Medininkai guard Lithuania

The Hill of Aukštojas

Aukštojas Hill is the highest point in Lithuania and rises to 293.84 metres above the level of the Baltic Sea. It is located in Vilnius Region, at the Juozapinė Geomorphological Reserve near Medininkai village. A large stone rolled to the top of the hill and a concrete geodesic sign show the name of the hill as well as its height.

In order to preserve the fragments of the old moraine massif terrain, the Juozapinė Geomorphological Reserve was established in 1992 and covers an area of 251 hectares. The Reserve is located on the territory of the Medininkai Highlands, which in turn covers the north-west part of Ašmena Highlands. The terrain in this area is quite different from other Lithuanian highlands and is considered to be one of the oldest in the country. It was formed during the penultimate ice age and, as the result of the last ice age, was deep-frozen for many years.

About 10,000–15,000 years ago, the entire territory of the country was covered by a glacier. Various moraine sediments accumulated around its edges including boulders, gravel, sand and pebble. Powerful glacier waters polished the surface of the Medininkai Highlands making it fairly flat and clear of any hills or gullies. This is why the view that opens up from the observation tower located at the top of the 300-metre high Aukštojas Hill still leaves you wondering whether you are really looking at the landscape from the highest point in Lithuania.

It should be noted that there are no lakes in the Medininkai Highlands. Scientists claim that there used to be some, but that flowing glacier waters drained the lakes and flattened the shores. Today, the main elements of the landscape are valleys, ravines and pockets as well as hills that vary from prominent to flat-sloped and ridged ones.

For a long time, Juozapinė Hill had been officially regarded as the highest point in Lithuania. It is also located on the Medininkai Highlands, about 1 km from Aukštojas Hill. In 2004, specialists from the Institute of Geodesy at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, using the latest GPS technology, measured the elevation difference between the two hills: it was about 1 metre. Thus, Juozapinė Geomorphological Reserve can be proud to have the two highest points in Lithuania.

Aukštojas Hill has a symbolic meaning for Lithuania. It was excluded from the scope of the country’s agricultural land and is now a tourism and culture site. Various projects and artistic events are held on Aukštojas Hill. Additional events include annual celebrations of Mindaugas Coronation Day (6 July) and International Earth Day (20 March), the World Lithuanian Games as well as various ecological, ethnographic and other cultural events.

Another fact worth noting is that in 2006, a solemn celebration gave start to an incredibly important gratitude programme. Altogether 300,000 ‘Thank you’ signatures of Lithuanian citizens were gathered and made their way to Iceland. This symbolic gesture was to thank Iceland for being brave enough to become the first country to recognise Lithuanian independence! The written expression of Lithuania’s gratitude to the people of Iceland was presented to the country’s President. The ceremony of gratitude brought the two geographically distant countries closer together as it took place on the highest Icelandic peak Hvannadalshnukur(2,120 m)where a handful of Lithuanian soil was spread.

Visitors to Aukštojas Hill are invited to take a look at the beautiful pine forest, planted oak forest as well as a special artistic feature decorating the mountain called the Balts’ Sun Circle. The area has comfortable benches for tourists, a parking lot, bicycle racks, an observation tower and information signs.

Aukštojas in Baltic Mythology

Aukštojas is the name of the chief deity of the Balts mentioned in written sources from the 14thcentury as the supreme heavenly deity, the creator of the world and the protector of the principles of morality and justice. The supreme God is the first, eternal and has no beginning. Ancient Lithuanians gave him different names such as Praamžius, Sutvaras, Vaisgamtis, Labdarys, Gyveleidis, Ūkopirmas among others.

Aukštojas existed before the creation of the world, when darkness still prevailed. He was believed to take on the image of a pigeon and fly around the world dividing it into parts. He scattered the darkness with light and opened up a path. While walking on it he spat to his left side and saw a human-like creature appear from the water. God commanded the creature to dive into the water and bring him the seeds of the earth. On the third dive the man came back, his mouth and ears filled with seeds. Aukštojas scolded him for being so greedy, sowed the seeds and soon saw growth on the land.

