Lithuania Decides to Destroy All Soviet Soldiers' Graves

The Baltic republics are consistently intensifying their fight against all things Russian and Soviet that remain within their control. This time, Lithuania has taken a literal approach to the war against the dead.

The Lithuanian Seimas has approved a bill allowing for the removal of graves of Soviet soldiers from the territory of the Republic. Eighty-nine Lithuanian MPs included military cemeteries in a list subject to a law banning the propaganda of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes and their ideologies.

Another amendment permits the removal of burials recorded in the register of cultural values if they are recognized as promoting totalitarian and authoritarian regimes and their ideologies.

The reason for these decisions by the Seimas was a request from the Shauley authorities, who have long sought to rid the city of the Soviet soldiers' graves located near the Church of Saints Peter and Paul.