Mounds of Meaning: Investigating the Histories of Kryžių kalnas (Hill of Crosses)
Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture 6500 S. Pulaski, Chicago, IL, United States
Host Organization: Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
Kryžių kalnas (“Hill of Crosses”) located in the Šiauliai county of Lithuania, is a popular destination for local and visiting Lithuanians, tourists, and Christian pilgrims. The meaning of this place has changed significantly since its mysterious beginnings, becoming a place of peaceful protest against Soviet occupation in the mid-1950s, to gaining worldwide attention after Lithuania’s restored independence in 1990.