The Balts’ Sun Circle

In 2012, Dalia Matulaitė’s sculptural composition was unveiled on the top of Aukštojas. The sculptural composition not only fits in beautifully right at the top, but also serves as a symbol of enrichment that connects the hill with the history and faith of ancient Lithuania.

The Balts’ Sun Circle symbolises an ancient altar. Its centre contains an image of a crown that is, it seems, elevated above Lithuania. The crown is surrounded by the granite heads of four horses. The Žemaitukas breed of horses look at different sides of the world, protect the crown and spread the news about Lithuania to all corners of the globe.

Dalia Matulaitė’s creations reflect Lithuanian folk art and highlight the features of ancient Baltic and other cultures. The sculptor hopes that the sculpture created specifically for this unique place will unite and bring together the Baltic tribes. The Balt’s Sun Circle is the place where all descendants of the Balts can light the fire of their future unity. On 22 September the fire was lit as a symbolic message to be sent to the Baltic brothers and sisters in the neighbouring countries.

Address: Juozapinė village, Medininkai eldership, Vilnius district

Medininkai Church

Medininkai settlement is famous thanks to a number of impressive historic-cultural sites. Here you can visit the famous Medininkai Castle and one of the first seven parishes in Lithuania. The then ruler of Lithuania and King of Poland, Władysław II Jagiełło (Lith. Jogaila), established the Medininkai Parish immediately after the Christianisation of Lithuania in 1387. The current Church of The Holy Trinity and St. Casimir was built in 1930, almost half a millennium later. Interestingly, prior to the construction of this Church, several churches and chapels had been built in the Medininkai settlement.

In 1391, at the invitation of Jogaila the representatives of the Order of Saint Augustine arrived in Medininkai. They built a church and a monastery and administered this parish for more than 400 years. In 1831, under pressure from the tsarist government the Augustinians were forced to leave. The Parish was abolished while its territory was divided between the neighbouring parishes leaving the church closed.

Today, the Church of The Holy Trinity and St. Casimir is serviced by different monks, Franciscan brothers (Conventual Franciscans or the Minorites). The first Franciscan brother, Fr. Kamil Wielemanski, settled here in 1961, when he returned from Soviet exile. Right after the re-establishment of Lithuania’s independence, more Franciscan friars from Lithuania and abroad came to reside in the monastery next to the church.

The Church was consecrated in the name of the Holy Trinity in 1791. Historical records show that at that time the Church had three altars. The great altar of the Holy Trinity was almost fully gilded, decorated with carvings and four gold-plated statues.

In 1917, a temporary chapel was dedicated in the name of St. Casimir. During the war the chapel was moved by local residents to the village shed as they were unable to finance the reconstruction of the Medininkai Church. In the same year, following a decision of the Vilnius Archdiocese, the Medininkai Parish was restored.

The Church of The Holy Trinity and St. Casimir is a wooden rectangular-style structure. Anton Filipovič-Dubovnik was the architect of the original wooden church. The church stands out thanks to its artistic features including monumental crosses, an 18thcentury organ and a painting of St. Casimir.

The Church was Rebuilt More than Once

There are few written historical sources mentioning the Church of The Holy Trinity and St. Casimir. The information available illustrates the many difficulties it experienced throughout its history.

Since its foundation in 1391 and to the present day, the Church of The Holy Trinity and St. Casimir has been rebuilt twice.The Church was restored for the first time following a fire in 1780. The enemy army marching through Medininkai likely started it. At the time, its pastor held services at a temporary structure made of wood logs. Under the straw covered roof, there were three altars. One of them had a picture of the Virgin Mary painted on a piece of wood. Interestingly, a parish school was already functioning in Medininkai at the time, offering its services to 15 local students.

The 19thcentury brought plenty of hardships for the Medininkai Church and Parish. In 1812, during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, Medininkai settlement was robbed and burned down. The parsonage, monastery, library and church archives were all lost in the fire. From 1830, the tsarist government of the Russian Empire, which decided to destroy the communities of Catholic monks, decided the fate of the church. Both the Medininkai Church and Monastery were closed, Medininkai Parish was abolished, and its territory was divided between the neighbouring parishes. Medininkai did not have any churches or chapels for half a century.

