PLACES TO VISIT

Monument for remembrance of the sufferings of the Lithuanian people experienced during the 1940-1988 occupation period

This monument in the old cemetery of Kretinga, in front of Saint George Chapel, is unique not only because of its shape. It is the first monument built during the Lithuanian National Revival. The monument was designed by the architect Edmundas Giedrimas from Kretinga. A Lithuanian stone, weathered by rain and sun in the fields, was shaped into a heart. The heart is split and bears a cross, symbolizing the sufferings experienced by the people of Kretinga and the Lithuanian nation during periods of occupation. The stone for the monument was donated by the stonemason and Franciscan Vilius Orvidas, a quiet herald of freedom who immortalized not only faith but also the thirst for independence in his works. The monument was initiated by the Initiative Group of Lithuania’s Reform Movement in Kretinga.