Another Mystery

Šiauliai, Lithuania, about 1930. These are relatives on my Dad's side. We have no clue about who they are.

Post-Soviet-Era Tourism

"Lithuania is one of the few places where Soviet history could be explored with all the modern amenities and freedoms. A rich array of Soviet-related locations includes the ordinary and extra-ordinary: apartment blocks, nuclear launch site, propaganda art, locations of the freedom struggle and memorials for those who perished."

Stork Reunion

Near Šiauliai, Lithuania, August 2011. It's the time of year when storks return to their nests.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

(The sign reads "Private Property." Haha.)

A New Look at the Hill of Crosses

Lithuania's Hill of Crosses—the Kryžių Kalnas—draws some new attention.

 

Šiauliai, Lithuania, August 2011. A cross on the left reads, " Dieve, Globok mūsų šeimą" (God, watch over our family).

                                                        

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

Happy Easter

Šiauliai, Lithuania, August 2011. Traditional Lithuanian wooden crosses stand on the Kryžių Kalnas.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

Another "Sister City"

I mentioned earlier that Madison is a Sister City to Vilnius, Lithuania. I learned today that Šiauliai, Lithuania is a Sister City to Omaha, Nebraska. There's a large population of Lithuanians in Omaha; my maternal Grandfather Jake's brother, Zigmas, emigrated to the city.

Omaha also is home to the Lithuanian Bakery, a business that sells and ships "Napoleonai."

Habits

Lithuania is "the most stork-dense of all the [E]uropean nations." The stork is the country's national bird. When our family traveled to Europe in 1971, my Dad got very excited each time we saw a stork pair because the birds reminded him of home.

Storks, who used to return to Lithuania after a wintering in Africa, are changing their migration habits. Will they become the seagulls of the European continent?

Near Šiauliai, Lithuania, August 2011. Another stork perches on its nest.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

"Christmas in Siberia, 1942"

The experience of Lithuanian deportees.

See this post for how my family confronted this time frame.

Staging the Salon Shot

Šiauliai, Lithuania, about 1905 to 1910. A photographer must have caught this relaxed image before taking the more formal snapshot on the same day. My paternal Grandfather, Vytautas, again appears in the front, staring at the ceiling; this time, he's reclined against a family friend. The family friend chats with Vytautas's sister, Victoria. In the back, on the left, the dashing physician Charles leans into the shot's frame next to his wife, Stanislava.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

Recognizable

Šiauliai, Lithuania, about 1902. We are working on firmly identifying the people in this photo. I believe they are, from left to right: my Dad's paternal Uncle, Kaz; Kaz's wife, Bronislava; my Dad's paternal Grandmother, Salomea (I am certain this is she), and; my Dad's paternal aunt, Stanislava.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

In the Salon

Šiauliai, Lithuania, about 1905 to 1910. My Dad's cousin, Henry, sent this photo to my Dad's twin sister, Jonė. Henry did not identify each person in the image, but he did point out the people that matter to us. The boy sitting on the left, and looking off toward the ceiling, is my paternal Grandfather, Vytautas. My Dad looked a lot like him as a child. Standing behind Vytautas is the physician Charles and his wife—Vytautas's paternal aunt—Stanislava. Next to Stanislava is Henry's mother, Bronislava. The little girl standing in the front is Vytautas's sister, Victoria.

Henry added, at the end of his description, "With photos like this one, it's impossible to state a date precisely." Henry wrote "perhaps 1910" on this photo, but based on Vytautas's size, I think it might be closer to 1905.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

Lucky Strike

Near Šiauliai, Lithuania, August 2011. In Lithuania, the stork is a symbol of good luck.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

Kryžių Kalnas

The " Kryžių Kalnas," or "Hill of Crosses" is a Lithuanian pilgrimage destination. Although the site had historical importance for several centuries, it evolved as a symbol of resistance to the Soviet occupation beginning in the 1940s.

Author Daiva Markelis explains, "During the Soviet occupation, inhabitants of the nearby town would erect crosses at night, only to have them taken down during the day by the KGB. For every cross destroyed during the day, two would appear at night."

Šiauliai, Lithuania, June 2010. The Kryžių Kalnas remains a significant destination for native and tourist Lithuanians alike.

Thanks to Daiva Markelis for making this photo available to me.

*     *     *     *     *

Šiauliai, Lithuania, August 2011. My Toronto Cousin, on the right, and her daughter approach the Kryžių Kalnas.
 
Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to me.