The Baltic States
In 2015 I had the privilege to visit the Baltic states again, marvel at magnificent medieval towns like Tallinn and enjoy the equally beautiful nature of these countries. A few impressions.
Hill of Crosses, Lithuania Pt. II (2014 Update)
This one is a follow up to a series I did last year about the (in)famous Hill of Crosses in Lithuania. You can read it up here. To be honest, not much changed since then. I guess the hill grew a little bit and there are some more crosses now, as they seem to mulitply on a daily rate. It remains a mysterious place, strangly alluring yet somewhat creepy. It makes for interesting pictures, that’s for sure.
Hill of Crosses, Lithuania
The Hill of Crosses is a sacred place in Northern Lithuania close to the city of Silauliai. Basically it consists of two small artificial hills (maybe 5 to 6 meters high) in the midst of vast farming land. The origins of the crosses are largely unknown though there are many legends speaking of soldiers finding their last rest in the ground beneath. In the 19th century the place became regarded as mystical and holy. First crosses were erected in honor of fallen soldiers and in remembrance of deceased family members, later also to celebrate happy occasions like weddings and baptisms. The Soviets saw the hill as a place of fanatic cultism and closed it down. Despite the repressions they were not able to stop the tradition and after 1990 the Hill of Crosses grew even more becoming a national symbol of religion and endurance. Today crosses can be seen from around the world and not only catholic crosses but also orthodox and evangelical ones. If religious or not the place definitely doesn’t leave the visitor cold.
Michael Hoffman Photography 