The second reconstruction of the Church, which took place in the 20thcentury, did not go smoothly either. The Russian authorities had repeatedly rejected the requests of local residents to build a church. Even the passing of the Decree on Religious Tolerance in 1905 did not improve the situation. It was only in 1917 that the German occupation administration provided an opportunity to build a church, and Medininkai Parish was reinstated by a decision of the Vilnius Archdiocese. Although the foundations of the present wooden church were consecrated in 1922, the new Church of The Holy Trinity and St. Casimir was only fully built in 1931, almost a decade later, thanks to the joint efforts of local parishioners.

Church Art Works

The Medininkai Church invites visitors to admire its works of art including the organ, two monumental crosses and a canvas painting of St. Casimir. The largest cross is positioned above the western façade tower and closely resembles the proportions of the Latin cross. It is decorated with a variety of floral and geometric openwork ornaments. The smaller cross hangs above the porch of the Church and has the form of the Cross of Malta.

The Cross of Malta is an octagonal-shaped cross. The First Great Master Raymond du Puy approved it as the emblem of the Order of Malta in the 12thcentury. Notably, the knights of this order also took monotheistic vows, i.e. vows of obedience, chastity and poverty. Love, respect, maintenance and promotion of justice, freeing of the oppressed and their protection were among the most important values of this Order of Malta.

The design on the front of the late Baroque-style organ was created in 1788. The décor of the organ is impressive: the pipes are grouped into three towers and two transition areas. The organ is decorated with intricate ornament garlands and flaming acanthus carvings, with wings attached to its sides.

The painting of St. Casimir is a replica of Vincas Slendzinskis’ work. At the beginning of the 20thcentury, painter Liucija Balzukevičiūtė used oil paint to perfectly embody peace and spirituality in this painting. The kneeling St. Casimir holds his hands in prayer, and his figure is emphasised by the contrasting lighting. The colours of the painting’s background are mostly dark, while St. Casimir is portrayed in a decorated red vestment.

Interestingly, St. Casimir is always depicted wearing red vestments. In the iconography, the colour red symbolises the suffering associated with the earthly sufferings of Christ and the blood he spilt for humankind. However, St. Casimir was not a martyr, and the right to wear red garments is granted to him by his royal ancestry.

Address: Šv. Kazimiero str. 4, Medininkai village, Medininkai eldership, Vilnius district

Medininkai Castle

Medininkai town grew alongside one of the oldest and largest trade routes in Lithuania, used by Lithuanians to get to the Russian lands. Burial mounds, hill forts and traces of ancient settlements are often found along this trail and testify to the fact that its history dates back to the first millennium.

Due to the lack of historical and architectural sources, we cannot know precisely when the castle was built in Medininkai. It is believed that the settlement and the castle appeared during the reign of Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania in the first half of the 14th century. At the end of the 14th century, Medininkai Castle was mentioned in written sources for the first time. It was a document detailing one of the crusades.

Medininkai Castle located in close proximity to the Aukštojas and Juozapinė Hills, the highest peaks in Lithuania, is one of the best-preserved castles in the country. The oldest elements of stone building were preserved and now help create an atmosphere of the castle’s daily life during medieval peacetime and imagine how our ancestors defended the castle from the attackers.

Medininkai Castle has undergone restoration, and now invites visitors to explore its permanent expositions held in the main tower and to enjoy the view of the Medininkai Highlands from the observation deck. Annual events including Medininkai Castle Games and Music and Rituals Day in Medininkai are held at the castle. Its premises are also used for conferences and visual arts expositions including photography, graphics and painting. Educational activities for children and adults are held at the conference hall and the castle’s courtyard.

Architecture

Medininkai Castle is rectangular-shaped and classed as an enclosure castle. It is the largest castle of this type in Lithuania and one of the largest castles in Central and Eastern Europe! Double defensive ditches (one of them filled with water) and a wooden wall surround it. Its total area including defensive moats and fences is close to 6.5 hectares.

Medininkai Castle has four towers, which are connected by walls almost 2 metres thick and up to 15 metres tall with gates and embrasures. The main defensive and residential tower (the dungeon) is about 30 metres high. The Castle’s architecture is modest and simple. Although it is difficult to distinguish more prominent style features, the gates and tower windows have sharp arches, which could be considered the rudiments of the Gothic architectural style.

