Grutas Park
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Grutas Park (also known as Stalin World) is an exposition of memorial Soviet-era statues and ideological relicts near Druskininkai, about 130 km southeast Vilnius, Lithuania.
After Lithuania regained its independence in 1990, all these statues were deconstructed and deposited in different places. Later local entrepreneur Viliumas Malinauskas offered Lithuanian authorities to pass him rights to the sculptures, so he would use his own financing and build a museum.
This Soviet theme park was created in swamps of Dzukija national park. Lots of details remind of Soviet Gulag prison camps: wooden paths, guard towers and fences. Though it has lots of irony, some people say it raises painful memories, and establishment of this museum has faced some fierce opposition.
The park also contains playgrounds, a mini-zoo and caffees, all containing Soviet symbolism.
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Exposition
The exposition has statues divided into groups of different spheres. Each statue is accompanied by information stand, containing information about crimes of subjects, as almost all (except Marx) were participants of anti-Lithuanian activity.
Totalitarian sphere
Terror sphere
- Felix Dzerzhinsky, the organizer of Red Terror
- M.Kozlovsky, head of Soviet Committee of Inquiry
- Zigmas Aleksa-Angarietis
- Vincas Kapsukas, organizer of Red Terror regime in Lithuania
- P.Eidukevicius
- V.Putna, J.Uborevicius - cruel military suppressors of anti-soviet revolts in Kronstadt and Tambov
- J.Baltusis-Zemaitis - participant of Lithuanian Occupation in 1940
Soviet sphere
K.Pozela, J.Greifenberger, K.Giedrys, R.Carnas, E.Tuckus, B.Grikas, V.Rekasius - fighters against Lithuanian independence in 1918-1919.
Red sphere
- Maryte Melnikaite - soviet partisan
- Other soviet partisans
(mocking idealization of partisans and their crimes)
Occupation sphere
Various participants of occupation and organizers of mass terror and genocide.
Death sphere
Organizers and heads of various death squadrons and anti-nationalistic organizations.
See also
External links
- Museum of occupations of Estonia (http://www.okupatsioon.ee/) — Project by the Kistler-Ritso Estonian Foundation
- The Occupation museum of Latvia (http://www.occupationmuseum.lv/)
- Could the Baltic States have resisted to the Soviet Union? (http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=68053)
- What Happened in Lithuania in 1940? (http://www.lfpr.lt/006/a16.doc) — Article by Alfred Erich Senn
- Crimes of Soviet Communists (http://www.angelfire.com/de/Cerskus/english/links1.html) — Wide collection of sources and links
- Stalin World (http://www.balticsww.com/stalin_world.htm)
- From Zappa to Lenin (http://www.balticsww.com/lenin_to_zappa.htm)
- Photos (http://www.mariesworldtour.com/entries/0608.html)