Daytrips around Druskininkai
My father suggested adding Druskininkai to our itinerary for the week because its a nice resort town that's close to the Belarus border. Originally we had planned on visiting Radun, home of the Chofetz Chaim, but with the visa sitaution not practicable we were left with enjoying the R&R. Dad felt right at home with the pace of life; it was almost as if he was de-aging before our eyes. Once, during a car trip he commented how the smell of the Lithuanian forest came back to him and how pleasant it was to him and his father when he was a boy. Even the coffee seemed different to him; the wierd hours of the stores (nothing open past 6pm except for the one large supermarket) and all of three internet-wired computers in town didn't seem to faze him one bit.
Eileen & Gail got massages Monday morning, and we all took the afternoon to bounce back before traveling 7 Km to Grutas Park. The park is a fascinating collection of Soviet-era statues and outdoor artwork. It is absolutely fascinating. You can read more about this unique park at:
http://www.balticsww.com/stalin_world.htm
Daniel played on Soviet-era swings and cabin logs while my father & I trekked off to see some of the more flamboyant sculptures of Stalin, Lenin, and mythical figures from the worker's paradise. One of my favorites was a large poster extolling the virtues of electrifying the Vilnius - Kaunas railroad, dated 1975. My father's favorite parts were probably the ones detailing the various partisan groups that operated in the forest for over 10 years after Soviert rule was established in Lithuania. Alone amoungst almost all of Eastern Europe in its military resistance to communist rule, the partisans fought until the late 1950s, hiding in th bands of 10 - 20 people and attacking 'soft targets' when given the opportunity. The Russians devoted over 20,000 troops to putting down the partisans, who had a tremendous amount of sympathy from the average Lithuanian civilian. Mostly the partisans attacked Russian targets, but the displays did note that from time to time they would commit terrorist operations against civilian targets. Their favorite seemed to be the hundreds of mandatory 'book clubs' that were set up to teach the Lithuanians all about the greatness of communism. Usually the would warn the locals before blowing up a building, but once in a while innocent Lithuanians would die in the attacks. That didn't hurt the sympathy for the partisians; the countryside is dotted end to end with memorials and shrines to individual partisans who fell during the war.
Eileen & Gail got massages Monday morning, and we all took the afternoon to bounce back before traveling 7 Km to Grutas Park. The park is a fascinating collection of Soviet-era statues and outdoor artwork. It is absolutely fascinating. You can read more about this unique park at:
http://www.balticsww.com/stalin_world.htm
Daniel played on Soviet-era swings and cabin logs while my father & I trekked off to see some of the more flamboyant sculptures of Stalin, Lenin, and mythical figures from the worker's paradise. One of my favorites was a large poster extolling the virtues of electrifying the Vilnius - Kaunas railroad, dated 1975. My father's favorite parts were probably the ones detailing the various partisan groups that operated in the forest for over 10 years after Soviert rule was established in Lithuania. Alone amoungst almost all of Eastern Europe in its military resistance to communist rule, the partisans fought until the late 1950s, hiding in th bands of 10 - 20 people and attacking 'soft targets' when given the opportunity. The Russians devoted over 20,000 troops to putting down the partisans, who had a tremendous amount of sympathy from the average Lithuanian civilian. Mostly the partisans attacked Russian targets, but the displays did note that from time to time they would commit terrorist operations against civilian targets. Their favorite seemed to be the hundreds of mandatory 'book clubs' that were set up to teach the Lithuanians all about the greatness of communism. Usually the would warn the locals before blowing up a building, but once in a while innocent Lithuanians would die in the attacks. That didn't hurt the sympathy for the partisians; the countryside is dotted end to end with memorials and shrines to individual partisans who fell during the war.
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