Exhibition

Medininkai Castle is one of the best-preserved castles in Lithuania and has four permanent exhibition halls. The main tower of the castle is five stories tall and invites visitors to learn more about the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and its brick castles and explore unique archaeological findings. The latter include weaponry of the time: cannons, stoneware and other military equipment. One of the halls houses a display of hunting trophies and a collection of hunting knives belonging to former Lithuanian President, Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas.

The fifth floor has a great hall, which leads visitors to the observation deck of the main tower. It offers beautiful views of the Medininkai Highlands and the two highest hills in Lithuania, Aukštojas and Juozapinė.

Medininkai Castle Games

Every year on the last weekend of September Medininkai Castle hosts the extraordinary Medininkai Castle Games. During this celebration, the castle seems to come to life bringing together knights, craftsmen, artists and countless guests. The castle is full of hustle and bustle while guests enjoy all sorts of entertainment including games, music and dancing. Knights and archery tournaments are held, and riders have a chance to demonstrate their prowess.

A traditional craft fair takes place in the castle’s courtyard, and dozens of craftsmen display their creations. Assisted by professionals, visitors can create their own crafts or souvenirs. Visitors are welcome to relax and have a drink and a snack in a special pub set up for the occasion.

The event celebrates the castle’s history, its importance in Lithuania’s history as well as key historical figures and legends associated with the castle. The sounds of ancient music, ritual hymns and altar smoke – all create a special medieval atmosphere.

Educational Classes

Festive educational classes for children and adults take place in Medininkai Castle. Elementary school students can take part in the class about Ancient Pagan Religion, which talks about the hierarchy and diversity of ancient gods, dukes and the role of ancient priests and priestesses of that time. A different class reveals the aspects of the medieval city’s architecture, various clothing peculiarities and specific societal life that existed here hundreds of years ago.

Older schoolchildren can learn more about the history of money in the world and in Lithuania as well as the subtleties of moneymaking. A class about bows and their use held at the Castle’s courtyard will be of interest to both young and old. The art of archery will not be all about theory, as guests will have a chance to try it out in practice.

One can learn a lot at Medininkai Castle not only theoretically, but also use the tools hands-on. This is a truly memorable experience!

Address: Šv. Kazimiero str. 2, Medininkai village, Medininkai eldership, Vilnius district

Medininkai Memorial

The Vilnius–Minsk highway of today has for centuries been one of the largest and oldest trading and military action routes and was established in the first millennium AD. It stretches to the East in the direction of the Medininkai Customs Post.

Establishing state border control is one of the main elements of the country’s independence. When the country regained its independence on 11 March 1990, Lithuania began establishing state customs posts at its borders. This was a very tense period, as the Soviet Union did not recognise Lithuania’s independence and sought to divide and destabilise it. The Soviet military together with the special OMON military forces attacked and wrecked Lithuanian border checkpoints and customs posts. Unarmed customs officers were attacked and wounded, buildings and documents burnt and Lithuanian flags ripped apart, etc. According to calculations, 18 attacks were conducted during which 35 employees of the National Defence Department and 27 customs officers were injured.

Tragic events also touched Medininkai. In the summer of 1991, shortly after Lithuania regained its independence, tragic news spread across the country. In the early hours of the 31stof July, the Medininkai Customs Post came under deadly attack. A Soviet Special Purpose Police Unit OMON ambushed the customs post officers in the line of duty. Seven Lithuanian officers were mercilessly shot and killed including officers of the Special Division ARAS, the road police and customs officers. One of them survived having sustained severe injuries.

In 1993, in honour of this tragic event, a black granite monument with seven white marble crosses was erected near the old Medininkai customs trailer. The seven crosses symbolise seven Lithuanian border guards who sacrificed their lives. Architects Algimantas Šarauskas and Rimantas Buivydas are the authors of the monument.

