sculpture of a winged angel with a sword and a crown in his hands – seemed too vulgar and naked. For this reason, the initial idea of building the Freedom Monument in front of the church was resisted, and the latter was eventually built on Laisvės alėja. It is said that the citizens would throw stones at the sculpture. The monument did not please the city authorities either – Independence Day celebrations were held near the St. Florian statue, ignoring the Freedom Monument.
Finally, the ruined sculpture was dismantled around 1936, and around 1950-1953. The Soviet occupation authorities, fighting against the manifestations of the ideas of freedom, blew up the remains of the monument. In 1992, the monument was restored and consecrated, with the new sculpture and coat of arms cast from brass. The author of the restored monument is sculptor Vilimas Ketvirtis. The sculpture of the angel was cast in St. Petersburg, and the coats of arms of Plungė were cast in Kaunas.

The museum is located in the city of Telšiai, on the north-western coast of Lake Mastis.

in 2024 In September, after the reconstruction, the newly opened Žemaitia Museum "Alka" presents the history and culture of the Žemaitija region - archaeological finds, rare and unexpected historical artifacts, ethnographic treasure, the legacy of interwar and emigrant artists, the exclusive heritage of Žemaitija estates: historical furniture, masterpieces of art.

Three exhibition spaces are particularly interesting from the perspective of military heritage:

1. The audio-visual installation "Epochų lůmis" which is complemented by a small exposition of artifacts from the Second World War. The exclusive exposition, divided into two parts, displays authentic items used by soldiers during the Nazi German and Soviet occupations - helmets, ammunition boxes, bayonets, and relevant video projections.

2. "Loss stories" in which the painful part of the nation's history is told through the stories and destinies of different individuals and families, determined by the brutal Soviet occupation regime's terror against the local population.

3. "Guerrilla War in Žemaitija" exposition is arranged in a stylized reproduction of the interior of a post-war partisan hideout. In the exhibition, you can familiarize yourself with the structure of the Lithuanian partisans, see authentic artifacts found at the site of the Battle of God's Seat Forest near Telšiai, as well as examples of weapons typical of that period, an excerpt from a documentary film dedicated to this battle, and various photos of partisans who operated in this region are shown.

Rainiai Passion Chapel is located in the village of Rainiai, 5 km from Telšiai, next to road 160 Telšiai-Varniai - Laukuva.

in 1941 June 25-26 One of the worst massacres in the history of the Soviet occupation of Lithuania took place in Rainiai forest. At night, 75 political prisoners of Telšiai prison were brutally tortured by the Red Army and the repressive institutions of the USSR. The victims buried in a common grave were found a few days later by a passer-by.

To honor the victims of the massacres, according to the idea of the architect Jonas Viraks in 1943. the construction of the Chapel began. The return of Soviet power in 1944 demolished it. Later in 1990, after the regaining of Lithuania's independence, the architect A. Žebrauskas, according to the same author's drawings, began to build another chapel. The chapel was consecrated in 1991. June 23 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Rainai massacre.

The Rainiai Suffering Chapel is dedicated not only to the memory of the Rainiai martyrs, but also perpetuates the memory of all victims of Soviet terror. A stone cross carved by the sculptor R. Midvikis was erected in the forest near the chapel, where political prisoners were tortured. 3 more wooden crosses painted in the colors of the national flag stand on the way. They were built by the local people shortly after the massacre, but the thugs drowned them in the Viešvėnai pond. Only recently, after the pond was drained, the crosses were found, painted and restored.

in 1949 Partisans of the Žarėnai company of the Šatria national team, led by Edmundos Rekašiaus-Lakūnas, settled in the depths of the forest of God's seat (Telšiai district). in 1949 May 21 During the operation carried out by the MGB, a partisan camp was found, in which 11 partisans were at that time.
When the fighting started, 7 partisans were killed in the shooting, including the commander of the Šatria national team - Aloyzas Mažutis-Šarūnas. During the operation, 4 partisans were arrested, 3 of them were seriously injured. Company commanders Edmund Rekašius-Lakūnas and Steponas Rekašius-Daris managed to escape from the encirclement. The burial places of the partisans who died during the battle were determined by the brothers Alfredas and Romualdas Jonuš, based on eyewitness accounts and KGB documents.
Today, there is an educational trail (about 5 km long) in the forest of the Seat of God, where you can see a cross marking the place of battles and partisans' deaths, a reconstructed bunker where in 1947-1948 Zigmas Tomkus, the head of the operative department of the Shatrija national team of Žemaičiai County, lived and worked there, and in 1949 in May, the partisans of the Shatrija national team of Žemaičiai district also stayed in the bunker. Also on the trail is the reconstructed land of the partisans of the Žarėnai company, the chapel marking the place of death of the partisan Irena Belazaritė-Žibuoklė, a cross with the names of the fallen partisans, a monument to the partisans of Žemaitija and other memorials.