Partisan mass grave
Coordinates: 55.497411 22.196075
Object address: Šilo st.., Šilalė, Lithuania
Municipality: Šilalė district
The partisan mass grave is located near the Evangelical Lutheran cemetery, at the north eastern edge of the town in the Šilalė pinewood.
Namely this became the final resting place of the partisans and their supporters, who died and were desecrated in this town during the resistance. The total number of the bodies is unknown, but there should be at least several dozen. The grave features about 10 mounds of various sizes.
Near the grave, there is a steel cross to commemorate the partisan Vytautas Lukoševičius-Lizdeika, who died in Spraudaičiai village on 15 August 1946 and was buried in Didkiemis-Laumenai forest. On the left of the cross is the resting place of the partisan Vladas Nutautas. He died by accident (an explosion of a grenade) in 1947 and was buried by his brothers in arms in Loma forest, near Pažvėrys village. The grave was found in 1992 and the partisan was reburied.
1991 marked the construction of the monument For Those, Who Died for Lithuania’s Freedom. The monument is approximately 2.5 m high and made of a polished black stone plate and concrete. The stone features carved crosses with the Passion of Christ on the first. On the base there is an inscription: ‘For those, who died for Lithuania’s freedom in 1940-1957’. The construction of the monument was managed by Jurgis Juozapaitis and Povilas Karbauskas. The monument, designed by Povilas Karbauskas, was funded by the relatives of the dead partisans. ‘Rest in peace – your Homeland will be free’ says the monument.
Not all of the partisans are buried inside the fenced area. Several grave sites are located deeper in the forest or on the south-western edge. One grave, marked with a small wooden cross, located several dozen metres from Šilo Street, approximately 100 m from the Evangelical Lutheran cemetery, was exhumed by the initiative of the relatives. There were three bodies. One partisan was recognised by the remains of his belt. Presumably, that could have been Stasys Liatukas-Skrajūnas from Lukštas platoon, who died in the summer of 1951.
Compiled in 2018