The guardians of the Medininkai border post:

Mindaugas Balavakas (officer of the Special Division ARAS under the Lithuanian Police Department)
Algimantas Juozakas (officer of the Special Division ARAS under the Lithuanian Police Department)
Juozas Janonis (officer of the road police)
Algirdas Kazlauskas (officer of the road police)
Antanas Musteikis (Vilnius Customs officer)
Stanislovas Orlavičius (Vilnius Customs officer)
Ričardas Rabavičius (Vilnius Customs officer)
Tomas Šernas (Vilnius Customs officer)

The only survivor, customs officer Tomas Šernas, suffered severe injuries during the ambush. He has remained permanently disabled since. According to a decree of the President of Lithuania, the victims of the Medininkai massacre were awarded the Cross of Vytis (now the Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Vytis). Those killed were buried in Antakalnis Cemetery next to the victims of the 13thof January attack. The memory of the victims is honoured during an annual Medininkai-Vilnius relay.

In 2001, a memorial museum was opened to commemorate the Medininkai massacre. It became a division of the Customs Museum of the Republic of Lithuania. Close to the Medininkai border post, protected by a glass shell, the original trailer where the bloody attack took place is on display. Medininkai border post trailer still contains the preserved objects that were there when the massacre happened. A book for registering cars crossing the border is still on the table (proof of the formality of the newly established border control). Although the wagon was renovated, blood marks on the floor remain untouched. The caretaker at the Medininkai Memorial claims that at that time, customs officers and border guards worked in extremely unfavourable conditions without telephone, electricity or hot water. They used to ask local residents for boiling water to make tea or coffee.

Today, the 31stof July is the commemorative day of sacrifice for the freedom of the people of Lithuania. The old Medininkai border trailer and the monument of the seven crosses serve as a symbol of consolidation of the struggle for Lithuania’s independence. The museum can be viewed only by prior arrangement with the Customs Museum or the Border Post management.

31stof July, 1991, 4 AM

It was early in the morning in July. Eight men were on duty at the Medininkai Customs Post. Four were positioned in the trailer, two outside it and two more about 50 metres away. Suddenly a number of armed attackers who were part of the Special Purpose Police Unit OMON appeared. The Russian-speaking assailants took all the officers into the trailer. They ordered everyone to lie down on the floor and at least 13 shots followed. The Lithuanian officers were shot in the head, execution style… Six of them died at the scene and two more were taken to the hospital with severe injuries within a couple of hours. Only Tomas Šernas managed to survive.

The sole survivor of the massacre recalls that he was not overwhelmed by fear as no one had died during previous similar incidents. Before the events of the 31stof July 1991, the Medininkai Customs Post was attacked on at least four other occasions. This prompted authorities to send officers of the Special Division ARAS to the customs post.

Notably, on the 29thof July, Vytautas Landsbergis, the President of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania and the Head of the Reconstituent Seimas, and Boris Yeltsin, the President of the Russian Federation, met in Moscow where they formally signed agreements establishing relations between the states that concerned cooperation and development of the Kaliningrad Region as well as the opening of diplomatic missions. The Russian Federation finally recognised Lithuania’s independence. Unfortunately, the official documents did not prevent the aggression…

The Special Purpose Police Unit OMON troopers from Riga and Vilnius divisions were the perpetrators of the bloody attack in Medininkai. In the spring of 2011, Konstantin Michailov, a Latvian citizen and a former OMON officer, was given a life sentence for crimes against humanity. In addition, default judgments against Andrej Laktionov, Česlav Mlinyk and Aleksandr Ryžov entered into force. These former OMON officers were not imprisoned because, according to the Constitution of the Russian Federation and its Criminal Code, Russian citizens who have committed a crime in another country are protected by the state and are not extradited to other states.

Address: Pasieniečių str., Medininkai village, Medininkai eldership, Vilnius district

Šumskas Church of Saint Michael the Archangel

The small town of Šumskas is located near the Belarusian border, about 32 km east of the capital city of Vilnius. Right in the centre of the town, lies an original late Baroque style architectural ensemble. Šumskas Church of Saint Michael the Archangel and the Dominican Monastery complex sit on a small hill surrounded by abundant greenery. Gates of the belfry lead visitors to the churchyard. The territory of the complex is tranquil and well maintained. Visitors have a chance to learn more about its history, chapels, artwork etc.

The Church of Saint Michael the Archangel is a light-coloured brick structure and is reminiscent of the late Baroque and early Classicism styles. It is a massive, symmetrical, tower-less church with an original main façade décor and arched windows positioned in deep niches. The churchyard is surrounded by a stone fence. The belfry and the gates are harmoniously integrated into it.

