The Hill of Crosses is a site near the city of Šiauliai, northern Lithuania. It has been built over hundreds of years by devoted pilgrims from all over the world. Not only crosses, but giant crucifixes, carvings of Lithuanian patriots, statues of the Virgin Mary and thousands of tiny effigies and rosaries have been brought here and assembled into a growing religious tribute.
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Most recently, the site took on a special significance during the years 1944-1991, when Lithuania was officially part of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. Continuing to travel to the Hill and leave their tributes, Lithuanians used it to demonstrate their allegiance to their original identity, religion and heritage. Although the Soviets worked hard to remove new crosses almost as soon as they arrived, and bulldozed the site at least three times, by 1985 they had given up.
On September 7, 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the Hill of Crosses, declaring it a place for hope, peace, love and sacrifice.