Memory Path

Memory lane
(an ensemble of wooden sculptures, 1988)

Folk artists, woodcarvers organized the first camp in the Alksniakiem forest near Birštonas in 1988. In a 0.3 km section near the Nemunas, an ensemble of 11 oak sculptures created by folk artists, "Memory Trail", commemorates the times of deportations and occupation losses.
When this trail was created in 1988, all the national signs were very expensive and interesting, it still took courage to display them publicly. The sculptures have not lost their value even today, because the sculptures depict all the sufferings of Lithuania, which cannot be forgotten.
The caretaker with a wreath of Lithuanian oak leaves symbolizes not only hardships and sorrow, but also peace, care, sacrifice, love. The exile on the cross with the question "For what?" is a living rebuke for broken destinies, Siberian exiles, death, hunger, cold. The figure of the sculpture is curled up in a ball - as if it has not yet straightened up, having irretrievably lost life, time, health... In other roof pillars, pain, loss, exile are reminded of mothers and babies. The symbols of the Catholic faith, which have helped Lithuanians to survive more than one terrible event, are also here - Pieta, Virgin Sopulingoji, Virgin Mary, Careful. There are also hopeful symbols - a sower pouring grain into the ground, a reaper and thresher, a baker...
The sculptures are decorated with Lithuanian metal suns - they give hope and light to the "Memory Trail". Metal suns were created by Aleksandras and Vladas Kuzins.

List of sculptures:
1. Pranas Kaziūnas "Lithuania, for all your sufferings" (chapel pillar, 4.6 m)
2. Romas Venckus "For what?" (sculpture, 3.5 m)
3. Vidas Cikana "For all those who have grown up in Satan's grip " (chapel pillar, 4 m)
4. Vladas Rakuckis "To the pain of mothers and the screams of babies frozen in the Siberian mountain" (roof post, 4 m)
5. Viktoras Žilinskas "Look at the Nemunas, At the clearness of your soul, At the blue soul, At the spring of your life" (roof post, 4 m)
6. Jonas Tvardauskas "To every righteous person who laid down his head for Lithuania" (chapel on the ground, 2 m)
7. Marijanas Misevich "People, let's not let dragons be born on our Earth" (chapel pillar, 3.8 m)
8. Alvydas Seibutis (chapel pillar, 3.8 m)
9. Rimantas Zinkevičius "When I set my foot here, I feel like I'm not a guest - But a host, I've lived here for ages - And no alien, No bullet or bayonet, Will knock us out of that land" ( B. Marčionis) (roof post, 4.6 m)
10. Raimundas Puškarius "Lithuania, our homeland, you are the land of heroes" (chapel pillar, 3.8 m)
11. Ginutis Dudaitis "Drop your old clothes, Motherland" (roof pole, 4.8 m)