The interior has several stylistic features typical of the Dominican tradition: there are many crucifix sculptures on the church altars. Notably, the reflection of Christ’s suffering is of paramount importance to the friars of the Dominican Order. The church walls are largely decorated with murals and dominated by illusory paintings. It portrays the effect of space and grandiosity of the Baroque-style painting. With the help of special theatrical effects, the illusion is created that these are not paintings, but rather live images. Three chapel altars and the surrounding paintings were decorated using this particular technique.

The altar of Šumskas Church is decorated with an expressive 18th – century painting St. Michael the Archangel. This painting has dynamic features of the Baroque style and portrays the victory of Archangel Michael in his battle against the devil.

Today, the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel and the Dominican Monastery have been renovated. They belong to the Naujoji Vilnia Parish, and services there are held in the Polish language.

History

At the end of the 17th century, the construction of the church was started by the Szumsk family. Landlords Mihal and Halina Szumsk actively supported the construction of the wooden church. Interestingly, the village was formerly called Lukininkai, but the noble family decided to change that and named it after their last name.

Shortly after the beginning of the church’s construction, the Szumsk family also initiated the construction of a monastery nearby. The Dominican Order friars settled there at the behest of the noble family. Historical sources state that after a few years, the Szumsk family handed the ownership of the town over to the monastery!

The construction of the current Church of Saint Michael the Archangel was started almost a 100 years later in the 18th century. Construction works lasted for 20 years, and the two-storey wooden square-shaped monastery was joined with the church. The church was consecrated in the name of Michael the Archangel in 1789. Interestingly, the Dominican friars ran a parish school and a care house for the disadvantaged at the premises of the church.

The church and monastery complex went through its own hardships. At the beginning of the 19th century, French troops caused great damage to the buildings of this ensemble, especially damaging the monastery’s library. Shortly after, Russia’s tsarist government became very aggressive towards the Catholic Church. It went as far as closing the monastery, converting the Catholic Church into an Orthodox Church and forcibly converting people to the Orthodox religion. During this period, architectural features of the church and its interior were severely damaged, and baroque volutes (décor features) at the top of the main façade of the church were torn down.

The fate of the painting of the Virgin Mary remains a mystery. At the time, the painting had beautiful silver-plated fittings and was said to have special powers.

The Church of Saint Michael the Archangel and the Dominican Monastery were only returned to the Catholic community during the First World War. Unfortunately, before Lithuania regained its independence, the ensemble belonged to the Soviet collective farm of Šumskas. During this period, the structures suffered the greatest damage: all the Dutch-tile stoves and wooden staircases were broken, the steps taken apart and completely destroyed.

Belfry and Chapels

Jesu in te confideis the Latin phrase that translates as ‘Jesus, I trust you’, and it is inscribed in the wall of the belfry. This is the first thing that visitors to the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel see, and it encourages everyone to contemplate. The belfry and its gates are incorporated into the stone fence surrounding the churchyard – and are located directly in front of the main entrance to the church.

Visitors to the Šumskas Church ensemble are invited to take a look at its road cross in the churchyard. The 19th-century monument bears memorial boards honouring the Kamienskiai family and Felicija Sventickienė. When guests take a stroll through the pristine monastery garden, they find a chapel decorated with St. Fatima and St. Anthony’s majolica (majolica is a special type of ceramic décor that came from the island of Majorca).

Dominican Order

The Dominican Order, also known as the Order of Preachers, was established in the 13th century by the Spanish priest Dominic of Guzmán. Translated from Latin ‘domini canis’ means the ‘The Hounds of the Lord’. So, one of the main symbols of the Order is a white dog with black spots carrying a torch in its mouth as a symbol of acquisition and transmission of knowledge.

Since ancient times, Dominican brothers have been known to lead a contemplative lifestyle. They used to set up schools and universities, and they would teach there, too. Their main goal is to study, preach and spread the Gospel. Other common symbols of the Dominican Order are a book, bread, a star, a rosary and a lily. In the Christian tradition, a lily is associated with purity, beauty, resurrection from death and the Virgin Mary.

Address: Vilniaus str. 8, Šumskas town, Kalveliai eldership, Vilnius district