Oakery of National Revival of Lithuania

In 1988, the initiative group from Vilnius (i.e., Kestutis Labanauskas, Romualdas Survila, Vitalius Stepulis, Vygandas Caplikas, Algimantas Kepezenas, Vladas Markauskas, and Rimantas Krupickas) together with the support of the local people designed a future Oakery of the National Revival of Lithuania and organised the first oak planting works. In 1992, the initiative group grew into the Community and, subsequently, into the Society of the Oakery of the National Revival of Lithuania.

On the basis of the project prepared by one of the members of the initiative group Romualdas Survila, 12 oak groves were planted in the territory covering 30 ha of land and stretching over magnificent hills of Ozkabaliai. Each grove was given its name, thus, there are the grove of the Seimas of the National Reform Movement Sajudis, and the groves of the National Memory, National Unity, Victims of Repression (i.e. the memorial for the Victims of January 13^th and Medininkai); the groves of the Book Smugglers, Laureates of Jonas Basanavicius Award, People of Vilkaviskis, Youth, March 11^th, and, finally, the grove of Guests and Famous People. The path leading towards the Oakery of the National Revival of Lithuania starts from symbolic gates, i.e., the sculpture created by Daumantas Kucas in 1995. The oaks in commemoration of such Lithuanian heroes as Dr. Jonas Basanavicius, Simonas Daukantas, Antanas Poska, Vydunas, the Presidents of the Republic of Lithuania and various other prominent figures were planted in the Grove of National Memory.

The oaks named after the victims of January 13^th and Medininkai were planted in the Grove of the Victims of Repression. Next to each of the oaks there are fieldstones bearing the names of the victims of those events chiselled by the young sculptors from Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis School of Arts. The trees in commemoration of the people of Lithuania who had been exiled and died in Siberia as well as all the Lithuanians scattered around the world were also planted in this grove.

In the highest location of the Oakery, on the Altar Hill, there lies a huge boulder with the chiselled signs, which serve as the background for the concept of the Baltic model of the world from the point of view of ethnography and mythology. This Altar Hill of the Oakery has already become the place of commemoration of new and old celebrations as well as other important dates and events.

Currently, the Oakery of the National Revival of Lithuania covers 39.4 ha of land. More than 8,400 oaks have been planted in the thirteen groves of the Oakery. The Oakery has been also decorated with various sculptures designed by students of Vilnius Academy of Arts as well as the works produced by numerous wood carvers.