Hill of Crosses

General view of the Hill of Crosses

Close view of the Hill of Crosses

Hill of Crosses (Lithuanian:  Kryžių kalnas (help·info)) is a site of pilgrimage about

12 km north of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania. The precise origin of the
practice of leaving crosses on the hill is uncertain, but it is believed that the first
crosses were placed on the former Jurgaičiai or Domantai hill fort after the 1831
Uprising.[1] Over the generations, not only crosses and crucifixes, but statues of
the Virgin Mary, carvings of Lithuanian patriots and thousands of
tiny effigies and rosaries have been brought here by Catholic pilgrims. The exact
number of crosses is unknown, but estimates put it at about 55,000 in 1990 [2] and
100,000 in 2006.[3] It is a major site of Catholic pilgrimage in Lithuania.

Hill of Crosses

History
Over the generations, the place has come to signify the peaceful endurance of
Lithuanian people despite the threats they faced throughout history. After the 3rd
partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, Lithuania became part of
the Russian Empire. Poles and Lithuanians unsuccessfully rebelled against Russian
authorities in 1831 and 1863. These two uprisings are connected with the beginnings
of the hill: as families could not locate bodies of perished rebels, they started putting
up symbolic crosses at the site of a former hill fort.[1]
Number of crosses[2]

1800s over 9,000

1900 130

1902 155

1922 50

1938 over 400

1961 destroyed 5,000

1975 destroyed 1,200

1990 some 55,000

2006 over 100,000

A stone inscribed with the words of Pope John Paul II: "Thank you, Lithuanians, for this Hill of Crosses
which testifies to the nations of Europe and to the whole world the faith of the people of this land."

When the old political structure of Eastern Europe fell apart in 1918, Lithuania once
again declared its independence. Throughout this time, the Hill of Crosses was used
as a place for Lithuanians to pray for peace, for their country, and for the loved ones
they had lost during the Wars of Independence.
The site took on a special significance during the years 1944–1990, when Lithuania
was occupied by the Soviet Union. Continuing to travel to the hill and leave their
tributes, Lithuanians used it to demonstrate their allegiance to their original identity,
religion and heritage. It was a venue of peaceful resistance, although the Soviets
worked hard to remove new crosses, and bulldozed the site at least three times
(including attempts in 1963 and 1973).[4] There were even rumors that the authorities
planned to build a dam on the nearby Kulvė River, a tributary to Mūša, so that the hill
would end up underwater.[5]
On September 7, 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the Hill of Crosses, declaring it a
place for hope, peace, love and sacrifice. In 2000 a Franciscan hermitage was
opened nearby. The interior decoration draws links with La Verna, the mountain
where St. Francis is said to have received his stigmata.[4] In May 2013, Šiauliai
District Municipality adopted rules regarding the placement of crosses. People are
allowed to erect wooden crosses less than 3 metres (9.8 ft) in height with no permits.
[6]

In December 2019, a tourist from China removed and tossed away a cross believed
to be set up by the Hong Kong pro-democracy camp. She later condemned the
protesters in a Twitter post and in an Instagram video saying, "We have done a good
thing today. Our motherland is great."[7] Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas
Linkevičius condemned the woman's action in a tweet that called it a "shameful,
disgraceful act of vandalism" and said such behavior "can't and won't be tolerated". [8]