The cult of the Hill of Crosses as the sign of Poles and Lithuanians fighting for the freedom of faith and nationality
ENThere are countries in the world where Catholicism has struck deeper roots than in Lithuania. Nevertheless, you will never meet such piety of folk and such expression of spirituality that exist in the Cross Hill. A lot of people respect the Hill of Crosses not only as a religious object, but also as the symbol of the nation's spirit, nationality and freedom. Historical, religious and geopolitical events influenced the birth of this nation.The aim of the research was to reveal the origin of the Hill of Crosses cult. The origin of this cult has been traced in folklore and history. The history of the Hill of Crosses began after the 1831 and 1863 Polish and Lithuanian uprisings against the power of the tsar. The conclusions confirm the hypothesis advanced at the beginning of the article, namely that the cult of the Hill of Crosses is the heritage of Polish Franciscan culture in Lithuania. It is not only the witness to how Poles and Lithuanians suffered and lost the fight for religious and national freedom, but at the same time it is the sign and promise of the victory of the Good against the bad. It is natural that in 2000 a Franciscan abbey was built nearby, which continues to spread the Franciscan culture.
