Lithuania‘s Decade of Independence Monument

Lithuania‘s Decade of Independence Monument

In the Center of Lekėčiai

11 Lekėčiai region volunteers have died in the fight for Lithuanian independence.

The idea of building a monument to the independence of Lithuania to commemorate the volunteers who died on the occasion of Lithua­nia‘s decade in the summer of 1928 arose for the inhabitants of the township.

As funds were needed for the construction of the monument, Le­kėčiai youth took the initiative to collect them. A paid party was held in Lekėčiai, during which the drama “Dusky Peace” by Petras Vai­čiūnas was performed. The money was also donated by farmers and believers in Lekėčiai County.

The building committee was elected with sufficient funds. He ow­ned teachers: J. Merčaitis, V. Matusevičius, farmers: B. Tamulaitis, J. Blažys, superiors J. Povilaitis.

The monument project was prepared in Kaunas, and the construc­tion work was carried out by Lithuanian German Edward Achenbach, who lived in Lekėčiai at that time.

The unveiling of the monument took place in the same, 1928.

Many local people gathered for the ceremony, and the Lithuanian Minister of Education K. Šakenis and Minister of National Defense K. Musteikis also participated.

After the celebration, the monument was consecrated by the then Lekėčiai pastor P. Garmus. At the end of the ceremony, three Lithu­anian aeroplanes flying out of the building and greetings came from them.

In the postwar years, the Lithuanian Independence Monument was despised and neglected. Someone even boards with the inscrip­tion „1918-1928. Independent Lithuania „broke. At this point, the Stalinists did not despise the bodies of the murdered. The bullets re­maining in the monument can still be seen.